User:Editorofthewiki/Marquis Johnson (basketball)

Marquis Johnson (born January 20, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA).

Early life
Johnson was brought up in The Bronx in New York City, where he often played pick-up basketball games at a nearby court, spending hours each day in the summer. However, he did not play at the high school level because he eventually moved to Orange County, New York to live with his father Roger. Johnson moved to the Pine Bush Central School District in 2015.

High school career
Johnson was a two-year starter for Pine Bush High School in Pine Bush, New York, where played organized basketball for the first time. As a sophomore, he scored 23 points in a December 12, 2015 win over Kingston High School, 86–80. He had several games in the season in which he scored at least 10 points. After helping Pine Bush reach the Section 9 Class AA semifinals, averaging about 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, Johnson earned section honorable mention honors.

On January 9, 2017, in his junior season, he chipped in 19 points in a 92–32 rout of Marlboro High School. He posted 17 points in a February 7 victory over Our Lady of Lourdes High School, 65–45. By the end of the season, Johnson guided Pine Bush to a perfect 18–0 season and its first Section 9 title since 2000, averaging 17 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He earned Varsity845 Player of the Year and First-Team accolades from the Times Herald-Record.

Before his senior season, Johnson had already exhausted his high school athletic eligibility. After losing his appeal to Section 9 to earn another year, he transferred to Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina. In February 2018, Johnson was named by Phenom Hoops as one of the top 100 players in North Carolina. He averaged 14 points per game but failed to receive significant interest from NCAA Division I programs, with his best offer coming from FIU.

Professional career
Instead of going to college, Johnson was chosen to join the Philadelphia Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), being one of the team's eight players chosen at the tryouts on April 29, 2018. Shortly after signing with the team, he said, "I don't think it's going to be a risk. I actually think it's a good idea if you don't have good offers." In his professional debut on June 24, Johnson recorded a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds in a close 123–118 loss to the Atlanta Ballers. During Philadelphia's only win in their inaugural season on July 5, Johnson recorded 14 points, a team-high 13 rebounds, and a game-high 6 assists in a 125–120 win over the Seattle Ballers. In a high-scoring, 171–140 loss against the Los Angeles Ballers on July 11, Johnson flirted with a triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. After the end of the regular season, Johnson was named Philadelphia's contest for the JBA's inaugural Three-Point Contest.