Darius Johnson-Wilson A Big Reason For Viks' Success

As the seconds wound down to the Curtis Vikings’ win over AC Davis on Friday, Darius Johnson-Wilson sat at the end of the bench with an ice pack over his left shoulder.

The junior had just contributed 20 points in 24 minutes, and he had tweaked his shoulder late in the fourth as it became clear that Curtis

Johnson-Wilson felt the injury as he was going for a loose ball, but the fact that he has carried his team on his massive shoulders the first two days at the Tacoma Dome might have also played a role.

He’s averaging 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games. He’s also kept loose balls and rebounds alive, and cleared a path for Curtis’ guards and wingers to penetrate with his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame.

When missed shots are up for grabs, he relies on instinct and long arms to collect, scramble or tip the rebound to a teammate.

He’s done all this, mind you, after missing games early in the season because of a nagging knee injury. He’s also playing with more weight than he’s used to.

Still, he’s helped Curtis’ offense flow with precise passing out of double- and triple-teamed in the paint. With fellow big Julian Vaughn cutting to the hoop, and the always-dangerous DaVonte roaming the perimeter, the Vikings have a potent high-low game.

“He’s been huge for us, literally and figuratively,” joked Lacy, one of the biggest benefactors of Johnson-Wilson’s presence.

Johnson-Wilson has emerged as Option 1B for the Vikings’s offense, and a big reason is his acceptance that, yes, he needs to get the ball down low more.

“I just told my team, ‘Cut to the basket and I’ll find you,’” he said.

“I couldn’t get my shape like I wanted to because of my knee problems,” he added. “But the difference is, I think, trying to play more aggressively, more attacking, not settling for jump shots.”

Another luxury for the Vikings’ is the confidence of Johnson-Wilson at the free-throw line, where he was 6-for-6 against Davis.

Coach Tim Kelly said after Friday’s game that he could see Johnson-Wilson playing at the D-1 college level after high school.

But first thing’s first – Curtis will try to earn its first state championship tonight.

And if they do, Johnson-Wilson will play a big part of it, even if he’s still getting used to the idea.

“I’m trying to get that killer mentality,” he joked. “Saying to myself, nobody can stop me. So calling for the ball, it’s a start, I think.”