Markell Johnson
Markell Davon Johnson (born August 25, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for Bnei Herzliya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. A point guard, he played college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack. He twice led the Atlantic Coast Conference in assists. Early lifeJohnson was born in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] His mother is Sabrina Johnson, his father who passed away in 2016 was Mark Thomas Sr., his older sister is named Markishia, and his older brother is named Mark.[2][3] He is 6' 2".[4] High school careerJohnson played basketball for four years at East Technical High School in Cleveland, Ohio. As a freshman, he scored 27 points and made a game-winning jump shot with 3.1 seconds left in overtime against Lake High School to help his team reach its first state semifinal since 1972.[3][5] He was considered one of the best freshman in Ohio.[6] In his junior season in 2015–16, Johnson averaged 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game, leading East Tech to its third straight league title and a district semifinal appearance. He was named Cleveland.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Northeast Lakes Division II All-District Player of the Year by the Associated Press (AP), and All-Ohio Player of the Year in Division 1.[3][7][8] On May 2, 2016, Johnson decided to reclassify to the 2016 class and forgo his senior year.[9] On the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit, he played for the King James Shooting Stars, a team affiliated with NBA player LeBron James.[10] Johnson was a consensus four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout, and a top-100 overall recruit by ESPN (48), 247Sports (58), and Scout (66).[3] He committed to play college basketball for NC State over offers from Louisville, Ohio State, Washington, and West Virginia, among others.[11] College careerAs a freshman at NC State, Johnson served as a backup to Dennis Smith Jr., who enrolled a year earlier than expected. As a sophomore he averaged 8.9 points and an Atlantic Coast Conference-leading 7.3 assists per game (5th in the NCAA).[12][13] On December 19, 2018, Johnson set career-highs with 27 points and five three-pointers in a 78–71 upset of seventh-ranked Auburn.[14] He averaged 8.9 points, 7.3 assists (leading the ACC), 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals (5th) per game.[3] He was named ACC Honorable Mention.[3] He missed three games as a junior with a back injury.[15] As a junior Johnson averaged 12.6 points and 4.2 assists (6th in the ACC) per game, shooting 42.2 percent (4th) from behind the arc.[3] After the season he declared for the 2019 NBA draft, but ultimately returned to NC State.[16] He injured his ankle in practice and missed the first game of his senior season, an overtime loss to Georgia Tech.[17] Johnson hit a halfcourt buzzer beater to defeat UNC Greensboro 80–77 on December 15, 2019.[18] On December 22, Johnson recorded a triple-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 83–63 win over The Citadel. He became the third NC State player to ever achieve the feat, joining Dennis Smith Jr. and Julius Hodge.[19] He was named ACC player of the week on December 23.[20] Johnson scored a career-high 28 points and made a halfcourt shot in a 88–66 upset of sixth-ranked Duke on February 19, 2020.[21] At the conclusion of the regular season, Johnson was selected to the Second Team All-ACC.[22] As a senior, Johnson led the ACC in assists per game (6.8; 8th in the NCAA) for the second time in his career, while also averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 steals (3rd) per game.[12][23][3] Professional careerOn August 6, 2020, Johnson signed a two-year contract with Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL).[24] In 2020–21 he averaged 7.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.[25] In October 2021, he signed with Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys of the Lithuanian Basketball League.[26] Johnson averaged 12.0 points, 4.3 assists (7th in the league), and 1.4 steals (10th) per game, while shooting 42.1% from three point range (9th).[27] On July 5, 2022, Johnson signed with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL).[28] On August 23, 2022, he was released by the club, as he failed his medical.[29] On November 19, 2022, Johnson signed with BC Astana of the Kazakhstan Basketball Championship.[30] In 2022–23, he averaged 12.1 points, 4.9 assists (8th in the league), and 1.8 steals (4th) per game.[31] On July 20, 2023, he came back to BC Astana.[32] In 2023–24, he averaged 16.5 points (8th in the league), 7.2 assists (2nd), and 2.2 steals (leading the league) per game, while shooting 80.0% from the free throw line.[33] On July 7, 2024, he re-signed with BC Astana.[34] On November 4, he left BC Astana.[35] On November 13, 2024, he signed with Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association.[36] Johnson averaged 17.1 points, 7.7 assists (6th in the league), and 2.0 steals (8th) per game while shooting 80.4% from the free throw line.[37] On April 1, 2025, Johnson signed with Bnei Herzliya of the Israel Basketball Premier League, for whom he plays point guard.[38][4] Career statistics
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