Though his role in UCLA’s offense has eroded recently,
freshman Arron Afflalo said Tuesday that his confidence has not.
Afflalo, a starter at shooting guard, attempted only six shots per
game this past week in the Bay Area. While that’s not enough
to make much of an impact, Afflalo insists he’s not going to
alter his approach. “Looking at that, you wouldn’t
think that’s enough shots, but I’m not going to force
it,” he said. “There’s a difference between being
aggressive and forcing, but it’s not really in my nature to
hunt shots like that.” Perhaps that’s because Afflalo
has never had to before. The centerpiece of Compton
Centennial’s high-powered attack last year, Afflalo had the
ball in his hands on every possession, averaging 20 points per game
and hoisting up shots whenever they were available. But
opportunities to score have been harder to come by in college. In
the past seven games, he’s averaged just over seven shots per
game ““ a far cry from the 15 to 20 he said he would take per
game in high school. “I would love to get that many shots
again, but I’m realistic,” Afflalo said. “There
are three or four other guys that can put the ball in the
hole.”
NO RUSH: Having emphasized the importance of getting the ball to
Michael Fey on the low block last week, UCLA coach Ben Howland now
has a new task for his junior center. “Slow down,”
Howland said. “You’re 7 feet, 270 pounds, you’re
the biggest, and you bench press over 315 pounds. That’s what
he has to play to is to his size and strength.” Fey took a
combined 20 shots against Stanford and Cal, but his inability to
finish inside limited his effectiveness. Twice in the first half
against Stanford, Fey missed from point-blank range, rushing his
shots instead of taking his time and attempting to draw contact.
“He’s averaging only two free throw attempts per
game,” Howland said. “I’d like him to get to the
free throw line more.”
WEEKEND BLUES: The Bruins don’t have an explanation for
why they haven’t had much success recently in their second
game of a week. UCLA, which has won its last three Thursday games,
has been unable to complete the two-game sweep each time.
DRIBBLERS: UCLA’s Matt McKinney, who missed Sunday’s
game with an undisclosed illness, has returned to practice …
Lorenzo Mata had an X-ray on his bruised sternum earlier this week,
and will continue to wear a pad to protect it … Fox Sports Net
will be outside of Pauley Pavilion Thursday night at 10 p.m. to
broadcast its Southern California Sports Report.