NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Pennsylvania of last decade

5. Cameron Johnson – Pittsburgh / North Carolina

We’re moving forward to another player who stayed in his home state of Pennsylvania, but Johnson didn’t quite spend his whole career there. A 6’9 guard from Moon Township, Johnson made his way to Pittsburgh, redshirting after an injury and spending three years with the Panthers, initially under coach Jamie Dixon. His final two seasons were more productive after a transfer to North Carolina.

He saw little time in his first two seasons, with a knee injury limiting him for that first season. As a redshirt sophomore, he averaged 11.9 points as a full-time starter under new coach Kevin Stallings but decided to move on, transferring in-conference to North Carolina. Johnson played an important role for the Tar Heels over his final two collegiate seasons. As a redshirt senior, he averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds a game, helping lead the Tar Heels to an ACC regular season title and Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Johnson averaged nearly 46% from long range in that final season and was named All-ACC First Team, playing a vital role for North Carolina’s success. He was an impressive offensive player and really thrived under Roy Williams. A few months later, he was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft and has spent the last three years playing a growing role for the Phoenix Suns.