Ty-Laur Johnson, a New York City kid who played the past two seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference, has made the successful transition to San Diego and the West Coast Conference.
“It’s basketball everywhere. There’s very good teams here,” the junior point guard said. “I love my school, love my team.” That feeling extends to USD head coach Steve Lavin. “He’s one heck of a coach. He’s funny, got a great personality.”
Johnson, whose first name is pronounced tie-lore, obviously loves the weather in San Diego. Back home in Brooklyn, amidst the brutal winter storm that has afflicted so much of the country, Johnson’s parents were snowed in for a time this week. “It looks bad out there,” he said.
Johnson and the Toreros (9-13, 3-6) head up the coast to Malibu with its equally comfy climate for a Wednesday night matchup with Pepperdine (6-16, 1-8).
In the first meeting between the schools, Johnson had 14 points, 10 assists and four steals in USD’s 83-63 victory. It was a typical recent outing for Johnson, whose numbers in eight West Coast Conference outings (he missed one game) include leading the conference in scoring (20.3 points) and steals (3.3) while also dishing 5.6 assists per game.
Consider some of his other performances in conference action:
— Johnson had 22 points and six steals in a win over Pacific
— He had 28 points, seven assists and three steals as USD beat Washington State
— He accounted for 21 points and two steals in the Toreros’ competitive 99-93 loss to sixth-ranked conference leader Gonzaga.
Prior to the start of league play, Johnson had 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists — and hit the game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second left — as the Toreros claimed an 82-80 road victory over future West Coast Conference rival UC San Diego. “They turned the ball over to Johnson to handle our pressure and he did the job,” UCSD head coach Clint Allard told the San Diego Union Tribune.
Johnson, whose overall season numbers are 16.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals, is pleased but not satisfied with his level of play. “I think I’m playing well. I could be doing a lot better,” he said, adding that he needs to reduce his turnovers and improve his 3-point shooting consistency.
Lavin has been impressed by Johnson’s game and his eagerness to improve. “He brings that New York City style of play. He comes to life when he steps on the court,” Lavin said. “He’s at peace playing the game. That’s what he loves.”
As a senior at Our Savior Lutheran School in New York City, Johnson was rated a four-star prospect and the 118th-best player in the Class of 1993, according to 247Sports. Johnson might have been rated higher except for his stature: 6-feet, 155 pounds.
“Ty is physically built similar to a young Steph Curry at Davidson or Prince in Purple Rain,” Lavin said, also making stylistic comparisons to Hall of Famers Allen Iverson and Tiny Archibald. “Yet, don’t let his diminutive size fool you as he has wiry strength and is a tenacious competitor.”
Johnson, who played his freshman season at Louisville and his sophomore campaign at Wake Forest, said he made the move to San Diego in order to improve his leadership skills through an expanded role on a team. Lavin also impressed him as a coach who knew how to develop smaller guards.
“Coach was offering me a bigger role and is teaching me how to be a leader,” Johnson said. “He’s taught me to not think about mistakes and to just keep playing. On to the next play. That’s really helped me.”
Lavin said his time coaching at St John’s in New York City generated connections with high school and summer-league coaches that gave him a foot in the door recruiting Johnson. He also laid out how a different landscape might help him grow.
“We talked about this is a great opportunity that is unique from his prior experiences in the ACC. The chance to come west, to play in the West Coast Conference and also be in California,” Lavin said. “And the opportunity to step in as our orchestrator. He’s made terrific strides and still understands there is more room for growth when it comes to leading the team and shouldering that responsibility as the extension of the coach on the court.”
Lavin sent Johnson video clips of Tyus Edney, Cameron Dollar and Earl Watson, smallish guards he tutored while coaching at UCLA. All of them were of a different generation, but Johnson was impressed.
“He’s had a lot of pros. I just wanted to gain as much knowledge from him as a I could,” Johnson said. “He’s had a lot of small guards and I thought that was great intel.”
Johnson has one significant asset that compensates for his lack of size: He is fast. Very fast, Lavin said.
“The speed . . . he’s unique from anyone I’ve coached,” Lavin said. “He has supreme confidence on the court. He’s diminutive and built more like a dancer or an acrobat, and has this blazing speed and ability to score. He sees the floor exceptionally well.”
Johnson’s speed is a particularly effective weapon on the defensive end of the floor, where in 10 of his 19 games he’s totaled at least three steals.
“With my speed, he’s always on me about pressuring the ball but also letting my instincts take over,” Johnson said. “Be a menace. I read the passing lanes very well.”
Johnson has the green light to help off his man and create havoc elsewhere. “On help defense,” Lavin said, “with speed to recover, he can get back to the shooter.”
Lavin loves to paint a picture through analogies and he compares Johnson’s speed on the floor with a driver who pushes his vehicle beyond the speed limit.
“He’s uniquely gifted in that he can drive at 75 or even 80 miles an hour and still make winning choices,” Lavin explained. “Most players, if they’re 10 miles over the speed limit, the judgments are not as sound. Ty can play the game 20 miles over the speed limit and still see the floor, make those kind of precise, surgical passes that are on point.
“But he’s learning that even he has to slow down sometimes, depending on time and score. When to get on balance and take the open shot as opposed to driving into a crowd. And when to slow down and use change of pace. We’re already seeing the difference.”