South Carolina basketball signee earns Mr. Basketball honor

On Thursday, South Carolina basketball’s lone class of 2026 signee picked up a significant honor. Cleveland (OH) Garfield Heights guard Marcus Johnson is Mr. Basketball for the state of Ohio.

Thursday’s recognition marks the second year in a row in which Johnson has earned the Mr. Basketball award. He is the first Buckeye State standout to win back-to-back Mr. Basketball honors since Luke Kennard in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Garfield Heights retired Johnson’s No. 11 jersey this season.

This season was the future Gamecock’s best. Johnson averaged 30.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.7 steals for Garfield Heights en route to a section championship and a district title. The playoff run included a 90-point postseason win.

Johnson is also a two-time winner of the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Ohio. If he brings home the 2025-2026 edition of the award, he will be the state’s first three-time winner. Not even LeBron James accomplished that.

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The younger cousin of graduating Gamecock guard Meechie Johnson, Marcus Johnson is one of the top scoring point guards in the country at the high school level.

The 6-2 guard has a quick first step, allowing him to get into the lane nearly at will. Johnson has a nice shooting stroke and can get off a clean shot from just about anywhere inside the arc. His 3-point shot is improving, as well.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, Johnson is the No. 76 overall player in the class of 2026. He is also No. 11 nationally among point guard prospects. In the state of Ohio, Johnson ranks as the No. 5 recruit, regardless of position. He is an industry ranking four-star.

While the Rivals150 is a little lower on Johnson (ranking him 122nd overall and 15th among point guards), the rest of the recruiting industry considers him a top-60 player in the ’26 cycle.

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