Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Johnson C-USA Preseason Player of Year
10/26/2017 10:32:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Junior standout among nation's best
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee junior standout Alex Johnson has been named the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year as announced by the league office Thursday.
The preseason all-conference team and preseason player of the year is voted on by the league's 14 head coaches.
Johnson already has been a highly-decorated player in her first two seasons as a Lady Raider. Johnson earned First-Team All C-USA honors as a sophomore, and she was voted the league's Freshman of the Year in 2016.
"I am really appreciative of this recognition because there are so many talented players throughout C-USA," Johnson said. "I really am just focused on improving and working hard to help our team have a good season. That's my main focus."
Johnson has been dynamic in her first two seasons as a Lady Raider. She became a member of the program's 1,000-point club as a sophomore, finishing the season with 1,086 career points. That total if the most for any four-year player after two seasons at Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee Head Coach Rick Insell believes the best is yet to come regarding Johnson.
"I think you're going to see an Alex Johnson that you haven't seen before," Insell said. "She has really put the time in the strength and conditioning room in the offseason. AJ has just been phenomenal as far as what she's been able to do the last two years."
Johnson was second in C-USA and 17th nationally in scoring with 20.2 points per game last season. Her 687 points as a sophomore were fifth on the single-season scoring list at Middle Tennessee. The prolific scorer netted double figures in 32 of the 34 games played and registered 20-plus points in 15 contests.
Johnson's accuracy from the field and the free-throw line were also among the best nationally.
She was fourth in C-USA for free-throw percentage (.814) and seventh nationally for free throws made (179) in 2016-17, while finishing sixth in C-USA and 38th nationally for field goal percentage (.537).
The Lady Raiders face Tennessee Wesleyan in exhibition action at Murphy Center Sunday at 3 p.m.
C-USA Preseason Team
*Alex Johnson, Middle Tennessee
Rachael Childress, UAB
Nyilah Jamison-Myers, Charlotte
Terriell Bradley, North Texas
Shayna Gore, Marshall
Kierra Anthony, Louisiana Tech
Ivy Brown, WKU
Tashia Brown, WKU
* - Preseason Player of the Year
The preseason all-conference team and preseason player of the year is voted on by the league's 14 head coaches.
Johnson already has been a highly-decorated player in her first two seasons as a Lady Raider. Johnson earned First-Team All C-USA honors as a sophomore, and she was voted the league's Freshman of the Year in 2016.
"I am really appreciative of this recognition because there are so many talented players throughout C-USA," Johnson said. "I really am just focused on improving and working hard to help our team have a good season. That's my main focus."
Johnson has been dynamic in her first two seasons as a Lady Raider. She became a member of the program's 1,000-point club as a sophomore, finishing the season with 1,086 career points. That total if the most for any four-year player after two seasons at Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee Head Coach Rick Insell believes the best is yet to come regarding Johnson.
"I think you're going to see an Alex Johnson that you haven't seen before," Insell said. "She has really put the time in the strength and conditioning room in the offseason. AJ has just been phenomenal as far as what she's been able to do the last two years."
Johnson was second in C-USA and 17th nationally in scoring with 20.2 points per game last season. Her 687 points as a sophomore were fifth on the single-season scoring list at Middle Tennessee. The prolific scorer netted double figures in 32 of the 34 games played and registered 20-plus points in 15 contests.
Johnson's accuracy from the field and the free-throw line were also among the best nationally.
She was fourth in C-USA for free-throw percentage (.814) and seventh nationally for free throws made (179) in 2016-17, while finishing sixth in C-USA and 38th nationally for field goal percentage (.537).
The Lady Raiders face Tennessee Wesleyan in exhibition action at Murphy Center Sunday at 3 p.m.
C-USA Preseason Team
*Alex Johnson, Middle Tennessee
Rachael Childress, UAB
Nyilah Jamison-Myers, Charlotte
Terriell Bradley, North Texas
Shayna Gore, Marshall
Kierra Anthony, Louisiana Tech
Ivy Brown, WKU
Tashia Brown, WKU
* - Preseason Player of the Year
Players Mentioned
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