London Johnson feels like he 'can help' Louisville basketball
Following Louisville’s 84-73 loss to Duke, Pat Kelsey made it very clear: there was little to no thought of lifting junior guard London Johnson’s redshirt for the remainder of the 2026 season.
Three days later, the Cards’ head coach changed his tune. So, what changed?
Johnson joined the team last month after the conclusion of the fall semester, with the original plans of taking the season to develop and become acclimated to the college game. He was first on the Louisville bench for the Cards’ Dec. 13 win over Memphis.
At just over 20 years old, criticism has surrounded the Norcross, Georgia, native’s name. He has spent two-plus years in the NBA G-League, including two seasons playing for team Ignite before its disbandment and one season between the Maine Red Claws and the Cleveland Charge.
Johnson averaged 8.3 points and 3.4 assists per game across 100 games in the league, nothing out of this world, and nothing worthy of the backlash he and the Cards faced for the significant signing — the second of its kind in NCAA history. There’s a reason the 6-foot-4 point guard is playing college basketball, and it’s not because he’s about to dominate the competition; it’s because he never got the opportunity in the first place.
That being said, Johnson is here, and as of yesterday morning, he is eligible to play for the Cardinals immediately, with Louisville choosing to lift his redshirt and spend one of his two seasons of eligibility.
“Perfect example, Ryan Conwell gets hurt. You need depth,” Kelsey said following the Cardinals’ comeback win over Boston College on the removal of Johnson’s redshirt.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it, that there wasn’t discussions with the staff…but it wasn’t a serious thought…and then, sure-enough, Ryan Conwell gets hurt.”
Conwell went knee-to-knee with a teammate in practice three days ago and was listed as a game-time decision just hours before tip-off against the Eagles. That’s when Kelsey and Johnson started to have more serious discussions about him seeing the floor. Ultimately, it would come down to Johnson to decide.
“I had a conversation with him (Johnson),” Kelsey added. “We were kinda talking about our team and what’s going on with our team…he goes like ‘I think I can help us’.”
It was the morning of Louisville’s game against Boston College when Johnson felt like things were moving too fast for him; Kelsey agreed. It would be unreasonable to have him play against the Eagles.
“Deep breath. Slow down. Let’s build this thing a little bit. Let’s get to practice. Let’s ramp you up. Let’s just not throw him out to the wolves.”
Johnson fits a couple of this team’s current needs, especially with Mikel Brown’s eventual return still to be determined and Conwell being questionable for Tuesday’s game against Virginia. It’s not necessarily a shocking decision, but one that came hastily, which, of course, would lead to skepticism of Brown’s injury status, etc. Still, in the grand scheme of things, it makes a lot of sense. Even Kobe Rodgers has been dealing with nicks and bruises that have hurt his play. Louisville is almost in desperation for backcourt help.
With Conwell and Brown off the floor, the former four-star becomes Louisville’s most complete ball-handler in the pick and roll and is comfortable creating for himself in the midrange. His standstill 3-point jumper will need some work if it translates directly from the G-League, but it’s also been a long time (months) since public tape/footage of his game has been released. Johnson is extremely creative around the basket and can finish through taller defenders and contact.
Most effective in the lane, and playing off two feet, there will be drive and kick opportunities for Louisville when Johnson has the ball in his hands. He’s also a hard-nosed and gritty kid who takes pride in locking down his defensive assignment. His pro experience, playing physical basketball against grown-men should also help him in college, as he’ll have an upper hand on younger players.
Adding a player who has only been with the program for three weeks during the middle of the season will be a challenge. It’s a shot in the dark for Kelsey and his staff, as they search for answers at the guard position — something which would have been hard to believe in October.
Johnson’s arrival on the floor is not only significant because of what it means for the NCAA, but also because of what it means to this Louisville basketball program. There’s a chance the wiry guard makes his Cardinal debut at the Yum! Center when 23rd-ranked Virginia comes to town on Tuesday night.
G-League film
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