FOR many players that enter the college basketball system, the first season is a dramatic change of pace and things can be tough.

However, that was not the case for Will Johnston, who had no troubles adjusting to life as a member of the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros. There has been less attention on his side’s campaign during the 2022/23 season, but Johnston was still an eye-catching performer for the Vaqueros.

Johnston was made a starter for the team in his first season suiting up at UT Rio Grande Valley, and slotted into the lineup in seamless fashion. He was able to showcase the strengths of his game in fine fashion, and became a crucial cog in the team’s rotation.

Although he scored a combined seven points across his first two games (albeit in limited minutes in the second), Johnston showed what he was truly capable of shortly after, posting double-digits in the scoring column in the 12 games that followed.

He seriously put himself on the radar with 29 points against the Islanders on 7/10 shooting, before backing it up a couple of games later with 28 in the win over the Huskies. It became evident the Vaqueros had a serious scorer on their hands, and he had cemented his place in the rotation.

Although he suffered a bit of a form slump at the start of February and found it tough to surpass 10 points thanks to some added defensive attention, he bounced back in a big way to close out the month. Johnston posted a season-high 36 points in the overtime win against the Texans, a total that was boosted by seven three-pointers and some terrific confidence with ball in hand.

The guard may be undersized against some opponents, but he has a natural ability to score the rock, and did it on some solid efficiency as well.

From the field, Johnston nailed 43 per cent of his attempts, and 44 per cent of his shots from three-point territory, making him a constant threat. The Sydney native showed an ability to score across all three levels, which added another dimension to his game, and life much more difficult for the defenders.

He was also a capable passer at times, highlighted by a pair of double-digit assist games from his 31 appearances. Johnston has the foundation of an all-around threat on the offensive end, and should continue to develop into that mould in the coming years.

It was an excellent breakout season for Johnston, who played to his strengths as a scorer and solidified his place in the team’s starting lineup with an innate ability to find the bottom of the net.