Jerry Johnson wanted to play college basketball at a school in a city where the sport was "a priority."
He believes he found that in Chattanooga.
The 6-foot-2 guard, who played his first two seasons of college ball at Fairfield in Connecticut, announced Sunday evening he was transferring to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where after sitting out the 2017-18 season he will have two years of eligibility remaining.
He spent the weekend with sophomore guard Rodney Chatman, who took Johnson to Taco Mac and Southside Social during his visit. Johnson described the weekend very simply: "Tour. Worked out. Ate good."
The opportunity to get closer to home was too much to pass up.
"I didn't like the school spirit (at Fairfield)," he said. "It wasn't a place where I wanted to spend four years at. I missed the South; I missed my mom and brother. I missed the food and friends who attend colleges nearby. I feel like I needed a fresh start, a new motivation, and the coaches here make me feel like I'm a priority."
Johnson played at Houston High School in Germantown, Tenn., right outside of Memphis. He then attended Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts before his time at Fairfield, where in 55 games he averaged 9.8 points and 3.0 rebounds and made 105 3-pointers at a 36 percent clip. The Stags went 16-15 this past season.
He said in a Twitter post that he feels new UTC head coach Lamont Paris's "ability and his background to make me into the player I want to be surpasses all." That's why he doesn't mind that he has to sit out next season.
"I have a lot of things I need to work on from a developmental standpoint that the staff will work on me in transforming my game," Johnson said Sunday evening. "It may get tough (sitting out) once the ball goes up and I'm sitting the bench, but that's the choice I want to stand by."
Seahawks invite McMillan to camp
Defensive Vantrel McMillan on Monday became the fourth member of UTC's 2012 football signing class to accept a 2017 NFL mini-camp invitation, choosing to attend the Seattle Seahawks' camp this coming weekend.
McMillan played only three full seasons for UTC, as an injury stripped him of his 2013 season. He finished with 11 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in 34 games for the Mocs.
The 6-2, 240-pounder, who could play either defensive end or outside linebacker, had 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2016, earning first-team All-Southern Conference honors. He joins sixth-round draft pick Corey Levin (offensive lineman, Tennessee Titans) and free agents C.J. Board (receiver, Baltimore Ravens) and Dee Virgin (defensive back, Houston Texans) as members of the 2012 signing class going to mini-camps.
Virgin spent four years at UTC and was a two-time All-SoCon selection but was dismissed from the football team for a violation of team rules. He played last season at West Alabama.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.