Johnson plays his way into 'Hawks lineup

~ Early setbacks haven't slowed the junior college transfer.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- It's not that David Johnson was especially fired up simply to receive his first start in a Southeast Missouri State uniform.

Johnson was more excited that he was finally able to get on the court again.

"I had only played in one game," Johnson said. "I was just happy I could play again."

Johnson's strong performance helped spark Thursday night's 75-68 win at South Dakota State, and the junior college transfer will be in the starting lineup for the second straight time today when the Redhawks (2-1) finish their two-game road trip at 2 p.m. against Nebraska (3-0).

"David had been practicing well lately, and we felt like he deserved a chance to start," said Southeast coach Gary Garner of the decision to have Johnson on the floor when Thursday's game began.

Garner's confidence in Johnson, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward, was rewarded. The St. Louis native had team highs of 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals while playing 32 minutes.

"He really played well," Garner said. "He hasn't practiced that much, but it was good to have him back out there. He's a real active player."

Johnson, who came to Southeast from Meramec Community College in St. Louis, had missed a considerable amount of preseason practice and both exhibition games because of a badly sprained right thumb.

He helped bail out Southeast off the bench during their season opener, scoring 11 points and hitting three of five 3-pointers in a closer-than-expected 59-56 win over Division II Truman State.

A missing ingredient

But Johnson missed the Redhawks' second game, Monday's surprising 65-64 home loss to IPFW, after receiving a blow to the head during the previous day's practice.

"Not to make excuses, because we still should have won, but if we have David, we probably do win that game," Garner said.

Said Johnson, "It was disappointing, after the finger, then to not get to play the other night. It was just nice to be out there again."

He was told of his first starting assignment the day before Thursday's game.

"I was excited, but I was just looking for an opportunity," he said.

Johnson, one of Southeast's most athletic players, is averaging 13.5 points in two games, second-best on the team behind senior guard Roy Booker (18 ppg).

While 3-point shooting is not considered his top attribute, he has made six of 11 from beyond the arc so far.

"I can shoot the 3, but I don't want to fall in love with it too much," Johnson said, smiling.

Having posted their first road win of the season, the Redhawks will now look for an upset of the Big 12 Conference's Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers went 14-14 last year, including 7-9 in league play. They're not expected to be among the Big 12's top contenders this season, but they are undefeated through three games, although they have not exactly faced a rugged schedule to date.

Nebraska's wins, all at home, have come against Longwood (80-65), Yale (73-64) and Louisiana Tech (59-56).

"They'll be big and strong, with some good athletes," Garner said. "Their strength and size inside really concerns me."

Joe McCray, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound sophomore guard, led the Cornhuskers in scoring last year as a freshman, averaging 15.5 points per game. He's at 11.3 points a contest so far this season.

Aleks Maric, a 6-11, 265-pound sophomore center, is averaging 12.7 points and 10.7 rebounds. He is tied for the team scoring lead with 6-6 senior forward Jason Dourisseau, who is also putting in 12.7 points per game.

"It's a big challenge for us, to play a team from the Big 12 Conference," Johnson said. "But we're getting better, and we're looking forward to the game."