Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Jazz guard Johnny Juzang (33) controls the ball around Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin (30) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Former Bruin Earns Season-High With Utah Jazz

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Mar 7, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Former UCLA Bruin standout guard Johnny Juzang has been a contributing piece for a severely struggling Utah Jazz squad in his third NBA season. He scored a season-high on Wednesday night, continuing to prove that he will be an impact player at the highest level for years to come.

Juzang posted a season-high 27 points on 10-15 shooting in a three-point loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. He added seven rebounds, two assists and a block to his stat total for the night. He ties a career-high 27 points that he posted in April of 2024.

The former two-year Bruin has started 10 of the 45 games he has played in this season, averaging 7.8 points on 42.4% shooting with 2.7 rebounds per game. He has gradually come along as a more consistent player. He played in just 38 games in his first two seasons, passing that mark this year.

Back in July of 2024, Juzang signed a four-year, $12-million deal with the organization that took him undrafted in 2022. Jazz coach Will Hardy spoke on the impact that Juzang has had for his team, earlier this season.

"I do want to highlight Johnny Juzang," Hardy said after Wednesday's game. "Johnny has put in a ton of work over the past two years. He was on a two-way for two seasons for us. He has changed his style of play from how he played in college, and that is really, really difficult to do.

"To have the wherewithal as a player to get to the NBA, playing a certain way, and while you're in the beginning stages of his career, instead of saying, 'No, this is who I am,' he recognized what he needed to do to stay in the league, make a name for himself, and to earn a full-time contract, and he did that."

Hardy's comments prove that yet another UCLA alumni is making an impact at the NBA level. Juzang's steady increase in production and skill has moved him from a two-way contract to being a full-time guy with much more in the tank. He has the ability to reach stardom in the next few years.

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

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