Bruins' Senior Guard Continues to Lead Team to Wins

UCLA transfer senior guard Kobe Johnson may not be lighting up the scoreboard, but his vocal leadership and contributions in every aspect of the game are a major reason why the Bruins have won eight straight and are a dangerous team in the Big Ten.

Dec 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) celebrates after defeating the Arizona Wildcats at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (9-1) have had several players step up in big moments, but nobody has impacted their early season more than transfer senior guard Kobe Johnson who is coming off another incredible game in a comeback win over the Arizona Wildcats (4-5).

In a massive comeback over the Wildcats, Johnson was all over the stat sheet with 7 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. He finished with 13 deflections and was a major reason why the Bruins forced 22 turnovers this past Saturday.

Bruins coach Mick Cronin spoke postgame about Johnson's impact even though he was not the top scorer. Cronin values and appreciates when players are able to positively impact the game outside of scoring and that is what Johnson has been able to do all season long.

"While we were struggling, Kobe [Johnson] really was a huge factor," Cronin said. "Just his voice, his will to win. He ends up with13 deflections, he's just all over the court and he got seven rebounds which, obviously, we struggled to get a rebound today. I thought his will to win was just tremendous."

With the Bruins trailing by 13 points with 10 minutes left, it felt that their seven-game win streak was slowly coming to an end. Johnson definitely did not feel that way as he continued to stay confident and motivate his teammates to make their 21-5 to close the game and win by three.

Bruins junior guard Skyy Clark also gave his two cents on Johnson's leadership and ability to lead this team to victory time after time. He mentioned Johnson's confidence and staying vocal even when the team is trailing by double digits in a key game.

"Like Coach [Cronin] said, Kobe was a big reason for that," Clark said. "In the huddles and the timeouts, dead balls, he was just telling us not give up and that we [were] going to come back, we [were] going to win. I mean that energy, it's infectious and so it just spread throughout the whole team."

Even though Johnson only averages 7.3 points per game, his ability to force turnovers, scrap for rebounds, and deliver key assists is what makes him one of the most important players on the team. The former USC Trojans has bought into the Bruins program and has been a shining star.

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