Growing up, Ayianna Johnson could have been anything.
She lettered in volleyball, golf, track, wrestling and is both a state record-holder and two-time champion in discus. Johnson’s life revolved around sports, but she ultimately chose to continue the one she found as the clearest path for her success: hooping.
“AJ” started playing organized basketball in just the 6th grade, but after an accolade-studded career at Jefferson High School near her hometown in Wisconsin, her journey now meets its next stop with head coach JR Payne and the Colorado Buffaloes.
The sophomore is one of ten newcomers to the black and gold and is a seasoned post player brought to a team that lost four of the five members of its frontcourt rotation to the transfer portal and graduation. Listed at 6-foot-3, Johnson has experience at both power forward and center.
“Obviously, there’s a ton of new players, but every day we’re learning so much about each other and how each individual plays,” Johnson said of her new environment in Boulder. “We’ll fight through the challenges, whatever those may be.”
In her senior season of high school, the forward starred en route to 16.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Johnson led Jefferson to a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Regional title in 2023, and she found her way to All-Rock Valley Conference First Teams and All-State honorable mentions two times over.
Johnson signed a National Letter of Intent to play for West Virginia in November of 2022 but eventually ended up signing with Minnesota for the 2023-24 season. With the Golden Gophers, she appeared in 31 games and worked her way into the starting lineup for the final six.
As a freshman, AJ averaged just 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, but in the games she started, those numbers rose to 6.2 and 3.5 along with 1.5 blocks. This stretch of promising play ended with a 12-point, seven-rebound and two-block performance in the second round of the Big 10 Tournament against Michigan.
Following how her first collegiate season concluded, Johnson decided she needed a change of scenery. She was the fourth of CU’s six additions from the portal, transferring to the black and gold in May.
“Colorado, they play way differently than any other school I’ve seen,” Johnson mentioned when asked about goals for her sophomore campaign. “Learning the system and learning how I can fit in and the rest of my teammates can fit in, and then doing our individual things really well to build something [is what] I’m really, really excited for.”
Physicality is a key element of Colorado’s system under Payne that has kept them in games against otherwise more talented opponents, and Johnson brings just that. While with Minnesota, her comfortability in the low post stood out along with the athleticism to out-muscle opposing defenders. In her spare time, she enjoys lifting and brings a compelling spirit of hard work.
“I love to run,” Johnson said on what qualities she can bring to the Buffs. “Being kind of an undersized post, I definitely have to find my things that work and do those to the best of my ability, and rim-running is one thing that I can do, so I’m excited to play with the big girls in the Big 12.”
The Buffaloes were at their best last season in transition. After seeing the departure of players who were often the recipients of the easy buckets generated on the run, such as Aaronette Vonleh and Quay Miller, Johnson fits the description of who CU would want getting downhill toward the basket on a fast break.
It’s not uncommon for a basketball player to have experience in other sports, but Johnson’s diverse background has allowed her to have strong-mindedness and aggression on a Colorado squad that was not able to replace as much muscle as they intended this offseason.
“My toughness,” Johnson said on how she can affect the mental side of the game. “I grew up playing a lot of physical sports, playing with the boys, so coming here, I kind of have that same mentality … We all want to win, so we can’t just say that, but we have to put that into action.”
“Drinking out of a fire hydrant” is how Payne described Johnson’s first few months of development thus far as the Buffs gear up for the 2024 season, but that she sees improvement in the multifaceted forward with each passing day.
“Now that she’s just playing basketball, I think the sky’s the limit,” Payne added. “She’s what we need in the post for the Big 12, and she’s doing really well.”
Johnson and Colorado tip off their season this Sunday with a preseason exhibition against the Colorado School of Mines. Action from the CU Events Center will begin at 1 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
Cover photo by Ryan Asaro/Sko Buffs Sports
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