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NEW ORLEANS – Just be ready, that’s the mantra Donovan “Puff” Johnson operates by going into each and every game.
A red-shirt freshman reserve on North Carolina’s basketball team, Johnson has been called on several times this season and come through, but the task handed to him in the national championship game Monday night was a little different than stepping up in a road game at NC State in February, which Johnson did.
Thirty-seven days earlier, the 6-foot-8 athletic and rangy wing scored a career-high 16 points in 29 minutes of action in a 10-point win in Raleigh. And versus Kansas on the biggest stage of the year, on a night the Tar Heels fell short, 72-69, at the Superdome, Johnson came through again.
Johnson played eight minutes in the first half, serving as a sub for rotating starters over a stretch, and then with senior Leaky Black picking up his fourth foul with 13:52 remaining in the contest, Johnson was called on to play for a lengthy period.
All he did was score 11 points, grab six rebounds, hand out an assist, draw a charge, and vomited after being clobbered in the stomach. That’s quite a night in 18 minutes of action.
“I got hit in the stomach,” Johnson said. “Just didn't go well once I got hit in the stomach. That's about it.”
The incident occurred with 4:23 remaining and Carolina trailing 63-61. Johnson quickly engaged with a Kansas player and went to the floor – one of four Tar Heels administered to on the night by trainer Doug Halverson.
Something appeared to come out of Johnson’s mouth on the floor, and again after he returned to the bench. He went back into the game after UNC forward Armando Bacot reaggravated a bad ankle and left the game for good with 38 seconds remaining.
In fact, Johnson was guarding the inbound pass that led to a turnover with 4.3 seconds left giving Carolina one more chance to tie the game, but Caleb Love’s shot fell short. Whatever the request by UNC Coach Hubert Davis, Johnson was prepared to oblige.
“My whole thing this whole year has been just to stay ready whenever your number is called,” Johnson said. “And I mean, I can honestly just say that I gave it everything I had. And that's what I try to do each and every game and each and every day in life.”
In addition to the incident with his stomach, Johnson arrived in New Orleans dealing with an ailment. But, like Bacot and his banged-up ankle, and the gimpy Tar Heels on this night, Johnson never relented.
“I came into the Final Four with a bit of a banged-up hip flexor from what happened earlier in the season, reaggravated a little bit,” he said. “And I can honestly say I just gave it everything I had.”
And it was nearly enough to bring home a national title for the fabled program.
