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Closer Look Bearcats' Johnson pays tribute with a swat
Posted: Friday March 17, 2000 06:50 PM
By Ryan Hunt, CNNSI.com NASHVILLE -- Cincinnati's DerMarr Johnson wanted to offer his best Kenyon Martin imitation. It was a simple blocked shot, one of a career-high four on the day for the spindly 6-foot-9 freshman guard. Johnson effortlessly tossed aside an attempt from UNC Wilmington's Oleg Kojenets, the way Martin did for the Bearcats so many times before. Only this time, it wasn't the rejection that was so important -- it was the connection of Johnson pointing to Martin. That five-second tribute said it all for Cincinnati in its 64-47 NCAA tournament first-round win over the 15th-seeded Seahawks on Friday. "That block was for him," Johnson said. "Those are the things that's he's always brought to this team. With him out, I feel I have to take a good chunk of his role -- points, rebounds and even blocks. I wanted to show him how much he means to me." It wasn't quite a Win-one-for-the-Gipper moment, but for the second-seeded Bearcats, it will more than suffice. With a white T-shirt -- which reads "This Tourney's For You" surrounding Martin's No. 4 -- draped over his left leg, and his broken right leg extended over a second folding chair, Martin now is relegated to finding new ways to make an impact. "[Johnson] playing hard is what I'm most proud of," said Martin, who is probably the most irreplaceable player in college basketball. "He got four blocks today. That's effort. That's what makes me the most happy." But Johnson, who blocked 23 shots all season previously, swatting shots like Martin is likely an aberration. The guys most responsible for replacing Martin, Ryan Fletcher and Jermaine Tate, combined for 18 points and 12 rebounds, decent but likely not enough down the road."We have to get Ken's 20 points and 10 rebounds by committee," said coach Bob Huggins. "We have to concentrate on getting the best from what we have. We got four guys in double figures, and Jermaine Tate was close with eight. We got a lot of what we wanted." Meanwhile Martin, who spent all season as Huggins' right-hand man in terms of on-court production, could only look on helplessly from two folding chairs immediately to his coach's left. It's not quite on the floor, but it's better than the end of the bench. And not just for the improved view. "Coach can't hear me from down there," said Martin, who undoubtedly has heard more than his share from Huggins over the past four years. "Anything I can do to help, even offering my opinions to coach. Hey, I was telling him to put on the press in the entire second half." Without Martin -- and without the press -- Cincinnati held UNCW to 28.8 percent shooting. Open looks were a rarity, thanks in part to Johnson's opening-round tribute. More importantly, the Bearcats are off to a good start in the NCAA tournament. For Kenyon. "We all know what a great player on the court [Martin] is," said Johnson. "But he's an even better person off it. He's helped me from the first day I got here. And we want him to go out in style."
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