With just a little over a week before the regular-season opener
against Vermont, UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland isn’t
going to make any changes to his starting lineup. That means center
Michael Fey will keep the job he won this year over fellow
sophomore Ryan Hollins, but Howland downplayed the importance of it
all. “People make too big of a deal out of who’s
starting,” he said at his Wednesday press conference.
“Fey and Hollins are a very good one-two punch. We’re
going to try to have both of them play.” Both ended up
playing near-equal minutes and scoring 16 points each in two
exhibition games. Howland said the 6-foot-11 Hollins ““ whom
the coach hopes to eventually develop into a power forward ““
has accepted his role. The coach characterized Hollins as a
late-bloomer who plays with intelligence. “I’m really
excited about him,” Howland said. “He has the potential
to be great. “That’s what happens with big kids
sometimes. They’re gangly, but they come on later.”
Fey, meanwhile, has been one of the leading scorers and offensive
rebounders in practice, and that is starting to translate in games.
The 7-footer rebounded after a shaky first start, scoring 14 points
in 18 minutes against the SoCal All-Stars on Tuesday.
BOZEMAN’S BUM ANKLE: Point guard Cedric
Bozeman suffered a sprained ankle in practice Monday, but still
played the following night against the All-Stars. Bozeman, a
junior, ended up with five points and three assists in 24 minutes.
“We weren’t sure he would play, but it’s a good
sign he did,” Howland said. “That shows his
toughness.” “(Cedric’s) tougher than last
year,” guard Brian Morrison said. “That’s a
tribute to Coach Howland.”
RUBIN ON THE RISE: Junior guard Janou Rubin,
who was added on as a scholarship player for the season, has been a
pleasant surprise for Howland. Rubin has been one of the first
players off the bench, scoring 11 points in 17 minutes against the
All-Stars. “There’s a guy who I had no idea
about,” said Howland, referring to Rubin. “I had no
idea we had a walk-on who could play. “He would be starting
at some Big West or West Coast Conference programs. He makes us
much better in practice.”