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Johnson BRYAN JOHNSTON Staff Writer For any player who dares to drive into the lane, their worst fear is getting the shot rejected back in their face and having the crowd go crazy. Big men like Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutumbo often dominate the game with their shot blocking and rebounding abilities. Every team hopes to have a player with long arms who can be physical and intimidating or swat a shot into the third row. Not many players these days have the ability to be a factor in so many facets of the game. The good news is USC has a player with these same capabilities. The even better news is the Gamecocks have this player for three more years. As a true freshman, 18-year-old Leonard "Bud" Johnson has already had a major impact on the USC basketball season. "I feel pretty good about my performance so far," Johnson said. Tve improved a lot since my first game, but I can get a lot better." Improvement may be an understatement. Johnson started the season as a key reserve and now occasionally starts. Rotating from the forward and center positions, he is averaging 5.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He ranks 17th in the SEC in rebounds and fifth in the conference in blocks. "Bud is our best shot blocker and is someone who is extremely active," head coach Eddie Fogler said. "He has outstanding speed to get up and down the court, and we look for Bud to be an effective rebounder." "Fd like to get a lot stronger, but that will come over the summer," Johnson said. "As far as my overall game, Td like tn imnrnve on mv free throws and mv offensive game." Coming straight out of Eau Claire High School in Columbia, Johnson had a slightly difficult time adjusting to basketball life in the Southeastern Conference. The most difficult part of adjusting had to do with my physical game," Johnson said. "I came in here at 6 feet 10 inches and weighed 120. I was pushed around and dominated. Once I got into the weight room, I started to put on some weight." -m. "I started getting up around 5 o'clock to go running and then went to class and llwrjai OFI In :r-\ / & IffllliilTYriifiirf'i V f 4 is Gamect that took its toll. But now I'm getting used to my routine," he said. Johnson is still 6 feet 10 inches tall, but has now brought up his weight to 230 pounds. Through 16 games this season, Johnson has had many good performances. He scored a career-high 14 points against Alabama, pulled down 12 rebounds against Tulane and had four blocked shots against Radford. Johnson played well in all of these games, but thinks his best game was against Nancy, France. In the exhibition game, he scored 12 points, had 13 rebounds and four blocks. "It was my first game and I had a few butterflies, but I feel that was my best performance so far," he said. Johnson was recruited by such bigname basketball programs as Kentucky, Connecticut, Clemson and North Carolina State. So how did a player with such potential end up at USC? "I wanted to stay close to home," Johnson said. "My mom and I are very close and I didn't want to leave. I also wanted to help turn the program around." "It means a lot to me to be able to play in front of my home town. Fm able to go home when I want," he said. "I went to a good high school, and Columbia knew who I was before I came here." The way the team is playing right now, Johnson feels they have a good chance ofgoingtothe NCAA tournament "We've made a lot of improvement over the past year. We've got to do a few little things to get better, but right now we're pretty good," Johnson said. "We've got a very strong chance of finishing second in the SEC if we continue to play hard. I think the NCAA tournament is a realistic goal." One question Johnson is asked a lot is how he got the nickname "Bud." "It came from my aunt who is a country girl. She called me her 'Little Bud' and the name just stuck throughout junior high and high school." Tnhnsnn has manv npnnlp whn hava influenced his life, but the one who stands out is his high school coach, George Glymph. "When I was down, he'd bring me up, and he was always encouraging me," Johnson said. "He also stayed on me about my grades." ^ While playing under Coach Glymph, he led the Shamrocks to three consecutive AAA state championships. The third :^R^H0 the College I An ROTC Scholarsi and provide a $10C 1s<. *"*ttk- \; ' , JtSmJalKM^Li * ' . nam YOU AND THE N/l FULL SPEED AHE The Gamecock ftmitA )ck's budc WjziA I * V 1 1512 ^^w^ajl^n|^K9pv ^ .