Marcus Johnson proved yet again on Wednesday night that he's one of the best players in Ohio, regardless of class.
The second-ranked prospect in the state of Ohio (No. 6 point guard, No. 29 overall) in the 2026 class, Johnson was on fire early for the Bulldogs, scoring nine of Garfield Heights' first 11 points and finishing the first quarter with 14 points of his own. A quarter later, Johnson had 19 first-half points, outscoring Padua Franciscan in the first half by himself as Garfield Heights held a 30-17 halftime lead in the Division III regional semifinals of the OHSAA playoffs.
"Really just seeing how they played me," Johnson said of what enabled his quick start. "Reading the game, watching film. Seeing how other teams defended me. Just learning from that."
Even though Padua began to double and even triple-team Johnson every time he got the ball and face-guarded him to try and prevent him from getting the ball altogether, the Ohio State commit was still able to find his shot throughout the game, finishing with 33 points on 14 made shots in Garfield Heights’ 64-41 win over Padua Franciscan.
Through four postseason games, Johnson has averaged 34.3 points per game. Johnson and Garfield Heights are now set to play in the regional final for a third year in a row, making Johnson all the hungrier to keep his team’s playoff run going.
"It's a blessing from God. We've been in this position three years in a row," Johnson said. "Definitely got to get one."
In a revamped OHSAA postseason – which grew from four divisions to seven beginning this year – the Bulldogs will take on Archbishop Hoban, a rematch of the 2024 Division I regional semifinals, Friday night at Medina after the Knights defeated Olmsted Falls in triple overtime on Wednesday. Garfield Heights won the matchup last season but knows how talented Hoban is, especially after the Knights won the state championship in 2023.
While Johnson is a great basketball player, he wants to be known as a great person and role model off the court, too. On the hardwood, though, Johnson is among the top contenders for the Ohio Mr. Basketball award, following in his dad's footsteps.
He wants to lead Garfield Heights to a state championship because winning a state title with his dad, Sonny, the head coach of the Bulldogs and the 1998 Ohio Mr. Basketball, would mean the world to him.
“To win it with my dad would be really great. It would be amazing for me and my family,” Johnson said.
As he pursues a state championship, Johnson is keeping in regular contact with his future coaches at Ohio State, particularly head coach Jake Diebler and assistants Talor Battle and Joel Justus.
"They mean a lot. Wonderful dudes, man," he said of OSU's coaches. "Coach Diebler, Coach Battle and Coach Joel always text me and communicate with me. Definitely love my guys."
Johnson is the younger cousin of Meechie Johnson Jr., who rejoined the Ohio State basketball team this past offseason after two years at South Carolina. While Meechie has been on a leave of absence from the Buckeyes since December, Marcus still leans on his older cousin for guidance both on the hardwood and in life.
“Just keep going. No matter what you go through, just keep going,” Marcus said of Meechie’s advice to him. “Meechie is a big brother to me. He tells me a lot of things I need to know. Helps me grow my game. Definitely appreciate him.”
Johnson is currently one of two commits in Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class, along with fellow in-state prospect Alex Smith, a three-star forward from Upper Arlington. With those two commitments, the Buckeyes currently has the No. 1 class in the nation for 2026, though the vast majority of the class’ top prospects remain uncommitted.
Ohio State also has two signees in the 2025 recruiting class: Four-star center A’mare Bynum and four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones, both of whom are ranked as top-100 overall prospects.
