Dec 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) dribbles the ball against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA's Kobe Johnson Reaches New Milestone in Senior Season

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 3:19 PM ET

The UCLA Bruins continue to play their best basketball of the season, as they took down the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, 78-54. While the team has flourished and meshed well together on this winning streak, the game was a big one for UCLA senior Kobe Johnson.

Johnson earned his first-career double-double, Grabbing 13 rebounds while scoring 15 points and also collecting six assists, one block and four steals,Johnson was a force to be reckoned with.

In his first season with the Bruins, Johnson has remained consistent so far into the campaign. An every game starter, Johnson is UCLA's backbone for rebounding both on offense and defense. In fact, Johnson knows a thing or two about stealing the basketball away from the opposition.

Coming off two back-to-back four rebound games against the Oregon Ducks and the Michigan State Spartans, this performance was needed for Johnson. You can easily see the emotion he plays with on the court; just look at how he and Skyy Clark turned back-to-back steals into back-to-back dunks for the Bruins.

Johnson, who transferred to UCLA for his senior campaign, is in his final collegiate season, but with statistics like that, he could eventually find himself on a pro roster if given the chance.

Johnson has been a key factor for the Bruins on their seven-game win streak. Over that stretch, he has averaged 8.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals, all in 31 minutes of average court time.

As it sits right now, Johnson leads UCLA in rebounds, assists and steals and is ranked fifth on the team in blocks. Johnson makes sure he uses his 6-foot-6 frame to intimidate his opponents at the collegiate level. It especially comes in handy when the Bruins need to keep momentum in crucial rebounding moments.

For the Bruins to reach their maximum potential, Johnson will need to continue to have performances like he did Saturday.

Going forward for UCLA, the program will travel to Illinois to take on the Illinois Fighting Illinis on Tuesday, where it will look for Johnson to carry the success he had against Penn State.

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

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