By that point, not even five months into his first Division I basketball season and just a role player off the bench, Chaney Johnson’s rising confidence developed to even the stage of just sitting at a press conference, manning the wide podium next to the Neville Arena court by himself — something he still doesn’t feel totally comfortable doing. The questioning that day, 24 hours before Auburn played South Carolina, all surrounded on Johnson’s comfort at Auburn, comfort in the SEC and confidence in himself. His words described it, but the rising conviction in his voice proved it.

“My confidence has nowhere but to go up from where it was,” Johnson said. “It’s also just trusting in God because that’s where my relationships stand. I pray every day, you feel me? I don’t get too high, too low. I’m always just praying to him. And always being around the positivity going on in the locker room, and also having BP and people on the coaching staff always speaking positivity into me. So like I said, my confidence has nowhere to go but up from where it was.”

Yet he was still just a backup then. Then, with no way of knowing the man starting in front of him — Jaylin Williams — would injure his knee four days later, Johnson just discussed the differences he’s seen transferring to Auburn last year from Alabama-Huntsville, a jump from Division II up to Division I basketball.

That shouldn’t have to be quick, and probably shouldn’t be expected to be so, yet come the final five games of the regular season, there may not be a choice. Johnson will all but assuredly start for Auburn on Saturday against Georgia. It will be his first Division I start. It will come for a team still hoping to compete for an SEC regular season championship despite its position two games back of the lead and without its second-leading scorer for the foreseeable future.

“To replace Jaylin, it’s going to have to be obviously by committee,” head coach Bruce Pearl said Thursday. “It’s no secret that when Jaylin Williams has played well, we’ve won. Like, I don’t think we haven’t won when he played well.”

Largely, he’s been a role player this season. Backing up Williams, he’s only hit the 20-minute played mark in two games this season. He’s played in all 26 of Auburn’s games. He’s averaging 3.8 points per game and on several occasions has quickly gotten into foul trouble.

But Auburn brought him here from a Division II program for a reason: his athleticism.

“But Chaney Johnson? Did he not show you some freak tonight,” Pearl said after Auburn’s Jan. 20 win over Ole Miss. “I mean, that’s some freaky stuff he’s able to do out there, I’ll tell you what. I was happy for Chaney. I’m hard on Chaney. But he works hard.”

Johnson scored four points in that game, but what was more evident was his continuing adaptation to his new level.

“I would say in total I’m just trying to lock in more,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t say I’m locking in more because of J-Will being hurt. Just coming off the Kentucky game, it kind of threw me off a little bit. Seeing him get hurt, now I’m expecting him to come in the game and make a big change. I really didn’t affect the game how I wanted to. Just trying to be better for this team, not just because J-Will is hurt. Just being better, period.”

As Pearl said, replacing Williams will be a committee approach. Johnson may be the foremost one in line for a larger role given his ascension into a starting spot, but other lineup combinations could centers Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell playing together as well as Chris Moore playing more power forward. Pearl also mentioned an increase in minutes for Lior Berman.

There’s a 13-point-per-game void to fill from Williams, Auburn’s all-time winningest player. Johnson will get his chance and his confidence must be high. For as long as Williams is out, Auburn needs it to be.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]