UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Praises USC Transfer Kobe Johnson

Johnson left USC for the Bruins during the offseason.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The UCLA men's basketball team made several pivotal additions through the transfer portal this offseason — including former USC guard Kobe Johnson.

Johnson transferred to the Bruins from the Trojans as one of the many USC players to leave the program following the departure of former head coach Andy Enfield, who went to SMU. Johnson spent three seasons with the Trojans before leaving the program.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin is excited about what the senior will bring to the team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Cronin compared Johnson to one of the best defensive players he's coached, Jaylen Clark.

"Kobe Johnson's in a whole different class," Cronin said at the first day of fall practice Wednesday. "He's with Jaylen Clark as the best two defenders I've ever been around."

Cronin had huge praise for USC transfer Kobe Johnson's defense.

"Kobe Johnson's in a whole different class. He's with Jaylen Clark as the best two defenders I've ever been around." pic.twitter.com/iIy7mcN5ZK

— Eva Geitheim (@EGeitheim) September 25, 2024

Clark spent four seasons with the Bruins from 2020-23 and emerged as one of the best defensive players in the country. Clark played a pivotal role in the UCLA teams that made three straight NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and a Final Four appearance in 2021 and was both the Pac-12 and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.

Cronin previously recited similar praise of Johnson over the summer, noting he believes Johnson has the potential to win a Defensive Player of the Year award as Clark did.

“Kobe Johnson’s as good a defensive player as Jaylen Clark, and that’s as high of praise as I can give anybody," Cronin told CBS's Jon Rothstein on his podcast "College Hoops Today" in July. "I think he’s a guy that’s going to get drafted for sure and has got a chance to be Defensive Player of the Year nationally.”

Cronin has often emphasized the importance of defense as a coach. When the Bruins shot inconsistently last season, the team often relied on defense toward the end of the season to win games.

"In my heart of hearts, my DNA, I like to dictate the tempo of the game with my defense," Cronin said Wednesday.

Cronin seemingly always has at least one great defensive player on his teams, whether that's Clark, Adem Bona — the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 — or now Johnson.

Johnson has already been named to two Pac-12 All-Defensive Teams throughout his career, and is now expected to continue UCLA's recent tradition of great defense.