It was like the bad movie you’re forced to watch, because there isn’t anything else on TV.
The plot is bad, there’s little action and the minutes drag on like hours as it crawls across the screen.
In essence, this is how Kedrian Johnson spent a good portion of the offseason, watching film of how last season unfolded for the WVU men’s basketball team.
He already knew it was a bad season and had already lived through the frustrations of it as the Mountaineers’ starting point guard.
Yet, there he was watching it all again. The losses, the missed shots and missed opportunities all flashed across his iPad screen like one bad movie.
“I’ve watched a lot of film with coach (Larry) Harrison,” Johnson begins. “I’ll say I wasn’t exactly so much ready for that role or that leadership role as a starting point guard, but experiencing that year and all of the ups and downs have prepared me for this year.”
Johnson became the starter only after Deuce McBride made it official he was staying in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Much like the Mountaineers last season, Johnson, too, was up and down.
He finished last season averaging just 1.7 assists per game and scored 5.3 points, while shooting just 42% from the field.
Those were the down parts, much of which could be explained by Johnson battling hip injuries for most of the season.
There were positives. He was the team’s best on-ball defender, as he constantly harassed the opposing point guard. He led the Mountaineers with 52 steals and scored a career-high 18 points in a loss against Arkansas.
So much has happened in the six months since last season ended in the Big 12 tournament.
Teammates have come and gone, and new faces have been added.
That includes former Iowa point guard Joe Toussaint, who Johnson refers to as a slightly smaller version of himself, in that Toussaint also loves to apply defensive pressure.
“Obviously Kedy is a guy who is probably the best right now, because he’s been through a whole year,” WVU head coach Bob Huggins said. “Joe is good. Joe’s played really well for us. They know what they’re doing. They’re comfortable.”
Huggins has seen enough from both Johnson and Toussaint, that he’s moved sophomore Kobe Johnson to shooting guard after serving as the backup point guard as a freshman.
It’s here we must point out Johnson didn’t have to come back to WVU for his final season of eligibility.
He could have gone elsewhere for a fresh start, like former teammates Jalen Bridges, Sean McNeil and Isaiah Cottrell.
“It was a bad year, so I didn’t want to end things like that,” Johnson said. “I saw other guys left. I’m a person who pays attention to signs, and when all of those other guys went into the portal, I was like, ‘That’s a sign I need to come back.’
“When I needed (WVU), they were there for me. When I saw other guys left, I didn’t want to be one of those guys. Loyalty means a lot. (WVU) was loyal to me, so I’m doing another year here.”
That year will be Johnson’s final one in college, and he’s looking to do everything he can to finish on a high note.
So, if you’re wondering why he would spend so many hours watching those films of one heartbreak after another, it’s because Johnson wants the sequel to be so much better.
“My game is a lot different,” Johnson said. “Yeah, I still bring the defensive side, but I’ve really worked on my offensive game. I’m shooting the ball better, handling it better. After the season we had last year, I felt like I could have done more to help. So, this offseason I really focused on my offensive game.”
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