Local Baller Nigel Johnson Earns G-League Deal With Capital City Go-Go
Local hoops star Nigel Johnson signed his first pro contract on Thursday with the Capital City Go-Go — the Washington Wizards G-League affiliate. You can learn more about Nigel’s basketball story below, followed by some vital information regarding his new team.
Of all the college basketball players you know of, there are few who have the resume of Northern Virginia native Nigel Johnson. From 2013 to 2018, Johnson played for three different Power-5 programs (Kansas State, Rutgers, Virginia) in three different Power-5 conferences (Big 12, Big 10, ACC), seeing major minutes at all three stops.
On Thursday, he added another JOHNSON jersey to his wall, signing a contract with the Washington Wizards G-League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
We have acquired Nigel Johnson via the available player pool. Michael Orris was waived in a corresponding move.
— Capital City Go-Go (@CapitalCityGoGo) February 28, 2019
Welcome to the squad @TakingFlight_23! pic.twitter.com/vbe6EQGSs4
The contract is Johnson’s first as a professional basketball player. He’ll wear No. 5 and give the team help at the point guard position for their run to the postseason.
After coming home to Virginia for his senior collegiate season, Nigel will be local once again to start his professional career. For fans of his, having him right down the road is a blessing; the move should drum up some excitement and bring people to the Go-Go that weren’t paying attention before. Plus, it gives him a chance to erase the crushing memory of his last organized basketball game by just playing again.
Obviously, this is huge news for Nigel, his fans, and those who have helped him get closer to his ultimate dream. For Nigel, hard work is paying off, and I’ve personally seen some of the grueling sessions he’s put in to achieve such an impressive honor. He goes hard, daily, but no one knows the ins and outs of Nigel’s game and preparation like Rhyss Gully — Nigel Johnson’s personal trainer and confidant for the better part of a decade.
“His dream has always been to reach the NBA,” Gully told me after a long day of training elite athletes in Loudoun County. “I’ve had the pleasure of training Nigel for nine years and [the G-League contract] makes me extremely proud. Seeing him get closer to his NBA dream after so many hours of hard work is inspiring.”
Before we wrapped up our chat about a potential trip to see Nigel compete in the G-League, he left me with one final note about the future of our homegrown point guard: “Watch out…this is just the start for Nigel Johnson!”
Knowing Nigel’s story, and how hard he pursues new goals, I nodded back at Rhyss, completely bought into what awaits.
THE PATH TO GO-GO
Nigel Johnson was bred to be a professional athlete; his father, Sidney, won Super Bowl XXVI with the Washington Redskins in 1992 and kept his family local after his football career ended.
Growing up in Ashburn, Nigel dominated the Loudoun County hoops scene, averaging nearly 30 points per game as a sophomore and junior at Broad Run High School. Seeking more exposure and stiffer competition, he played his senior season at Riverdale Baptist (Md.) in Prince George’s County, eventually earning a full-ride to Kansas State.
As a freshman, he immediately cracked the rotation at Kansas State, scoring a season-high 17 points in their lone Big 12 Tournament game. Immediately after, the freshman played 19 minutes in the Wildcats’ Round of 64 NCAA Tournament loss. His role then increased as a sophomore: Nigel poured in a team-high 20 points in a surprise upset over No. 8 Kansas (video below) and eventually finished the season in the Wildcats’ starting five.
Sophomore Nigel Johnson vaults K-State to upset over Kansas:
Johnson wanted more, though, so he packed up and transferred to Rutgers to play for his former AAU coach, Eddie Jordan. Except by the time Johnson was eligible to play — he sat out 2015-16, per transfer rules — his guy was fired in favor of Steve Pikiell (who has done wonders rebuilding the program).
Still, under a brand new coach, Johnson had his best collegiate season, shooting a career-best 35 percent from three-point land while averaging career-highs in minutes (26.2), points (11.2 PPG), assists (2.0 APG) and steals per game (1.2 SPG).
Teamed up with Corey Sanders, the duo led Rutgers to a 10-1 start in ’16-’17 and the program’s first-ever Big Ten Tournament victory. In the Big Ten Tournament, Johnson was electric, leading Rutgers in scoring during both of their tournament games.
Nigel Johnson Big Ten Tournament Stats (’16-’17):
- MPG: 25.5
- PPG: 21.0
- FG%: 48.0
- 3P%: 61.5
- FT%: 90.9
Johnson graduated from Rutgers in the spring, and although Rutgers was headed in the right direction, he chose to utilize his graduate transfer option in order to join a team that could compete for the NCAA Tournament and beyond.
Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, who had recruited Nigel years before, brought Johnson in shortly after, making the lightning-quick guard his first-ever grad transfer. In return, the Hoos would wind up being the best team Johnson was ever a part of at the D-1 level.
As the team’s sixth man, the Virginia-born senior played a key role all season: on 12 different occasions — including their lone NCAA Tournament game — he played 20-plus minutes; on four occasions, he scored in double figures — including 22 points on A-10 juggernaut Davidson — and in Virginia’s ACC Tournament title win over No. 12 North Carolina, Johnson scored eight points in the first 11 minutes to set the tone for the Hoos.
While his final stat-line wasn’t eye-popping — five points a night in 16.5 minutes per game — he was firmly in Bennett’s razor-thin rotation throughout the season, finishing as one of eight players to play 15-plus minutes per game in 30-plus games. And when the chips were down and U.Va’s back was against the wall against UMBC, it was Johnson that Bennett leaned on; needing instant offense after falling behind, he played heavily late in the game, finishing with the third-highest point total (9) in only 24 minutes.
Nigel Johnson Rutgers & Virginia highlights:
NIGEL’S NEW VENTURE
The Capital City Go-Go
The Go-Go play their home games in Washington, D.C. at the brand new, 4,200-seat St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena. Next year, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics — another Monumental Sports franchise — will join them at the new arena.
For those of you interested in watching Nigel in his first professional stint, the Go-Go have a month of regular season action remaining before the playoffs begin. Their games are always available to watch through one streaming service or another: every game is on Monumental Sports Network ($6.99/mo) and on top of that, either ESPN+, Facebook Live or Twitch runs a broadcast of Go-Go games.
To go and see him live, the Go-Go have four regular-season home games remaining (including a three-game homestand between 3/12 and 3/16) and hopefully, the Go-Go will host a few playoff games.
Capital City (22-19) would be in the playoffs (No. 6 seed) if they were to started right now.
Being in the G-League is one step away from the NBA, so making this squad is a huge step for Nigel’s career. People on his new team have NBA experience and with a solid performance in the next few weeks, he could be next.