READING, Pa. – At a time when upheaval surrounds him, Melvin Johnson is playing the best basketball of his life at the most important time of his young career.
Rice High School, his home for three years, closed its doors for good June 31; he switched AAU teams, from the New York Gauchos to Long Island Lightning after roster and coaching shakeup within the program; and his phone won’t stop ringing, high school and college coaches after his services and media members looking for the story.
“I think I’ve answered some questions 1,000 times,” said The Post’s All-Manhattan first team selection last winter.
Yet, through it all, Johnson has remained focused. This week, he was named Most Outstanding Player of Hoop Group Elite Session I, a four-day showcase camp in rural Pennsylvania during the NCAA’s live recruiting period in which college coaches flooded Albright College to evaluate high school prospects.
The impressive Bronx native holds scholarship offers from Hofstra, Tulsa, Fairfield, Towson, Siena and TCU and has drawn significant interest from Seton Hall, Rutgers, Xavier, Miami and Temple.
“This is the most motivated I’ve ever seen him,” said Johnson’s mother, Kissy Gladden.
The high-scoring 6-foot-3 guard wowed the coaches with the variety of ways he scored – from beyond the arc, off the dribble and in the paint. He also demonstrated the ability to create for others and played some point guard.
“Melvin could always shoot, but what he’s done is diversify his game,” talent evaluator Tom Konchalski said. “He’s become a more complete player.”
“He’s a very good mid-major two guard who does a little bit of everything,” one Division I assistant coach said of Johnson. “He can shoot it well, get to the basket and finish with contact. He’s sort of similar to the character Duane Martin played in the movie Above the Rim, Kyle Lee Watson.”
Like Watson, Johnson’s had to deal with issues other than basketball. When Rice shut its doors, Johnson didn’t just lose the only high school he never knew, but friends and teammates such as Dayshon Smith, who plans to attend St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.), and Tyler Wilson (either St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey or Cardinal Hayes in The Bronx).
Johnson, who likes to keep to himself, hasn’t talked much with his mom about what changing schools means to him, but she can tell it hurts him. He was excited about the upcoming year with Smith and Wilson, of restoring glory to Rice, and following in the footsteps of Rice legends Kemba Walker, Kenny Satterfield and Felipe Lopez.
“If he kept putting the work in and getting better, Melvin had a chance to be a big-time player coming out of Rice,” former Rice head coach Dwayne Mitchell said.
Johnson was actually in Harlem the day Rice officially closed its doors after 79 years, an afternoon he described as “heartbreaking” and “emotional.” As his mother pointed out, Johnson said the closure motivated him because, in a sense, he was forced to start over. Whether he attends St. Benedict’s or St. Anthony – his two likely destinations – Johnson will have a name to live up to.
“He knows whatever situation he comes into, he has to prove himself and come in and shine right away,” said Jerry McCullough, a close family friend and former Rice assistant coach.
No matter what happens, Johnson said he’ll always remember his three years at Rice. When he attended a workout at St. Benedict’s Prep, he wore all his Rice gear – green shorts, green jersey and gold and green sneakers. He did the same this week at Albright College.
“I still got to represent Rice,” he said. “I still have to let people know where I’m from.”