He played high school basketball at Evelyn Mack Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina.
[1] In his first season at Mott, Johnson made an immediate impact, averaging 14.6 points and 4.2 assists per game under coach Steve Schmidt.
The Trojans upset Purdue in the NCAA Tournament 85–83 in double overtime, with Johnson contributing 10 points.
[6] However, his shooting percentage declined from the previous season as he became the primary point guard due to the graduation of Josh Hagins.
[12] He scored 34 points and had nine rebounds and six assists in a win against Hogsbo, and was again named Player of the Week on January 27.