Jordan Farmar says he’s ready for postseason play. Arron
Afflalo doesn’t expect it to be too tough of an
adjustment.
Yet, when the Bruins take the floor at Staples Center for their
match-up with Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-10
Tournament this afternoon, it nonetheless will be the first taste
of single-elimination play for UCLA’s prized freshmen this
season.
“They haven’t been there,” senior Dijon
Thompson said. “It’s almost going to be like their
first Pac-10 game at Oregon State ““ deer in the headlights.
But I think we have enough seniors on the team to help them
out.”
Although the one-and-done atmosphere will be more intense,
Farmar, Afflalo and fellow freshman Josh Shipp have played beyond
their youth all season long, and don’t believe that a
tournament format offers any particularly new challenges for them.
Each of them pointed to their extensive playoff experience in high
school, where the trio played on championship-contending teams, as
the reason why they feel perfectly prepared.
In fact, as one might expect from a precocious freshman,
there’s talk among them of actually winning the
tournament.
“We’re relaxed right now,” freshman Arron
Afflalo said. “I don’t think any of us feel the
pressure that’s possibly out there. We’re comfortable,
and we have that potential (to win).”
None of the freshmen, however, have ever played under the bright
lights of Staples Center with postseason implications on the line.
The fourth-seeded Bruins (18-9, 11-7 Pac-10), who have won their
last four games, appear to have all but locked up an NCAA
Tournament berth and are likely playing for a better seeding when
the draw is announced this Sunday.
UCLA coach Ben Howland, however, is not worried about how his
freshmen will react.
“I think they’ve had so much experience now,”
Howland said. “All three of our starting freshmen are playing
over 30 minutes per game in conference. They’ve been through
a whole year now, and they’re playing good
basketball.”
So are the rest of the Bruins, who finished in the upper half of
the Pac-10 standings for the first time since the 2000-2001
season.
The Oregon State game will be a rubber match for UCLA, who
defeated the Beavers 69-61 a week ago at Pauley Pavilion.
Fifth-seeded Oregon State (16-13, 8-10) defeated UCLA in
Corvallis, Ore., on New Year’s Eve in the first conference
game of the season, but lost all nine of its conference road games
this season.
“But when we came into that last game they were 0-7 (on
the road), and they played very well against us at Pauley,”
Howland said.
If the Bruins do get by the Beavers, they will face the winner
of the Arizona-Cal game on Friday evening. UCLA split with the
Bears and was swept by the first-place Wildcats during the regular
season, though the Bruins did nearly spring the upset against
Arizona in Tucson.
Though several of the Bruins admitted it will be difficult to
beat Oregon State twice in such a short time span, the team
isn’t lacking confidence.
The Bruins are playing their best basketball of the year,
sharing the ball on offense and holding each of their last four
opponents below 70 points.
Not even starting a trio of freshman who have no postseason
experience is cause for apprehension.
“The way we’re playing right now, the chemistry is
there,” Afflalo said. “We’re all about
winning.”
With reports from Jeff Eisenberg, Bruin Sports senior staff.