George Washington’s leading scorer in its season-opening win over Stonehill was someone who hadn’t played a competitive basketball game in over two years.
Garrett Johnson, a redshirt freshman forward, scored 21 points for the Revolutionaries on 8-of-10 shooting (5-of-7 from three) and also collected nine rebounds in the 89–44 victory. It was a great collegiate debut, especially considering the circumstances.
Johnson began his career at Princeton, where he redshirted during the 2021–22 season. Last year, he withdrew from school after a rare benign tumor was discovered in his hip. He underwent multiple surgeries and nine rounds of chemotherapy to treat the tumor before being cleared to return to the court last winter. He announced his decision to transfer to GW in April.
Finished my 9th round of chemotherapy 6 months ago, and played in my first college basketball game last night. Never give up on your dreams🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️ pic.twitter.com/8ssFQ1aniJ
— Garrett Johnson (@gjohnson_3) November 7, 2023
“There were times I didn’t think I’d be playing basketball again,” Johnson told the GW student newspaper, The Hatchet, after Monday’s game. “I went through a lot in two-and-a-half years. To see the first [shot] go in took away a lot of the nerves.”
Johnson grew up in northern Virginia, starring at Oakton High School and later Episcopal. He scored over 1,000 points in his high school career and was a three-star recruit. It took more than two years, but he’s finally back to playing basketball at an elite level.
