Bell City's Johnson makes commitment to Three Rivers

Dominitrix Johnson is coming to Three Rivers.

Those words are music to the ears of the Raiders coaching staff, which had made Johnson their No. 1 recruit this offseason.

Bell City boys basketball coach David Heeb confirmed Wednesday morning that Johnson, a 6-foot, 180-pound left-handed point guard, has given a verbal commitment to play for the Raiders next season. Johnson made the announcement to a crowd of fans and students Sunday night at Bell City High School, as the Cubs

celebrated their second state title in three years.

"All along he wanted to go somewhere that he really felt wanted," Heeb said. "Coach Bess and his staff certainly made it known early that they wanted Dom."

Johnson averaged 29.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season. He topped 40 points seven times, the last coming in Saturday's 74-62 victory over St. Elizabeth in the Class 1 state championship game.

Johnson drew interest from many Missouri Valley Conference and Ohio Valley Conference schools as well as nearly every area junior college.

"I think this is the best thing for him," Heeb said. "He's got big-time ability and some of the Division I schools that were looking at him -- not that those weren't good schools, but I think in Dom's mind he feels like he can go a little higher than that.

"He's certainly going to learn from one of the best coaches in the country and he can't do anything but improve playing for Coach Bess."

At Three Rivers, Johnson will be reunited with former teammate C.J. Hadley. The two teamed up on Bell City's 2002 Class 1 state title team.

"That was also a big factor," Heeb said. "They're very good friends, but more than anything Dominitrix knows about C.J.'s work ethic and he's comfortable knowing that if he goes over there, he'll be playing with somebody that wants to win as badly as he does. I think that makes the transition easier."