GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — When Marcus Johnson won Mr. Ohio Basketball last year as a junior, he made history when he and his dad, Sonny, became the first father-son duo to receive the award. The Garfield Heights senior now joins a small group of players to win the award twice after being named 2026 Mr. Ohio Basketball.
The award, first given by the Associated Press in 1988, has been voted on by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association since 2017.
Johnson won this year's award with 99 points from the statewide panel, with the runner-up receiving 91 points.
With his win, Johnson is just the seventh player to earn Mr. Ohio Basketball twice since it was first awarded in 1988, and the first since Luke Kennard in 2014 and 2015.
As the reigning Mr. Ohio Basketball, Johnson averaged 30.1 points with 7.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.7 steals this season. Johnson's high school career came to an end when the Garfield Heights Bulldogs fell to Archbishop Hoban in the regional semifinals, a game in which Johnson scored 26 points. However, that's not the end of Johnson's basketball journey.
Now, the two-time Mr. Ohio Basketball recipient turns his focus on hooping collegiately, heading to South Carolina to play for the Gamecocks this summer.
