Former Gophers standout Damian Johnson rising quickly through coaching ranks

Thank you for checking out Basketball Across Minnesota, my weekly look at some of the state's top hoops stories, from preps to pros. — Marcus Fuller

Damian Johnson retired from pro basketball in 2016, but that hasn't stopped him from schooling some of his Benilde-St. Margaret's players this winter.

The 6-foot-7 former Gophers standout might not be in the shape he was as a starting forward for Tubby Smith in 2010, during a surprising run to the Big Ten championship game and NCAA tournament.

But one of the keys to Johnson's turnaround with Benilde-St. Margaret's has been his presence to heighten the competition in practices. Players are pushed to match his intensity, especially on defense.

"I challenge them every day," said Johnson, who won the first Metro West title in program history this season. "They hate hearing my mouth when I'm playing because they know I'm just going to talk. They don't want to lose to me because it's extra conditioning."

The Red Knights were 5-21 before Johnson arrived a few years ago. Following a shortened COVID-19 season, they finished 18-10 last season and second in the Metro West. They improved to 23-4 after Wednesday's Section 6AAA quarterfinal win vs. Hutchinson at home.

Four of BSM's top players are underclassmen, including the state's No. 1 player in the 2025 class, Jalen Wilson. Sophomores Jaleel Donley and Abu Keita are Division I prospects. And freshman Christian Wiggins has potential to play in college as well.

"I've seen a lot of growth," Johnson said. "We have some very talented kids, but they had some games where they had to persevere through some stuff. Sometimes when you're down, young teams can fold and give up, but they found ways to pull it out. That's one of the things I can say I'm proud of this year."

You'll be in Johnson's doghouse if you can't play D. He takes pride in still being able to lock down some of his best players for a bit using high IQ and a 7-foot wingspan.

Playing for the Gophers from 2006-10, Johnson developed into one of the top defenders in the Big Ten. The Louisiana native ranks fourth all-time in steals and blocks in team history.

Johnson started his coaching career as an assistant at Eden Prairie while still playing pro overseas, but he traded his jersey for the clipboard for good when North St. Paul hired him as head coach in 2017.

In his three seasons, North St. Paul went 56-22 overall and 41-7 combined in conference play, which included winning two Metro East titles. That successful culture carried over to BSM.

"Getting that start at North St. Paul really prepared me for this coaching," Johnson said. "I was able to learn and grow over there and we won at the same time. So, it helped me learn and do a lot of the behind-the-scenes things. Now I'm comfortable and I know exactly what to expect."

Johnson sounds like a savvy veteran, but he's 36 years old and has been a high school coach for only six years. His goals at one time included pursuing a college position, but now he also dreams of winning state titles and stacking up victories to become one of the state's top prep basketball coaches. He got his 100th win on Feb. 1.

One of his assistants at North St. Paul and Benilde-St. Margaret's has been Aaron Robinson, who played for the Gophers under Dan Monson from 2001-05. He's been a valuable player development coach and more.

"He's someone I trust and can rely on," Johnson said. "We always bounce stuff off each other. That's been great for me."

Johnson isn't the only former member of the Gophers basketball team under Smith who is coaching in the state. Former Gophers managers Tyler Biwan (Blake) and Andre Phillips (Mound Westonka) are running their own high school programs. Phillips broke Mound Westonka's 48-year state tournament drought when the White Hawks advanced to the Class 3A quarterfinals at Williams Arena last year.

"The coaching game is a whole different beast," Johnson said. "But it's also fun just to watch kids grow. They're vulnerable but also learning more about themselves."

Monika Czinano, Iowa

The 6-3 senior from Watertown, Minn., scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help lead the Hawkeyes to a 105-72 win Sunday vs. Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament championship.

Isaiah Hagen, Orono

The senior guard had three straight 30-point games for the Spartans, who are on an 11-game winning streak. The highlight was his 36-point effort vs. Metro West champion Benilde-St. Margaret's.

Ryan Larson, Charleston

The former Cretin-Derham Hall guard was named Colonial Athletic Association tournament MVP after scoring 23 points in the 63-58 win Tuesday vs. UNC Wilmington to secure an NCAA tournament automatic bid.

Paige Meyer, South Dakota State

The sophomore from Albany, Minn., scored 16 points in the Summit League tournament final against Omaha on Tuesday. The Jackrabbits also earned a trip to the NCAA tourney.

Sara Scalia, Indiana

The Stillwater native had 35 combined points on 9-for-20 shooting from three in two Big Ten tournament games for Indiana, including 20 points in a win vs. Michigan State.

Statistically speaking

4 — Games out of the past five with double figure scoring for Charlotte guard Lu'Cye Patterson from Minneapolis, including 19 points vs. UAB and 17 points vs. North Texas (15 in the second half).

3 — Freshmen (Mara Braun, Mallory Heyer and Nia Holloway) from Gophers women's coach Lindsay Whalen's heralded recruiting class to announce they were staying after she resigned.

2 — Number of teams that made the NCAA Division II tournament for Minnesota Duluth (men and women).

61.5 — Free throw percentage for the Gophers men that finished last in Division I in the regular season. But they shot 70% (14-for-20) in Wednesday's Big Ten tourney win vs. Nebraska.

Basketball Across Minnesota will be published weekly on startribune.com. Don't be a stranger on Twitter after reading, as chatting about these stories makes them even more fun to share. Thanks, Marcus (@Marcus_R_Fuller on Twitter)