Wake's Johnson going pro

The first of three Wake Forest underclassmen has made the decision to jump to the NBA. Sophomore James Johnson is headed for the draft, according to the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle.

Johnson, a 6-9 forward from Cheyenne, Wyo., averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds this past season for the Demon Deacons, who are awaiting word from sophomore guard Jeff Teague and freshman forward Al-Farouq Aminu.

Johnson's decision is not a huge surprise, although Wake coach Dino Gaudio said after the Deacs' first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Cleveland State that he thought all three players would return for the 2009-10 season. At 22, Johnson is two years ahead of most players in his recruiting class.

Johnson told the Wyoming paper he would sign with an agent, closing the door on a possible return.

"If I sign with an agent and get into a training camp, it will help me out a lot," Johnson said. "I just want to work hard and go as far as I can." -- J.P. Giglio