If Saturday was any indication, the UCLA men’s basketball
team may have found itself a powerful inside presence for next
season. Beleaguered center Michael Fey scored 16 points and grabbed
12 rebounds while leading his team, Hank’s Big Time, of the
Nike Los Angeles College Pro-City League, to a 95-55 victory,
showing a glimpse of the potential the Bruins saw in him when they
recruited the redshirt junior nearly four years ago. “Michael
played very well today,” Fey’s coach Adam Hochberg
said. “We were able to run the offense through him, and, when
he was aggressive, he was a dominating force on the court.”
Fey consistently had double- and triple-teams in the post against
him throughout the game, but when he decided to attack the basket,
he usually ended up with a positive result. “It has been
something I’ve been working on all summer,” Fey said
regarding his aggressiveness. “I’ve spent a lot of time
in the weight room, trying to get stronger and be able to bang in
the post.” In fact, Fey started in 14 out of the first 15
games last season for the Bruins and looked like he was going to
have a promising season after opening with a 20-point, 8-rebound
effort against Vermont. But he faded down the stretch and
eventually lost his starting spot to junior Ryan Hollins. Hochberg,
who has coached Fey for the past three years, felt Fey’s
decline may have been due to his settling for jumpers and not
attacking the basket. “He has a very nice fadeaway shot and
nice midrange game, but that sometimes gets him into trouble. He
needs to learn to take the contact, and I think he has made a
concerted effort of doing that this summer.” In addition to
the Pro-City League, Fey plans to attend the Pete Newell Big
Man’s camp, where some of the best low-post players have
refined their skills. “I really look forward to working on my
post game and footwork at the camp,” Fey said.
FRESHMEN LEAD COMEBACK FOR BRUINS: UCLA incoming freshmen Arron
Afflalo and Jordan Farmar once again displayed the leadership and
composure the Bruins are expecting from them next season, leading
Sinclair’s Bruins to a 76-74 victory after trailing by 20
points midway through the third quarter. “We just had to get
the troops together at halftime and get everyone composed,”
Farmar, who finished with 15 points and a game-high nine assists,
said. “We never thought we were going to lose the game and we
just settled down in the second half.” Trailing by
double-digits midway through the second half, UCLA’s three
incoming guards, Josh Shipp, Farmar and Afflalo led their team back
from the deficit, combining for 33 points. “I think the three
guards play really well together,” Sinclair’s Bruins
coach Cedric Jones said. “I think they will bring a much more
up-tempo style to UCLA.” As the Bruin guards were leading the
offensive comeback, UCLA forwards Lorenzo Mata and Matt McKinney
were holding down the defensive end, grabbing 9 and 7 rebounds,
respectively, as both displayed their ability to finish around the
basket.