Many have heard the news about freshman guard David Johnson’s shoulder injury, the details of which you can read in the UofL Athletic Department’s press release below. It’s a blow to UofL’s depth at least at the beginning part of the season.
While I didn’t expect Johnson to start, I expected him to play and grow into a key contributor by the heart of conference play. This may set back that time table, but it all depends on how quickly he recovers and how quickly he gets reintegrated.
For now, Louisville will need Darius Perry and Fresh Kimble to stay healthy. The pick up of the experienced Kimble by Coach Chris Mack was huge. If he wasn’t on roster the backcourt would be a big question mark as far as depth; especially at the point guard position. I expect Darius Perry to be relied upon greatly and I expect him to be a breakout player. He has all the tools and now should have the experience to go along with them.
This injury definitely hurts, but it shouldn’t be castastrophic to the Cards ultimate goal of being a Final Four team. Once David Johnson returns, he can be eased in and definitely be a vital piece come tournament time. CSZ wishes David a speedy recovery and return to the court.
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT:
Louisville Freshman Guard David Johnson Suffers Shoulder Injury
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – David Johnson, a 6-5 freshman guard on the University of Louisville men’s basketball team, suffered a shoulder injury in practice on Monday and will be sidelined potentially 4-6 months.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination at the Norton Diagnostic Center revealed damage to his left (non-shooting) shoulder, an injury which occurred during a team workout on Monday. He will have surgery to repair the damage soon.
“This is tough news on David for sure,” said UofL Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mack. “I feel badly for DJ because of his excitement level to start his college career. He was having an excellent summer to date and we will miss him over the next few months. Knowing David’s work ethic, he will put in the time to get back as quickly as possible and be ready to impact our team this season. ”
A four-year starter at Trinity High School in Louisville, Johnson averaged 16.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and four assists as a senior last season while leading the Shamrocks to a 30-8 record and the Kentucky state championship. He was the MVP of the Kentucky Sweet 16 state championship, totaling 22 points, 12 rebounds, four blocked shots and two assists in Trinity’s victory over Scott County in the title game.
Johnson was honored as the 2019 Lexington Herald-Leader/Kentucky.com Player of the Year and was a first team all-state selection. He earned Seventh Region Player of the Year honors from the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches and the Courier Journal. He totaled 1,472 points and 719 rebounds in his career at Trinity.
