Basketball is something of a Johnson family business.

Sandy, the matriarch, played at the University of Illinois. Bernard, the patriarch, was on the court at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

Their eldest daughter, Tai, is a sophomore guard at Bucknell University.

Now their youngest daughter, Alek, a senior guard on the Mars girls basketball team, will soon join the college ranks.

“(My parents) have been very encouraging,” Alek Johnson said. “They installed our work ethic from a very early age. We knew that basketball was something we wanted to do and they were always there pushing me and my sister, training me. Even on the days you don't really feel up to it, I knew I had to train to be the player I want to be.”

Alek Johnson committed Wednesday to play at Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio.

Tai has also been a big influence on Alek.

“We're very close,” Alek said. “We trained together and just being with her and seeing her intensity also helped me develop. She would give me advice and she helped me become a player. I support her and she supports me.”

Alek Johnson was challenged by her big sister growing up.

Johnson also wanted to be challenged athletically and academically at the next level and Baldwin Wallace fit the bill.

The Yellow Jackets went 28-2 this winter and were still alive in the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the remainder of the season.

“I really liked the coaches. I feel like we built that strong relationship early on,” Johnson said. “It's a great program. Overall, it's a great school as well.”

Johnson was a dangerous perimeter shooter for Mars, leading Butler County with 58 3-pointers as a junior.

She averaged 11 points per game.

A more impressive number came off the court for Johnson.

A 4.6 GPA.

She takes her classwork just as seriously as her jump shot.

“It's a lot of studying, some late nights,” Johnson said. “I love to learn. I take it very seriously and have high expectations.”

She takes her basketball seriously, too.

This summer, Johnson played AAU for SLAAM basketball.

Worried she wouldn't have an AAU summer season at all, Johnson was relieved to get the number of games in that she did.

“I was just so thankful,” Johnson said. “Even though it was very different, I was glad I got to play and it was a good experience.”

Johnson said she was able to improve her skills across the board.

“I was focusing on just getting better at everything,” Johnson said. “Getting better on the defensive side, talking a lot more, ballhandling. I just feel like I developed in all those things.”

Johnson was also looking at the University of Rochester, Mount Union and Case Western Reserve.

She doesn't know what she wants to major in yet at Baldwin Wallace — accounting and engineering has piqued her interest. pre-med is also a possibility.

For now the 5-foot-8 guard is just hoping her senior season at Mars will go off without a hitch.

“I'm going to be prepared for anything; I just hope it goes on,” Johnson said. “It's going to be my senior season. I can't believe it. It seems yesterday I was just a freshman.”