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Sports

Pali High's Johnson Chooses CSUN Hoops

The Dolphins' senior guard signs to play basketball for Northridge next season.

His final high school basketball season has yet to begin and while only time will tell how that plays out, senior Donovan Johnson already knows where he will be playing next season.

The Dolphins' senior made it official with the support of his family, teammates, coaches and classmates in the jam-packed classroom of varsity boys basketball coach James Paleno, signing a national letter of intent with Cal State University, Northridge at noon Wednesday. His announcement came shortly after his friend Brandon Perry from Woodland Hills Taft also signed with Northridge.

A 6-foot-2, 185-lb. guard, Johnson made the 2011 Cali-Hi Sports Boys Basketball All-State Underclass Team last season, the only player from the L.A. City Section to make the junior squad. He was named Most Outstanding Player in the Western League and made First Team All-City in 2010-11. His immediate goals are to lead Palisades to the championship and be named Most Valuable Player in the league and the City.

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"We got a taste of it making the semifinals [at USC's Galen Center] last season," Johnson said of his dream to play for the City championship. "Now we have to make it happen."

Among the other schools recruiting him were Loyola Marymount, Southern Utah and Air Force, but Johnson confessed he became convinced that Northridge was where he wanted to be after meeting Matadors Coach Bobby Braswell prior to his official visit to the San Fernando Valley campus two weekends ago.

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"I met with Coach Braswell three days before the visit and he seemed cool right off the bat," said Johnson, whose brother Aaron is a sophomore on Palisades' JV team. "I could see that he liked me as a person, not just as a basketball player. He kept me with the team so I got a chance to talk to all the players because they're the ones who know what a coach is really like. They had nothing but great things to say. He even brought me to his house for a barbecue with his family and the entire team and gave me the signing papers right there."

One thing that factored in Johnson's decision is that the Matadors run a similar offense to the one he has flourished in at Palisades, to the tune of 15.9 points, 2.7 steals and 4.2 rebounds per game his junior year. He scored a season-high 30 points in a 72-67 league defeat to City finalist Westchester and netted 20 or more points six other times.

"I'll be dorming with other players and the dorms are really big," said Johnson, who wants to major in film. "The campus is nice and as far as the basketball goes they run the same offense we do here, the up-tempo style I like. I might do summer school there to get a head start. In the off-season I worked most on my ball-handling. I don't want to redshirt, I want to play."

Called at his office just before heading to practice, Braswell sounded just as happy about Johnson's signing as the player: "We're extremely excited to have him. It's a great gift to our program. Donovan is an outstanding student and an outstanding player. We followed him throughout the summer and he's really going to help us with his size, his athleticism and his ability to score. Those are all things we need."

Asked if Johnson will start his freshman year, Braswell made no guarantee but said he wouldn't be surprised to see Johnson make an immediate impact.

"Of course a lot depends on how hard he works, but yes, he certainly has the talent to do it," said Braswell, anxious to begin his 15th season coaching at his alma mater. "He'll have the opportunity, that's for sure."

Braswell has a 216-202 record at Northridge and has led the Matadors to the playoffs every season, including NCAA Tournament berths in 2001 and 2009. Former Palisades player and current assistant coach Ed Estavan played for Braswell at Northridge in the early 2000s and Paleno, also a Northridge graduate, has known the CSUN pilot since Braswell was the head coach at Cleveland High in Reseda from 1985-89.

"I'm really happy for Donovan because he's a really hard-working kid, he's very close to his mom and dad and they'll be able to go watch him play," said Paleno, who is 24 wins short of 400 at Pali High. "Northridge has a young team and I think he'll fit in well there. At the end of the day, it's about where you feel comfortable living and getting your degree. Donovan would've gone to college even without basketball. He could've waited but he wanted to resolve it and knowing where he's going allows him to concentrate on his senior year."

Palisades opens the 2011-12 season Nov. 29 against Torrance in the first round of the Pacific Shores Tournament in Redondo Beach. 

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