M. BASKETBALL Today, 7:30 p.m. v. Cal Poly
Pomona Pauley Pavilion
They play games to win. Though this game is no different, it
will see many stories merge into one.
A player returning from a redshirt season.
Another testing to see how far he can push himself.
One trying to prove himself to be as worthy as his
predecessor.
Several making their debuts in legendary Pauley Pavilion.
And finally, a coach looking to see what works and what
doesn’t with his new-look team.
When the UCLA men’s basketball team takes the court
tonight against Cal Poly Pomona in its first game of the season,
albeit an exhibition, it hopes to come out with not only a win, but
with answers to several unanswered questions.
“It’s going to be our first test of where
we’re really at,” sophomore point guard Darren Collison
said.
“Coming back from a loss in the championship game leaves a
real bitter taste,” he added.
The taste in everyone’s mouths, however, will not be as
displeasing as redshirt sophomore Josh Shipp will return to Pauley
Pavilion for the first time since December 31, 2005.1
Shipp missed all but four games last year due to a right hip
injury that plagued him for the course of the 2005-2006 season.
“It’s going to be weird because there are a lot of
mixed emotions,” Shipp said of his return to the floor.
“I’m kind of nervous, but at the same time I’m
ready because I’ve been working hard.”
A longtime friend of Shipp, junior Arron Afflalo will also be
testing his body tonight to see how he does in a game situation.
The guard has worked into what he considers to be the best physical
shape he’s ever been in and hopes to reap the rewards this
season.
“I’m going to see how hard I can push myself in both
of these exhibition games,” Afflalo said.
Joining Afflalo in the backcourt is sophomore standout Darren
Collison, taking over for Jordan Farmar, who was drafted by the Los
Angeles Lakers after just his sophomore year.
Though some are unsure of Collison’s ability to guide the
Bruins, coach Ben Howland and the rest of the team have all put
their faith behind the speedy point guard and trust him to do his
job well.
“He got great experience last year, and I think he’s
ready to play his role,” Afflalo said.
However, not everyone on this year’s squad has the
experience that the starting lineup does, as the Bruins will likely
bring at least three freshmen off the bench to see significant
playing time.
For Nikola Dragovic, James Keefe and Russell Westbrook,
tonight’s game will be their first in front of the home
crowd, and the first in their UCLA jerseys.
“The bleachers are going to be down and the crowd’s
going to be there, so we just have to focus and just play our
game,” Keefe said. “It’s going to be a great
chance for the freshmen to get used to the style of the game and
the crowd.”
But above all, the game against the Broncos serves as the
starting point of a new season, in which the Bruins hope to do the
one thing they fell just short of last year””mdash;win the NCAA
Championship.
“We’re trying to win,” Howland said.
“The reason we play these two games is to play against teams
that are trying to beat us. These teams will be capable of coming
here and beating us. Anybody can beat us on a given day if
they’re organized.”
Howland compared the organization of collegiate teams to that of
EA Sports teams the Bruins faced off against in the preseason two
years ago, and is glad that he will have to guide his squad against
a team with set plays ““ a situation more relevant to the NCAA
level.
Though the Bruins aren’t expected to come out with the
tenacity and level of play with which they left off in Indianapolis
during their run to the championship game last year, they realize
they have room to grow and the season has yet to begin.
“Last year we weren’t even really at our prime in
the beginning of the season,” Collison said. “This is
the first game. We’re just going to see where it goes from
here.”
1 This sentence was corrected.