HE’S Fluent IN Bruin : Richard Petruska Has a New Country and Is Gaining New Respect for His Recent Play

He’s not wild, he’s not crazy and, no, he’s not from Czechoslovakia.

Sometimes, way out West in Westwood, the subtleties are lost. When the Czech and Slovak republics became two countries on Jan. 1, few of Richard Petruska’s American friends made note of the change.

The other day in the UCLA athletic department, a Bruin official wandered around the office saying to no one in particular, “Where’s the big Czech?”

He was searching for Petruska, UCLA’s 6-foot-10, 280-pound center, who hails from Levice, in 56-day-old Slovakia.

But the confusion is understandable. The Bruins also have a 7-foot reserve, Jiri Zidek, from Prague, capital of the Czech republic.

The Czechs and Slovaks are separate now, but all this New World Order stuff is somehow lost when Bruin basketball is on the mind. After three years in the United States, Petruska, 24, knows what to expect.

Asked if his teammates have learned about Czechoslovakia since his arrival, he said: “Well, I don’t know about that, but at least they know there is a country.”

Almost as quickly as he learned English, Petruska understood the special status of UCLA basketball.

Last year, Petruska and Zidek attended an on-campus fete for Vaclav Havel, then president of the federation. Havel, a dissident playwright who led the Civic Forum to the peaceful overthrow of communism in 1989, gave a poignant environmental speech at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Afterward, Petruska, Zidek and Coach Jim Harrick welcomed Havel by presenting him with Bruin sweats. Although Petruska and Zidek eagerly anticipated the meeting, it was abbreviated.

“Coach Harrick didn’t let us stay long,” Petruska said. “We had to rush back to practice. It was kind of sad, (but) it was a good feeling to personally see (Havel).”

Such slights have not bothered Petruska. In his second and last season as an American college player, he has shown play that could lead to an NBA contract.

When he plays well, the Bruins look fluid. Lately, Petruska has been steady, and UCLA has a four-game winning streak as it plays host to USC at 8 p.m. tonight in Pauley Pavilion.

Last month at the Sports Arena, Petruska scored 17 first-half points to help the Bruins defeat USC, 80-70. He was so powerful under the basket, Trojan Coach George Raveling was moved to say: “If we had Richard Petruska, we would have defeated Fresno State.”

Raveling was making light of the Trojan football team’s Freedom Bowl loss to the Bulldogs. But more to the point, Petruska commands a wide berth underneath when he is performing.

“We’ve got to try to make it as hard as possible for him to get the ball where he likes it,” Raveling said of tonight’s rematch.

After touring the United States with the Czechoslovakian national team in 1986 and ‘87, Petruska became enamored of American basketball. Petruska knew nothing of the legacy of John Wooden when he talked with Harrick three years ago. Instead, Petruska had friends in Fullerton and wanted to play locally.

UCLA’s local recruiting efforts were suffering, so the coaches were interested. But they wanted verification. Tony Fuller, now coach at San Diego State, flew to Vienna in the summer of 1990 to scout Petruska, who played for a club team in Bratislava, about 30 miles away.

Because it was an evaluation period, Fuller, then a Bruin assistant, could not speak to Petruska without violating NCAA regulations. But he could watch him, and he drove to a downtown gym where an exhibition had been arranged. It was awkward. Fuller, his first and only day in Czechoslovakia, was unable to chat with his future student-athlete.

After the scrimmage, Fuller was convinced Petruska was ready for Division I.

“He was a little older and very, very intelligent,” he said.

Petruska moved to Fullerton and was ready to enroll at UCLA. Because he already completed two years of college in Bratislava, Petruska had two years of eligibility remaining.

Then came the first hitch. When the NCAA announced sanctions against Nevada Las Vegas, Ed O’Bannon and Shon Tarver decided to change schools. They chose UCLA, which gladly accepted two of the Southland’s best recruits that year.

Just like that, Petruska was out a scholarship. Harrick offered to arrange admission to Pepperdine, where he coached before UCLA. But friends suggested Loyola Marymount, where Paul Westhead coached the Lions to national recognition.

Then came a second jolt. Westhead bolted for the NBA, taking over the Denver Nuggets about two weeks after Petruska arrived. Jay Hillock, Westhead’s assistant, became the coach.

Hillock, now a Utah Jazz scout, continued the fast-paced style initiated by Westhead, and except for a groin injury, Petruska played well.

“He’s just like when I had him,” Hillock said before a recent game. “Sometimes he’s very good, sometimes he’s not as good.”

That first season proved difficult. As if the cultural shock of Los Angeles was not enough, Petruska did not study English until three months before arriving.

“He could not speak at all,” Hillock said. “He would yell short (one-)syllable words like, ‘ball.’ ”

“It was hard,” Petruska said. “I didn’t understand what people were telling me.”

But Petruska had studied German and Russian for 10 years in Slovak schools. He soon overcame the language barrier. His game improved. But, although Petruska became one of the West Coast Conference’s best centers, he believed his NBA aspirations would be better served if he played for UCLA. He transferred to Westwood in 1991.

Fuller never thought recruiting Petruska was a gamble, but there were times this season when Harrick wasn’t so sure.

“I think I got a little bit frustrated with Richard early, expecting more and not being patient enough,” Harrick said. “I learned the more I praise him, the more I encourage him, the better he plays.”

Petruska said many factors contributed to his slow start. He had a disk removed from his back last March after the redshirt season. He did not begin serious play until summer. He was asked to play a different style than he is accustomed. It took time and game experience to adjust.

Petruska, an economics major, is averaging 12.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Can he play in the NBA?

Said Harrick: “I don’t know. I don’t know if he can guard people away from the basket. He doesn’t have blinding speed.”

Perhaps not on the basketball court, but Petruska has gone places quickly in his life.