What to expect from Johnnie Vassar

Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Position: G
Year: Freshman
Star rating: 3 
247 Profile

Who is he?

I tried to figure out the answer to this question a couple of weeks ago, because nobody — not even Chris Collins — seems to know. What we do know is that he's athletic and a dunk champion with a "RIDICULOUS" highlight video.

He's also been all over the place. He's from Chicago, but began his high school career at Lawrence Academy in Massachusetts. He left there because he was homesick, and transferred to La Lumiere in Indiana, where his mom pulled him out of after a year. Then he transferred to Milton High School in Georgia, where he left after a month because his coach resigned. Finally, he ended up playing his final two years of high school at J Serra in California. It's been quite the ride.

So who is he as a basketball player? Well, he's fast, athletic and a good defender, but that's about all we know right now. It should be fun to watch him develop as the season goes on.

What are his expectations heading into this year?

It's important to not have too high of expectations for Vassar entering his first season. From all accounts we've heard, his offensive game is still very raw, so it's tough to see him being a major part of the rotation, especially with so many good guards already on the team. However, that doesn't mean he won't have a chance to contribute.

Collins clearly places a premium on defense, and that's Vassar's best asset right now. Particularly, he's a very good on-ball defender, and Collins wants to be able to play more man, so that means Vassar has the potential to come in and be a catalyst when the Wildcats are trying to grind out some games.

Vassar's offensive role can come from his defense. If he can create turnovers and use his quickness to beat everyone in transition, he'll see the court more and more. And if he's better at that than anyone, else, he'll play a very important role from the beginning.