Ray Johnson, the basketball star who led a dynasty at South Kingstown High School in the 1960s and rose to the state's biggest stage at Providence College in the 1970s, has died. He was 76 years old.
The Friars paid tribute to Johnson on social media Wednesday. Johnson died last Thursday, according to an obituary posted online by Avery Stolti Funeral Home.
Johnson was born in Narragansett and lived most of his life there. His surviving family includes his brother Charles Johnson and wife Mary Ann, sister Sandra Johnson, daughter Ray Ann Johnson Zeiger and her husband Gary, niece Casey and nephew Max, and former He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Smith.
“I saw him on the beach all the time,” South Kingstown athletic director Terry Lynch said late Wednesday. “We talk. Just a nice, nice guy, kind of modest for what he did.”
Sixty years ago, the Rebels played in Class C, a league reserved for small schools in the state. They outgrew their size thanks to key players including the 6-foot-7 Johnson and fellow all-state selections Bill Hazard, George Peckham and Bradley Webster. The program finished undefeated in his 1964-1965 and his 1965-66, beginning his three-year winning streak of the Inter-High League.
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“He had a legend,” future Providence teammate Ernie DiGregorio said early Thursday. “I think a lot of people knew him more as a high school player than as a college player.”
The first title drive was a tough sledding ride. South Kingstown slipped past two other perfect teams in the semifinals and finals, topping Rogers and Sacred Heart. The championship game went into five overtimes, with Johnson scoring 28 points and grabbing 23 rebounds, resulting in a 65-61 victory.
The rebels found it easier to do the same thing over and over again. They crushed their four state tournament opponents by a combined 132 points, including defeating Sacred Heart 69-46 in the rematch. Johnson continued his preparation at Tabor Academy and North Yarmouth Academy before enrolling at the Friars.
Johnson's college career coincided with the replacement of Joe Malaney on the Providence bench by Dave Gavitt. By the time Johnson graduated in 1970-71, the Friars were on the verge of making waves nationally. In the two NIT games held at Madison Square Garden in March of the same year, they defeated Louisville and lost to North Carolina, finishing 20-8.
“I think he's one of the most underrated players in the state,” Lynch said. “I always knew who he was because his father (Richard) always talked about him.”
Johnson averaged 9.9 points and 10.4 rebounds as a sophomore. He improved this to a double-double as a junior, totaling 11.6 points and 10.4 boards. Johnson's teammates with the Flyers included some of the most notable players of the era, with headliners including DiGregorio, Jim Larrañaga, and Nehru King.
“The people who played with him really appreciated his overall sacrifice and dedication to winning,” DiGregorio said. “You can't meet a better person in your life. The man was first class.”
Johnson played in 77 games for Providence, and his average of 8.6 rebounds per game still ranks 13th all-time. He led the Friars his first two years, leading the team in field goal percentage in 1968-69 and recording eight double-doubles. Johnson recorded the 13th 20-20 game in program history against Seton Hall in March 1969, finishing with 24 points and 20 rebounds.
One of Johnson's first games in Providence was against perennial powerhouse UCLA at Madison Square Garden. It was a homecoming for New York native Lou Alcindor, who would go on to become one of the sport's all-time greats as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Bruins defeated the Flyers to win the national championship, but Johnson quickly drew praise for the way he battled Alcindor in the paint.
“He played at the highest level and against great players,” DiGregorio said. “He definitely stuck to his guns and he proved he was a force to be reckoned with.”
Johnson had 663 career rebounds at Providence, more than fellow alumni Marquise Bragg, Rodney Bullock, Austin Crosher, Marty Conlon and Marcus Dusitt. He was one of several people recruited in the state during his time to help Providence establish itself as a regional element. The next wave included future show legends like DiGregorio, Marvin Burns, and Joe Hassett.
“We had a little chip on our shoulder,” DiGregorio said. “We knew we had to prove our worth and that we were good enough to play at that level. He definitely did that.
“I've had a lot of teammates in my life, but I've never had a player who sacrificed more or was more selfish.”
Mr. Johnson spent nearly 30 years as an officer with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections and later worked as a youth coach at Ocean Tides. He was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame by both North's Yarmouth Academy and Inter-High, where he also played football and lacrosse. Inherent athletic differences with Lynch, a former University of Rhode Island football player, were kindly put aside in Johnson's later years.
“When I first went to him, I think he said, 'I'm a URI guy and I don't really like PC,'” Lynch said. “He just laughed.”
Calling hours will be held Saturday at 88 Columbia Street in Wakefield from 1 to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Johnson's family requests that donations be made in Johnson's name to the Providence College Friars Basketball Fund.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
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