A new sheriff in town

Who's the best prep guard in Northern California? Names such as Jeremy Franklin, Sammy Yeager, Nate Garth, Corey Higgins, Kareem Nitoto, Chris Jones and Elston Turner come to mind. However, not only is it time to include another player on this list but his name goes straight to the top. So who's the best prep guard in Northern California? Meet Armon Johnson.

Does this sound too good to be true for all of you Oakland Wildcat fans? Well, it may be. There is a catch. Read on, we'll get to it at the end.

Unless you have been following the summer circuit closely, the average NorCal prep basketball fan has never heard of Johnson. Not a problem. You could be hearing lots from him very soon. The 6-foot-3, 185 pound rising senior is well-known in Nevada. Though originally from Chicago, Johnson attended Reno's Hug High School where he was named Northern Nevada player of the year in both his sophomore and junior years. He averaged 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists last season while leading his team to the state semifinals. After last season, he moved to the East Bay and hopes to have similar success next season if and when he suits up for the Oakland High Wildcats.

Although he has yet to take an official visit, Johnson's top three college choices are Washington State, Nevada, and USC. He will officially visit Washington State in the next few weeks. Other schools recruiting Johnson include Georgia, Arizona, Cal, Montana, Washington, New Mexico State, Wyoming, Colorado, and Boise State.

When it comes to his college selection, Johnson wants to make an immediate impact. "I want to go somewhere where I can help the program right away," said Johnson. "I want to get a good education, too. I'm not sure exactly what, but I want to major in something related to sports."

His play this summer has given Johnson more national exposure, although many people are already aware of him. Johnson competes with Team California, under the coaching tutelage of Dave Taylor and assistant coach Jason Hitt. With Fontana High's Demetrius Walker often manning the other guard spot, the two form one of the best guard tandems of the California-based club teams.

Coach Taylor speaks highly of Johnson. "He is one of the best players I have ever coached attitude-wise and effort-wise. He can shoot, post up, handle the ball and defend," said Taylor. "[Armon] has a nice NBA-type body. He's left-handed with no weaknesses. Coaching Armon has been fun. He stays in the whole game. He never gets tired."

Johnson enjoys working with kids, as he can often be found at the Boys and Girls Club. He tries to model his game after fellow Chicago native and NBA Finals MVP, Dwayne Wade. "Wade is a hard worker. He was not the biggest name in the country coming out of high school, but his hard work got him to where he is now," said Johnson.

However, there is one final hurdle to Johnson's plans to continue at Oakland. According to sources close to the situation, if Johnson signs soon with a Div. I college, he may opt to attend a prep school next season instead. But, as of now, he is enrolled at Oakland High and plans to play there next season.

Johnson pushes himself vary hard, and says Oakland High coach Orlando Watkins does the same for all of his players. According to Johnson, Watkins gives the players confidence. When asked what he expected out of next year, Johnson replied, "I expect a state championship."

Northern California, if you haven't yet met Armon Johnson, you (hopefully) soon will.