## " ,?*** Bud Johnson has improved over th< shown promise of becoming a domin championship is Johnson's most memorable moment in his basketball <i career. t If basketball does not work out for I hinv Johnson said he would like to go into advertising and wrak on commercials. ?] As far as his goals at USC, Johnson t is specific. LARSHIPS WANT TO BEG ATED OFFICE! NE CORPS Program you i lip to pay for your tuiti 1.00 per month subsist After G I|M|| Guarantee* starting sala Assignmer Submarines. I Navy Seals. - For more inform f LTRo McMaster Hal 11 777-3451 or | Wednesday, January 31 ling star ^Hr l||.^Hp WsW& *:> -^H HP HP ?yk-- * P,, />-" , H lE:': ' " """ PKf , ' W "' Ik 1 V 4W- 1 < ' wmiwilii TYSON PETTIQREW The Gamecock ? course of the season and has ating force for the Gamecocks. "My No. 1 goal is to get my degree," tohnson said. "I don't know what I want o major in, but it is very important that ! receive my degree." "I'd also like to win a SEC title," lohnson said. And eventually, 1 d like ? o win a NCAA championship." TO MEN OME WELL-TI IS IN THE U.S. can earn: ion, books, fees ;nce allowance. * raduation, yi emnlnvment in an p ryit to Naval Aviation, , Surface Warfare or t ation contact: 'bey 1, Room 231 777-4125 q , 1996 All-Star reser ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK - Centers Patrick w Ewing and David Robinson, and Utah & Jazz teammates Karl Malone and John & QfA/?lrfAn iirom omnnfT 1 A nlotrnro at ui/uwivvua nci t aiuuug xi V/i o selected today as reserves for the NBA a* All-Star game. at The New York Hoicks' Ewing was selected for the 10th time. It was the eighth time for both Utah forward Malone and point guard Stockton. P1 Robinson, of the San Antonio Spurs, 0 was'chosen for the seventh time. Joining Ewing as reserves on the East team for the 46th edition of the M game ? to be played Feb. il at San ^ Antonio ? will be Cleveland Cavaliers' Terrell Brandon and Indiana Pacers' ^ Reggie Miller at guard, Miami Heaf s ^ Alonzo Mourning at center, and tb Milwaukee Bucks' Vin Baker, Charlotte Hornets' Glen Rice and Milwaukee's Juwan Howard at forward. M Sosa re-signs ASSOCIATED PRESS ar CHICAGO ? Sammy Sosa, the only player in Chicago Cubs history ^h to hit more than 30 homers and steal 3C more than 30 bases in a season, agreed Sc on a $10.25 million two-year contract P* Tuesday, avoiding arbitration. Gi "He's a guy that comes to ballpark and plays," general manager Ed Lynch tw said. "He's never in the training room Fr and plays hard all thp time. And he is only 27 years old and is at his prime, w! or will be at his prime in one year." m The pact includes a $500,000 signing re bonus, $4.5 million in 1996 and $5.25 of million in 1997. There's a third year, at the player's option, of $5.75 million, to Sosa made the NL All-Star team H for the first time last season when he w hit .268 with 36 home rims and 119 th RBIs;He ledthe te&Siin homers, RBIs m AND WOME GAINED, NAVY OR ?-I* ? * ' ou can expect: :xciting job with a good [^ 7 yes named Robinson, Malone and Stockton ill be joined as West reserves by iattle SuperSonics' Gary Payton and icramento Kings' Mitch Richmond guard, Denver's Dikembe Mutombo center and San Antonio's Sean Elliott forward. Voting for reserves was done by iad coaches. Earlier, fans voted for the starters, eking center Shaquille O'Neal of the rlando Magic, forwards Grant Hill the Detroit Pistons and Soothe Pippen 'the Chicago Bulls, and guards ichael Jordan of Chicago and Anfemee ardway of Orlando for the East. The West starters will be center akeem Olajuwon of the Houston xkets, forwards Charles Barkley of ie Phoenix Suns and Shawn Kemp Seattle, and guards Clyde Drexler Houston and Jason Kidd of Dallas avaricks. with Cubs id stolen bases, with 34. Sosa enters his fourth season with e Cubs. He was acquired in a March 1,1992, trade with the Chicago White >x, which also brought pitcher Ken itterson to the Cubs for outfielder sorge Bell. Sosa's signing leaves the Cubs with o players awaiting arbitration, pitcher ank Castillo and catcher Scott Servais. Castillo is asking for $2.18 million, bile the Cubs' counter offer is $1.2 illion. Servais submitted a $975,000 i quest, compared to the Cubs $680,000 fer. Lynch said he has talked this week Castillo's and Semis' representatives, e said he is confident an agreement ill be reach with the players before teir cases reach arbitration next onth. - m N 1 * *" *? *1 I V