Long before he was facilitating the CSU offense in front of the beloved Buc Dome faithful, a young RJ Johnson was eagerly waiting for his 5:00 AM "workout with dad before school" alarm clock to ring.

Out of every conversation held for the writing of this article, a common denominator in metaphorical bold text arose, and no one iterated that denominator better than one of Johnson's closest Buccaneer teammates, DJ Patrick.

"(RJ) is easily the most disciplined teammate I have ever had. His daily workouts, stretching, diet and other details of his routine are the things that give him an edge over the competition we face."

This habitual and regimented routine is a process Johnson has followed for a while, but also a foundation that has evolved through his career. Before arriving in the Lowcountry, Johnson was a member of the Holy Cross Crusader basketball program in Worcester, Massachusetts (roughly 50 miles from Boston, MA). A formula of injury struggles, distance from home, and culture difference resulted in an opportunity for Johnson to learn a lot about the isolated version of himself. This opportunity also built what Johnson values most about his time in the Bay State, an unbreakable bond with his teammates. A bond so strong, four former members of the Holy Cross program, including Johnson, still share and interact in a group chat to stay connected.

Entering the transfer portal in 2022, Johnson got connected with two former Buccaneer staff members. When he came down for his visit during that period, Johnson met a guy who he now claims he "has no choice but to respect", now Head Coach Saah Nimley. This initial meeting in the summer of 2022 would serve as the birth of one of the Big South Conference's most historic former coach and current player duos of all-time. Nimley, a former Big South Player of the Year ('15) at the CSU point guard spot, was asked to describe Johnson's impact on the Buccaneer men's basketball program in a single word, and the answer he uttered could very well be flipped to describe his own influence.

"Monumental."

In year one of wearing the blue and gold, Johnson played alongside two ultra-confident scorers, Claudell Harris Jr. and Tahlik Chavez. The Harris Jr. and Chavez duo combined for 865 points in Johnson's first year (2022-23). During that time, Coach Nimley described the difference in Johnson's role recognizing that CSU had "such a different team". While he reflected on his first year as a Buc, Johnson made sure his gratitude, not only for his role on the court but also the lessons he learned off it, was expressed.

"(Chavez and Harris Jr.) made life on the court a lot easier… my main focus was to facilitate to these high-volume scorers. Tahlik (Chavez) was so easy to play with because he is constantly moving, and when a guy with that level of confidence is always on the move, it increases my chances of finding him in the right spot."

This confidence Johnson mentioned is what he claims he learned most from his former teammates.

"Their (Chavez and Harris Jr.) confidence was infectious. You could not rattle their confidence to score the ball, and that is what separated them from the competition."

While DJ Patrick mentioned Johnson's discipline as the way he separates himself from the competition, two other returners on this year's Buccaneer roster also had high-praising comments to add about their floor general teammate. A'lahn Sumler, Johnson's roommate and fellow guard for CSU, cited the small details of Johnson's character as the most "significant".

"(RJ) has helped me with my consistency and discipline both on and off the court. Whether it's what I eat or drink or understanding important things like stretching and injury prevention, that is my dawg and the memories he and I have are unforgettable."

One of the memories Sumler was alluding to was specifically brought up by Johnson.

"When A'lahn first got here (Summer 2023), he and I went to the gym every single day. When you spend that amount of time working out and being around somebody, while also being their roommate, you have no choice but to build a strong relationship."

When the talk of a duo arises, the player that many CSU fans associate with Johnson is Buccaneer senior forward, Taje' Kelly. Kelly made zero hesitation when asked what level of relationship he and his fellow upperclassman point guard have.

"As soon as RJ stepped foot on campus, he was a brother to me. We have grown on and off the court in numerous and countless ways."

Johnson described his journey as a teammate to Kelly in some detail, including how the level of ease they seem to play together with now was not always the case.

"(Taje') is such an unorthodox style of player, so when we first started playing together, it was not as easy as it is now. I tribute a huge reason for our on-court growth to how much we have grown together outside of basketball… our off-the-court bond definitely affected our on-court connection."

A huge connecting factor between Johnson, Kelly, Patrick, and Sumler is all four of them deciding to return to play for the Buccaneers this season. As the four leading scorers on the 2023-2024 roster, the news of the full group's return delighted Buc Nation. When asked what went into the decision for the group to return, Johnson commented that the decision was easier than many spectators and speculators may have imagined.

""The decision for all of us to come back was not as complicated as some people may think it was. (Taje') texted us in a group chat after last season ended simply asking, "What we doing?"... We knew we wanted to win a Big South championship and we had all the pieces to do that. So the decision to come back was honestly very easy.""

The group also knew how much they trusted Coach Nimley, and wanting to win a championship not only for themselves, but for him was also a cherry on top regarding the decision to continue their Buccaneer journeys. On paper, the relationship of Coach Nimley and Johnson stands out. When asked about what the experience has been like to play under a former CSU great like his head coach, Johnson cited many lessons.

"He has helped shift my perspective mainly around how he sees the game. It is hard to describe, but it all revolves around having the competitive edge… it truly is about understanding that it is do or die out there. Getting to pick his brain about an endless list of details has been essential for my development… from asking what decision he would make on a specific action to wondering about every step he took to prepare for a game, there is not a better blueprint to have as a resource."

Regarding his leadership style, Johnson was asked if there are certain principles he wants to constantly enforce or if every day is approached differently.

