Bruce Pearl enjoys having K.D. Johnson on his team but is confident that the guard wouldn't make it long in Las Vegas if he chose to do some gambling.

"I don't think K.D. would be much of a poker player," the Auburn coach said with a smile. "You just look at his face, and you can see what he's feeling."

The emotions and antics of the Georgia transfer have quickly transformed him from Enemy No. 1 last season to Auburn fan-favorite, as Johnson gives everything he has when on the floor. Diving for loose balls, getting into a ball handler's face, even waving at a player before draining a three in front of him? Yeah, the Atlanta native has brought his brand of swagger and confidence to a team thriving with it.

It was noticeable early on this fall during team workouts. There's a chippiness to his play that can frustrate opponents. He is the type of guy you hate to face for a large portion of the game. Johnson is making his 25.7 minutes per game count, ranking second on the team in points (13.2) and leading the Tigers with two steals per game.

In a game in Auburn Arena earlier this season, Johnson went down underneath the basket and stayed down for a few minutes. As soon as he rose to his feet, the entire crowd started chanting, "K.D.! K.D.! K.D.!"

So what makes the hard-nosed sophomore so lovable to fans?

"I think fans appreciate his energy and his passion and his competitiveness,' Pearl said. "The fact that he plays with so much emotion that he wears on his sleeve, good, bad or indifferent."

That emotion immediately transfers to his teammates. The guard loves to celebrate when he makes a big defensive play that leads to a breakaway dunk. Heck, Johnson has a great time celebrating when he's not involved in the play, a sign of a good teammate and selfless player.

The Tigers now enter SEC play, and Johnson's passion holds a big key to Auburn's title hopes. No worries if you tune in to the game late and don't know the score. Just look for K.D. on the floor or the sidelines. His face will tell you how things are going.

He can't hide it.