Kent State Basketball: Golden Flashes add Rhode Island transfer DJ Johnson

Kent State Basketball has announced the addition of DJ Johnson on Friday afternoon. Johnson will have two years of eligibility left.

The 6-foot-7 forward comes from the University of Rhode Island. He spent two seasons with the Rams. Last season, he averaged 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Johnson was also one of Coach David Cox’s sharpest shooters. He shot 43.4 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from the three-point range. He had four games in double figures last season.

He appeared in all 25 games for the Rams this last season after redshirting the previous season. Johnson scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range at Western Kentucky. It was one of four double-digit scoring outputs for the team all coming off the bench.

The native of Brooklyn N.Y. played at Williston State College prior to URI. Johnson averaged 13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in his lone season in North Dakota.

Johnson joins an impressive incoming signing class for the Kent State Golden Flashes which consists of Julius Rollins, Jalen Sullinger, and Cli’Ron Hornbeak.

The Golden Flashes had a great season in the Mid-American Conference. They finished tied for third in the standings with a 15-8 overall record.

The addition of Johnson provides Kent State with a sharp-shooting big man who can hit clutch shots in key situations.

“We are very excited to add a player with DJ’s experience and skill level to our program,” said head coach Rob Senderoff.

He took over the Kent State men’s basketball program in April 2011. Coach Senderoff has led the Golden Flashes to a 196-129 overall record. He has a MAC regular-season championship, MAC tournament championship, and an NCAA tournament appearance under his belt.

Coach Senderoff and his staff can be happy about the addition of Johnson and the rest of the 2021-22 signing class as they look to contend next season in the MAC.