But in the larger basketball world, Kobe Johnson has rarely been his own player. Jalen Johnson casts a long shadow, thriving now with the Atlanta Hawks with a similarly tuned skillset – defensive versatility and complementary offense – that Kobe Johnson brings to USC. The two played together and starred at Nicolet High in Wisconsin, except Jalen was a coveted five-star on a collision course with the league and his younger brother was an underrecruited three-star with a slighter frame but a massive chip on his shoulder.

“I think last year, a lot of people realized what type of player I am and what type of player I can be,” Kobe Johnson said in October, coming off a sophomore season named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. “And I think that really helped me get out of (Jalen’s) shadow.”

“Honestly, all my life I kinda played like that – I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder,” Johnson said postgame. “But it’s nothing new. I’m just gonna stick to the work that I’ve put in.”

Enfield made emphatically clear postgame that he could care less about someone’s draft stock, and for good reason: USC has much bigger problems to worry about, now sitting at 9-7 in the thick of a gory Pac-12. But Johnson, nonetheless, put an NBA-ready defensive profile on display with a ridiculous two-way impact in the first half against the Cardinals.

After a 2-of-21 stretch shooting 3-pointers in December, Johnson rediscovered his jumper Wednesday against Cal and hunted jumpers and layups in rhythm, scoring 12 points before the break. And he created offensive possessions from pure defensive chaos, flying from behind to swat away a jumper from Stanford’s Andrej Stojakovic, the son of former NBA great Peja Stojakovic, then zipping downcourt and finishing a tough layup.

Boogie Ellis continued a transcendent senior year with five first-half 3-pointers and 17 points, finishing with 22 to boost a scorching 3-point mark to 46% on the year. But even as USC continued to find an offensive footing behind Johnson, Ellis and freshman point guard Isaiah Collier, their depth went ice-cold – receiving just one bucket outside of the trio in the first half, with Bronny James going 0 for 4 on the night.

And every time USC went on a run in the second half, Stanford responded with a barrage of triples in an almost-comedic yo-yo effect. DJ Rodman hit back-to-back threes early in the frame, bellowing in glee to his bench on his trot back down the floor; then Stanford’s Benny Gealer canned a three.

Collier (1) got his 3-point jumper going in a brilliant night overall, draining a couple to put USC up nine when defenders ducked under screens; then Stanford’s Brandon Angel canned a three.

But after a quick floater from the Cardinals’ Kanaan Carlyle answered USC again, pulling Stanford within eight with two minutes to go, Johnson stuck the final dagger: a between-the-legs dribble, attack and hanging and-one finish for the cherry on top of an all-around dominant night: 21 points, five steals, five assists, five rebounds.

“I thought he played, probably, his best game of the year,” Enfield said of Johnson postgame.

It’s been two games, yes. But USC has taken leaps and bounds offensively behind Collier’s development, Ellis’ steady flamethrower and Johnson’s aggressiveness, and seems to have turned a slight corner as Johnson said they were “playing a lot more unselfish.” No more one-pass-shot possessions.

“I’m very hopeful that this team can keep improving, and I think that they’ve bought into what we’re trying to accomplish – we have a chance to win some games,” Enfield said.

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