Author: Josh Ames
Bryan Penn-Johnson signed with Loughborough Riders for the 2024-25 NBL Division One season. The 7’1 dominant force flew from America as he joins from California Polytechnic State University, where he played 32 games in his senior year with the Mustangs. He will be studying at Loughborough University whilst playing for the Riders.
He previously played for the University of Washington in NCAA D1 winning the PAC 12 Championship before transferring to LSU as a junior and then joined East Los Angeles College (ELAC), who are well known for starring in the famous Netflix series ‘Last Chance U’.
Penn-Johnson started 15 of his 29 appearances there and averaged 8.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game going 66.7% from the field. We sat down to interview him about pre-season, the upcoming season and past experiences.
Penn-Johnson expressed positivity surrounding his pre-season. Looking at the last game against Bristol Hurricanes which Loughborough won 77-60, he believed the team performed well.
“I have watched some of the film and we have figured out some little pointers, and some things we need to adjust on defence,” he said. He backed himself to get going, saying “once I get on the court more frequently with the guys, we are going to figure a lot of things out, so it is pretty exciting.”
Looking at the other new signings Loughborough have made, including American Mike Joiner, and British pair Liam Campbell and Cameron Nyarko, Penn-Johnson is confident they will perform this season.
“A lot of the guys were already out here in the UK before they signed. I know Mike was in Nottingham and Liam was already in London before, so the adjustment is pretty quick for them, and they are used to the lifestyle. On the court wise we have already matched up pretty well.”
Penn-Johnson brings strengths to help the team for the upcoming season and has “been discussing where my opportunities and position is going to be with coach Will (Maynard).”
He went on to say he contributions will be emphasised on the defensive end.
“I think we are very defence orientated team. Really, we are going to see a lot of us shutting teams down and imposing our will.”
Looking at his personal and team goals for this year, Penn-Johnson said that it was to “have fun and win. Just go out there and enjoy basketball.
“I think we have guys who have matched really well. There are no egos on the team. We are going to have a fun year.”
Playing for ELAC in front of the Netflix cameras didn’t phase Penn-Johnson while with the Huskies.
“It added something different with all the cameras being there, but for me personally I found it fun.
“The majority of the guys really did not care that the cameras were there because a lot of us were there to improve our lives and improve our basketball.”
Bryan also played for Wasatch Academy, and was part of a team that went 24-2 in a season, leading him to becoming the no. 3 ranked player in the state of Utah.
“It was really fun; moving from Vegas to Utah was insane. Going from a desert to mountain valley and having to deal with that weather change was a great experience for me
“By going there I gained brothers for life, who I still talk to to this day.’
We asked Penn-Johnson what he would say his playstyle is when he steps onto the court to give fans some insight of what to expect:
“I just go out there and try to be a force on both ends. I try to find myself positionless, meaning that my activity can stretch across one through five. I can go out there and effect the game in any position. My activity, my intensity, my energy helps produce the game in different ways.
“I could be points, rebounds or blocks some games. Maybe assists, maybe five charges sometimes. It depends on what the game and flow is and where I am at”.
It’s a playstyle typical of Kevin Garnett, the NBA Hall-of-Famer who made himself famous for his effort and intensity on court. Garnett is a hero of Penn-Johnson, and he modelled his game as such.
“I enjoy the way he plays the game, his intensity and his passion for it. I think I model myself a lot after him”.
Loughborough Riders start their NBL D1 season on October 5 at home against Team Newcastle, as the Riders look to hit the ground running for their League campaign!
