With the end of the basketball season in sight, one Kodiak athlete is looking at following in his father’s footsteps.
Growing up in Spokane Washington, point guard Chaz Johnson was introduced to the game by his dad who was formally a professional basketball player in Australia.
Johnson was initially recruited to the University of Lethbridge to play for coach Dave Adams.
Once Adams left, he found himself a new home as a member of the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.
Currently, Johnson is in his second season and leads the team in scoring, averaging just over 20 points per game. He also leads the team in assists and steals.
Head Coach Ryan Heggie said Johnson’s strengths are key to the team’s success.
“He brings a lot of leadership to the team, he brings poise, he’s a clutch player. He’s good with his teammates, he’s unselfish, he hits big shots for us and he’s not afraid of the moment.”
Last season, the Kodiaks men’s basketball team swept provincials, but fell shy of first place with a bronze medal in nationals.
“Going to nationals they ranked us seven out of eight so we went feeling a little disrespected. No one thought we were going to win bronze and we did that. We ended up proving a lot of people wrong,” said Johnson.
Head coach Ryan Heggie said Johnson was instrumental in leading the Kodiaks to their gold medal finish at the ACAC provincial championships.
“There’s a few things you need to be successful at basketball. One is the point guard and you need to have a big man and mix everybody else in there. Right now we have him at the one and we have a solid big man. We just need to continue improving and Chaz is a big part of that,” said Heggie.
At the end of last season Johnson was named League All Star and Canadian National Tournament All Star.
“I just got a lot of assists from throwing it at Chris Maughan or any of our wings and they could make shots, so I got a lot of assists and it made me look good,” laughed Johnson.
Teammate Pierce Van Gaalen said Johnson is a great player both on and off the court.
“Off the court he’s a great friend and will help you out with anything you need and on the court he pushes you to be the best player you can be,” said Van Gaalen.
When Johnson’s not playing basketball, he can be found studying for the Wind Turbine Technician program.
“Schoolwork comes first, study in the day, get all the tests done and then practice at night. It’s all about time management,” he said.
With six games left in the season, Johnson is hoping for a strong finish and a shot at another national title.
“We are looking for him to continue to lead us. He’s a quiet leader. Our goal is to win a championship and get to nationals and compete for a national championship,” said Heggie.
Johnson is set to graduate this year. As for what comes next, Johnson said he’s not sure, but heading overseas to play professional basketball is on his radar.
“Right now nothing is set in stone. I’ll go back to the states for the summer, I might try to play pro ball or go with my fiancée who is going to law school.”
The men are back in action on home court on Feb. 20, when they take on the SAIT Trojans.
