By JAMES MADDEN & SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Marquette commit Ethan Johnston was one of New York Rens’ most impactful players throughout their run to the Peach Jam championship game before ultimately falling to Brad Beal Elite. Johnston, the 6-foot-6 guard/wing describes himself as a “do-it-all” player and a defensive specialist. A member of the class of 2026, he is set to enter his senior season at The Hill School (PA).
During the run to the Peach Jam championship, Johnston welcomed playing a new role for his team and learned more about his game while coming off the bench.
“I’ve had a real humbling experience,” he told ZAGSBLOG. “For this team I come off the bench. It gives me an opportunity to work on other stuff, like positivity with my teammates, just having a different role. Coming in and being a spark plug off the bench, so it’s a real nice experience and I’ll use it in college.”
Johnston said the highlight of his summer was his team’s incredible run to the title game and making New York City proud. He averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds at Peach Jam in just over 12 minutes per game.
With an above-average frame, Johnston prides himself on versatility and defense. His self-proclaimed best trait? His unselfishness and versatility.
“I can stretch the floor,” he said. “I can shoot. My athleticism, too. I crash the boards well. I’m able to push it, make plays for my team. I’m really a do-it-all guy. I love making plays for my teammates.”
Johnston announced his commitment to Marquette on May 7 and cited his close relationship with head coach Shaka Smart and the rest of the staff as the top reason he committed to the Golden Eagles.
“They made it a priority of establishing a connection with me and my family day one,” Johnston said. “Often times they’d wake me up for school, it was crazy. Just seeing that, how they made an effort to reach out to me on a daily basis, that separated them from most of the colleges in my recruitment.”
How does Johnston characterize Smart?
“Coach Smart has a way about him,” Johnston said. “He’s a great guy. He really cares about kid’s development. He really thinks I can be special, and above all, I think he’s a great person, instead of coach. He’s obviously a great coach, but his personality is great. Nobody’s transferred. I think it’s a family culture there, so there’s no need for anyone to transfer because it’s such a special place.”
The moment Johnston knew it was Marquette is when Smart called him after a game during Session 1 in April.
“He called me immediately after, and he just expressed how much he appreciated me and stuff,” Johnston said. “He called my dad, told him how much he appreciated him and my family. And you don’t see that much support from a coach. It was unique for me to experience and I was just like, ‘I can’t mess this up. This is the best place for me.'”
Johnston has started building relationships with other commits and current players within the program.
“I reached out to Sheek [Pearson],” Johnston said. “I see he’s doing his thing. I know we just got a recent commit, Nash Walker. I played against Damarius [Owens] and Royce [Parham] a lot. I mean twice in high school, but they were just great competitors. I was a little guy at the time. Just seeing how they were playing really inspired me.”
Johnston is not afraid of the shine that comes with playing for a powerhouse Big East program, alluding to how excited he is step foot on campus and play basketball at the highest level.
“Playing in the Big East, it’s crazy I even reached this level,” Johnston said. “It’s still crazy for me to even think about, but I’m excited to see what I can bring to Marquette. I’m a winning guy, I’m a winner. I love making winning plays. You guys got a dog.”
Johnston comes from a family with basketball history, with his father having played professionally in Australia and at the Division II level at Bridgeport University. His older brother also played before deciding to focus on medical school. Academics are very important for the Johnston family.
Johnston is one of Marquette’s three commits in the class of 2026 and is joined by Sheek Pearson and Nash Walker. He is rated as a four-star recruit and is ranked top-150 nationally, according to 247Sports.
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