Dijon Thompson was his usual laid-back self at the post-game
press conference, leaning back in his chair, smiling.
It’s his general demeanor, but it also represents a
certain comfort level that the small forward has developed after
three years at UCLA.
Coach Ben Howland acknowledged this earlier in the week by
declaring that Thompson along with fellow junior Cedric Bozeman
will serve as co-team captains this season.
“It’s big,” Thompson said following
Tuesday’s 95-59 win over the Southern California All-Stars.
“I’m honored that Coach Howland has allowed me to be
team captain.”
“These guys have worked really hard,” Howland said
of Thompson and Bozeman. “They do a great job leading by
example on the court and in the classroom.”
But how exactly will a guy like Thompson, who is reserved in
nature, lead the Bruins?
“Not vocally, but I’m going to try to do my best to
lead the team through play,” Thompson said.
On Tuesday, Thompson scored all 12 of his points in the first
half, shooting 4-for-10 from the field. He also displayed his
passing ability with four assists, including an alley-oop lob to
freshman Trevor Ariza.
“I thought I threw it low, but I’m glad he finished
it,” Thompson said.
“These type of games are confidence-builders,” he
said.
It’s a far cry from what happened last year when during
the exhibitions, Thompson had not yet even established himself in
the starting lineup. He admitted Tuesday that the semi-breakout
year he had was a semi-surprise.
But by the end of the season, Thompson was a regular in the
lineup, averaging 14 points and nearly five rebounds per game.
“For me to play as well as I did last year, I was
surprised,” he said. “Last year, I felt
good.”
Still, it was a bittersweet year considering the Bruins were
suffering through a 10-19 record last season.
And now that Thompson has achieved burgeoning-star status,
scrutiny comes with it. Howland noted after last week’s win
over EA Sports that Thompson had to ask himself out of the game.
But Thompson laughed off questions about his conditioning Tuesday,
saying he just needed a quick breather on offense.
It wasn’t too long ago when Thompson was merely a pawn for
UCLA ““ someone used to jump-start a sluggish UCLA offense.
Now he’s expected to be a captain.