Believe it or not, there was once a time when point guard Cedric
Bozeman was compared favorably to Magic Johnson and was hailed as
an impact player in UCLA’s potential return to the top.
And why not? At 6-foot-6, he can see over opposing defenses and
look for clear passing lanes. At Mater Dei High School, he was a
proven winner, finishing 33-2 his senior year en route to a state
championship. He was a consensus top-ten player nationally and a
McDonald’s All-American before ever donning a UCLA
uniform.
But somewhere along the way, after the Steve Lavin offense, the
missed free throws, errant three-point shots and all the injuries,
Bozeman’s star has fallen.
And while UCLA is looking for a breath of fresh air under new
coach Ben Howland, Bozeman, too, will be looking for a brand new
beginning.
He can take solace in the success of former point guards in the
Howland system, and there’s no better model than
Howland’s last point guard, Brandin Knight. Knight
wasn’t highly recruited out of high school, averaging 12.5
points per game as a senior. But Howland took a chance and molded
him into the Big East Player of the Year.
Knight did it by proving he was tough. Yes, he was a great jump
shooter, but what enthralled Howland was his defensive toughness
and his ability to find teammates. It was enough for Howland to
compare Knight to Hall of Famer John Stockton and solid NBA point
guard Brian Shaw.
Howland has already shown signs of doing the same type of
molding with Bozeman. He’s officially anointed Bozeman as a
team captain, along with Dijon Thompson. Howland hasn’t held
back when talking about Bozeman, praising his weight gain over the
summer and his newfound defensive prowess.
It’s a stark contrast to last year, when Bozeman was a
defensive liability and quicker point guards easily got around
him.
“It’s a new season,” Bozeman said.
“I’ve been putting an emphasis on stopping the ball
early and creating havoc on the opposing point guard.”
What should benefit Bozeman even more is that it’s a down
year for point guards in the Pac-10, and he should be dominant in
his final two seasons in Westwood. Of course, expectations will
also be raised. Bozeman has to be feeling the pressure to step
up.
Against the Southern California All-Stars, Bozeman played a
solid game, with five points, four rebounds and three assists in
limited playing time. He also had a steal, where he used his length
to deflect a pass to himself.
The remnants of the old Bozeman are still there: the inability
to take his man off the dribble and drive down the middle of the
lane; and while he had a three-point swish, he also had a
three-point airball.
But all that may not matter. Howland will not ask Bozeman to do
anything else except run the offense. Need a scorer? You’ve
got Thompson. Need a shooter? Brian Morrison seems up to the task.
But need a passer? Bozeman has to be the guy to step up.
Defensively, Bozeman has alternated between defending the
shooting guard and the point guard. His feet seem quicker, and the
Bruins aren’t quite as lost on picks, although they still
have some work to do. But even more surprising is the intensity and
the realization that the defense starts with Bozeman.
Howland has a lot of flexibility with Bozeman. He implores
Bozeman to push the ball with every possession, and Bozeman does.
He sets hard screens, moves without the ball more fluidly in the
motion set and crashes the defensive boards to alleviate the lack
of a true power forward.
And it could all just be the beginning.
“I’ve known Cedric from before,” said Ike
Harmon of the Southern California All-Stars. “He’s the
key to their success. As he goes, they go. And I’ve seen
Cedric elsewhere, too. His potential has yet to be
reached.”
It’s something Westwood has known for years.
No, I’m not Diamond Leung. E-mail Bruce at
btran@media.ucla.edu.