You could say he has Redbird blood in his veins along with a strong connection to the Bloomington-Normal area.
Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound wing from Batavia High School, announced he will attend ISU in the fall as a preferred walk-on with the Redbirds. Johnson, a four-year starter at Batavia, averaged 19.5 points and 6.1 rebounds as a senior while shooting 38% from 3-point range.
Terry Smith, who is Johnson's grandfather, was an assistant coach under Bob Donewald when ISU made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 1983-85. Johnson's father, Barry Johnson, was a standout at University High School who later played for Eastern Illinois and helped the Panthers advance to the NCAA tourney.