Right after hitting a three-pointer with 3:46 to go on Tuesday night and putting the final dagger in the lowering coffin of Alabama’s chances against No. 1 Auburn, K.D. Johnson jumped and skipped down the floor. Then, when he saw Nate Oats decide to call a timeout, the guard went rushing past the Crimson Tide bench, past the opposing basket and into the waiting arms of a mob of students delighted to have him on their side.
Yes, Johnson’s tenacity gets a lot of attention. I noticed it the first time viewing an Auburn practice in the preseason. He plays with a thousand chips on his sturdy shoulders and brings an attitude of never backing down.
He’s fearless. When Johnson is driving into the lane with the ball, he’s a mixture of a rhinoceros trying to ram down a gate and a bowling ball aggressively going down the lane, and it doesn’t matter who is in his way. No, whether height or weight advantage they might have, that defender better be ready. He’s not shying away from contact. He’s the one instigating it. More often than not, Johnson is either coming out with a bucket or going to the free-throw line after getting knocked down to the floor like all ten pins on a strike.
With the Tigers down one in the final minutes against Missouri last Tuesday and the No. 1 ranking on the line, Johnson came through with two heroic baskets, including the and-one to give Auburn the lead.
That mentality gives his team confidence, and the Tigers feed off him. When Johnson is on defense, he instantly gets into the head of the opponents. He’s the worst person to play against and the best person to play alongside. From the opening tip to the last second, he’s going non-stop, a never-ending source of energy that plays faster than your local driver on the German Autobahn.
He’s feisty. When you can almost get into a scrap with a player from Yale who spent his days at a private boarding school in New England, you know you have the ability to make people angry. He blurs the line between aggression and outright insanity and knows precisely when to throw it up in extra gear.
Just ask Oklahoma coach Porter Moser. After draining a three against the Sooners on Saturday, Johnson seemed to say something to the coach. Moser immediately started yelling at the referees instead of focusing on his team. A win-win for Auburn if you ask me. Like his coach Bruce Pearl, Johnson gets underneath the skin by winning and smiling.
Oh, yes. Those smiles. And those tough-looking grimaces. And the variety of faces Johnson makes as if he knows he’s about to become yet another meme in a number of them. Someone could make a photo book of just his facial reactions and sell them out in minutes to Auburn fans who can’t get enough of K.D.
He could be a star anywhere. The Atlanta native had an outstanding freshman season at Georgia, and he knew that he would be competing for a job at Auburn, so going somewhere else where he would get 30-plus minutes and plenty of shots would have made sense. Despite that, he chose the Tigers and never complained, even when coming off the bench to start the season.
He’s the fireplug among a group of Tigers that have become one of the main attractions in college basketball. His fist-pounding of media tables after big plays and celebrations after big baskets when Auburn is on one of those runs is a sign of a player who loves to win more than any personal statistic.
All of the traits I’ve mentioned this team has shown all season long. The Tigers are a team that doesn’t quit and hardly if ever, takes possessions off. They pride themselves as much on defense as on the offensive side of the court, turning a game of basketball into nightmares that their opponents will see in their sleep for days and weeks to come. Every player brings something different. K.D. brings confidence, aggressiveness, pesty and a kick-ass attitude to the No. 1 team in the land.
He’s the epitome of why the Tigers are great this season.
