To some UCLA fans, this past weekend’s dismal homestand
against the Bay Area schools evoked memories of last year’s
late-season collapse. The Bruins themselves, however, won’t
acknowledge the similarities. “It’s a new team,”
senior guard Dijon Thompson said. “It doesn’t matter
what anyone else thinks. We’re going to stick together no
matter what.” It’s hard to ignore the parallels between
UCLA coach Ben Howland’s first two seasons in Westwood. A
year ago, the Bruins started the season 9-3 and reeled off five
consecutive wins to start conference play before three straight
losses to Arizona, Stanford and California sent the team into a
tailspin. That team lost its fourth game in a row to USC in the
midst of a six-game slide. This season, UCLA (10-6, 4-4) won four
of its first five conference games, but consecutive losses against
the same three opponents have tempered the enthusiasm considerably.
The Bruins, who wore matching white headbands for Saturday’s
loss against Cal, are preaching team unity as the key to regaining
their momentum beginning this Saturday at USC. Howland, too, is
optimistic, preaching practice and patience as the key to a
successful second half of the conference season. “This team
is definitely getting better,” Howland said after the Cal
loss. “We’re a very young team. All four of our
perimeter players were not playing in conference play at this time
last year. We’ve got to continue to improve, gain experience
and bounce back now.” A weekend loss to USC would only make
last year seem even more eerily familiar.
MAKING A SWITCH: Howland said after the Cal game that he will
consider moving Thompson, who has started at power forward the past
two months, back to wing. The senior struggled defensively again
this weekend, allowing Stanford’s Matt Haryasz to score 14
points and Cal’s Rod Benson to also tally 14. That could mean
that UCLA will employ a traditional starting lineup with two big
men or move freshman Josh Shipp to the power forward position.
“Josh has actually done a good job inside,” Howland
said.
DRIBBLERS: UCLA, which had been 27th in the Associated Press Top
25 poll last week, did not receive any votes after dropping its two
games against Stanford and Cal.