Dominique Johnson ’10 is driven to pour into the next generation. After 13 years playing professional basketball in the NBA D-League, for many international teams, and in the Big3, Johnson returned to Azusa Pacific University to serve as assistant coach on the men’s basketball team. “I wanted to share my knowledge and experience,” Johnson said. “I talked with (head coach) Pete Bond and he said I should start here. I’m grateful for the opportunity and it’s been great to be back at APU.” Johnson’s journey back to his alma mater was a long one, filled with lots of life lessons that he hopes to pass on.
A Detroit native, Johnson discovered his love for basketball as a child and began playing for his middle and high school teams. After graduating from high school, he moved to Memphis, and began playing college basketball at Southwest Tennessee Community College. After a standout sophomore season, he was recruited by several schools and decided to transfer to APU.
“When I visited APU, I saw the big God First sign on the wall in the gym and everything just felt right,” he said. “I didn’t even fly back to Tennessee. My friends just shipped my stuff out here.”
The natural fit translated to enormous success for Johnson and the men’s basketball team. In 2008-09, Johnson paced the squad in points at 17.2 per game and three-point field goals with 70 on the season. “Coach (Justin) Leslie broke down my whole game and taught me how to play high percentage shots, spacing, and positioning. I was like a raw piece of clay and he molded me,” Johnson said. “He showed me how to play the right way.” Johnson’s achievements earned the recognition of NAIA All-American third team. He led the Cougars to a 24-10 record and a Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) championship. “It took a while, but when we all started trusting each other, we hit our stride and were almost unstoppable.”
The following year, as a senior, Johnson played even better, earning NAIA All-American first team honors. APU won the GSAC championship again and made it all the way to the NAIA Championship. Unfortunately, the Cougars lost in the final seconds to Oklahoma Baptist. “It was a brutal loss. We sunk a game winning shot at the buzzer, but it turned out the clock had expired literally .1 seconds before the ball left my teammate’s hands,” Johnson said. “That team was special. I’ll never forget that season.”
Although his time at APU came to a close, Johnson’s basketball career was just taking off. He was selected by the Idaho Stampede in the 2010 NBA D-League Draft, but never played a game for them after getting cut right before the season. “That was the first time I had ever been cut from a team. It taught me a lot about the politics of the D-League,” he said. Johnson rebounded, signing with the Texas Legends, where he played for two years. He went on to play with the Canton Charge for a season before deciding to move on from the D-League.
Oregonstate News Blog 