One of the more noticeable differences between this year’s UCLA men’s basketball team and the one that advanced to its third consecutive Final Four appearance is the absence of centers Kevin Love, now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Lorenzo Mata.
While coach Ben Howland admitted that the team does not have the same amount of size inside they have had in recent years, he said that through the preseason thus far, senior Alfred Aboya and junior James Keefe have been the team’s leading rebounders and most physical players.
“James has been our best rebounder, which is what I’ve anticipated,” Howland said. “He’s played very physical, which is great to see. He wasn’t super physical as a freshman; this is something he’s understood he’s had to learn to do.”
Keefe, who gained 15 to 16 pounds of muscle in the offseason, said two years of playing against bigger guys has made him into the physical player he is now.
“When you go against Alfred and Luc (Mbah a Moute) last year, Kevin Love, and Lorenzo Mata, even Ryan Wright when he was here, they’re all real physical guys,” Keefe said. “So going against them every day you have to be physical. You have to learn how to handle it.”
One who has personally experienced the physicality of Aboya is freshman guard Jrue Holiday, who has had a few run-ins with the center from Cameroon.
“I’ve tried to beast Alfred, and he just throws me down,” Holiday said. “He’s done it three or four times, and I just pop right back up and I still go at him.”
PRACTICE INTENSIFIES: With just seven practices left before the team opens its season with an exhibition game against Cal Baptist on Monday, Howland said that the team is practicing in more five-on-five sets than usual due to the number of younger players.
This was clearly evident in yesterday’s open practice, where the Bruins were split up into two teams and scrimmaged against each other for 45 minutes to an hour. Howland said that the main reasons behind the extra work in five-on-five sets is that the team still needs to add components to the offense and to get in a little extra conditioning.
“Today they had good intensity, guys played hard,” Howland said. “I think our last three practices in a row we’ve played very hard.”
POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUP: Howland said that if the season started today, the Bruins’ starting lineup would be Darren Collison at point guard, Holiday at shooting guard, Josh Shipp at small forward, Keefe at power forward, and Aboya at center.
INJURY REPORT: Freshman guard Malcolm Lee did not practice (strained right groin) and will be back by Friday. Junior forward Nikola Dragovic had a boot on his left foot and may be back to practice tomorrow.