"I would say it is a day to day thing. Each day calls for a different lesson and version of me. The biggest example is probably how I carry myself… how I do that is something I want to be seen and taken seriously."

Johnson's leadership is something Coach Nimley not only has witnessed the growth of, but something he relies on with a roster full of new faces, ten to be exact.

"I have seen his game grow the most when it comes to his on court leadership… getting guys to understand how it is that we do things here and being an extension of our staff on the floor."

Of the ten new faces on this year's squad, two have probably been influenced by Johnson the most, the true freshman guard duo of Anthony Gause and Keenan Wilkins. On Saturday (Feb. 8) Johnson was unavailable to play due to an injury, stepping into the vacant spot in the starting lineup was one of the freshmen-duo members, Keenan Wilkins. Not only did Wilkins step into the lineup, he hit multiple big shots helping the Bucs sweep Gardner-Webb for the first time in school history, earning himself Coach Nimley's player of the game award. Johnson mentioned that recent performance when asked how he would describe the experience of getting to mentor and aid in the development of Wilkins and Gause.

"Our coaches trust me as a leader… (Gause and Wilkins) are very different, but a consistent thing I do with both of them is hold them accountable. A lot of ways I try to help them revolve around off the court habits since they are both true, real freshmen… and when you see how (Wilkins) performed in a game like last Saturday, it makes the leadership role even more enjoyable."

Wilkins did not make light of how much he respects his veteran teammate when asked how instrumental Johnson has been in his development both in and out of the gym.

"I look up to RJ on and off the court. On court, he has always been the type of teammate to encourage you regardless of how you are performing in the moment. For example, if I'm missing shots, he is going to be the one to tell me to keep shooting and that they will eventually fall… Off the court, he is like a big brother. He always checks in to make sure I'm good with everything. His on court leadership is amazing, and off the court he may be even better."

With Coach Nimley viewing Johnson as an extension of his staff, he was asked what he thinks about Johnson's role in the development of the two freshman guards.

"(Johnson) is essentially showing (Gause and Wilkins) the blueprint on what it takes to be successful not only here, but on any level. He goes about everything the right way… He gets in the work, he takes the weight room seriously, and he takes great care of his mind and body. Having someone you can talk to about things you are going through at the younger part of your career is huge. Having (Johnson) as the person in that example role is great for those two guys."

Before even mentioning statistics to him, it was assumed that Johnson's mentality before each contest was the same, and his response to the prompt confirmed the assumption that zero focus is put into individual success.

"Before I say anything about stats, and how they don't matter to me, the objective is to win. My mentality is first to establish our presence on the defensive end. With DJ (Patrick) being out, I have placed an even larger emphasis on being the tone setter for our team defensively. We have so many new pieces, I always am looking to playmake first, and looking for my teammates allows me to find myself in situations that make scoring easier."

This playmake-first mentality is easily provable as Johnson currently leads the Big South conference in Assists Per Game (4.56). Outside of just the assist column, and even though they are not important according to the Bucs' second-leading scorer this season, a few stats must still be mentioned. Johnson currently has 965 points in a Buccaneer uniform, 278 assists, 93 made three-pointers, 65 steals, and has converted 284 of his 339 free-throw attempts (83.8% and currently the best percentage in program history).

Although there are a ton of dynamic layers to break down regarding Johnson's basketball abilities, outside of the Buc Dome, he is just as versatile. One of his more serious lifestyle choices involves something many of his teammates and coaches mentioned while being questioned for this article, his diet. During his first year as a Buccaneer, Johnson wanted to become more lean and do what he could eating-wise to give himself the best chance at a healthier basketball career. This lifestyle change resulted in Johnson becoming a pescatarian, a vegetarian who also consumes fish and seafood. Following the dietary adjustment, Johnson noticed his weight feeling and performing much better, and has not wavered from the diet since.

When he's not practicing his free throws or cheffing up one of his many pescatarian meals, Johnson may be recording his newest song. A hobby inspired by his dad's musical talent, Johnson has been making music as a way to creatively express himself for many years.

If he's not using the microphone as a method to fill his schedule outside of school and basketball, he may be drawing one of his favorite cartoons. A fun activity he picked up in a high school art class has led to a lasting enjoyment of drawing for the now redshirt-junior in college.

On the note of drawing, another piece of imagery very dear to Johnson is the symbol of a wolf. The wolf emoji can be found throughout nearly every corner of Johnson's social media presence, and when asked about what significance the symbol holds in his life, Johnson quickly answered with an immense level of direct correlation and sincerity.

"My first and middle name mean wolf to different degrees. My middle name is my grandfather's name... he passed away when I was in high school, and since he and I were very close and spent a lot of family time together, the wolf symbolism became something I represent and take seriously."

As a student of Charleston Southern University for now his sixth semester, Johnson reflected on one of the core values that led him to the Holy City and a reason he has enjoyed his time here as much as he has.

"The Christian values of (CSU) were a big reason I knew I could grow here. Growing as a basketball player is obviously important, but wanting to be in a place that encourages and empowers you to grow in your faith is huge for me as well, so I definitely value that piece of my experience while being a part of this program."

The kid who once craved an early morning workout with his dad before school, who eventually returned home to the Carolinas for a spot in the Buccaneer basketball fraternity, has now blossomed into a disciplined cornerstone to many. When asked what he would say to the 14-year old version of himself who walked into Charlotte Latin School for his first day as a high school student-athlete, Johnson gave an answer that only a composed and steady-handed person could give.

"It's all going to work out."