At this point, Dijon Thompson can only shrug, as indeed he did
following UCLA’s 55-48 loss to lowly Washington State.
Who knows why UCLA can’t play a good first half?
Who knows why the Bruins can’t win a game?
Who knows what they can do to get back on track?
Coach Ben Howland’s answer to all that apparently had been
to put Thompson, the team’s leading scorer, on the bench.
Only a minor miracle for Thompson, an 11th-hour injury to
shooting guard Brian Morrison, who sprained his right ankle in the
last 10 minutes of practice late Wednesday, kept Howland from
getting what he wanted after announcing the lineup change in favor
of Morrison on Tuesday.
Thompson, a junior co-captain, responded against WSU with a
quiet 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting that actually tied a team high
with forward T.J. Cummings.
But that’s what Thompson is expected to do in averaging
14.1 points per game ““ score. What Howland wanted at the
position was someone who could properly play defense so UCLA
wouldn’t fall behind early as it has throughout its losing
streak, which has now been extended to six games.
Thompson failed in that respect, as Cougar guard Thomas Kelati
scored 15 points of his own.
“Kelati got it going,” Howland said. “We
didn’t do a good job guarding him. (Scoring 15 points) is
like scoring 25 points (in the WSU offense).”
Thompson actually has been the vocal one throughout the
team’s losing streak, questioning his teammates’ heart
and desire in recent games, but he was in no mood to talk after the
game Thursday.
“It’s coach Howland’s decision,”
Thompson said of his impending removal from the starting lineup
before walking away.
“He wasn’t upset or anything,” said roommate
and teammate Cedric Bozeman, referring to Thompson’s
immediate reaction to Howland’s decision. “He reacted
well to it. He’s doing it for the betterment of the
team.”
But in Howland’s mind, it would be better for the team if
Thompson would stay on the bench. Howland indicated Tuesday while
announcing his decision to start Morrison that Thompson’s
energy level has decreased.
“(The lineup change) is based on performance and
intensity, as well,” Howland said Tuesday.
Morrison is expected to miss the game against Washington on
Saturday, so Thompson will have to pick it up against speedy Husky
guards Will Conroy, Nate Robinson and Brandon Roy, who all took
turns blowing by the Bruin backcourt in UCLA’s 86-84 overtime
win last month in Seattle.
It appears, though, that Thompson won’t have a hard time
getting over this latest loss.
“A loss is a loss,” he said. “We
couldn’t pull it out.”