The extra pounds of muscle that Cedric Bozeman added this
offseason might not make much of a difference once the season
finally gets underway.
What could matter more is that his mental makeup has gotten
stronger.
Bozeman, UCLA’s starting point guard, has fought through
injuries and adversity since he first donned a Bruin uniform in
2001. As he prepares for tonight’s final exhibition tune-up
against the Southern California All-Stars, the embattled junior
believes he is prepared for whatever lies ahead.
“I feel like I can deal with any adversity,” Bozeman
said. “I haven’t felt this good since coming in as a
freshman.”
Confidence has been a stumbling block for Bozeman, since
graduating from Santa Ana’s Mater Dei High School as perhaps
the nation’s most decorated prep hoopster. Basketball came
easily to him in high school, but the transition to college has
been more of a struggle.
A torn ligament in his right knee ended his 2001 season early.
Then a strained right shoulder suffered against USC last February
derailed his sophomore campaign.
“Any time you deal with adversity, you get tougher,”
UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “I’m sure that has
happened with him. He has goals that he’s set for himself,
and he wants to reach them.”
Now that he is finally 100 percent healthy, Bozeman is ready to
let his on-court performance stand for itself. Howland has named
him a team captain along with teammate Dijon Thompson. And all
aspects of his game are rounding into shape.
“I’m pushing the ball well and rebounding
well,” Bozeman said. “The scoring will be there, so
I’m not worried about that. Where I need to get better is
defense. That’s where I can take over a game.”
Bozeman’s defensive prowess was what struck Howland
immediately when the guard took the floor for the first day of
practice last month. Howland said that at times, Bozeman looks
dominant. What he lacks in quickness, he makes up for with his long
reach and athleticism.
“He’s just a phenomenal athlete,” Howland
said. “He’s the best guard I’ve ever had in terms
of transition defense and stopping the ball. I’m really happy
with how he’s playing.”
Tonight’s exhibition game will give Bozeman another chance
to showcase how much he’s improved. Bozeman says he’d
like to play with even more intensity on defense tonight, and of
course improve upon his woeful 1-for-7 free throw shooting
performance Wednesday night against EA Sports.
Bozeman and the rest of the Bruins have been shooting free
throws each day in practice since Wednesday’s 5-of-23
debacle, and they expect to see improvement as soon as tonight.
“You’re not going to win many games shooting like we
did,” Bozeman said.
This season will clearly be a crucial one in Bozeman’s
UCLA basketball career. With highly touted high school guards
Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo expected to push him for playing
time next season, it will be important for Bozeman to establish
himself as a stalwart in the Bruin backcourt.
But after all the injuries and all of last year’s losses,
Bozeman refuses to put additional pressure on himself to
succeed.
“I’ve been through so much the last two years, I
don’t think there’s any type of pressure on me,”
he said. “I just want to come out and help my team.
That’s all that’s on my mind right now.”
Howland is confident he’ll be able to do just that.