As valuable as Ben Johnson was while playing for the Maranacook Community High School basketball team, he seldom was considered its hardest worker.
“Ben is young for his grade level, and he always has been,” Maranacook coach Rob Schmidt said. “When he was young he was pretty immature, and I think he would admit that.”
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That’s changed in the short time Johnson has played for the University of Maine at Farmington. The 6-foot-8 sophomore has shed pounds, added muscle and whipped himself into shape.
“This spring and summer he changed his body,” UMF coach Dick Meader said. “That was mostly on himself. He saw the need that it had to be done.”
Johnson’s body wasn’t that bad in high school, where he was a dominating rebounder and inside scorer for the Black Bears. But he admits he was out of shape.
“Coming out of high school I was probably a good 20 pounds overweight,” said Johnson, who weighs 235 pounds. “I used to be 260 at my highest. I definitely have a renewed commitment to basketball and school in general.”
Johnson worked at Camp Cobbossee this summer, teaching basketball. In his free time he worked on his game and hit the weights. As he enters his second season, Meader calls Johnson “arguably our hardest worker.”
He broke into the starting lineup the second half of last season and held his own, averaging 5.3 rebounds and 6.8 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor. With the graduation of Eric Taylor, Johnson will be counted upon to be a force in the paint for the Beavers this season.
“We need him to score points,” Meader said. “Guys have a lot of faith in him. They like throwing the ball into him.”
Johnson has great hands when it comes to catching a pass or grabbing a rebound.
“He caught two or three passes (last year) you wouldn’t expect anyone to catch,” Meader said. “He loves playing down at the basket.”
Johnson’s good hands were evident in football where he excelled at tight end for the Black Bears. For a while he considered a school where he might play both sports but decided not to over-extend himself his freshman year. Meader recruited Johnson, but UMF wasn’t very high on his list at first.
“In the spring he decided to go somewhere else,” Meader said. “He changed his mind in late July.”
Said Johnson: “Coach Meader was probably the biggest reason I wanted to come to Farmington.”
Johnson said he has worked on running the floor better and learning to get the ball in the post, calling himself a one-dimensional player in high school. One area he needs to improve on is free throw shooting. Last season he shot just 52 percent from the line.
“I’ve never really been a great free throw shooter,” he said. “Coach (Jim) Kerschner has really helped me with my form.”
Meader said Johnson is a solid defensive player albeit a little exuberant at times when trying to block shots. Johnson’s personal goals are modest.
“Just moving the ball around and being solid, not doing anything to hurt the team,” he said. “I really want to be pretty solid on the boards.”
Gary Hawkins — 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
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