USD’s Ty-Laur Johnson knows he and Toreros are capable of more

University of San Diego opens West Coast Conference play on Sunday against Pacific, and point guard Ty-Laur Johnson predicts the Toreros “will shock some people” before the season’s over.

“I think our win at UC San Diego was the start of it,” Johnson said recently. “We put it together in that game. I think we’ve started to figure each other out. We’re a lot better than people think we are. We just have to prove it.”

Johnson and his teammates certainly showed what they can do on Dec. 19, when they upset UCSD on the Tritons’ home court. Three nights later, however, the Toreros traveled to Washington and were routed 86-56 by the Huskies.

“I’m not saying we’re a finished product,” said Johnson, whose play was instrumental in the victory over UCSD. “But we’re making progress. We’ve gone through a lot of changes and had a lot of injuries. We have a good idea (of) what we can be. And it’s better than what people predicted.”

One reason the Toreros could be better than predicted — and they were projected to finish ninth in the West Coast Conference — is Johnson. The 6-foot point guard came to Alcala Park this year after spending two seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference – one with Louisville and one with Wake Forest, where he started the final 19 games of the 2024-25 season.

Why would the Brooklyn, N.Y., native leave the ACC for USD, where the Toreros struggled to a 6-27 record last season?

Toreros coach Steve Lavin was the main reason.

“I liked his history of developing and using small guards at UCLA and St. John’s,” Johnson explained. “I wanted to be regarded as more of a leader on and off the court. I wanted to play for a coach who could make the most of what I do.

“I have definitely found a spot here. I’m definitely learning from Coach Lavin. He helps me with a lot of stuff, using my speed to create space, working the pace of the game. I definitely made the right decision. I like it here and having the ball in my hands. I love how fast we play.”

Lavin sees Johnson as the perfect player to run his team.

“The point guard is the basketball equivalent of the central nervous system,” Lavin said. “They are critical to what any team hopes to achieve. Ty-Laur is exceptionally intuitive. He has a feel that is difficult to teach.

“He’s as quick and as fast as any player I’ve ever coached. He gets us out in transition. He plays defense as well as offense. He’s built more like a dancer — wiry, strong and tenacious. You have to see it in real time to fully appreciate it.”

UC San Diego coach Clint Allard saw it up close. And he made note of Johnson’s play — not just the last-second shot that upset the Tritons at home.

“They turned the ball over to Johnson to handle our pressure and he did the job,” Allard said.

Said Lavin: “That game against UC San Diego, it was his combination of speed, quickness and skill and feel for the game that set him apart. It’s the combination. He’s that ideal guard that can influence the game on both ends of the court. While he’s diminutive, the length, his foot speed and instincts … John Wooden once said the two most important things in basketball are quickness and balance. Ty has both.”

Lavin remembers his first contact with Johnson when the guard was in the transfer portal.

“We had conversations,” recalled the coach. “He told me how he saw his game. I remember sending him some clips on small guards I’ve coached, guys like Tyus Edney and Cameron Dollar. It was sending those clips of certain guards so that he could get a sense and a feel for what he might be doing here.”

It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Toreros. They enter WCC play with a losing record. They were crushed by San Diego State in an exhibition and again last week at Washington. Nine Toreros, including Johnson, have missed practice time or games due to injuries or sickness.

“The adjustment is hard, but not that hard,” Johnson said. “One thing that made it harder is that we had so many new players (eight transfers and five promising freshmen). …  “Once you start practicing, you learn tendencies. I think we’re still figuring it out, but it’s coming together. It’s hard to get to know somebody when they’re out injured.

“I feel my team is unpredictable. When we are hot, we’re hot. We can shoot. We have to get more consistent. I think it’s just a matter of time. We improve every day. I think we’re only about 70% of what we can be.”

Said Lavin: “We’re seeing signs of what we can be.”

“It started with a great first half against USC. The difference in that game was their 18-2 run early in the second half. That, and Johnson lost some critical time with foul concerns.

“But we talk a lot about orchestrating where we’re ahead. I think we’re headed in the right direction. The Washington game was a learning experience. And this is a group that’s evolving into a different team than what it was when we first came together. Our upside is intriguing.”

And Johnson?

“He knows,” Lavin said, “and does.”

USD vs. Pacific

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Jenny Craig Pavilion

On the air: ESPN+

Records: Pacific is 9-4. USD is 5-7

Last time out: Three days after upsetting crosstown rival UC San Diego 82-80 on Ty-Laur Johnson’s last-second 3-pointer, the Toreros lost 86-56 at Washington. Guards Juanse Gorosito and Adrian McIntyre each scored 15 points for the Toreros while going a combined 13 for 21 from the floor. USD was outrebounded 46-28, with the Huskies having a 22-6 edge in second-chance points and a 44-16 advantage on points in the paint.

Series history: Pacific leads the all-time series, 17-12. But USD has won three of the last four meetings under head coach Steve Lavin and went 2-1 against the Tigers last year, including a win in the first round of the West Coast Conference Tournament.

Toreros update: Lavin has used the same starting lineup the past two games – Johnson, Gorosito and McIntyre at the guards and Vuk Boskovic and freshman Alejandro Aviles on the front line. Due to injuries or illness, only five Toreros have played in all 12 games and only Boskovic has started as many as 10. Twelve different Toreros have started. Johnson leads USD with an average of 12.9 points per game. He, Toneari Lane (10.7), Gorosito (10.3) and McIntyre (8.8) are USD’s four leading scorers.

Tigers update: Senior Justin Rochelin was the Big West Sixth Man of the Year last season while playing for UC San Diego. The 6-foot-5 guard has started all 13 games for UOP, averaging 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Forward Elias Ralph leads the Tigers with 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 41.3% from 3-point range. Guard T.J. Wainwright (13.2 ppg) and forward Isaac Jack (9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg) are major contributors.

Next up: USD will host No. 7 Gonzaga on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

— BILL CENTER