Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
4 4 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M hard. We don't have to tell him to prac- tice hard. We don't have to tell him to play hard. Nowadays, that's a gift. He does it at a high level and he's very, very coachable." In three seasons with the Tar Heels, Johnson served a variety of roles. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, with a 24.7 percent shooting rate from three-point range. An integral late-season contributor to North Carolina's NCAA Final Four run in 2022, Johnson put up 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in six games. Those aver- ages included 11 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes of action in the national championship game against Kansas. Returning as a top bench contribu- tor last season, Johnson finished first in points (4.1) and minutes (16.0) among the nonstarters. In the process, he honed a mentality that has since carried over to his time at Penn State. "My biggest strength is just knowing how to win a game and doing what's necessary to win. After that, I'd say shooting," Johnson explained. "Then just being the best teammate there is — keeping my teammates up and uplifting them, and just making sure that at the end of the day, our team has more points than the other team. I feel like that's always been my goal." Johnson's new teammates have taken notice. Guard Ace Baldwin said Johnson "plays hard, the right way." During Penn State's appearance at the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, Johnson finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds against the Bahamas Pirates, and he followed with 15 points and 6 boards against the University of Vic- toria. Going forward, he figures to be an im- portant part of the Nittany Lions' plans this season. "I'm going to ask a lot of him in so many different ways," Rhoades said. "He had a really good start to his sum- mer. I've been really, really excited about him." Zach Hicks | F | Jr. Hicks doesn't hedge when describ- ing his expected role for Penn State this season. Brought in by Rhoades in the spring after two seasons at Temple, the 6-8, 195-pound wing understands his strengths. "It's just about confidence," he said. "The main thing I do is shoot the bas- ketball and make shots. That's what Coach Rhoades brought me here to do, and that's what I've got to perform as." Over 60 games the past two seasons, Hicks has done exactly that. He knocked down 141 of 388 three-point attempts during his tenure with the Owls, good for a 36.3 percent average from deep. He started all 32 games as a sophomore, averaging 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. A Camden (N.J.) Catholic graduate, Hicks spent the summer acclimating to his new environment at PSU. As a shooter, he tried to put in as much work as possible at the Bryce Jordan Center, his new home court. "Me, Ace [Baldwin] and Nick Kern were the first few people up here, just connecting to summer school stuff," he said. "All three of us have been in the gym every single day since we got up here in early May, so I'm used to the courts already." The time has been beneficial for rea- sons that go beyond the refinement of his shot. Hicks said his early arrival helped him establish a strong bond with his new teammates while also giving him an opportunity to adapt to a new defensive approach. Forward Zach Hicks was a sharpshooter in two seasons at Temple, averaging 9.6 points in 32 games during his sopho- more campaign. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL