LOS ANGELES — If Keshad Johnson and Jaden Bradley get into playful trash talk, Johnson has an ace-in-the-hole that doubles as guidance for Arizona’s 2024 Final Four aspirations.
“Sometimes I give (Bradley) a hard time about it, and I rub it in his face a little bit,” Johnson said with a smile on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, site of the NCAA Tournament West Regional.
A year ago at this time, teammates Johnson and Bradley were opponents. San Diego State’s path to the national championship game, during which Johnson started for the Aztecs, crossed South Region No. 1 seed Alabama.
Bradley came off the Crimson Tide bench as a freshman.
Johnson’s performance in a 71-64 Aztecs win proved crucial. He denied former Alabama guard and one-time UA 2018 recruiting commit Jahvon Quinerly at the rim as SDSU clung to a one-score lead after the under-8 media timeout.
Darrion Tramell scored on the ensuing change of possession to push the Aztecs’ lead to five.
San Diego State forward Keshad Johnson (0) shoots against Alabama forward Noah Clowney (15) in the first half of the Aztecs’ Sweet 16 victory over the Crimson Tide on March 24, 2023.
Johnson later swiped a steal from 2023 NBA lottery pick Brandon Miller, which eventually led to a Jaedon LeDee bucket and nine-point SDSU lead, effectively putting the game away.
A final stat line of eight points, six rebounds, a block and a steal is solid on its own, but the high-pressure situation in which Johnson stepped up has become his calling card at UA.
“Any play that it takes to save the game” is how Johnson describes his approach. “You’ll see one thing on film and be like, ‘OK, that’ll happen tomorrow in the game.’
“And if I can do that to save the game, let me do that, let me make that play,” Johnson added. “Let me dive on the floor for it, let me get that deflection, whatever the case may be.”
Clemson coach Brad Brownell captured the multitude of ways Johnson impacts the game when describing the forward with a list of adjectives.
“Johnson is super athletic, competitive, tough, beats you off the bounce, can make a (3-pointer), can guard five men. He does everything,” Brownell said, with hardly a breath between.
Too bad Brownell did not have a vote for Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.
UA coach Tommy Lloyd lamented Johnson not earning the honor when he offered his own set of descriptors characterizing the forward’s role.
“His toughness and versatility and effort he gives on the defensive end are almost second to none,” Lloyd said of Johnson. “His impact on the defensive end just gets lost in the shuffle, but not on me. He gives it everything he’s got, every possession and he’s really, really helped us at that end of the floor. He’s helped grow our identity there.
“Trust me, any coach in our conference, any coach in the country (who) had Keshad Johnson on their team would value what he brings to the team,” Lloyd added.
Bradley’s opportunities to make such contributions a year ago opposite Johnson were limited. Coming into Alabama a McDonald’s All-American, he showed flashes of brilliance — outings like his 18 points against Gonzaga and 14 with four assists and a couple of rebounds against SEC rival Tennessee.
Alabama guard Jaden Bradley (0) moves the ball against San Diego State guard Matt Bradley (20) in the first half of the teams’ Sweet 16 matchup on March 24, 2023.
In the final month, however, Bradley’s minutes fluctuated. He played just 13 combined in the Tide’s final two at the NCAA Tournament, including five in the Sweet 16 meeting with SDSU.
“We talk about it all the time,” Bradley told the Star on Wednesday, referring to his conversations with Johnson about the 2023 matchup. “It was as far as I was able to get last year, so I’m trying to do everything that I can in my power to help my team win and help myself get past the Sweet 16.”
UA can thank Bradley in no small part for reaching this Sweet 16. His 12-point, four-rebound, three-block and three-steal output in the Wildcats’ 78-68 defeat of Dayton in the second round proved timely in addressing the Flyers’ second-half push.
Lloyd described Bradley as “spectacular,” specifically on defense.
“He has a knack for really understanding the scouting report, but also having the courage to make in-the-moment, impactful decisions on the defensive end,” Lloyd said of Bradley.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0), center Motiejus Krivas (14), forward Keshad Johnson (16) and guard Pelle Larsson (3) react to a call during the second half of the Wildcats' matchup with Oregon State on Jan. 24 in Corvallis, Oregon.
They may have come to UA from different programs, and on opposite ends of the same NCAA Tournament encounter, but Johnson and Bradley are leaving similar impressions on this season for the Wildcats.
Their intertwining dynamic is not unlike the overall make-up of this team.
Losing hosts of talent in each of the previous two seasons forced Lloyd and his staff to construct a new-look roster in short order.
Bringing together a variety of personalities unknown to each other — and, as Johnson noted, from a variety of cultural backgrounds — could be combustible. But for UA, it’s blown up in the best possible way with Johnson as a key component.
“The relationship that we all have with each other is just a blessing,” Johnson said. “Caleb [Love] was on the journey that he went, me and Jayden seeing each other last year (in the NCAA Tournament). Oumar (Ballo) and Pelle (Larsson) being on great (UA) teams; we just all talk about all these great experiences and everything.”
All of those experiences come together to give the Wildcats their identity — and the occasional source of friendly trash talk.
After a late push in the second half to solidify their lead, Arizona defeated Dayton, 78-68, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. (March Madness YouTube)
No. 2 Arizona defeated No. 15 Long Beach State, 85-65, in the first round of the 2024 NCAA tournament, led by a 20 point performance from Kylan Boswell. (March Madness YouTube)
