UCLA’s season is more than half finished, yet freshman guard Jordan Adams was faced with the following question from a national columnist after Saturday’s loss to Arizona State.
“Who are you guys?” the columnist asked. “Are you the team we saw Thursday or is this it? Is it somewhere in between?”
“We’re still trying to find that out,” Adams replied. “We’re trying to get the consistency factor and get back on a winning streak.”
Saturday’s 18-point loss was the widest margin UCLA has fallen by all season, and it came on the heels its most impressive win.
UCLA will see whether it extends its losing streak or win again on Wednesday in the first installment of the crosstown rivalry against USC (8-13, 3-5 Pac 12).
Redshirt junior Travis Wear was missing because of a concussion, but the 12.2 points per game he averages would not have erased such a margin. His 5.8 rebounds would have made but a dent in the 20-rebound advantage the Sun Devils held.
Perhaps the Bruins (16-5, 6-2) missed Wear’s maturity most. With a scholarship roster made up of 50 percent freshmen, the captain Wear wasn’t providing much on-court leadership from the bench.
Then again, he might have his own identity issues, as he sported his twin brother’s sweatshirt.
Even 10th-year coach Ben Howland couldn’t be sure he knew his own team after last weekend’s desert split.
In Thursday’s win over then-top-10 Arizona, Howland’s four freshmen combined for 52 points and 23 rebounds.
“Our young guys are not like true freshmen anymore,” Howland said. “They’ve got 20 games under their belts and they’re playing like veterans.”
In their 21st game, the freshmen had 43 points and 17 rebounds.
“This was a learning experience for a very young team.” Howland said Saturday.
The Trojans have fired a coach this season but spot two 7-footers who could give the Bruins issues if Wear does not return. USC came away winless from the Arizona trip.
“We just have to learn to win the ones that we really need,” freshman Shabazz Muhammad said Saturday.
File this one in that category. Lose, and the time for UCLA to solidify its identity may be up.