Feb 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) drives past Penn State Nittany Lions guard Freddie Dilione V (4) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA's Kobe Johnson Continues Hot Streak

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Feb 20, 2025 4:09 PM ET

Despite dropping their last game to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the UCLA Bruins have been on a decent run as of late. Of course, no one likes losing, but the Bruins did put up a fight to the very end in the losing effort.

One Bruin who has found success down the line has been senior guard Kobe Johnson. Johnson is in his first season with the Bruins, and he has brought his A-game to try to add to UCLA's win total down the stretch. Starting off the year slow, Johnson has caught fire at the right time.

On the season, Johnson has averaged 8.6 points per game and has been highly known for his defensive work for the Bruins. Since dropping a double-double performance against the Penn State Nittany Lions, Johnson has averaged 12.7 points over the last four-game stretch.

While he has not dipped under the double-digit mark in point value since the win over Penn State, Johnson's defense has not taken a step back by any means. Johnson has collected 26 rebounds in his past four games and is averaging 6.5 per game, which only aids UCLA down the line as the program tries to close the gap in the Big Ten standings.

Johnson has been very aggressive this season for the Bruins, which only helps the team as he is a veteran presence in the locker room. Leading the way in average rebounds per game and steals per game (1.7), opponents are going to have to start to put Johnson on their radar down the stretch.

The one error in Johnson's game that still remains is the number of personal fouls he gets, but that comes with the way he plays. Johnson is averaging 2.8 personal foul calls this season, which is the highest it has ever been for him in his collegiate career.

The Bruins will look for Johnson to continue his hot streak as they host the Ohio State Buckeyes in Los Angeles on Sunday. The players will have a chance to rest and refocus on the task at hand in the Buckeyes, as UCLA will need Johnson to remain consistent in the final games of the season.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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