Ike Diogu just wouldn’t sit down. After fouling out in the
second half, the Arizona State forward chose instead to stand for
the next few minutes, explaining later that he simply wanted a
better vantage point of the game action.
Unfortunately for Diogu, by that point, UCLA center Ryan
Hollins’ command performance had already been completed.
Hollins, a 7-foot sophomore, came off the bench to play 28
minutes, putting in a an effort sure to make coach Ben Howland
proud in shutting down Diogu, one of the top players in the nation,
and keying the Bruins’ 66-58 win over the Sun Devils.
Diogu, who came into Thursday’s contest as the
Pac-10’s leading scorer at 23.7 points per game, was held to
15 points on just 3-for-14 shooting.
“(Hollins) has done a great job of being active in the
post,” Howland said. “He’s effective in that way
when he uses his athleticism and quickness. He changed a lot of
shots.”
Nine of Diogu’s points came from the free-throw line,
indicating how he put starting UCLA center Michael Fey, who played
only 10 minutes before fouling out, in foul trouble early.
But that only allowed Hollins, previously regarded as a weak
interior defender, to get into the game. That UCLA used
double-teams on Diogu helped as well.
“If (Diogu) were isolated one-on-one, no one in our league
could stop him,” Howland said.
Hollins said UCLA’s game plan of double-teaming Diogu
allowed him to cheat one way and force the preseason All-American
to go around him as opposed to directly into his body. This was
wise, considering Hollins gives up 25 pounds to the 250-pound
Diogu.
“(Diogu) is a beast and kept coming at me, but we
frustrated him early,” Hollins said. “I tried to deny
him the ball, knowing my teammates were helping me at all
moments.”
Diogu, however, denied that the UCLA defense had an effect on
his play.
“The double teams didn’t affect me that much,”
he said. “I missed some shots I normally make. That’s
basically it.”
In any case, UCLA displayed the type of defense down low it will
need Saturday against Arizona center Channing Frye and seemed
non-existent in the Bruins’ 70-66 loss to Michigan on Dec.
27.
According to Hollins, after that game, Howland preached to him a
new perspective on playing defense:
“It’s up to you.”
“Mess up going hard.”
“No excuses.”
It turns out that after Diogu fouled out with 4:29 left in the
game and left for the locker room, it was he that was coming up
with the excuses.
“I can’t go out and shoot 100 percent every
night,” Diogu said. “I guess it was just one of my off
nights.”