Shipp brings positive energy

Josh Shipp smiles a lot.

UCLA’s sophomore forward grins ear to ear if he makes a three-point basket, or if he gets hit on both sides while driving for a layup.

He smiles if he gets fouled or commits a turnover. He smiles through sprained ankles and cramps and through the daily rehab that must be done on his surgically repaired hip.

He’s looking forward to this morning’s Pacific 10 Conference game between his top-ranked and undefeated Bruins (14-0, 3-0) and 16th-ranked Oregon (13-1, 1-1) at notoriously noisy McArthur Court.

A wake-up call at 7 a.m.? Great.

“I love it all,” Shipp says. “It’s all part of basketball.”

After having an unexpectedly fine freshman season in 2004-05, during which he displayed a postgraduate level of basketball knowledge and a feel for where to find rebounds, Shipp sat out all but four games last season when he needed hip surgery.

Shipp is now second on the team in scoring at 14.7 points a game, third in rebounding at 4.1, third in steals with 16, and tops in free-throw shooting at 81.1%. “Josh is a much better player now,” Coach Ben Howland said Friday. “He’s a better defender, better shooter, he’s stronger, he’s just really improved from his freshman year to now.”

Before Shipp’s injury, he had been tearing up summer leagues as a follow-up to his freshman performance. After the surgery, Howland said, Shipp did well in early practice and playing in pickup games, but it wasn’t until he took his rehabilitation seriously that his game came back.

“Through all of his workouts in the spring, Josh was still having pain and discomfort,” Howland said. “We told him the pain would continue if he didn’t get committed to the physical side of rehab. We’ve all been at that age where we think we’re invincible, in terms of our bodies. Josh still comes in every day to strengthen it. It’s a maintenance thing now.”

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In watching film of USC’s 84-82 upset of Oregon on Thursday, Howland said he was most surprised at the zone defense the Trojans played.

“Oregon plays like they have five guards,” Howland said. “I was surprised SC played zone almost the whole game. That was just out of respect for how tough Oregon is to defend in their motion.”

Howland said he was particularly impressed with the play of 6-5 junior guard Bryce Taylor, who went to North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake High. Taylor is averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Ducks and is shooting 54.1%.

Oregon’s wing player, junior Malik Hairston, has been struggling with a heel injury and didn’t play against USC. His status today is uncertain.

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Alfred Aboya, UCLA’s backup center, had a precautionary MRI exam on his right wrist after falling along the sidelines during Thursday’s win over Oregon State. Howland said that Aboya participated in UCLA’s Friday practice and that he expected the X-ray would show no damage.

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TODAY

at Oregon, 11 a.m., FSN Prime

Site -- McArthur Court.

Radio -- 570.

Records -- UCLA 14-0, 3-0; Oregon 13-1, 1-1.

Update -- At point guard, UCLA sophomore Darren Collison will battle Oregon senior Aaron Brooks, who had 30 points in the Thursday loss to USC.

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diane.pucin@latimes.com