Johnson Shoulders Blame for McCoy’s Predicament

Senior Kris Johnson, one of Jelani McCoy’s closest friends, blamed himself Tuesday for some of the troubles that led to the junior center’s resignation from the team over the weekend.

“None of this would have happened,” said Johnson, who was indefinitely suspended along with McCoy on Sept. 29, “if we had not gotten into trouble and had the year everybody expected us to have . . . trouble-free and stress-free.

“I definitely feel responsibility. I’m older than him and I probably should have led in a different way. He always looked up to me in so many ways. . . .

“I think all about all the time we spent and the things I could have done differently and decisions I could have made that would have been decisions that would have been the best for both of us.”

Johnson said he has spoken with McCoy twice since the decision was made, and that McCoy probably will keep attending classes at UCLA.

Coach Steve Lavin said he hasn’t talked with McCoy since learning of McCoy’s resignation.

Senior J.R. Henderson, another of McCoy’s friends, said he was deeply affected by the decision, even though UCLA has been buffeted by controversy for two solid years.

“You kind of think it’s not going to bother you as much,” Henderson said. “But that’s my frontcourt mate, that’s the guy that’s beside me when we’re battling for rebounds. It’s just hard to try to move on with something like that real quickly.

“We already had some things to work on as far as our team goes. We’re trying to patch different things up here and there, and now this happens. Just like when Coach [Jim] Harrick left last year.

“It’s like, ‘OK, we’re starting all over again.’ ”