Wes Johnson Press Conference
April 12, 2010
Wes Johnson
April 12, 2010
Carmelo K. Anthony Center – Syracuse, N.Y.
“I’m declaring for the NBA Draft. Right now I just want to thank everybody. This has been a great season, last year I didn’t know what to expect, coming from sitting out but we had a wonderful season and I had a great season but it has always been my dream to go to the NBA. Right now I want to thank the coaching staff, especially (assistant coach Rob) Murphy. I want to thank him for being a brother to me, reaching out to me and helping to prepare me for this moment. I want to thank my family, especially my brothers for being there since I was little, just for being by my side and pushing me to get to this point.
"It has always been my dream but it was a very hard decision to make. I was talking to the coaching staff, Coach Murph, my brother and my family just really trying to make the right decision. What is all boils down to is that it is my decision, I thought about it very hard and decided to declare today.
"Again, I want to thank everybody. I want to thank Syracuse for embracing me the way they did, I love you and I finally have a place I can call home, I really want to thank everybody for that.
Was it a close call?
“I was going back and forth daily about whether I wanted to stay or go. There was no set in stone decision about what I was going to do, I just really had to weigh my options out and it came down to the fact this was the best decision for me.”
Does the potential for an NBA lockout affect your decision?
“Not at all, I wasn’t really worried about it, if I would’ve stayed it still would have been a good decision, but it has been my dream since I was little to go to the NBA. Just having an NBA career as an option is great; the lockout played no part in it.”
What weighed in to your decision? What were some of the things that were going to keep you here?
“The money wasn’t an issue. The NBA was obviously my dream and winning the national championship was another dream as well. The friends I’ve made here are like brothers and I really didn’t want to leave them. Also the school itself, Syracuse, I really didn’t want to leave, I love it here. I was trying to wait it out, there really were no pros and cons, whatever decision I made I felt like it would be a good one.”
What was the reaction of some of the guys – especially Kris Joseph – when you told them?
“He was disappointed I was leaving but he was happy for me. Me and him talked today for a while, he was very happy for me even though he hates to see me go and he said that he would have fun watching me.”
Have you hired an agent that?
“I haven’t, but I have plans to do that.”
What are you hearing from the NBA side? What do you need to improve?
“Everybody has to get better in some respect, but I really haven’t talked to anyone one on the NBA level about where I was actually going to go.”
Do you have a sense of where you’re going to go? You seem to be a top 10 …
“That is what they’re saying, top 10.”
Was there one particular thing that influenced your decision?
“Honestly just the dream of the NBA and having that in front of me as the next step. Having that so close and thinking about it all these weeks, I decided that was what I wanted to do.”
Seeing Da’Sean Butler and Arinze Onuaku go down in the last few weeks of their careers, did that influence your decision?
“No, not at all. I had a flip during that game that could have gone south real fast so I wasn’t thinking about that at all. That could happen to me anytime, it could happen in pick up later on today, that didn’t affect my decision.”
Were you surprised this decision could be as hard as it was?
“I’m very surprised about that, I thought it was going to be a no-brainer. Because I found a home here and fell in love with Syracuse, this was the hardest decision I had to make in my life. When I was bouncing around trying to pick a school it was tough, but nothing like this. I don’t want to leave this place but I know I can come back and call it home.”
Did you expect when you entered the season that you’d be leaving now?
“A little bit, sitting out last year and wanting to play I wasn’t trying to say I would be one and done. The opportunity presented itself so I jumped on it.”
Did wanting to give back to the Syracuse fans affect your decision?
“They didn’t have to take me in the way they did. I would go to the mall or go out to eat and get a round of applause where ever I walked into. I really don’t want to leave that, so I was thinking about the fans as much as I was my future.”
How do you feel about not being able to finish your college career the way you wanted?
“The way we lost in the Sweet Sixteen is still eating at me, but I still had a wonderful time. I know that the program is going to be in good hands, whether I was here or not, with Kris (Joseph) coming up and Scoop (Jardine) and those guys still coming up with the wonderful recruiting class we have. Syracuse is going to be fine without me.”
What has the reception been from your teammates?
“Everybody was happy, they were congratulating me. They tried talking me back into staying but they let me know at the end of the day they were still going to love me, they’re happy for me.”
Jonny Flynn said you will translate easily into the NBA and be a better player in the NBA, do you feel that same way?
“I don’t know yet, I haven’t set foot on that floor yet but I have confidence in myself knowing that I’ll be fine to go there and play at that level.”
Do you think your game would be more suited to that level?
“You could say that, my style of play was suited to Syracuse, so I think I’ll make whatever adjustments for the team I’m drafted to."
What are some of the things you’d tell an NBA general manager and coach about why they should draft you?
“I’m a versatile player, my rebounding and shooting ability will benefit any team that I get drafted to. My play will help any team, I’m just going to go in there and talk to the other players to see what their style of play is and really try to feed off that. I will go out and play to the best of my ability.”
What do you think people in Syracuse will remember about you?
“My smile, my dunking, my shooting, everything, just being a great teammate – I hope they’ll remember that more than anything.”
Is there anywhere you’d like to go?
“Somewhere warm. It really doesn’t matter, whoever takes me it will be a blessing, it doesn’t really matter where I end up.”
Is there anyone in the NBA you’d like to emulate?
“He already retired, but it would be Michael Jordan, I’d love to reach out to him or meet him if I get the chance. Other than that Kobe (Bryant), LeBron (James), (Carmelo Anthony), any one of those guys.”
