Mar 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) reacts in the second half against the Southern California Trojans at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA's Kobe Johnson Had Impressive Regular Season in LA

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Mar 10, 2025 12:29 PM ET

The UCLA Bruins ended their first season as a part of the Big Ten conference by sweeping their in-state rivals, the USC Trojans. The Bruins saw a lot more success than their rivals this past season, finishing with a record of 22-9 and finishing in fourth place in the Big Ten standings.

While none of this season's success could have been done by a single player, several stood out and contributed throughout the entire season. One player who jumped off the page for UCLA is a player in his first season with the team, being senior guard Kobe Johnson.

Johnson was slow to start off the season but quickly found his momentum and quickly became a major threat to the Bruins' opponents all year. Johnson's first season as a Bruin ended quite impressively, by leading the program in average rebounds per game (six) and steals per game (1.7).

The former USC product joined the Bruins for his final collegiate season as he potentially gets ready to hear his name on draft day. Johnson's defense has been electric all season, and at 6-6 and 200 pounds, with stellar defense, will turn some heads from any NBA franchise on Draft Day.

Depending on what franchises are looking for, Johnson could go as high as the second round, but as late as un-drafted. Throughout his collegiate career, Johnson put together an impressive line score, including a field-goal percentage of 43.3% and a 3-point percentage of 33.3%.

As previously stated, Johnson is often noticed for his defensive expertise. In fact, his rebounding average is the highest it has ever been in his collegiate career. Given the fact that Coach Mick Cronin strives for his players to play well on defense, it is no shock that Johnson improved his career numbers this past season.

Johnson and junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, as well as sophomore forward Eric Dailey Jr., put the program on their backs this past season. For a program that has spent the last 13 seasons apart of the Pac-12, the transition to winning 22 games in the Big Ten showcases it takes talent to be in the conference, and Johnson, as well as his teammates, have talent.

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

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