Meet Dooney Johnson, the Juneau Star Rewriting Milwaukee Basketball
You know his name from the headlines — the local phenom who committed to one of college basketball’s premier programs. But Dooney Johnson’s story runs deeper than highlight reels and recruiting rankings. It’s about grit, family and proving that young people in Milwaukee can reach the highest levels of the game without forgetting where they came from.
Finding His Game Through Family and Community
Arguably, basketball chose Dooney as much as he chose it. At five years old, he first picked up a ball and was immediately captivated by the rhythm of the game. His passion for the sport continued to grow as he watched, studied and learned from someone he looked up to: his uncle.
“My uncle was my favorite player,” Dooney said. “He was a few grades above me, so I was always watching him play. Then my dad was coaching him, and I started to develop the skills.”
Basketball wasn’t the only space where Dooney learned important life lessons. He immersed himself in Big Brothers Big Sisters, competed in chess tournaments, ran track and cross country and even took his talents to the soccer field. Each experience taught him something different about teamwork, strategy and resilience.
Ultimately, sports became Dooney’s bridge to community and friendship.
“Because I moved schools a few times, making friends through sports has shown [me] a lot,” he said. “Being able to make bonds last forever really means a lot, especially through all different sports.”
A Transformational Sophomore Season
When Dooney posted 25.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during his sophomore season at Juneau, the college basketball world took notice. All-state honors arrived. ESPN ranked him the No. 28 recruit in the 2027 class. And his phone erupted with interest from elite college programs.
Universities like Indiana, Syracuse, LSU, Missouri and Wake Forest all wanted a piece of Milwaukee’s rising star, and recruitment quickly became a whirlwind. Dooney reflected on the calls, text messages and campus visits required of the process, sharing that it was long and a lot to take in at times. Gonzaga — located in eastern Washington, roughly 20 miles from the Montana border — came out on top for Dooney because of the program’s strong team culture and commitment to excellence.
“It’s great in Spokane. It’s really great,” he said. “Everybody loves each other; it’s a caring community.”
Gonzaga, one of the original NCAA tournament Cinderellas dating back to its 1999 run to the Elite Eight, has since developed into a perennial powerhouse. The Bulldogs have qualified for every NCAA tournament since that 1999 season, and are on pace to do so again in 2026.
Torre Johnson, Dooney’s father and current high school basketball coach, expressed his pride in watching his son navigate the pressures of college recruitment and take on a leadership role on Juneau’s squad his freshman year.
“It was a lot of pressure early on to be a leader,” Torre explained. “But he has grown into the role of a leader. He has grown into the role of a great person that we can count on in the long run.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
For Torre, his son’s success was about more than personal achievement. It was about showing an entire community what’s possible.
“To be honest though, the goal was always to show that you can make it out of Milwaukee… and you can reach your goals,” Torre said. “We have seen a lot of kids look up to him and appreciate what he’s doing.”
Dooney recognizes the weight of that responsibility and is more than willing to embrace it.
“Being a part of things like this, it opened my eyes to a lot because I inspire a lot of people,” he says. “So being able to showcase my talents on the court and off the court and inspire others just makes me want to do better and be better.”
For those young athletes who want to follow in his footsteps, his advice is straightforward: “Things don’t come overnight. You got to keep grinding for it. Early mornings, late nights — no matter what you go through, just push through. You have to live in the moment and look to the future, not the past.”
Unfinished Business at Juneau
Before he heads to Spokane in two years, Dooney has a one-track mind with Juneau, and that’s to bring home state championship hardware.
His confidence in his team stems from something deeper than individual talent. Dooney knows their strength comes from the chemistry he’s built with his teammates over the years.
“One of my teammates, Takis Tyler, we’ve known each other since first grade. The rest of [my teammates], I met in fifth grade,” Dooney explained. “We all really came up together and made a name for ourselves. To be able to be somebody around here, it really means a lot to come together like that.”
Watch Dooney and his fellow Pioneers compete in the annual City Review showcase on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 at Marquette University’s Al McGuire Center. Tickets are available here.
