High Point men united by John 15:13 ahead of first NCAA tournament win

High Point University basketball guard Chase Johnston gave glory to God in both wins and losses as the Panthers secured the school's first-ever NCAA tournament win in an 83-82 upset over Wisconsin on Thursday, pointing to the team's biblical motto. 

In an appearance on the “Wake Up Barstool” podcast Friday, the 26-year-old Johnston proclaimed the team, which was eliminated from the tournament on Saturday, was united by the Bible verse John 15:13.

"We built our our motto off serving each other, loving each other, never getting wavered," he said. "We built our team off of a Bible verse called John 15:13 that says 'there's no greater love than this than to lay down one's life for one's friend.' And that means when adversity hits, when things go wrong, right, are you going to fold or you still going to have belief in the brothers to the right and left to you?"

Johnston further added that his faith in Jesus "is everything" to him. 

“I’m not just a basketball player," he said. “That’s what I do, that’s not who I am. I’m one that’s a follower of Jesus Christ, that just wants to proclaim His name wherever I go and just share the light to whoever I come across.”

After discussing the difficulties he faced during the most recent college basketball season, Johnston said, “If it wasn’t for Him, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you guys.” 

Even after High Point lost to the University of Arkansas in the second round on Saturday, falling short of the Sweet 16, Johnston’s faith remained unshaken. In a postgame press conference over the weekend, Johnston said he trusts in God “not just in the good but in the bad” because he believes “suffering is so good for us as followers of Jesus.”

Johnston discussed his intention to pursue a career in pastoral ministry, summarizing his mission as “just leading people by example, being a servant like Jesus was and just loving people.” He also reflected on his athletic career at High Point, expressing gratitude that “The Lord opened up so many opportunities” for him. The athlete wore a shirt featuring the word “Jesus.” 

In an interview earlier this month, Johnston said he chose to wear 99 as his jersey number because it was a way for him to share the Gospel. 

“It has everything to do with Jesus leaving the 99 to find the one," Johnston said. "I was trying to find any other way to share the Gospel.”

“There’s two parables in the Bible where Jesus is talking to His disciples and He gives a story of a man who has 99 sheep. He leaves those 99 righteous sheep to find that one last sheep that went away and he finds more joy in finding that one lost sheep that came back home than the 99 that remained righteous. That’s the Gospel, right? That we are all sinners, we are dead in our sin and Jesus Christ left the 99, He went to the cross.”

“Humbly, He became a slave for us though he was God,” Johnston added. “He did not take up equality with God as something to cling to and He died on the cross for our sins.” 

Johnston said the number 99 “represents our calling as Christians to go out and proclaim the Gospel to the lost ones and the Gospel that Christ went to the cross and died for us.” He also said that “before the games, we share a verse and kind of break it down within 30 seconds.” 

“Just a way to just  remind all of us and the guys … we’re doing it for something bigger than ourselves, we’re doing it for the Lord first but then we’re doing it for the person to the right and  left.” He again referenced John 15:13 and explained its meaning for his team.

Johnston’s X profile contains references to Matthew 6:33 and Colossians 3:17 in the biography, along with the phrase “Yet Not I but Through Christ In Me.” Johnston said during his appearance on “Wake Up Barstool” that Jesus “saved my life three years ago.” 

Although he said he grew up in the Christian faith, Johnston added, “I wasn’t really walking it.” He recalled, “Three years ago, my brother had a conversation with me and just was brutally honest with me.”

“I put my faith in the Lord for real and was like ‘Lord, I just want to live for you, I’m willing to die for the sake of the Gospel,’” he said. While Johnston described the past three years as “the hardest three years of my life,” he said the challenges of following Jesus Christ have brought “the greatest joy I’ve ever had.” 

High Point University is based in North Carolina and affiliated with the United Methodist Church.