Xavier Johnson has cried a few times this season. Indiana men’s basketball’s sixth-year senior point guard isn’t afraid to admit it.
Twice this season, Johnson missed extended time due to injury: the first a seven-game absence due to a broken foot in late November and the second a six-game leave due to an elbow injury suffered in late January. Injuries and the emotional distress they carry are far from novel for Johnson.
Last season, a broken foot caused Johnson to miss all but 11 games. Friday morning, Johnson said no one could deal with the mental “attack” he’s endured over the last year. But Sunday afternoon, Indiana’s co-captain was vindicated.
At the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland — a little under an hour north of Johnson’s hometown of Woodbridge, Virginia — the Hoosiers erased a 16-point deficit to top Maryland 83-78. In front of close family members, Johnson scored 13 points and dished out a team-high six assists while only committing one turnover.
“This is where I’m from,” Johnson said postgame. “It’s been a long ride, and it’s almost coming to an end. My family being there — they’re my backbone. It’s important for them to be there for me.”
With 34 seconds remaining in Sunday’s contest, Johnson hounded Maryland senior guard Jahari Long on the perimeter. Johnson’s peskiness was rewarded. Long lost his dribble and Johnson dove to the hardwood to gain possession.
Johnson, with the ball nestled in his arms, had all but sealed Indiana’s comeback triumph. Before he got up and headed to the free throw line for a pair of shots he would go on to make, a sly but rich grin emerged on his face.
Perhaps more so than in previous seasons, Johnson has taken charge in a leadership role. Prior to this season, Johnson said he grew in trying to lead not just by example, but with his voice as well. Being sidelined for lengthy stretches of this year, Johnson never wavered in that aspect.
In the time he missed, head coach Mike Woodson expressed the need for Johnson on the floor almost ad nauseum. Freshman guard Gabe Cupps was an adequate understudy given his defensive efforts and distributive abilities on offense, but he doesn’t offer the same level of playmaking as Johnson.
The twitchy movements and ability to glide in transition and wreak havoc was sorely lacking.
“I can’t even explain it,” freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako said. “He’s so great at what he does — being able to move the ball in transition, get downhill at an amazing pace and find players for the open shot.”
Alongside Johnson’s fellow co-captain in senior guard Trey Galloway, who notched 12 points, five rebounds and four assists Sunday afternoon, the reliable backcourt tandem Woodson expected finally came to fruition. They’ve shown spurts together, but those flashes have been overshadowed by inconsistency.
In a road loss to Nebraska on Jan. 3, Johnson played 14 minutes, turned the ball over four times and didn’t score. Woodson called those 14 minutes “awful.” Galloway also committed a trio of turnovers in the 86-70 thumping.
But Sunday against Maryland, Johnson looked like his old self with dazzling ball handling and game-breaking speed. Alongside him, Galloway’s intensity and fearlessness helped forge the guard pairing that Woodson was eager to witness.
“I thought X was Xavier Johnson,” head coach Mike Woodson said. “He did a lot of good things on the floor from a defensive standpoint. But just controlling the game along with him and Gallo, our two seniors, I missed that this season.”
Last season, aided in large part by the play of now-Los Angeles Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana treaded water without Johnson. This year, with a Big Ten Tournament title likely the Hoosiers’ only avenue to reach the NCAA Tournament, Johnson’s absence weighed heavier.
When on the court, Johnson has been the frequent target of fan derision. His miscues, even at Indiana’s Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, are often met with boos from the Hoosier faithful. Johnson, the team’s eldest player, couldn’t afford to unravel.
He’ll be the first to take accountability for blunders like ill-timed turnovers — and did so Sunday afternoon despite his efficient and nearly unblemished outing.
“I add experience,” Johnson said. “I know I do a couple of things that’s head rocking, but I’m a player. I’m gonna make mistakes and I’m just gonna try to get it right back.”
After Johnson returned against Wisconsin on Feb. 27, the Hoosiers rattled off a pair of wins including Sunday’s victory over the Terrapins. Woodson, as he has all season, stressed how dynamic the Hoosiers become with Johnson on the floor.
Two games remain in Indiana’s regular season. Only one is left before March 10, when Johnson and the rest of the seniors will be honored as part of the program’s senior day celebration.
After three seasons with the University of Pittsburgh, Johnson spent the ensuing three at Indiana, the latter two marred by injuries. Friday morning, Johnson fought back tears looking back on the circuitous journey he’s taken to this point, saying he’ll save the crying for senior day.
Sunday’s game for Johnson, near his hometown with cherished family in attendance, offered respite from his injuries and Indiana’s lackluster season. It was the last time he’ll don a college uniform and return close to home to play in front of his family.
As his collegiate basketball odyssey nears its end, Johnson can ignore the pain and savor that game.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
