Has Armon Johnson turned a corner?

We were surprised -- actually a bit shocked -- when the league coaches selected Mevada's Armon Johnson as the pre-season WAC Player of the Year. Our response wasn't because of Johnson's production as a freshman -- he had a great initial season -- but more so because of Gary Wilkinson returning at Utah State.

It turns out Johnson has struggled this season, putting up inconsistent numbers. Maybe it's because of getting more attention defensively, maybe because of the pressure of being the #1 option offensively, maybe because of still being in adjustment mode as the team's point guard or a combination -- who really knows?

Chris Murray points out today that it appears Johnson is revving up his consistency and production in the backstretch of conference play. By the way, we still think it will be Wilkinson who gets the official nod as WAC POY and that Jahmar Young deserves the runnerup spot, with Mac Hopson coming in in third.

Johnson answering call to action
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
February 16, 2009

A few weeks ago, Nevada basketball coach Mark Fox issued Armon Johnson a challenge.

Fox told Johnson he had another level of play to ascend to and that he expected him to reach it. Over the past six games, Johnson has risen to the challenge.

The latest example came Saturday night in the Wolf Pack's 47-46 victory over Hawaii in Honolulu. In a game that featured enough bricks to build a couple of mansions, Johnson was one of the game's lone offensive bright spots.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound point guard scored six of the team's first eight points and six of the team's final eight points, including the game-winning shot with 7.3 seconds left in the game. He finished with a game-high 25 points (more than half of the Pack's total output).

"I thought he played like a junior," Fox said.

With his sophomore season winding down, Johnson's play has grown stronger...

Go here for the remainder.