Garfield Heights junior Marcus Johnson named Ohio Mr. Basketball

Junior Marcus Johnson of Garfield Heights High School was named 2025 Ohio Mr. Basketball on Thursday by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association.

Marcus Johnson gives his family the first father-son Mr. Basketball combination in Ohio history. His father, Sonny, now the head coach at Garfield Heights, won the award as a player at Garfield Heights in 1998.

Johnson was presented with the award this weekend at the University of Dayton Arena during the OHSAA state boys basketball championships, a stage his team nearly reached before a 49-48 loss Sunday to Louisville in the Division III state semifinals. Johnson, a finalist last season as a sophomore, has been an All-Ohio first-team selection since his freshman year.

Johnson won this season’s award with 110 points from the statewide panel. Delphos St. John’s junior Cam Elwer was the runner-up with 48 points and Olentangy Orange senior Devin Brown, whose team played Saturday night for the Division I state championship, placed third in the voting with 43 points. Other finalists included Steubenville senior Aiden Davis, Brunswick junior Trey Drexler and Kettering Archbishop Alter senior RJ Greer.

Now in its 38th year, the prestigious Mr. Basketball award was first given by the Associated Press in 1988. It has been voted on by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association since 2017.

Welcome to the family – Marcus Johnson joins father as Mr. Basketball
By Matt Goul, Cleveland.com, (Plain Dealer)

Marcus Johnson knew at a young age that expectations would be high for him.

His father won Mr. Basketball in 1998 at Garfield Heights and went on to a college career at Ohio University and Cleveland State. His older brother and cousin also earned Division I college scholarships, while he played up a grade level or two on the AAU circuits.

Johnson developed a consistent shooting touch with his left hand and an ambidextrous style to use his right when necessary. His family and many others around Garfield Heights anticipated his high school arrival, which began with an All-Ohio caliber performance as a ninth grader. Johnson repeated on the All-Ohio first team as a sophomore and now is the state’s Mr. Basketball, following the OHSAA’s announcement Thursday after a vote by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association.

“It’s a blessing,” Johnson said. “To be the first one with my dad, I put in a lot of work. I just got to keep working hard.”

Unlike his father and coach, Sonny Johnson, Marcus receives Ohio’s top individual award for a high school boys basketball player as a junior.

He earned it after being selected as a finalist last season among a senior-laden cast that included Ohio State recruit and winner Collin White and Lutheran East’s Jesse McCulloch, who finished as the runner-up. Johnson again received the Northeast Lakes District nod this year before a statewide vote. Delphos St. John’s Cam Elwer finished as the runner-up from the Northwest District, while Olentangy Orange’s Devin Brown placed third from the Central District.

The Greater Cleveland area in Cuyahoga County has not produced a Mr. Basketball winner since 2000, when Cleveland South’s Chet Mason shared the award with Medina’s Tony Stockman. To be placed in that group, Sonny Johnson told his son, “Welcome to the family.”

“That’s a prestigious family,” the elder Johnson said. “To be a part of a lot of great players, to be the best player in your entire state and be recognized, there is not a bigger accomplishment that you can have individually.”

As a 6-foot-2 guard, Marcus Johnson averaged 29.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game with 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals. Garfield Heights (24-3) made it back to the regional finals and broke through to the Division III state semifinals, where the Bulldogs went down to the wire with Louisville before a 49-48 loss Sunday at the Canton Memorial Field House. Johnson scored 25 points through the first three quarters, but he missed part of the fourth quarter after a hard fall in front of the scorer’s table while trying to corral a loose ball.

Johnson returned to finish the game, which prompted Louisville coach Tom Siegfried to approach Sonny Johnson after the sold-out crowd departed the Field House.

“Best player I ever coached against,” Siegfried told him. “We had no answer for him. Just keep grinding. He has bigger stuff than what’s going on right here.”

Johnson garnered national attention by making the ESPN Top 60 for the Class of 2026. As of state championship weekend, he is ranked 21st in the country. Perhaps he and longtime friend T.J. Crumble of Lutheran East were destined for it, as both are rated four stars by most recruiting services and played together on a fifth-grade AAU team that won national tournaments in Orlando and Las Vegas.

It's one of Johnson’s first and best basketball memories.

