Bruins Survive Even With Johnson at His Worst

ATLANTA —  Kris Johnson had a description for his performance in the first NCAA tournament game of his senior season:

“It was one of the worst games of my whole career.”

The senior swingman had his first shot blocked, never found a rhythm, and scored only three points against Miami on Friday, by far his lowest total of the season in the middle of what had been the hottest streak of his career.

Johnson said the Hurricanes made sure he couldn’t shoot his jump shot, dared him to dribble, and he played too passively. He made only one of his six shots and was scoreless in the second half.

“They really stifled me,” Johnson said. “I hate to have it happen in the tournament, but I guess I was kind of due. I’ve been kind of hot for a while now, and maybe I was due for one.

“But I promise that it won’t happen again. I’m definitely shaking this off. I guess I have to call my dad and have him get my ego back up.”

Johnson fouled out with 2:35 to play, then marched around the bench area trying to keep his teammates pumped up and confident.

“I felt like a freshman again--I had the towel on my head and I was basically a cheerleader out there,” Johnson said.

*

J.R. Henderson said he felt sick all day, took some medicine to feel better, and was not feeling right during the game.

“I was kind of dizzy, but there was no way I was coming out of the game just because I was woozy,” said Henderson, who said he remembered his sophomore season when he missed most of the Princeton first-round loss because he wasn’t feeling well.

*

The Bruins are 6-1 all-time against Michigan, their opponent Sunday in the second round of the South Regional, and the two have a rich background of important NCAA meetings.

The last time the two played was in the second round of the 1993 West Regional in Tucson, and No. 1-seeded Michigan outlasted No. 9 UCLA, 86-84, in overtime, after the Bruins blew a 19-point lead.

That Wolverine team featured “The Fab Five,” including Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard, who as freshmen the previous season lost in the title game to Duke. The Bruins were led by sophomores Ed O’Bannon and Tyus Edney, and seniors Shon Tarver and Mitchell Butler.

At the end of regulation, with a chance to win the game, Edney drove to the basket and tried to pass the ball to O’Bannon, but Jimmy King stepped in for the interception, which sent the game to overtime.

Michigan made it to the title game again, and lost to North Carolina.

During John Wooden’s final national-title season in 1975, UCLA opened tournament play with a 103-91 overtime victory over the Wolverines.

Also, Wooden won his second national title in 1965 when Gail Goodrich scored 42 points and UCLA beat Michigan, 91-80, in the championship game.