Point Guards Move to St. Marks Paying Dividends
Before the season even started Erik Murphy and Nate Lubick were already singing his praises. The two stars both said that Dave Johnson was the missing link to the team’s championship aspirations. Not only would he make the game easier for both of them, but he would get them out in transition, and could put points up on the board himself if need be.
Six months later, Murphy and Lubick have proven themselves to be prophetic, as Johnson did exactly that. The undersized point guard had rounded himself into a true floor general just in time for the NEPSAC tournament as he was making good decisions with the ball and getting others involved. It was a surprise to no one when St. Mark’s punctuated their tremendous season with a dominating victory in the class C championship game.
Despite his prowess as a playmaking passer, the majority of Johnson’s days had been spent as a scorer before arriving at St. Mark’s.
“Playing with guys like Erik and Nate was a little bit of an adjustment at first,” Johnson conceded. “I had to learn to get it to them in good spots.”
Setting up players as talented as Murphy and Lubick may not sound like too tough a task, but a year earlier when Johnson starred at Monmouth Academy in New Jersey, he was relied on to create offense and put points on the board himself. Upon arriving at St. Mark’s, he was asked to balance his own offense with his teammates, while simultaneously learning when the team needed him to be creative or just get them into their offense.
“My decision making definitely improved as the season went on,” said Johnson.
St. Mark’s Head Coach Dave Lubick agreed with his point guard’s assessment.
“So many coaches came up to me this year and said what an amazing progression he has made,” Lubick said.
There is little doubt that progression will pay off as Johnson has been hearing from the likes of St. Joseph’s, George Mason, Sienna, and Quinnipiac.
Dave Johnson
Nate Lubick
Erik Murphy