By Paul Meyer
www.rmucolonials.com
Nov. 7, 2011

Meyer on Morris Link

Moon Township, Pa. - Halfway through his Robert Morris University career, Russell Johnson has 606 points.

If he doubles that total in the next two seasons, he'll finish among the top 15 scorers in program history.

Not too shabby, but ...

OK, how about this? He also has 388 rebounds. If he doubles that total over the next two seasons, he'll finish as the top rebounder in program history.

Well, that's darned impressive, and yet ...

In his two seasons with the Colonials, he's played in two Northeast Conference championship games, helping Robert Morris win one.

Granted, that's pretty good, but ...

Last season, he was named to the All-NEC Tournament Team, thanks in large part to his 22 points at Long Island in the title game.

OK. OK. Still ...

That seems to be how it is with Russell Johnson. He's already accomplished a lot at Robert Morris, but there always seems to be more he could do. More he could give. More in that lanky 6'6" frame.

It's been that way ever since he first set foot on campus and people got their initial look at him on the Charles L. Sewall Center court.

"You know," some people mused, "Russell Johnson could become a Northeast Conference Player of the Year by the time he's a senior."

That could still happen, of course.

Especially if Johnson builds on the performance he gave in the Colonials' 76-70 win over Wheeling Jesuit in an exhibition game last Monday.

Used off the bench, as he was in the final 11 games of last season, Johnson scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and had a game-high four assists. He added a couple steals and a blocked shot for good measure.

He did all of that in just 23 minutes.

"Russell was terrific," RMU head coach Andrew Toole said.

Indeed he was against Division II Wheeling Jesuit. But, some might say, let's see him do that against, oh, Central Connecticut State. And Long Island. And Wagner. You know, when it matters.

All right. Enough of that stuff.

Let's assume, because, after all, this season just started last night against Rider, that Johnson will approach those numbers in far more games than not during his junior season.

What could that mean for the Colonials?

"If we can have a consistent Russell Johnson even close to what he did (against Wheeling Jesuit), we have a chance to be a good team," Toole said.

The second half highlighted Johnson's importance to the Colonials. As they struggled to fend off the pesky Cardinals, he scored 15 points and had six rebounds in the second half. And he scored his final nine points in the last 3:07 to help seal the deal.

His take on what he did?

"Just doing what I have to do to help the team win," Johnson said. "I enjoyed it."

Will Colonial fans see more of that from him this season?

"Yes, sir," Johnson said succinctly.

Would he rather be starting than coming off the bench?

"Whatever helps the team, I'm fine with," Johnson said.

It's possible that what helps the Colonials most is having Johnson come off the bench. He started the first 21 games last season, and the Colonials were 9-12.

Toole then inserted Lawrence Bridges into the starting lineup and used Johnson off the bench, and the Colonials were 9-2 in their final 11 games.

Toole made that lineup switch after Johnson struggled in seven consecutive starting assignments and the Colonials were foundering at the midpoint of their season. In those seven games, Johnson, who averaged 13.6 points per game in the first 14 games, scored only 54 points.

"I thought once we inserted Lawrence into the starting lineup and Russell came off the bench and we didn't rely on the possibility of Russell being really good, I thought it helped our team get more consistent," Toole said.

Consistency is the key for Johnson. Consistency in the games. Consistency in practices.

Until Toole sees that consistency and believes in the sustainability of that consistency, it's likely Johnson will continue to come off the bench.

"Without a doubt," Toole said. "I've had long conversations with Russell, and I told him, 'We can't play you off possibilities. We have to play you off production. If you're producing, I'd love to have you out here. You're as talented as anyone we have in the program.' But we can't get caught in the trap of 'Tonight's going to be Russell's night and he's going to go out and he's going to turn it on tonight.' I think at times last year we played that game."

Against Wheeling Jesuit, Toole started two points guards - junior veteran Velton Jones and sophomore Anthony Myers, a pairing he employed in 13 games last season when Myers was just a freshman.

"I didn't really like Velton and Ant playing together as much as they did, especially early (in the exhibition game)," Toole said. "You think you're going to have two point guards in the game and you're really going to be able to execute and get people organized and it really didn't happen for us."

Sophomore shooting guard Coron Williams also started against Wheeling Jesuit and made a huge contribution. He scored 22 points, 15 in the first half.

Perhaps, as he gets his team ready to another grinding season in 2011-12, Toole will consider starting Jones at the point and Williams at the other guard spot and then starting either Johnson or freshman Lucky Jones at a swing position.

"I don't know how I envision (Johnson), to be honest," Toole said. "In a perfect world, I would love Russell or Lucky to be starting at that wing spot, but one of them has to come and steal it. They have to take it - and they have to take it in practice as well as in the games. Everyone loves to play in the games, but you really get (your game minutes) on the practice floor. I don't know. We'll see. I think early on we'll see multiple lineups until we get everything sorted out."

Johnson taking that starting wing spot would seem to stabilize the Colonials. He's a decent three-point shooter, but he appears to be more valuable going to the paint, getting to the rim and using his size to be an effective offensive rebounder.

"I've been really hard on Russell the whole preseason," Toole said. "I told him I wasn't going to allow him to just take stand-still three-pointers offensively. I think (the exhibition game) is the first game Russell has ever played at Robert Morris where he didn't attempt a three."

Not true. In his first two seasons, Russell eschewed the trey in three games.

Not to quibble, however.

Carry on, coach Toole.

"I thought he was really active around the rim," Toole said of Johnson against Wheeling Jesuit. "I thought he mixed up some of his offensive game. He had some great offensive rebounds. He was in a good frame of mind. He was attempting to defend the way we need him to defend. Like everybody, he made some mistakes, but in terms of his frame of mind, in terms of his effort, in terms of his attention to winning plays and helping his team he was as good as we need him to be every night."

As mentioned above here, that's the key for Russell Johnson. He has to produce in every game. Or just about every game.

The Colonials no longer can just want Johnson to be good. In his junior season, they have to know he will be.