By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University freshman guard
Dennis Johnson III has been selected as the GNAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week.
Johnson solidified the weekly conference award following his MVP performance in The Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas, helping lead the Vikings to a pair of wins over Colorado Mesa (83-73) and No. 10 nationally ranked Missouri S&T (83-76).
In two games in the tournament held at College of Southern Nevada, Johnson averaged 18.0 points per game on 12-for-18 shooting (66.7%) from the field. The left-handed shooter was 5-for-11 from beyond the three-point arc and perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. He also dished out five assists and had five steals.
"I am very excited for Dennis and his performances this past weekend. As a young player, Dennis is finding his way throughout the early part of the season and the last two games really provided a confidence booster at a much-needed time for our team," said WWU head coach
Tony Dominguez. "Dennis adds a lot to the game on both ends, and is a heady, crafty player who has scoring ability and toughness on defense. We are looking forward to seeing him continue to grow."
In the victory over Colorado Mesa to open the tournament, Johnson scored 13 points in 20 minutes in a reserve role with four assists and was 3-for-6 from long distance. In the win over No. 10 Missouri S&T he scored a career-high 23 points on 8-for-11 shooting in 24 minutes.
Johnson shined in the final minutes of the win over the Miners, scoring five of the Vikings seven points in the 83-75 victory. With WWU trailing 76-75 he made a layup to give the Vikings a one-point lead with 1:08 remaining. On the next possession following a timeout, Johnson stole the ball near midcourt and made a contested layup while fouled and converted the free throw for a three-point play giving Western the 80-76 lead.
In 13 games during his freshman season, Johnson is averaging 8.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
The Vikings (7-6, 1-1 GNAC) carry a four-game winning streak into the holiday break, returning to conference play January 1-3 with road games against Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage.
WWU GNAC Players of the Week in 2025-26:
