FARMVILLE, Va. – Former Longwood men's basketball standout
Shaquille Johnson has signed a professional contract with the Halifax Hurricanes, a member of the National Basketball League in Nova Scotia, Canada.
A 2016 graduate and Atlanta, Ga., native, Johnson is the fourth player in the past three seasons to sign a professional contract since the arrival of head men's basketball coach
Jayson Gee, joining Tristan Carey (Lugano Tigers, Switzerland), Quincy Taylor (Surrey Scorchers, England) and
Lotanna Nwogbo (GECR Indalo, Argentina).
"I'm so excited and proud of Shaq for fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a professional basketball player," said Gee, who signed Johnson out of Northwest Florida Community College in 2014. "It's also exciting to keep adding to the list of players advancing to the professional ranks from Longwood."
Johnson spent two seasons as a Lancer and was voted to the Big South All-Tournament Team after leading the team to semifinal and quarterfinal berths in 2015 and 2016. Johnson's 22-point performance against top-seeded Charleston Southern in the 2015 quarterfinals clinched Longwood's first-ever appearance in the Big South Tournament semifinals. It was also the first time a No. 9 seed had defeated a No. 1 seed in tournament history.
In that 2015 semifinal run for the Lancers, Johnson averaged 17.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals, including back-to-back 20-point games – 25 against Presbyterian in the first round and 22 against Charleston Southern in the quarterfinal. Johnson also grabbed double-digit rebounds in all three games, earning his first all-tournament team honor.
A high-flying career earned him a spot in the 2016 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship, which was televised on ESPN nationwide. Johnson created plenty of buzz with his two-handed slam where he jumped over his 6-foot-11 assistant on the first try.
Johnson showed his versatility in his two seasons, averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He shot 43.3 percent from the floor while blocking 24 shots while collecting 79 steals.
In addition, Johnson finished in the top 10 in the Big South in scoring, field goal percentage, assists, steals, free throw percentage and minutes per game during the 2014-2015 season.
"Shaq will be an instant favorite with fans with his high-flying dunks and desire to interact with the youth of the Halifax community," Gee said.
#GoWood
