For Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, rebounding simply wasn’t a
concern. Now it’s of foremost importance.
For Mike Roll, creating his own shot was never a problem. Now he
needs screens from his teammates to get good looks at the
basket.
For Darren Collison, athleticism and quickness almost always
made up for any lapses in defensive fundamentals. Now defensive
lapses result in easy baskets for the other team.
And so it goes in the transformation of a Bruin freshman, as
players who could essentially have their way in high school are
learning that things have changed. And as a result, they are
changing too.
“In high school, it was just rebounding for
whatever,” said Mbah a Moute, a freshman forward from
Cameroon. “It wasn’t like it was one of my tasks or
anything. Now I have to rebound, and I have to go to the boards
every time.”
It’s not hard, but it’s different.
“It’s the kind of adjustment you have to
make,” Mbah a Moute said.
It’s that kind of attitude that has third-year Bruin coach
Ben Howland so excited about his second UCLA recruiting class.
“This is a competitive group,” Howland said.
“They’re going to have a chance to contribute right
away.”
This year’s freshman class certainly has a different look
from last season when Howland brought in a trio of highly touted
guards, Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo and Josh Shipp, to give the
Bruins one of the top-five recruiting classes in the nation.
While this group isn’t as highly regarded nationally, it
addresses needs that will undoubtedly improve the Bruin lineup. By
bringing in three forwards, Mbah a Moute, Ryan Wright and Alfred
Aboya, in addition to guards Collison and Roll, Howland has added
size and strength to the Bruin roster.
And because that roster has been somewhat depleted because of
injuries early this season, several freshmen are being called on to
make big contributions right away.
A guard in high school, the 6-foot-7-inch Mbah a Moute will
begin the season as UCLA’s starting power forward. Though
Howland’s original intention was for Mbah a Moute to play the
small forward position, injuries to Aboya and senior center Michael
Fey have forced Mbah a Moute into a new, relatively unknown
role.
“He’s going to be one of our better rebounders, and
he’s a good competitor,” Howland said. “What I
like about him is that he handles the ball so well. He can make
passes and he can make plays for other people.”
Collison, a 6-foot point guard from Etiwanda High and
Farmar’s backup, has been particularly impressive in the
Bruins’ two exhibition games.
He had 13 points and 5 assists in Farmar’s absence in the
first exhibition game against Carleton University, and he added 16
points and 10 assists against California State University, Monterey
Bay.
Particularly noteworthy for Howland was a play that Collison
made against Carleton, where after making a steal about seven feet
behind half-court, he took two dribbles to get to the rim and
dunked the ball with ease.
“You have to be a heck of an athlete to cover that much
ground with that much speed,” Howland said.
Roll, a pure shooter from Aliso Viejo, led Aliso Niguel High to
the CIF Southern Section Division I-A championship last season.
Howland is impressed with Roll’s basketball intelligence and
his ability to knock down open shots.
Bruin fans haven’t yet had a look at Aboya, a 6-8 power
forward who played at Tilton Prep Academy in New Hampshire. Aboya
underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Oct. 12, and should
return for the Bruins later this month.
“I can’t wait to get that guy on the floor,”
Afflalo said of Aboya.
“He’s the ultimate team player, just hard-nosed.
He’s what this school needs, what this team needs.”
“He rebounds, sets screens, does all the little things to
help your team win.”
Wright, a 6-8 freshman from Ontario, Canada, averaged 21 points,
10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots per game for Loyola
Catholic High last season. His size and athleticism will pay
dividends for the Bruins down the road.
But for now, every freshman is going to have to endure the lumps
that are an inevitable part of the transition from high school to
college.
Collison, despite how well he played in the team’s first
exhibition game, was still criticized by Howland for not getting
back in transition defense. The Bruin coach also said that Collison
needs to add muscle to his wiry frame.
Roll said he has to become a better defender. Mbah a Moute, in
just his fifth year of organized basketball, needs to continue to
focus on post defense and rebounding.
In short, each freshman has a ways to go, and they realize
that.
“I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable, but I’m
doing pretty good on my process of learning,” Mbah a Moute
said.
“I need to improve pretty much everything,” Roll
said. “You can always get bigger and stronger. Being a better
defensive player, being quicker on the ball and then hopefully just
improving my shot as much as possible.”
Farmar, who has plenty of memories of what it was like last
season as a freshman, is already impressed with what he has seen
from his young teammates.
“Our freshmen are getting on board quick,” Farmar
said. “The faster that happens, the better we’ll
be.”
And unlike last year’s group, this year’s freshmen
won’t be thrown into the fire right away. Farmar and Afflalo
started every game last season, while Shipp started 23 of the
team’s final 24.
“I think it’s better for them because they have us
to look up to, and us to take the load off of them,” Farmar
said. “They can just do what they’re supposed to
do.
“It’ll come easy for them. I think it will be a lot
easier for them than it was for us.”
Easy, of course, is relative.