It seems to be commonly agreed upon in the basketball world that
the greatest improvement college basketball players make during
their careers takes place between their freshman and sophomore
years. If that truly is the case, it bodes well for the No. 19 UCLA
men’s basketball team, which returns three players who
started as freshmen from a team that went 18-11 and lost in the
first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. For sophomore
guards Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo and Josh Shipp, this season
provides the opportunity to actually prove that assertion, to show
the improvement they’ve made, and to take UCLA to greater
success and a deeper NCAA Tournament run. The season begins tonight
when the Bruins host New Mexico State in the first round of the
preseason National Invitation Tournament. “We’re a lot
better,” said Farmar, the reigning Pac-10 Freshman of the
Year. “It’s not just that we’re a little better.
We’re a lot better.” That’s something that
third-year Bruin coach Ben Howland has noticed as well. “I
would say that kids make a lot of improvement between their
freshman and sophomore years because they just went through it for
the first time,” Howland said. “You don’t know
what to expect as a freshman like you do the rest of your career at
the college level.” Though Farmar, Afflalo and Shipp
didn’t know what to expect last season, they were still
expected to perform. Farmar and Afflalo started all 29 games for
the Bruins, and Shipp started 23 of the team’s final 24.
Those lofty expectations, and the team’s large degree of
success, should only serve to benefit UCLA this season and in the
future. “Making the jump from freshman to sophomore year, you
definitely know exactly what to expect and what comes up, so
you’re ready to take that on,” Farmar said. Ultimately,
the success of this year’s Bruin team will likely depend upon
the ability of these three talented sophomores to help fill the
void left by Dijon Thompson, last season’s leading scorer and
rebounder. Howland also expects the trio to provide leadership,
which undoubtedly begins at the point guard spot. “I’m
the leader,” said Farmar, who averaged 13.2 points and 5.3
assists per game for the Bruins last season. “Everything
starts with me, whether it’s intensity, or making the extra
pass or knocking down shots or making defensive plays. It all
starts with me. “I definitely feel a big responsibility in
that aspect.” Howland said Farmar has made huge improvements
from last season to this one, the most noticeable being in his
physical stature. After an off-season in the weight room, Farmar
has bulked up from 170 to 185 pounds. “He’s really
worked hard in the weight room, and you can see that it really
makes a difference,” Howland said. The extra size will allow
Farmar to be more physical on both ends of the floor, and it will
also allow him to play shooting guard when both he and freshman
point guard Darren Collison are on the floor at the same time.
Shipp, who underwent right hip surgery on Sept. 28 and isn’t
expected to play this season until Dec. 21, also added about 15
pounds of muscle. Howland said Shipp is a much better shooter than
he was one season ago, and his return to the floor will be greatly
welcomed in Westwood. Until then, a group of freshmen and a veteran
senior will need to step up in his absence. Redshirt senior Cedric
Bozeman, who sat out all last season after tearing his ACL, will
play a huge role this season for the Bruins. His understanding of
the game and his ability to play a variety of positions will be
very important to this injury-riddled team. “I’m just
excited to be back and to help my team any way I can,”
Bozeman said. And though a large part of the Bruins’ success
will rest on the sophomore class, Howland is quick to point out the
incredible importance of his 7-foot senior centers Ryan Hollins and
Michael Fey. Hollins has shown improvement from a season ago,
adding strength and also looking more comfortable around the
basket, while Fey has been kept out of most of the team’s
practices with a strained groin. Fey just recently returned to the
fold and should see time in tonight’s season opener. The
newcomers to the Bruins, the five-member freshman class, will add a
degree of depth that Howland didn’t have last year. With the
addition of guards Collison and Mike Roll, and forwards Luc Richard
Mbah a Moute, Ryan Wright and Alfred Aboya, Howland wants to play
an up-tempo style of basketball. But more than anything, the Bruins
are anxious to get started. They’ve found their way back into
the top 25, they are returning four of five starters, and there is
plenty of reason to be optimistic. This season also provides a
chance to erase the bad taste left after last season’s early
tournament exit. “We still haven’t recovered (from the
tournament loss to Texas Tech),” Afflalo said. “Not
until we get to the postseason and win a first-round game.”
That, however, is far down the road. Right now, with wins in the
first two rounds of the preseason NIT, UCLA would have a chance to
shine on the national stage. The semifinals and finals are held at
Madison Square Garden, and the possibility of a match-up with No. 1
Duke in the championship is an exciting prospect. But it all begins
with New Mexico State, the first chance to prove that the growth is
for real. “It’s just that experience,” Afflalo
said. “It’s being more comfortable, and that always
helps.” In his first season, Farmar took it upon himself to
lead the Bruins. Now the expectations are higher, and the freshman
growing pains are a thing of the past. “I definitely feel
like I’m in control and I can make whatever decision or
whatever play I need to make,” Farmar said. “I can see
it in all the guys coming back.”
RUBIN GETS SIXTH YEAR: Janou Rubin was granted a sixth year of
eligibility by the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff on
Monday. Rubin, a 6-foot-3-inch guard, missed the final 19 games of
the 2004-2005 season with a left knee injury. As a sophomore in
2001-2002, he did not participate in a game due to chronic knee
problems that he was suffering. The guard from Logan High School in
Union City had his best season in 2003-2004, when he played in 27
games and averaged 14.8 minutes, 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3
assists. Perhaps the greatest honor that Rubin received occurred
when he won the Pac-10 Player of the Week award after playing well
in UCLA wins against Oregon and Oregon State. Formerly number 2,
Rubin will don the number 10 jersey in 2005-2006.