PG 6'1 Koren Johnson (Garfield HS/Wasatch Academy 2022) Commits To The UW

Koren Johnson received a pass in the bottom corner of the floor, the defender in good position and with help behind him on the baseline. Then came the juke, a single step through and the finger roll layup at the rim.

Silky and smooth, it was another field goal for the 6-foot-3 Garfield guard.

And it elicited a spontaneous “Ohhh,” from teammates sitting on the bench at the other end of the floor.

Such are the moments Johnson evokes from players and spectators alike. Moments that when the 2021-22 school year began, the Garfield Bulldogs thought were done from their superstar guard. After three seasons, including the 2020 Class 3A state boys basketball title, Johnson had transferred to Wasatch Academy in Utah for his senior year.

Yet, as 2021 ends Johnson is back in the Garfield fold, trying to help lead the Bulldogs to a defense of their title next March. There was no 2021 state championship, with the COVID-19 pandemic erasing all state playoffs during the last school year.

“I kind of got homesick, and I just didn’t really think it was for me,” Johnson said of his return from Utah. “I wanted to be home around my family, and the people I really know.”

For Johnson, being close to home informed another decision. Originally committed to San Diego State for his college destination, in late November he changed over and will attend the University of Washington.

“I just really didn’t want to be away from home, and I already knew the coaching staff really well,” said Johnson, a four-star recruit and the top player in the state for the Class of 2022 according to 247Sports.com.

His return to his Seattle base further has created a bit of kismet for the Garfield basketball program this season. When these Bulldog seniors arrived four years ago as freshmen, Garfield coach Brandon Roy was on a leave of absence https://scorebooklive.com/washington/2021/12/06/brandon-roy-on-another-leave-of-absence-as-garfields-coach-the-door-is-open-for-his-return/ and Jay Von Nickens stepped in to coach that year’s team.

Now that the group that contains Johnson and others is again being tutored by Nickens while Roy is away on another leave of absence.

“This senior class, I had them,” Nickens said. “I guess it’s right for me to have them, because I had them when they were freshmen. Consistency across the board. When coach (Roy) is there, he gives us free reign to lead the charge. Coach is more of a laid-back guy. He’s on them as much as we are, but he lets us assistant coaches express ourselves and do our X’s and O’s. That’s how you do it as a head coach. So, this is nothing new for us.”

The transition may feel seamless for Nickens and Johnson, but there were steps to take. Until practice started, Nickens didn’t know for sure whether Johnson would actually be back.

“I had heard, but I didn’t really know,” Nickens said. “He’s gotta show up. Once he showed up and enrolled, then I can start smiling. Once he enrolled, they came to me and said, Koren’s back. I had a conversation. I told him my expectations, he told me some things about his expectations and here we are.”

There was some airing out done during that initial conversation, said Nickens, who chose not to go into details.

“It was a good conversation; let’s say that,” Nickens said with a chuckle. “He did what he was supposed to do as a leader, as an older guy. He talked to the team.”

Being that leader on and off the floor is one of those expectations, Nickens said. And Johnson has taken that to heart.

During the spring COVID-delayed Metro League season, Johnson was primarily a scorer. He averaged close to 30 points a game, but the Bulldogs weren’t nearly as successful as two seasons ago, not even getting to play for the only title available — the Metro championship.

Over the first few games this season, Johnson is doing it all. He’s still scoring at 17 points a game. But defensively he’s a steals machine and on offense he is dishing the ball at any opportunity.

Just days ago, in a blowout victory over Union in the quarterfinals of the Hardwood Invite (the same tournament where he made that pretty move that got his bench fired up a day earlier) Johnson nearly filled up a triple-double with 15 points, nine steals and eight assists.

“I just really like playing with him,” junior Jaylin Stewart said.

The athletic Stewart is a frequent recipient of those assists.

“I just find the open man and the pass that’s available,” Johnson said.

Where this group will ultimately end up, Nickens isn’t about to predict, though he does smile when asked about having Johnson back in the fold.

“I just look at it like he never left,” Nickens said. “Some people were kind of making it a big deal, but he’s a three-year starter at Garfield. So, he’s not a transfer. He went and tried some things. He and his family decided to go down to Utah, thought it would work. It didn’t. He came back home and we welcomed him home with open arms.”

“They know what it takes to win a championship. They were sophomores. They were led by Tari Eason and Kendall Munson, and other guys that were seniors. These guys know exactly what it takes. It’s organic and it’s been there since they were freshmen. It’s their turn as seniors to be leaders. Nothing is going to be given to us. We have to work extremely hard. It’s a marathon.”

The first leg of that marathon is coming to a close as the holidays — a time for family — end 2021 and portend 2022.

“It feels good to get back and be with my teammates,” Johnson said. “They welcomed me with open arms, so it just felt good to be treated like family, still.”