The Southern University women’s basketball office was buzzing withexcitement Wednesday. Jaguars’ head coach Sandy Pugh was sitting cool becauseIndi Johnson, a former Purdue Boilermaker player, had just signed. Pugh said she was trying to savor themoment. She could have evendanced.
Johnson is the sixth member added to the Jaguars talented 2005 signingclass. On top of it all Pugh hadjust dubbed assistant coach Danny Evans as her new “favorite guy”.
Evans was part responsible for getting the 6-foot-2 center to come toSouthern. Evans, experiencing alevel of euphoria sat at his computer with a Kool-Aid grin stretching fromear-to-ear.
He had a good reason. Johnsonhad offers from Rutgers, Pepperdine University, Long Beach State, San DiegoState, and the University of Louisville.
To get the ball rolling, Evans had a friend in Los Angles contact himabout Johnson.
“That was kind of how it started and that was my way to get in touchwith her,” Evans said. “They toldme she was available and had transferred from Purdue.”
To aid Evans was Johnson’s aunt Debraka Griffin who said she was happyIndi signed. Griffin said thatSouthern was a school she wished she went to for herself.
Johnson’s resume at Narbonne High in Harbor City, Calif., includesthree-time Nike All-America Camp participant, played on two USA Today nationalchampionship teams and Nike Tournament of Champions teams as a freshman andsophomore, four-time all-league selection, all-city as a junior and senior, sheplayed on city and league champion teams all four years.
Johnson also was a member of 2002 United States of America BasketballWomen’s Youth Development Festival West Team.
“I just wanted to go to a smaller school, a smaller classroom setting,where I can have more one-on-one with teachers,” Johnson said. “The big factor in the decision was howclose the team was, how they had great chemistry. That’s important if you want to be happy andsuccessful.”
Her move to Southern was because she said she was not totally happy.
“When you’re not happy, you stop giving 100 percent at school andbasketball. I needed to go homeand get it together… . I just needed some time to be away (from the game). Johnson’s last game was in December2003.
The 19-year-old added that during a visit to Southern she liked thecampus atmosphere and it was something she wanted. She has family in Alexandria and Monroe. Johnson has three years of eligibility leftto play — she played a year at Purdue and was red-shirted the next.
Johnson averaged 16.2 points per game, three steals, four assists andthree blocks at Narbonne. She camefrom a basketball family with her brother Amir (6’10”) making the McDonaldsAll-American team.
Evans’ total efforts to the Jaguars roster included: Diedra Jackson (5’8” shooting guard),Amite High, Terrika McLemore (5’6” point guard) Carthage High in Carthage,Texas, DeShundra Antoine (forward), Sterling High in Houston, Sierra Bush (5’11forward), and Ashton Jones (6’2” center) who signed since November is fromMcGill Toolen High.
Johnson is probably the icing on the cake for a recruiting class.
Pugh now in her fifth season playfully suggested that with the influx oftalented players her first call next week might be to Pokey Chatman to get afew pointers. Chatman, the women’s head basketball coach of Louisiana StateUniversity Lady Tigers went to the National Athletic Association CollegiateFinal-Four.
“It’s going too be a good time in the fall at SU,” Pugh said. “Five years in the making, we have tomake sure we’re making the right decisions.”
