Third-team All-State guard Travis Johnston signs with Kentucky Wesleyan
Two-time Messenger-Inquirer Third Region Player of the Year joins Panthers
OWENSBORO, Ky. (April 15, 2010) – Travis Johnston, a two-time third-team Courier-Journal All-State guard at Grayson County in Leitchfield, signed a national letter-of-intent with Kentucky Wesleyan College to continue his education and his basketball career with the eight-time NCAA Division II Champions.
Johnston, a 5-foot-11 point guard, averaged 19.0 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game during his senior year where he led the Cougars to their fifth straight 12th district championship with a 17-9 record for head coach Todd Johnston.
“Travis is a very intelligent and competitive basketball player that will be very successful here at Kentucky Wesleyan both on the court and in the classroom,” said KWC head coach Todd Lee. “He has two talents that will translate immediately to the college game, he can shoot it and pass it.”
The five-year starter became the first player in school history to score over 2,000 career points as he finished his six-year career as the Cougars all-time leading scorer with 2,284 career points and all-time playmaker with 647 assists. He scored 199 career three-pointers in 515 attempts for a career 38.6 percentage,
As a senior, the two-time Messenger-Inquirer Third Region Player of the Year award winner shot 46.2 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from three-point territory and 84.2 percent from the free throw line.
Lee added, “Like all freshman, Travis will have to adjust to the quickness and physicality of the collegiate game. With his intelligence and mental toughness, he will be able to make those adjustments.
“He has been a leader his entire career at Grayson County and he will be able to do that also in our program as he progresses.”
His other accolades include 2010 Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Region Player of the Year recipient, four-time All-Third Region honoree, five-time 12th District Player of the Year selection. Johnston received an invitation to try-out for the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star squad this weekend, April 16-17, at Campbellsville.
As a junior, Johnston received second team All-State recognition by the Lexington Herald-Leader in leading Grayson County to a 26-7 record where they won the 12th District and Third Region titles and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen state tournament where he was voted to the All-Tournament Team.
He also was a member of the 2009 Kentucky Junior All-Stars and received honorable mention Courier Journal All-State recognition as a freshman and sophomore
Cougar head coach Todd Johnston said, “Travis is a coach on the floor in terms of his decision-making and his understanding of the game. He simply makes great decisions with the basketball. Travis thinks we’re supposed to win every game, and that kind of mind-set can take your team a long way.”
Johnston is the son of Kevin and Tammy Johnston of Leitchfield and has five brothers and one sister. He is undecided on his academic major.
