Sports

Bowling Green’s 265-Pound College Basketball Phenom Is Only 6-Foot-7 And Gets Serious Buckets

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Marcus Johnson Bowling Green College Basketball
Getty Image / Bowling Green University Athletics

Bowling Green forward Marcus Johnson, better known to some as ‘Big Chevy,’ is the fastest-rising star in college basketball. He is a very large human being who gets serious buckets.

The 265-pound senior is only 6-foot-7 (yes, I understand how hilarious that sounds) and anybody who roots for athletic excellence should be a fan of the Falcons’ phenom!

Johnson hails from Akron, Ohio as a former standout at LeBron James’ old stomping grounds, St. Vincent-St. Mary, and the Spire Institute. Although he was not ranked by any major recruiting platforms, the Irish wouldn’t have made back-to-back state championships during his high school career without him.

Parkland College, a two-years institute in Illinois, offered Johnson his first opportunity to hoop on the collegiate level. He shot over 50% from the floor and 37.8% from three while averaging 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 29 games with four starts as a freshman.

Johnson later transferred to Wheeling University in West Virginia. The Cardinals are members of the Mountain East Conference on the Division II level. His numbers immediately saw major increase.

The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Johnson dropped 21.5 points with 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior.

If you might think someone of his size only goes to work in the paint, you would be wrong! He knocked down 67 triples last year. His three-point percentage hovered at .447, which was less than .030 off from his total field goal percentage. It is an absolute joy to watch him play.

Even though Johnson was one of the best shooters at the DII level and one of the best off-dribble shotmakers of anyone 6-foot-6 or taller on any level, only Bowling Green gave him the chance to transfer up to play Division I college basketball. Head coach Todd Simon made a fantastic decision.

Marcus Johnson is hitting 46.6% of his shots (40.6% from three) for an average of 18.8 points per game through his first four games on the D-I level. He dropped 23 points with five rebounds in 35 minutes against Michigan State at the Breslin Center over the weekend.

There is still a very long way to go before we reach this hypothetical, but… if Bowling Green can play its way into the NCAA Tournament through the MAC, Johnson is going to be a problem. People are comparing him to D.J. Burns because of his size and scoring ability, which is fine. However, Marcus Johnson is two inches shorter and just eight pounds lighter. He’s bigger— and maybe better?!