Avery Johnson found himself doing a bit of a juggling act during the Memphis Grizzlies-Houston Rockets preseason game Tuesday night in Birmingham.



The Alabama men's basketball coach was taking in the action while simultaneously being peppered with questions from the Crimson Tide's newest member, freshman point guard Kira Lewis.



"He sat right next to me and he had a million questions," Johnson said while in Huntsville on Wednesday to promote the Crimson Tide's Dec. 18 game against Liberty in the Rocket City Classic. "I'm glad I was able to answer most of those questions."





Alabama coach Avery Johnson speaks to reporters during a Rocket City Classic press conference Oct. 3, 2018 at Huntsville International Airport. (Daniel Boyette/dboyette@al.com)

Lewis' desire to learn is just one of his many aspects that Johnson appreciates. Lewis, 17, also possesses loads of talent. A five-star recruit, he opted during the summer to reclassify to the Class of 2018, a move that made him a college freshman just a few months after finishing his junior year of high school at Hazel Green.



"He's a young man who has high basketball IQ," Johnson said. "He's fast, he plays hard. We think he was going to be a McDonald's All-American had he stayed and played his senior year.



"He's settling in. He didn't have a summer to transition like the rest of our kids. It's been fast and furious with him, but he's working awfully hard."



The 6-foot-3 Lewis was rated the nation's No. 9 point guard by the 247Sports Composite. He was the No. 39 prospect overall, making him the second-highest ranked recruit on Alabama's roster after another former Huntsville-area standout - Mae Jemison's John Petty (No. 33 for 2017).

First look at Kira Lewis at Alabama practice



Lewis is expected to make an immediate impact in Tuscaloosa. Alabama lost star point guard Collin Sexton to the NBA, and four-star 2018 point guard signee Jared Butler announced in August that he was transferring to Baylor.



"The main thing is, we don't want to skip any steps with Kira," Johnson said. "He's only been on our campus for a couple of weeks. There's not unrealistic expectations with him. We're going to bring him along at whatever pace that he shows us he can excel. He's not a kid who we're bringing in and he has to play 40 minutes a game and lead us to victory every night. He still has to grow. His body has a way to go. He has to get stronger. He has a high ceiling and the future is bright for him. He's learning every day."





Alabama coach Avery Johnson and UAH coach Lennie Acuff chat prior to the Rocket City Classic press conference. (Daniel Boyette/dboyette@al.com)

Alabama is playing in Huntsville for the third consecutive year. The Crimson Tide edged Mercer last season and defeated Arkansas State in 2016.

Alabama and Liberty will play in the second game of a doubleheader at the Von Braun Center in downtown. UAH faces Fort Valley State in the opener. Tip-off times have not been set. Tickets are for sale at Ticketmater.com.



"One of my goals was to take Alabama basketball around the state," Johnson said. "I think basketball in the state of Alabama is very important. I know that we've talked about our state and our program being a football program, but we are a balanced program and basketball is critical to the success to our university. It adds another layer of energy to our students and the entertainment value that they have an opportunity to be a part of on our campus."

Daniel Boyette covers Huntsville sports for AL.com.