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2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster
Puff Johnson
- Height:
- 6-8
- Weight:
- 200
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Moon Township, Pa.
- High School:
- Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
JUNIOR SEASON (2022-23)
Averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game • Carolina’s leading scorer off the bench and played the most minutes among the non-starters • Fourth on the team in offensive rebounds with 29 • Averaged 2.7 offensive boards per 40 minutes, second most on the team behind Armando Bacot • Missed six games due to right knee soreness • Made two starts, including January 14 at Louisville • Played 20 or more minutes eight times (Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Louisville, at Wake Forest, at NC State and Virginia twice) • Led the non-starters in plus/minus at plus 44 • Scored in double figures three times (12 at Louisville, 11 vs. Notre Dame and 10 vs. Alabama) • Made 13 of 46 three-pointers • UNC went 7-2 when he made a three • Season- and career-high seven rebounds at NC State • Only nine turnovers in 432 minutes (less than one per 40 minutes, best on the team).
2022-23 Game Highlights: Hit two first-half threes that helped UNC build a 16-point lead and finished with eight points, five rebounds in win over No. 6 Virginia • Were his first threes in four games • Seven points, three offensive rebounds and a career-high seven rebounds in 22 minutes at NC State • Hit two threes and scored eight points vs. Clemson • Six points and five rebounds in 26 minutes at Wake Forest (longest outing since he played 48 in the four-OT game vs. Alabama and his second-most minutes in any ACC game in his career) • Season-high 12 points, tied career highs with a pair of threes and six rebounds and was a plus 9 in his second career start at Louisville • Hit back-to-back threes a minute apart early in the second half to extend UNC’s lead to 16 • Scored 11 points and was a plus 13 in the win over Notre Dame • Made two three-pointers in the first half as UNC built a 13-point lead, then added a fastbreak dunk that was part of a 7-0 run after the Irish cut UNC’s lead to 61-54 • Made first career start at Virginia Tech • Matched his season and career high with six rebounds against Michigan • Early three ended a 7-0 Michigan run • Scored all six of his points at Indiana from the free throw line (6 for 7) • Career-high 48 minutes against Alabama (previous high was 29 at NC State last season) • Scored 10 points with five rebounds, two assists and a career-high three steals (was a team-best plus 9) • Six points, tied his career high with six rebounds and had a career-best two steals vs. Iowa State • Scored six points and was plus 13 in 13:30 in his season debut against James Madison.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2021-22)
Played his finest basketball as a Tar Heel on both ends of the court in the 2022 NCAA Tournament • Averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.3 minutes in the six NCAA Tournament games • Tied his career highs with five field goals and six rebounds in 18 minutes in the national championship game vs. Kansas • Scored 11 points vs. the Jayhawks, including nine in the second half • Helped spark UNC’s late first-half run with an offensive rebound and basket and a drawn charge • Scored seven straight points for UNC in the second half, including a three-pointer that tied the game at 57.
Hit both free throws to tie the game at 67 with 4:36 to play in the national semifinal vs. Duke • Scored 17 points through the game at Virginia Tech on 2/19 then 47 points in the last 11 games • Averaged 13.2 minutes in the last 11 games • Played outstanding defense in two 11-minute stints in Philadelphia vs. UCLA and Saint Peter’s • Career-high five field goals in seven attempts for 11 points in NCAA first round win over Marquette • Numerous career bests in the win at NC State with personal bests in scoring (16), field goals (4), three-pointers (2), free throws (6) and minutes (29) • Scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half • Four rebounds at Miami • Missed the first 15 games due to a hip flexor and sprained right ankle.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2020-21)
Not in uniform for the last 15 games after spraining a toe on his right foot in practice on 1/22 • Last played against Wake Forest on 1/20 • Had a block, steal and offensive rebound basket in the one-point win over Notre Dame • Big bucket gave UNC a five-point lead in the second half in the win over Kentucky • Made his first collegiate three-point attempt in the win over Charleston • Missed two weeks of practice leading up to the first game due to Covid safety protocols.
PREP
A native of Moon Township, Pa., where he played for Coach Adam Kaufman at Moon Area High School • Graduated in 2020 from Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, where he was coached by former NBA guard Mike Bibby • Totaled 1,960 points in his prep career • Teams went 103-19 • Averaged 14.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists and shot 44.6 percent from three-point range (29 of 65) in 14 games at Hillcrest • Earned MVP honors in Hillcrest’s bracket at the John Wall Invitational in Raleigh • Finalist at State Farm’s national three-point contest • Played his first three prep seasons at Moon Area High School in Pennsylvania • As a junior at Moon Area, he averaged 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while hitting 46 percent of his three-point attempts • Scored 17 points in the 2019 PIAA Class 5A championship game win over Archbishop Wood • PIAA Class 5A, Pittsburgh Tribune, Beaver County Times and Sectional Player of the Year in 2019 • First-team all-state as a junior, second-team as a sophomore • Three-time all-section honoree • Made 11 consecutive three-point attempts as a freshman starter.
PERSONAL
Born Donovan Christopher Johnson on Oct. 11, 2000, in Pittsburgh, Pa. • Son of Gilbert and Amy Johnson • The younger brother of former Tar Heel Cameron Johnson, who earned 2019 first-team All-ACC honors and plays for the Phoenix Suns • Chose No. 14 because it’s one number higher than what his brother Cameron wore at Carolina • Also played baseball and football (wide receiver and running back as a youth) • Enjoys improving his tennis and ping-pong skills while playing against Cameron • Has sung in a concert choir • His mother gave each of her children nicknames and his was Puff because he liked the cereal Cocoa Puffs • Majoring in exercise and sport science in the sport administration program.
