At 6'6", Eastern Illinois senior guard
Marvin Johnson moves effortlessly and looks natural on the basketball court.
At 6'6", Johnson also looks natural riding horses and competing in rodeo. Yes, you read that right, rodeo.
A native of Ardmore, Okla., he says the two contrasting loves have been natural to him for as long as he can remember.
"I would say I have been doing it all my life," said Johnson. "Just riding horses and playing basketball, it's a natural thing."
This season at EIU, the playing basketball has been anything but natural, at times with the Panthers COVID-19 issues it has been supernatural.
He enters what will be his final game of his Panthers career as one of only three players in the NCAA to currently rank in the Top 30 in the NCAA in both field goals made and assists for this season. One of the others, Ayo Dosunmo of Illinois, plays just 45 minutes up the road and is getting some Player of the Year mentions.
For Johnson he hasn't really thought about that statistic or how it developed for him this season.
"I wouldn't say it's something I relish. I would say I'm a playmaker and I know I can get the ball to the guys to hit open shots and make things happen."
This season he is making things happen in a variety of ways. Johnson has produced five double-doubles this year with three coming by virtue of points and rebounds while the other two have been points and assists.
"I had a good feeling on the points/assists double-doubles. Sometimes when I see
Mack Smith over in the corner or
Henry Abraham over in the corner; when they are hitting shots I make sure I can get them the ball to get more assists."
The versatility of his game has developed this year as well, as Johnson ranks in Top 10 in the OVC in scoring, assists and steals. Despite his top ten ranking in those categories, its another that he sits just outside of the OVC top ten in that has made him the proudest this year.
"I would say I'm most proud of my rebounding. I wouldn't say I'm a big rebounder, but here lately I have been going to get rebounds and doing whatever I can to help the team win."
Now back to that versatility and image of a 6'6" basketball player involved in rodeo. For Johnson, he says it may come across odd to people that are not from his part of the country.
"People just don't know it's out there. Down in my area (Oklahoma and Texas), rodeo and horse riding is part of what we do."
Johnson was involved with horses at a young age and during his middle school years joined the Ardmore Youth Rodeo Club, a way to keep busy and grow his passion. With many events available, Johnson gravitated to the one that seemed to be the most fast paced.
"The one I like the most is called Pony Express. It's a four barrel relay race."
The fast paced rodeo events and the fast pace that Johnson plays with on the court have provided the senior with a possible opportunity to continue to follow two passions well after his final time putting on a Panthers uniform today.
"Other than COVID taking out my teammates and us having to play with seven in some games, it has been pretty fun. I'm just enjoying basketball. They gave us another year with COVID, so that's always a blessing, but I might try my luck and test the waters to see if professional basketball is an option.
