Ben Howland built a juggernaut at Pittsburgh by instilling a
sense of selflessness in his players. So far at UCLA, he
hasn’t seen the same level of sacrifice. A recent
conversation with one of his top pupils, former Pittsburgh point
guard Brandin Knight, reminded Howland just how much more unselfish
his Bruins need to be before they can achieve their full potential.
“That’s what we have to learn to understand and
continue to grow here at UCLA,” Howland said. “We still
have some players who in the their deepest reaches are still
thinking of themselves and their shots rather than the team and
winning.” One player who embodies the self-sacrificing style
Howland craves is reserve Josiah Johnson. In limited minutes, the
junior forward has demonstrated a good attitude and a grasp of the
game befitting a second generation player. “He gets
it,” Howland said. “He understands that it’s
about the team.” Howland rewarded Johnson with 19 minutes off
the bench in Saturday’s loss against California. Although he
said Tuesday that Johnson’s minutes would likely decrease
today against USC, he acknowledged how accommodating Johnson has
been. “He’s going to do whatever I ask him to
do,” Howland said. “He really wants to win, and I
appreciate that.”
MORRISON RETURNS: Junior guard Brian Morrison
will see limited playing time tonight against USC, Howland said
Tuesday. Morrison, who suffered a left hamstring injury Dec. 20
against Michigan State, practiced Monday for the first time in over
a month. Howland said Morrison favored the injury at times, but
that trainers indicated it was more of a confidence issue than
anything else. Morrison, perhaps the team’s top outside
shooter, should provide UCLA with another perimeter threat if USC
employs a zone defense. He also should make a positive impact
defensively with his quickness and ability to locate shooters in
transition defense.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW: After watching the tape of
Cal’s disputed one-point victory over USC, Howland said he
believed the officials erred in not making a call on the final play
of the game. The call in question was a non-call when Trojan guard
Errick Craven appeared to be fouled on his way to the basket. USC
coach Henry Bibby immediately disputed the officials’
decision and has spoken out repeatedly to the media since the
incident.