Gophers women's basketball gets glimpse of Ayianna Johnson's raw potential

Here was one sequence late in a basketball game that was already decided Sunday afternoon:

* Gophers freshman Ayianna Johnson rebounded a miss by her teammate Janay Sanders and put it back in.

* On the Gophers' next possession in a 100-42 victory over Chicago State at Williams Arena, after a made basket by the Cougars, Johnson beat the defense down the floor, took a pass from Amaya Battle and scored on the break.

* Johnson passed to Nia Holloway for a score.

* Seconds later Johnson posted up, took a pass from Battle and scored.

In less than 2 minutes of clock time Johnson — a freshman center from Jefferson, Wis. — grabbed an offensive rebound, passed for an assist, scored six of her 19 points.

There is a future here.

"She is someone who is just tapping the potential of where she can go,'' Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit said.

Before anyone gets expectations too high: Johnson is a raw talent. She didn't start playing competitive basketball until high school. She didn't play AAU ball until she was a sophomore. She will need work on her skill, her awareness of everything going on on the court.

But potential? Yes.

"I saw her on her visit,'' said Mara Braun of Johnson, who initially committed to West Virginia but ended up in Dinkytown after Plitzuweit left to coach the Gophers. "But before, I saw her media photo and she's just jacked. And I was like, 'Oh, my goodness.' That's exactly what we need, especially in the Big Ten. It's like, all right, bring it on.''

Johnson is a muscular, athletic 6-3. When you're told that she was a five-sport athlete in high school, you believe it. But when you learn that, along with basketball and golf — more about her distance off the tee later — she played football, wrestled and was a nationally ranked high school discus thrower?

You can see it.

"I played tackle football from third to eighth grade,'' Johnson said. "I played flag football since I was 4 years old. I was always just a football girl. Then I realized it might not get me to college, so I kind of picked up something else. And basketball was my ticket.''

Because the game is new to her, she's a work in progress. Right now she likes to focus on one thing — Sunday it was rim-running — but she'll need to learn to multitask. She needs to get better getting rebounding position after a high school career where her athletic ability meant she didn't have to. She will need to diversify her offensive game. She'll get another chance Wednesday, when the Gophers play host to North Dakota State.

But she's eager and able to learn. Sunday, for example, she had two of her shots blocked by Chicago State center Josie Hill. But Johnson is already strong enough for the physical Big Ten. Plitzuweit and her staff kept telling her that in those situations, with the defender up tight, one answer is to face up to the basket.

"And then Maggie [Czinano] faced up against the post kid, got to the rim and scored,'' Plitzuweit said. "I looked at the bench at A.J., and she's like, 'Yes, I understand. That's what I should have done.'''

The lessons will keep coming. But she already has the tools. With her backing up Sophie Hart, the Gophers have two, big, physical centers; Plitzuweit can't remember coaching a stronger freshman.

Back to golf. Johnson said she only used her driver once in high school.

"I played Edinburgh USA this summer,'' she said. "Super awesome course. I think, off the tee, I hit a 7- or 8-iron.''

How far can she belt her driver? "I can hit it in the 250s,'' she said.