Missouri State's Alize Johnson picked by Indiana Pacers in second round of NBA Draft

For the first time since the legendary Winston Garland was selected during the 1987 NBA Draft, Missouri State has produced an NBA Draft pick.

Alize Johnson was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 50 overall pick during the second round of Thursday night's NBA Draft. 

The former Missouri State star becomes the 12th player in school history to be selected during an NBA Draft. 

Johnson, who worked out for the Pacers during the draft process, led Missouri State in scoring (15), rebounding (11.6) and assists (2.8). He attempted 4.4 3-points per game despite shooting just 28.1 percent on them. He did shoot 38.8 percent as a junior.

“Alize is a bulldog," Pacers President Kevin Pritchard said. "We’ve known about him for a couple years.”

He enters the NBA after two seasons at Missouri State.

Rebounding is a statistic that typically translates from college to the NBA and its an area where the Pacers lagged.

Earlier in the night, the Pacers took point guard Aaron Holiday (UCLA) at No. 23 in the first round.

While in Springfield, the 6-foot-7 versatile forward earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in his two seasons. He was named the MVC Newcomer of the Year during his junior season.

The Williamsport, Pennsylvania, native transferred to Missouri State after playing junior-college ball at Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas. 

There, Johnson earned NJCAA All-American honorable mention and was named All-Region during his sophomore season while averaging 16.7 points and 12 rebounds per game.

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Johnson's successes at Frank Phillips earned him an invitation to the JucoRecruiting.com All-America Elite 80 Camp in Las Vegas in July 2015.

He earned a spot in the camp’s all-star game while also receiving multiple Division I offers.

Two months after the camp, Johnson verbally committed to Missouri State.

During his junior season which earned him MVC Newcomer of the Year honors, Johnson averaged 14.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. 

The results of the season had Johnson regarded as a potential late-first round pick in 2018's draft.

Johnson declared for the 2017 NBA Draft with the intent of returning to Missouri State. He worked out with the Boston Celtics during the summer.

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During the same offseason, Johnson attended the Adidas Global Nations Basketball Experience and was named the prospect camp's most valuable player. Among the names at the camp were top prospects Michael Porter Jr., Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges and Robert Williams. 

At the camp, Johnson led his team to a tournament title and impressed NBA scouts. 

In his senior season at Missouri State, Johnson fell from a potential first-rounder to a projected second-rounder.

He shot 28.1 percent from the field, which was down from 38.8 percent the season before. He did average more points and a rebound more per game. 

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In a phone interview on Tuesday, Johnson told the News-Leader that he was excited for all of his hard work to pay off. 

"I feel like I'm being overlooked a little bit," Johnson said. "A lot of teams know what I can do. I'm just grateful to be in this position and see how it goes. Just having the opportunity to go out there and compete with the best of the best is good enough for me."

Chris Gaston has been training Johnson, Wichita State's Landry Shamet and Miami's Lonnie Walker throughout the draft process. He also works with De'Aaron Fox, who was selected fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2017. 

Gaston told the News-Leader on Monday that Johnson's "infectious personality" will do well for him going into Thursday.

"I know Magic Johnson loved him," Gaston said. "Every NBA team that I've talked to just loved him as a person and that's going to bode well for him." 

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Out of all the players Gaston has worked with, he said no one has had a motor like the former Bear. 

Johnson is similar to Golden State Warriors three-time All-Star Draymond Green, according to Gaston. They're not the flashiest players on the court, but they're the grittiest.

"They're a jack of all trades," Gaston said. "Alize can really do everything on the court."

Johnson told the News-Leader he wants to continue to be a role model for his six younger siblings. It's something his trainer learned from getting to know him. 

"I know he'll make it because he's fighting for something," Gaston said. "He gets it. Some people don't get it but he gets it. He understands the task ahead and I'm proud of him." 

Bears in the NBA Draft

Bill Lea - 1952 - Baltimore

Jim Julian - 1952 - New York Knicks

Forrest Hamilton - 1953 - New York Knicks - Sixth Round, 53rd Overall 

Don Anielak - 1954 - New York Knicks - Third Round, 26th Overall

Art Helms - 1956 - St. Louis - 13th Round, 53rd Overall

Jack Israel - 1959 - New York Knicks - 13th Round, 85th Overall

Russ Robinson - 1959 - New York Knicks - Seventh Round, 54th Overall

Lou Shepherd - 1968 - Los Angeles Lakers - Fifth Round, 59th Overall

Mert Bancroft - 1969 - Cincinnati - Eighth Round, 107th Overall

Curtis Perry - 1970 - San Diego - Third Round, 35th Overall

Winston Garland - 1987 - Milwaukee - Second Round, 40th Overall

Alize Johnson - 2018 - Indiana - Second Round, 50th Overall