JONESBORO, Ark. (6/7/12) - Arkansas State
head men's basketball coach John Brady announced the addition of Texas-San
Antonio transfer Melvin Johnson III, who was a third-team All-Southland
Conference selection this past season.
Johnson a 6-5 guard from Dallas, who will
have one-year of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2012-13 season, was
second on the Roadrunners team this past year averaging 13.0 points and 3.4
rebounds per game. He also shot 46% from the floor and 43% from three-point
range in 21 starts for UTSA. Johnson will leave the Roadrunners just three
three-pointers shy of the career record at Texas-San Antonio (194).
He led the Southland Conference in
three-pointers per game this past season averaging 2.2 per contest and scored
20 or more points a team-high seven times.
"Melvin
is going to sit a year and play one year for us," said Brady. "He's very long
and very athletic, a really rangy player and he really can score. He's a really
good perimeter shooter. He'll give us something really nice from the outside."
Johnson
scored a career-high 29 points against Alabama State during the NCAA Tournament
in 2011 and had big games against Troy (25) and Houston (24) this past season.
The
third-team All-Southland honor was the third for Johnson during his career, who
had been named Freshman of the Year in 2009-10 and was an honorable mention
All-Southland selection as a sophomore in 2010-11 when he averaged a
career-high 14.9 points per game for the Roadrunners.
Prior
to UTSA, Johnson played at Humble Christian Life Center Academy where he was
coached by current ASU assistant coach Corey Barker and averaged 23 points and
4.5 rebounds leading the squad to the 2009 NACA Boys Elite Division I National
Basketball Championship. He was also a McDonalds All-American nominee and was a
first team All-District selection.