They say going away can help you find yourself. For coach Trent Johnson, a trip to Europe meant finding his point guard rotation. After a disappointing end to a promising season last year, Stanford entered the summer with question marks at the “one.”

Anthony Goods and Fred Washington, when healthy, were last year’s starting guards — but neither was a natural ball handler. Mitch Johnson had the right skills, but ended the season in a slump. And Drew Shiller, a transfer from the University of San Francisco, was an unknown.

Then, in August, the Cardinal went overseas for a 12-day, six-game tour in Italy. There, Trent Johnson said, his questions were answered.

Mitch Johnson, the once-timid, mistake-prone point guard, was now making crisp passes and running the team with confidence. Johnson played so well that he didn’t just earn the starting nod — the junior was named a co-captain as well, a testament to the hard work he put in to improve his game and his leadership in the locker room.

“I don’t know if Mitch Johnson has ever not had confidence,” Trent Johnson said Tuesday. “He’s taking what’s coming to him and making good decisions.”

Tonight’s game against Washington is a homecoming for the younger Johnson, a Seattle native. Stanford is 0-2 against the Huskies in Seattle during his two years on the Farm, but Mitch and his teammates are currently playing what seems like their best basketball over that span.

Stanford’s No. 14 ranking is its highest in-season mark since 2004, and its point guard is posting improved averages in points, rebounds and assists. Against Cal last Saturday, Johnson scored a career high 16 points, adding seven assists and five rebounds.

His coach, however, likes the intangibles. Last year’s mistakes, more often than not, are things of the past.

“Sometimes putting the ball on the floor and attacking the baseline when there’s two bigs in there, trying to make a play,” Trent Johnson said, explaining how his point guard was too aggressive at times last year.

“Those are all good things,” he added. “That’s what competitive guys try to do.”

While he may be competitive, Mitch Johnson has matured. His coach said they “didn’t talk much” about last year’s struggles, but the then-sophomore took the cuts in playing time in stride.

“He likes winning,” Trent Johnson said. “But it’s understanding what’s best for the team . . . . That’s hard this day and age for players to be like that.”

Mitch Johnson’s improvements have also made his team better. He is hitting his shots (at a career-high .450 field goal percentage) and punishing opponents when they sag off him defensively. He has also been making better entry passes into the post of late, helping contribute to Brook Lopez’s recent offensive explosion.

Lopez was hampered by foul trouble in the first half last week against Cal, but the team went early and often to him down low in the second. The sophomore big man responded by scoring 23 points, helping lead the Card to an 82-77 road win.

“We did a good job of getting out of the double team,” Mitch said after Saturday’s win. “I got into a good rhythm, and we did a good job of moving the ball around.”

While his minutes have been up and down this season, Shiller, too, was productive against the Golden Bears. His six points were his highest total since Nov. 17, coming on a pair of particularly well-timed three-pointers.

“When he shoots the ball and is ready to play, no question,” Trent Johnson said of Shiller’s boosted playing time Saturday. “One of the things that’s important, and these guys all understand, is staying ready.”

The coach, as always, will alter lineups and adjust to match-ups throughout the season. But the guards — Mitch Johnson at the point, Anthony Goods at the shooting guard — have been the only consistent starters all year.

Shiller remains a question mark. He can be a prolific scorer (he led the team in Stanford’s first two games), but has struggled defensively at times, especially against smaller guards like Cal’s Jerome Randle.

Learning the point guard role, especially with a new team, takes time, his coach emphasized.

“He’s getting better,” Trent Johnson said. “To his credit, he’s done a heck of a job coming out every day and working [on his game].”

If Shiller’s work sees the same improvements as Johnson’s, Stanford’s point guard spot will be in good hands for years to come.