Hall of Fame
Gary "Cat" Johnson was an electrifying point guard who directed Memorial High School to two Missouri State High Schools Activity Association (MSHSAA) Class 3A state championships in 1976-77 (defeating Charleston 80-73) and 1977-78 (beating McKinley 97-69). In 1978 he led Memorial by scoring a school-record 50 points in the quarterfinals. The Eagles went 62-1 during Johnson’s junior and senior seasons.
Johnson graduated as Memorial’s single-game, single-season and career scoring leader as well as the Class 3A single-game and tournament scoring leader.The recruiting war for Johnson included Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas State and New Mexico State.
After his senior year, Johnson was selected to play for the United States Stars against a team of Texas Stars in the Big Brothers Roundball Classic at the Summit in Houston, Texas. Johnson had six points, six assists, three steals and two rebounds as the U.S. beat Texas 91-82.
Johnson received a scholarship to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the 1981-1982 season he averaged 15 points and 8 assists per game. Johnson totaled 1,059 points and 481 assists with the Titans and was named to the ORU Hall of Fame in 2008. Nobody was quicker than “Cat” on the basketball court. In fact Al McGuire, the former coach at Marquette, once named Johnson to his “all-blur team.”
The New Jersey Nets drafted Johnson in the ninth round. He eventually went to Europe and was a player coach in the professional league in England.
