Freshmen keep basketball hope strong

If the freshmen on the UCLA men’s basketball team were nervous playing in front of a raucous Oregon crowd at McArthur Court on Sunday, they sure didn’t show it.

“I like what I saw,” senior guard Josh Shipp said. “They kept their composure, didn’t get rattled.”

“I think it was a good experience for them,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “They see how it is to play on the road in this league and how hard it is, and yet we were able to come away with a couple victories.”

Leading the group was freshman guard Jrue Holiday, who scored a combined 17 points in his first two Pac-10 games over the weekend. Holiday is averaging just over 10 points a game, but his defensive tenacity is what’s earning him minutes on the court. The Chatsworth native often guards the opposition’s best offensive player and trails only senior guard Darren Collison in minutes played.

The Bruins also received a solid contribution from freshman forward Drew Gordon, who registered 11 points and four rebounds in his Pac-10 debut at Oregon State.

“The transition hasn’t been too tough,” Gordon said. “But you definitely have to step up your level of intensity during your playing time.”

According to freshman guard Jerime Anderson, the Bruins’ own practices are designed to be as tough as, if not tougher than, what the team faces when it matches up against Pac-10 opponents.

“Every day at practice, coach wants us to bring that intensity as if we were playing in a game,” Anderson said. “So when it comes to the Pac-10, it should be kind of a break from practice.”

Leading up to Pac-10 play, Anderson had his best game in UCLA’s 78-55 win over Louisiana Tech on Dec. 28, scoring 11 points off the bench. In the early minutes of that game, Anderson was assertive ““ knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and connecting on a running floater to tally eight quick points.

“If they are (playing me loose), I’m just going to shoot more,” Anderson said. “I’m going to continue to help the team by shooting 3s, making passes or whatever I have to do. If they’re going to sag off, I’m going to make them pay.”

That type of mindset comes with familiarity and comfort ““ something the freshmen have been gaining day by day. According to Anderson, his personal improvement can be attributed to an increase in playing time.

“It’s a confidence type thing,” Anderson said. “I wasn’t as confident in the beginning parts of the season, and now I’m getting comfortable out there. If I get more opportunities to play, I’ll be alright.”

Another factor in each player’s development has been an increase in knowledge, especially in terms of each player’s responsibility.

“We’ve fallen into our roles,” Gordon said. “We’re getting a lot more comfortable, but there are still things we can work on.”

Up until now, the transition to college basketball has not gone as smoothly for freshman center J’mison “˜Bobo’ Morgan, who is averaging only seven minutes per game. According to Gordon, Morgan has been doing extra conditioning before and after practice to get in better playing shape.

“Bobo is having a tough time getting into shape,” Gordon said. “He just wants to show the coaches that he’s ready to play and wants to play.”

The progression of freshman guard Malcolm Lee is currently on hold due to a left knee injury. Lee, who had an inconclusive MRI on Dec. 27, has missed three consecutive games.

“He’s pretty disappointed, but there’s really not much you can do about an injury,” Gordon said. “He’s still staying positive and supporting the players on the team.”

Despite Lee’s injury and Morgan’s absence from the hardwood, the freshmen have shown glimpses of their potential through the first 14 games of the season.

A highlight that linked a pair of freshmen came in the first half against Louisiana Tech. Following a Holiday steal, Gordon received an alley-oop pass and capped the play with an emphatic one-handed slam in traffic.

But there have been snapshots emphasizing their youth as well. Just 15 minutes after the jaw-dropping dunk, Gordon’s inexperience took center stage.

Looking to put an exclamation point on another breakaway opportunity, Gordon possessed the ball with only the basket in front of him. As the fans at Pauley Pavilion rose to their feet in anticipation, Gordon leapt ““ only to come up short as the ball hit off the front of the rim. Fortunately for Gordon, the Bruins led by 25 points at the time. All he could do was laugh.

“My foot slipped,” Gordon said. “And then my knee buckled. I never got above the rim.

“Everyone made fun of me afterwards. It happens; you hit and you miss. Unfortunately, that was a very, very bad miss.”

Despite Gordon’s moments of inexperience such as the botched dunk, Howland sees the progress the player is making on the court.

“Drew is getting better and better,” Howland said. “He’s definitely the guy that’s going to play the majority of the minutes behind Alfred (Aboya) right now.”

Against Wyoming, Gordon had what Howland calls “his best game of the year,” scoring 14 points while collecting 11 rebounds.

Aboya, the Bruins’ senior center and the team’s most experienced big man, matches up against Gordon every day in practice and has observed firsthand the improvements his younger teammate has made.

“He knows every day in practice he won’t have an easy day because I’ll bring it,” Aboya said. “By doing that, and having (Gordon and Morgan) prepared every day they come to practice, it will show up in the game.”

Shipp feels that the freshmen’s progression, along with the experience they gain in the coming weeks, will be important for the team down the stretch.

“It’s going to pay off in the later part of the season,” Shipp said. “Come tournament time, you never know what’s going to happen; one of those guys might have to step up.”

UCLA may need to rely on freshmen contributions in the postseason, but the freshmen are already looking to have a positive impact on the Pac-10 season.

“They’re going to be the leaders next year,” Howland said.

The comment was never truer than following a recent home game. After scoring a game-high 16 points, Shipp was surrounded by a group of young fans as he signed autographs. Anderson walked past without being asked for his.

“They don’t really want mine yet,” he said with a grin.

Not yet, of course.

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