Jrue Holiday opts to play in NBA

Now that UCLA freshman Jrue Holiday has made it official, leaving school early for the NBA draft, the Bruins team he leaves behind is facing a very different outlook for next season.

Holiday’s departure adds even more uncertainty to a lineup that was already losing senior starters Darren Collison, Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya.

“It is what it is,” Coach Ben Howland said. “We move forward.”

Howland had long suspected that his shooting guard would opt to turn pro, but he could not help thinking about what might have been.

“You usually make your biggest jump between your freshman and sophomore seasons,” the coach said. “He was ready to explode.”

The Bruins now have an extra scholarship in hand, but that doesn’t mean they will run right out and sign another point guard.

“There are one or two floating around,” Howland said. “The question is, do we take a guy who is still available right now versus waiting and trying to get a guy who we really, really would like to have later.”

UCLA will keep an eye on players being released from commitments at other schools. USC has lost several recruits in recent weeks, including swingman Noel Johnson of Georgia.

In the meantime, Jerime Anderson, Malcolm Lee and Michael Roll could be asked to fill the backcourt in different combinations. Former walk-on Mustafa Abdul-Hamid could add depth.

“Those guys have got to stay healthy and give us a lot of good minutes,” Howland said.

A gap in the roster had seemed more and more likely since Holiday attended an NBA pre-draft combine in Chicago and began working out for various teams.

Several NBA executives, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he could benefit from another season in college but were impressed by his raw skills.

That talent will probably make him a high draft pick, they said. And that made turning pro a logical decision.

“I’ve talked to a lot of [general managers] and he’s definitely going to be in the top 15,” Howland said. “The top 15 have long careers and successful careers. I think it’s the right move for him, absolutely.”

Holiday made himself available for the draft this spring but had until Monday to withdraw his name.

Coming out of Campbell Hall High in North Hollywood as the Gatorade player of the year, he averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season, numbers that put him on the Pacific 10 all-freshman team but fell short of the hype surrounding his arrival.

A natural point guard, he dealt with playing out of position at shooting guard, watching Collison run the offense.

“The most frustrating part for me was not getting as many touches as I thought I would,” Holiday said recently. “There were times when I’d be like, I’d love to be in Darren’s position.”

Now he is expected to hire Dan Fegan, who has been advising him, as an agent.

Back in Westwood, many of the remaining Bruins players will soon return to campus for summer school. The team is bringing in a freshman class that includes recruits Tyler Honeycutt and Mike Moser.

With a number of players leaving early in recent seasons, Howland has grown accustomed to starting over.

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david.wharton@latimes.com