Grand Canyon University men’s basketball announced on Friday the addition of Braylon Johnson, the younger brother of former Phoenix Suns wing Cam Johnson.
Newest member of the fam. Welcome home, Braylon! 🤝💜
📰: https://t.co/7wp6wwy05W pic.twitter.com/FQIP6JPmPB
— Grand Canyon Men’s Basketball (@GCU_MBB) September 20, 2024
Braylon played his high school ball at Phoenix Pinnacle High after his family relocated to the Valley when Cam was drafted in 2020.
“It was really cool, especially when Cam was playing here,” Johnson told GCULopes.com’s Paul Coro of the love his family has felt in the area. “But it’s crazy seeing how much he’s still supported even though he’s not here anymore.”
“We are really excited to be adding Braylon to our roster,” GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. “He has tremendous upside, a great work ethic and comes from a terrific basketball family.”
Johnson averaged 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds as a senior, helping Pinnacle reach the 6A state semifinals.
Puff Johnson, a brother aged between Braylon and Cam, also played at Pinnacle. He considered GCU while in the transfer portal after starting his college career at North Carolina. He now plays for Penn State.
“GCU was the place I always wanted to go. It just always seemed like a great environment,” Braylon added. “The coaching staff is great, the fans are great, the games are crazy. I just thought it would be a great place for me to come in and grow and become a better player.”
The ‘Lopes enter the 2024-25 season returning most of the rotation that earned the program’s first NCAA tournament victory, including 2023 WAC Player of the Year Tyon Grant-Foster.
