The forward played at Edisto High School in Cordova, S.C., for his own father, Herman Johnson. And despite the numerous awards he garnered, including Gatorade South Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior, Brice said his father wasn’t quick to offer praise.
“He probably would say he did, but even in the stands today, he doesn’t move,” he said.
“He sits there with his arms folded, and he doesn’t really show much emotion. I’m kind of used to things like that.”
Once Brice committed to North Carolina in October of 2011, he moved on to a new coach in Roy Williams. But he did not escape the coaching style his father employed.
There is always something more to do — one more rebound to grab, one more defensive assignment to fill. This methodology is what helped Brice transition into a starting role during the 2014-15 season, when the 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward had to — oddly enough — learn how to grow up, as both a basketball player and as a leader.
As a junior, Brice averaged 13.3 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game in ACC play and put together monster performances in contests against Florida State, Duke and Miami. Often times, the then-junior came into the locker room feeling like he had played a near-perfect game. That is when Williams saw it necessary to bring Brice back to Earth.
“Brice has always wanted to be great, but he just didn’t realize all of the work that it took to get there,” Williams said. “He has never been a problem or a bad kid from day one. I just wanted a lot more from him than he was giving.”
Several times during the 2014-15 season, Williams sat down with the forward to go through film and to point out the little things — not boxing out or hustling to get back on defense. Here, Brice said he learned the attention to detail he needed to become the best player he could.
