ROSEMONT, Ill. —
Kobe Johnson was trying to be sly, sneaking glances over at Mick Cronin on the sideline. Cronin caught on, but it didn’t matter.
USC’s star defender decoded the play call from UCLA’s coach — a shot for Lazar Stefanovic — and signaled to his teammates what was coming.
The Trojans got a stop. The Bruins got an earful.
“That’s not going to work,” Johnson playfully told Cronin last season as he headed up the court the other way.
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In his head, Cronin acknowledged defeat.