Since late in his junior year, 6-foot-7
Johnny McCants has resembled a speeding meteor on the basketball court. The versatile
Onate (Las Cruces) wingman has risen from being a valuable substitute to becoming, arguably, the No. 1 player in New Mexico as a senior.
Onate coach Saul Perez told MaxPreps, "He can play every position. He runs, shoots the 3-ball very well and is the high school definition of Kevin Durant. (College recruiters) love his length and his ability to handle and shoot the ball. He is a great leaper and a great defensive player. He has amazing timing and often pins the ball off the glass and comes down with it. He's fast and it seems like he takes only three or four strides to get down the floor."
No so surprising, McCants lists Kevin Durant as his favorite player.
At this time last year, however, McCants was just the second player off the bench, but in the 20th game, Perez noted, "He became our go-to guy. It all goes back to him being such a tough cover for other teams. He can play inside and outside. He just started playing at a different level - like it happened overnight."
He finished his junior year averaging 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
Johnny McCants, Onate
Photo courtesy of Saul Perez
McCants believes "(Growth) made a lot of difference (he was 6-3 as a sophomore and 6-5 as a junior), since I have an advantage over most of the teams. It's made me more confident. (But) it's too early in the year right now to say that I am the best player in the state."
After sparking the Knights to a superb 32-1 summer record, McCants has continued to soar as a senior. He amassed 32 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots against Eldorado (Albuquerque). During a tourney upset of top-ranked Carlsbad, he had 23 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks, once making three straight 3-point baskets. Though the Knights lost a close title game, he still was named MVP.
McCants had 14 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks during a 49-38 victory over highly regarded Hope Christian (Albuquerque). Losing coach Jim Murphy related, "McCants did a great job of either blocking our shots or altering them. I thought that was the difference in the game, as we missed countless lay-ups and put backs. He is a well-rounded player with great potential."
Besides growing into his body physically, McCants had to learn how to control his attitude as a youngster. Despite having a mother, father, older brother and sister who played basketball, McCants was far from a natural. He started at age 5 but had immediate problems learning how to play defense and even how to dribble.
He admitted that one of his biggest problems was "being coachable. I used to be very energetic. I used to foul a lot. I was happy just to play, but I was just hard-headed. I didn't listen well. I was immature."
It wasn't until fourth grade that a coach taught him to begin controlling his emotions. He was able to play in grade school until entering Onate as a freshman, where he made the freshman team. He played JV as a sophomore and made the varsity squad as a junior reserve until his added height and growing confidence finally vaulted him into the starting lineup.
Playing AAU basketball with the D-I Nation Ambassadors, based in El Paso, Texas, also had helped McCants grow into the player he has become.
AAU coach Manny Hernandez has witnessed tremendous growth in the young star. He explained, "The first time he came out he was timid and would hardly dunk the basketball. One of our goals was to get that aggressiveness out of him. At the end of the summer it was like a total 180 (degree turnaround)."
Now Hernandez says, "He is an awesome player. He is very unselfish and accepts responsibility. He puts the team on his back sometimes and carries us. He has a good attitude and is very coachable. We used him all over the floor - sometimes at point guard. He's very versatile and a very good shooter. He was our leading scorer, rebounder, shot-blocker and near the top when it came to assists."
Perez praises his young star for being more than a great basketball player.
He says, "We see him play like a beast - a strong competitor - but off the floor he is such a nice guy. Everybody loves him. He's not only a special basketball player, but a special kid with a heart."
McCants wants to study education in college, starting at the elementary school level "and working my way up." He would like to coach basketball. He is a "B" student, but colleges are waiting on his SAT test scores.
Hernandez likes McCants' chances to be a good coach.
He recalled, "Our camp is up to sixth grade kids with some just 5 or 6 years old. He was like a big teddy bear, carrying kids around. He's great with little kids - little kids love him."
Before he graduates, McCants revealed that he may play baseball - a sport he gave up in eighth grade - this spring. He's a right-handed pitcher and now has the height to give hitters a lot of problems. He also played football until breaking his collarbone in middle school.
Hernandez had the last word on McCants' future.
He predicted, "At the end of this spring he probably can pick wherever he wants (to attend college). As good as he is now, he doesn't know his true potential."
