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La Salle, Lower Merion alum B.J. Johnson joins Charlotte Hornets’ NBA summer league team

After playing basketball in the Philadelphia area for almost his entire life so far, B.J. Johnson is headed south of the Mason-Dixon line to begin life as a pro.

La Salle's B.J. Johnson didn't hear his name called last week in the NBA draft but will still get a shot to make it as a pro this summer.
La Salle's B.J. Johnson didn't hear his name called last week in the NBA draft but will still get a shot to make it as a pro this summer.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

After playing basketball in the Philadelphia area for almost his entire life so far, B.J. Johnson is headed south of the Mason-Dixon line to begin life as a pro.

Johnson, a second-team all-Atlantic 10 honoree in his senior season at La Salle, has signed with the Charlotte Hornets after going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft last week. The 2013 Lower Merion graduate will try to play his way onto a roster that includes a glut of guards in Kemba Walker, Malik Monk, Jeremy Lamb, and Marcus Paige as well as fellow Summer League signee Gabe DeVoe out of Clemson.

After finishing up his high school days with the Aces, Johnson played his first two collegiate seasons at Syracuse where he struggled to find a role off the Orange bench. The former ESPN 100 recruit averaged fewer than 4.5 points per game in each of his seasons at Syracuse before transferring back to La Salle, his father's alma mater.

>> From our archives: Like his dad, B.J. Johnson is a good fit at La Salle

Johnson flourished with the Explorers after sitting out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He was a regular starter as a junior, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding with 20.8 points and 8.3 boards per game, on his way to first-team all-Big 5 honors. As a senior, the 6-foot-7 swingman continued his excellence, logging 29 points and 23 rebounds against then-No. 16 Rhode Island.

The Philadelphia native will now try to do something his father, who led La Salle to three NCAA tournament appearances, could not — make it in the NBA.