A single tear to an anterior cruciate ligament has derailed some of the world's greatest athletes' careers. Add the physical pain, and maybe of more consequence, the emotional anguish, of a second torn ACL to the same knee a year later and throw in a torn thumb ligament for good measure, and you have a glimpse of what Brandon Johnson endured the last 20 months.

But there was Wooster's senior point guard recklessly diving on the floor for loose balls, battling the 'bigs' in the post for rebounds, and executing his role as a defensive menace while leading the Fighting Scots to a second-round victory in the NCAA Div. III Men's Basketball Championships over No. 8 ranked University of Wis.-Whitewater this March.

It may not have been his best game statistically, though he did score a season-high 15 points while wearing layers of tape over a brace on his shooting hand to protect that thumb injury, it may have been the defining game of his career.

Johnson never envisioned a 15-point game would be the highlight of his senior season. He was supposed to be vying for All-American honors as the top player on the team and possibly lead Wooster to the "Final Four" as he helped do as a sophomore, not averaging 6.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals in a supporting role.

It wasn't supposed to be so difficult. A highly-sought-after recruit, he chose Wooster over some scholarship schools and was voted the 2005-06 North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year by virtue of his 9.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 steals a game.

"Coming out of high school … we saw a guy who could really blossom," said head coach Steve Moore. "By the time he was a junior, that came to be true."

Even before that, the Scots specifically changed their offense, pushing the tempo at every opportunity, due to Johnson's ability to quickly transition the ball up the floor. That system helped Wooster put together one of its best years during 2006-07, making a run to the national semifinals and winning 29 games (29-5) with Johnson elevating his numbers to 11.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals.

Johnson continued to emerge as an elite player as a junior (11.3 points, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals), collecting first-team all-league laurels. In the semis of the NCAC Tournament, though, he suffered a severely sprained ankle, possibly costing the Scots another extended run in the NCAA tourney.

That injury was nothing compared to what was to come. In June of 2008, Johnson was playing ball at a recreation center near his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, but when he went to throw down a dunk during a fast-break attempt, something he had done hundreds of times, his knee gave out on the lift-off. Johnson wasn't too concerned at first, thinking it was a sprain, however, several weeks later it was correctly diagnosed as an ACL tear and the subsequent surgery on July 31 put his senior season in jeopardy.

At first, Johnson was determined to comeback and play out his career with fellow senior and best friend Marty Bidwell. Rehabilitation was going well as he pushed himself for hours, alternating between plyometric drills and hard lifting six days a week, but time crept up. It was mid-December and he had to make a tough choice.

"I guess it was right around winter break. I was really contemplating to rush back and play just half of senior season," Johnson recalled. "I changed my mental approach. I felt I owed it to myself to have one full season and go out with a bang. With my parent's support (and Bidwell's), I decided to sit out and be at full strength"

So, Johnson was at peace with his decision, that is until June of 2009. With his knee feeling just about back to 100 percent, Johnson still used caution, playing a game of one-on-one in a controlled atmosphere, but when he went up to contest a shot, he came down on the knee wrong again.

This time, Johnson immediately knew what happened. The ACL was torn again, and in fact after a medical examination, there was additional damage to the meniscus and the joint itself. He was crushed, admitting to be "in a state of depression for 24 hours." All that rehab work had been for naught. His hoops career appeared to be over without being able to play out his senior season, not once, but twice.

"It was really tough. I couldn't believe I had done it again. I was stuck in a rut," he said. "Didn't know if I was mentally ready to go through another rehab, knowing that I wouldn't be able to do the things I normally would going into a season."

One chat with his father, Vonzell Johnson, a professional boxer during the 1970s and 80s, changed his outlook.

"I had a long talk with my dad. He gave me a lot of encouragement. Told me to maintain my faith and God would take care of everything else," Johnson explained. "That was all it took. Hearing those things from my dad, who has gone through a lot of obstacles in his life."

With renewed vigor, the 6-2, 175-pound guard endured a second significant surgery, this time in mid-June, and even assured Moore that he would be available for the season opener. After another round of intense rehab, Johnson kept that promise and was on the floor a mere five months later.

While it's hard to put a number on it, Johnson only had about 50 percent of his original movement in November and December. He did steadily improve, reaching 70 to 75 percent at his peak form during the 2010 postseason.

His statistics were down, but his leadership and spirit carried Wooster to an unprecedented sixth NCAC championship in a row and to the NCAA's round of 16 with that victory over Wis.-Whitewater. At that postgame press conference, teammates Nathan Balch and Ian Franks both pointed out that Johnson was an inspiration to the team.

Moore concurred, "His desire to play, the fact that he had persevered and went through all of that, all of the rehabilitation. The other players really admired that, and it motivated them without a doubt."

A philosophy major and Dean's List honoree, Johnson has completed his degree requirements and is currently looking at law schools. He's taking a break from basketball only because he has another surgery lined up, this time to repair that thumb ligament, but he'll be back playing recreationally soon enough.

Johnson quipped, "Definitely can't keep me off the court."