More came this season with the Bulldogs winning their third straight Lake Erie League title. Johnson broke his dad’s single-game scoring record at Garfield Heights with 55 points in a win against Maple Heights. Soon, they sought to exceed the Division I regional final runs of the previous two seasons. With the OHSAA’s new seven-division format, Garfield Heights found itself in a new division with more schools of similar size.

So did Louisville, which had been contending at the same levels.

Mr. Basketball took Sunday’s setback in stride.

“A lot of people didn’t think we would make it even as far as the Final Four,” he said. “I feel like we proved a lot of people wrong. I learned the game even more.”

Even with four starters graduated from last year’s regional final team in Division I, Johnson looked to set up his teammates before taking his shot. It’s something that stuck with opposing coaches, including Archbishop Hoban’s T.K. Griffith after the Bulldogs ended their state-title defense in 2024 and stopped them again this season in the regional finals.

Johnson scored 26 points with five rebounds, four assists and five steals in a 58-45 win earlier this month.

“He has an uncanny ability to create his own shot, but also be patient,” Griffith said. “Not a lot of high school players, who are good, have a nice tempo to their game. Even though he does shoot a lot, I don’t feel they’re forced.”

That approach has led Garfield Heights to a 72-9 record in Johnson’s three years as its leading scorer. His father admits he is already better than he ever was.

“He went a lot further than I ever did,” Sonny Johnson said. “His record is beyond crazy. Two Elite Eights and one state Final Four. His résumé for us is exceptional.”

Like Marcus, Sonny played for his father at Garfield Heights. They lost William Johnson, a longtime pastor, two years ago after a battle with cancer.

Pastor Johnson never missed his son’s games. He didn’t get to see what his grandson has become, but his spirit remains with them as they head to Dayton this weekend to celebrate another Mr. Basketball in the family. Marcus’ mother, Sianez, and older siblings Sonny Jr., Serena and Mia also will be in attendance to share the moment.

“I’m excited for it,” Marcus Johnson said. “Obviously, I want to go down there to play in the championship, but God always makes another way.”

That other way could be redemption next season, one more run with his father, or it could be graduating early to begin his college basketball career at Ohio State. Johnson, whose grade-point average exceeds 3.0, and his father said they are considering having Marcus take summer classes and reach his requirements to do that.

They plan to make a decision later this spring.

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Ohio Mr. Basketball Winners
2025 – Marcus Johnson, Garfield Heights
2024 – Colin White, Ottawa-Glandorf
2023 – Devin Royal, Pickerington Central
2022 – Gabe Cupps, Centerville
2021 – Malaki Branham, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2020 – VonCameron Davis, Columbus Walnut Ridge
2019 – Samari Curtis, Xenia
2018 - Dane Goodwin, Upper Arlington
2017 - Kaleb Wesson, Westerville South
2016 - Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior
2015 - Luke Kennard, Franklin High School
2014 - Luke Kennard, Franklin High School
2013 - Marc Loving, Toledo St. John's Jesuit
2012 - Justin Fritts, Mentor
2011 - Trey Burke, Columbus Northland
2010 - Jared Sullinger, Columbus Northland
2009 - Jared Sullinger, Columbus Northland
2008 - William Buford, Toledo Libbey
2007 - Jon Diebler, Upper Sandusky
2006 - O.J. Mayo, North College Hill
2005 - O.J. Mayo, North College Hill
2004 - Jamar Butler, Lima Shawnee
2003 - LeBron James, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2002 - LeBron James, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2001 - LeBron James, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2000 - (tie) Tony Stockman, Medina; Chester Mason, Cleveland South
1999 - Emmanuel Smith, Euclid
1998 - William "Sonny" Johnson, Garfield Heights
1997 - Kenny Gregory, Independence
1996 - Jason Collier, Springfield Catholic
1995 - Damon Stringer, Cleveland Heights
1994 - Aaron Hutchins, Lima Central Catholic
1993 - Geno Ford, Cambridge
1992 - Greg Simpson, Lima Senior
1991 - Greg Simpson, Lima Senior
1990 - Bob Patton Jr., Youngstown Liberty
1989 - Jimmy Jackson, Toledo Macomber
1988 - Jimmy Jackson, Toledo Macomber.

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