May 26, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. - Jamal Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 178-pound guard from Birmingham, Ala. and Memphis, has signed a financial aid agreement to attend Auburn University.
Johnson will have three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting the 2018-19 season.
"We're really excited about Jamal coming in," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "I watched him a lot in high school. He's got a great family and he's a hard worker. [Former Memphis head coach] Tubby Smith had amazing things to say about what kind of kid he is, how he trains and what kind of teammate he is. He played 27 minutes (per game) in the American Conference at Memphis. He got a lot of experience as freshman. We're excited to have him come to Auburn, Alabama."
Johnson appeared in 34 games in his first season with the Tigers and earned 27 starts. He was the team's fifth-leading scorer at 6.9 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds per contest.
"I'm very excited to start this new journey with Auburn," Johnson said. "I get the chance to play and learn from one of the greatest coaches in Coach Pearl so I can develop on and off the court."
Johnson buried 47 3-pointers during the 2017-18 campaign, good for second on the team. He shot 33.3 percent from the behind the arc and 70 percent from the charity stripe.
The Birmingham, Ala. native was also active on the defensive end as he totaled 22 steals and 16 blocks.
Johnson reached double figures 11 times a season ago, including his first career game against Alabama. Memphis was 9-2 when he scored 10 or more points from the floor.
After playing off the bench in his opening seven games, Johnson earned the first start of his career against Bryant. In that game, he racked up 18 points on six makes from downtown to go along with four rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes.
Johnson matched his season-high of 18 points in road tilts at UConn and USF during American Athletic Conference play.
As a prep, Johnson was a First Team All-State selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association during his senior season when he averaged 24.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He was a Second Team All-State choice after his junior campaign when he averaged 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.
Johnson was also named an Alabama Boys Basketball North All-Star to go along with All-Area and All-Metro Team recognition.