At some point, when you are the oldest student-athlete in a campus enrollment of nearly 35,000 and the oldest in all of Division I basketball, it's got to pay off.
Tuesday night at the Marriott Center for Spencer Johnson and BYU , it did.
No. 20 BYU (2-2, 14-3)
at Texas Tech
(3-1, 14-3)
Saturday, 4 p.m. MST
United Supermarkets Arena
TV:ESPN2
Radio:102.7 FM/1160 AM
Playing without injured guards Trevin Knell (foot) and Dawson Baker (foot) and without center Fousseyni Traore (hamstring), and against an Iowa State team that last week upset No. 2 Houston and boasted one of the nation's top defenses, Johnson put the Cougars on his shoulders as if to say, "Follow me, boys!"
They followed and BYU rolled.
Johnson isn't the tallest player at 6-foot-5; he's not the fastest on the floor or even the best ballhandler, but he gets the job done. The 26-year-old elevated his game for a career-high 28 points to lead No. 20 BYU to its second win in the Big 12 in an 87-72 domination of No. 24 Iowa State.
Playing 35 minutes, Johnson made 10 of 16 shots, including 4 of 9 from the 3-point line. He also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out five assists and had one steal in his finest night as a Cougar. Despite the physical nature of the game, the cagy veteran didn't pick up his first foul until there was 1:20 remaining.
How did he do it?
Patience, positioning and precision — all qualities of an experienced athlete.
In the chaos of Big 12 basketball, Johnson was a calming influence for a team that has been challenged maintaining second-half leads in its new conference. His defense stifled Iowa State's shooting guards and his presence kept the Cougars playing fast, but not in a hurry .
When there was a rebound up for grabs against the taller Cyclones, the commercial real estate enthusiast knew just where to be. Location is important in basketball just as it is in buying and selling. He was in the right place at the right time.
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When the Cougars (14-3, 2-2) needed a basket, Johnson delivered. His 19 points in the first half helped BYU build a 39-35 lead at the break. His first basket in the second extended the lead to 13. His first 3-point shot after halftime gave the Cougars a 67-50 advantage.
By the time he made his final shot, the rout was on, 81-61 with 3:12 to go.
Johnson also spent a good part of the night as a decoy.
After his impressive first half, the former American Fork star drew extra attention by the Iowa State (13-4, 2-2) defense in the second half. This allowed a greater space for Johnson's teammates to contribute and four of them cashed in with double figures: Noah Waterman (18), Jaxson Robinson (15), Richie Saunders (12) and Dallin Hall (11).
Age in sports is often portrayed as a weakness and Johnson has heard his share of "old man" jokes. But on Tuesday night, the man was called on to lead the boys and Mark Pope wisely extracted every second of leadership Johnson could provide — and he will be asked to do it again Saturday at No. 25 Texas Tech (4 p.m. MST, ESPN2).
Beating Iowa State is nice, and leading BYU into the Big 12 is even better, but there is a bigger prize Johnson came back to chase. He wants to win in the NCAA Tournament. As a BYU rookie, after stops at Weber State and Salt Lake Community College and a church mission, Johnson scored one point in 16 minutes during the Cougars' 73-62 loss to UCLA in the first round in 2021.
Seven months before he turns 27, he wants another shot and his own shining moment in March. Tuesday's win over Iowa State put the Cougars one step closer and strengthened their No. 4 NET ranking with 14 tough regular-season games and a conference tournament to play.
BYU will need leadership through it all — and as he showed against the Cyclones, Johnson has plenty to offer.
BYU's Spencer Johnson follows through on a shot as Cougar fans look on during BYU's victory over Iowa State on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, in the Marriott Center. | BYU Photo
Dave McCann is a contributor to the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts "Y's Guys" at ysguys.com and is the author of the children's book "C is for Cougar," available at deseretbook.com .
