Former Philly hoops star Diamond Johnson is thriving at Norfolk State

Diamond Johnson’s basketball career took shape in Virginia.

Born in Philadelphia, Johnson grew up in Hampton, Va., and began playing in organized leagues at 11 years old. She began her high school career at Phoebus High School and blossomed there before making an unexpected return to Philly.

Yet Virginia is home for her and has always felt that way. It’s where the introductory paragraphs to her basketball story were written and ultimately where her next few chapters are being forged.

Johnson is closing out her collegiate career at Norfolk State, a half-hour from Hampton and just west of Virginia Beach. She had several reasons for playing at the historically black college and university, but most notably, the allure of having family a short drive down I-64 appealed to her more than joining another Power 5 program.

“A lot of people feel Philadelphia is my home, but home is also Virginia,” Johnson said. “I grew up playing basketball here and went to middle school and high school here ... I have family down here and friends, so I need to be home, especially with everything I went through.”

The former Neumann Goretti standout has her mom, Dana Brooks, close by along with numerous family members and longtime friends. The former five-star prospect’s move to an HBCU initially caught some off guard, but Johnson felt being around family and building on what Norfolk State has accomplished recently was too great an opportunity to pass up.

“I was definitely focused on coming home, first, because if I’m not in the right headspace then I can’t give my all to anything or any program,” Johnson said. “Norfolk State has been doing really well and they won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament last year. I wanted to build off that. A lot of people consider them underdogs, and that’s the type of mentality I have. I wanted to join a team that had that and try to make things happen.”

The 5-foot-5 junior is averaging 20.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 12 games since being granted immediate eligibility in mid-December after a court ruling allowed all two-time transfers to play right away. She has hit 37 three-pointers while shooting 42% from the floor, and Norfolk State (17-5, 6-1 MEAC) is 10-2 in games she has played going into Saturday.

The Spartans program is in the midst of a renaissance under head coach Larry Vickers, who last season led Norfolk State to its first MEAC tournament title since 2002. The Spartans fell to No. 1 seed South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

Vickers didn’t necessarily recruit Johnson out of high school but rather established a relationship with her. Three years later, he heard Johnson was looking to make a move, and they reconnected.

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“Think about all the decisions she has made recruiting-wise,” Vickers said. “She goes to Rutgers when she could go to the South Carolinas, UConns, and Baylors of the world at that point. She has always gone to the beat of her own drum. We want to win against high majors, and she saw the vision and thought, ‘I could be that piece.’

“She’s a visionary, and we’ve never had a recruit that has been ranked across the ESPN hoops rankings as high as she was.”

Johnson starred at Phoebus for two seasons, scoring more than 1,200 points before returning to Philadelphia. She transferred to Neumann Goretti in February of her sophomore season to be closer to her father, James, who died 10 months later.

She was the Philadelphia Catholic League MVP and Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year in her junior and senior seasons at Neumann Goretti, becoming the first player to win awards consecutively since Cardinal O’Hara’s Kristen Clement (1995-96). Johnson finished her high school career with 2,812 points and was ranked No. 6 in her class behind the likes of Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark.

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After committing to C. Vivian Stringer and the Scarlet Knights out of high school, Johnson earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a freshman, averaging 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.3 steals. She scored in double figures in 17 games, with seven 20-point outings, but transferred in the offseason to North Carolina State.

With the Wolfpack, she was named ACC Sixth Player of the Year on an Elite Eight team as a sophomore, then earned All-ACC second team as a junior, averaging 11.4 points and four rebounds over two seasons with the NC State. She decided she needed another change this offseason.

“There’s a difference in how I’m feeling and mentally I feel more like myself,” Johnson said. “Coach Vickers and my teammates allow me to make mistakes and correct them. I feel freer and not held back to where I’m 100% myself. The overall environment fits me.”

» READ MORE: Former Neumann Goretti, NC State standout Diamond Johnson enters the transfer portal

The Spartans are hoping for a March Madness return and believe Johnson is the missing piece to help bring home their first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Johnson’s reputation as a player emerged in Virginia and she’s hoping it will be remembered there.

“I want to keep shining light on HBCUs, especially those smaller schools we’re playing against,” Johnson said. “I want to shine more light knowing that we can potentially be included with the Power 5 schools.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.