INDIANAPOLIS — When the locker room door opened for media availability on Thursday afternoon and multiple television cameras and reporters made a beeline for Jalen Johnson, several of his Grambling State teammates laughed and starting recording on their phones.

“It was different,” Johnson said a few minutes later of the media crush. “I was shocked at first.”

Johnson will be the hometown kid against the hometown team Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the NCAA tournament first round Midwest Region game. Johnson, a 6-8 former star player at Manual High School, will be tasked at times with matching up against national player of the year Zach Edey, a 7-4 force in the middle for top-seeded Purdue.

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“I’m kind of physical,” Johnson said. “So, I’ll do what I can to get him out of his game. I’ll play hard.”

No. 16 seed Grambling State, making its first NCAA tournament appearance, rallied from a 14-point second half deficit for an 88-81 overtime win over Montana State, another 16 seed, Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio. The Tigers drove over to Indianapolis after the game, arriving early Thursday morning.

“We didn’t get too much sleep,” Johnson said. “But we had a good breakfast this morning.”

Of course, everything looks a little brighter after an NCAA tournament win. Under normal circumstances, little thought would be given to Grambling State (21-14) having the capability of winning a second tourney game. But Purdue’s loss last year as a No. 1 seed to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson puts the Tigers squarely in the spotlight.

“We’ve played a lot of big schools this year,” Johnson said. “So, we should be all right. The season started off kind of rough, but we picked it up, got better, and it turned into a good season. We’re having fun and winning games. We’re making history now.”

Johnson is a big part of that success, averaging 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds. He played his first three seasons at Alabama A&M, which is part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference with Grambling State. In 45 games over two seasons from 2020-22, Johnson averaged 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds and was named all-SWAC both seasons.

“I had some great years there,” he said.

When Dylan Howard was let go as coach at Alabama A&M after the 2021-22 season, Johnson transferred to Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds last year for the Panthers but played only about 13 minutes a game on a 22-12 team and entered the portal again.

Johnson started 13 games this season for Grambling State but has settled into a sixth man role for coach Donte’ Jackson, who watched Johnson up close as a rival at Alabama A&M. Jackson said he told Johnson he “shouldn’t have left Alabama A&M” for Milwaukee. But he’s glad to have him on his side now.

“Long story short, we get a chance to recruit him and get over to Grambling and he’s been a guy that for us as been a post presence, a guy that we can have finish games because he has a great touch from the free-throw line and just somebody who has been an everyday guy for us,” Jackson said. “He understands the magnitude of most games and he’s a guy who wants to win his senior year.”

Johnson, who said he expects to have “at least 20” family members and friends in attendance Friday night, said it was “nothing personal” about leaving Milwaukee.

“I decided to leave, and Grambling felt like home,” said Johnson, who averaged 22.3 points and 9.2 rebounds as a senior at Manual in 2018-19, earning third team honors on the IndyStar Super Team. “My teammates are cool people. They made me feel welcome and comfortable so I could be myself here. I’m not really a loud person. Just kind of calm and cool.”

That veteran presence has served Grambling State well through some turbulent times. Early in the season, the Tigers lost by 32 points at Colorado, by 55 at Iowa State, by 30 at Dayton, by 18 at Washington State, by 12 at Drake and by 39 at Florida — all NCAA tournament teams. But the Tigers rallied to go 14-4 and win the SWAC regular season, then sweep three games in the SWAC tournament.

In Grambling State’s overtime win over Montana State, Johnson played 20 minutes with six points and three rebounds.

“Even for a guy to accept as you’re coming in and you’re a two-time all-conference player, but then you come to our team and you don’t get all the touches you got in the past, but you accept being the sixth man and being the first guy the comes off the bench for us,” Jackson said. “It’s just big for him to be here, big for him to be a part of this because in my opinion, we wouldn’t be here without Jalen Johnson.”

Johnson knows what he is up against Friday night with Edey and Purdue. Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be filled with Boilermaker fans. But Johnson will have at least a small contingent of fans rooting for him and the underdog Tigers.

“We never give up,” Johnson said.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jalen Johnson Indianapolis homecoming means playing Zach Edey, Purdue