The Fun Starts Next Season : Bruins Might Not Have Another Dynasty, but They Figure to Be a Young, Emotional Bunch

They hadn’t even raised banner No. 11, which took only 20 years to attain.

But this was UCLA, where dynasty dreams linger, so Mayor Richard Riordan was already promising the next one.

“Next year,” the mayor said before a boisterous Pauley Pavilion crowd that gathered Wednesday to witness the unveiling of UCLA’s 1995 national championship flag, “No. 12 will go up.”

Bruin Coach Jim Harrick took about two seconds to grab the microphone with a queasy reply.

“I voted for you,” Harrick said. “Don’t go talking about next year, I’ve got enough

problems.”

Problems? Only if Harrick thinks the Bruins are going to miss Ed O’Bannon, Tyus Edney, George Zidek and their 102 victories in four years.

Problems? Only if the Bruin faithful feel completely comfortable with the torch being passed on to--among others--Kris Johnson, a roly-poly kid with a towel on his head; Cameron Dollar, a point guard who doesn’t shoot, and Toby Bailey and J.R. Henderson, two freshmen who will probably never be more famous than they are now.

“We’re a bunch of knuckleheads,” Dollar said.

Harrick has logically argued that anything close to 10 titles in a 12-year span, which John Wooden won from 1964 through 1975, is not possible in today’s world of reduced scholarships and enlarged tournament fields.

Friday, Harrick noted that only 38 coaches have ever won a national title.

So, after losing the three seniors who led them to this year’s 31-2 record, but with a young team for 1995-96 that has its share of talent and, now, a national title experience, can UCLA make a run similar to Duke’s recent stretch, when the Blue Devils made it to seven Final Fours in nine seasons?

“What Duke did was a mini-dynasty, certainly,” Harrick said. “But dynasties are very hard when you can’t buy players like a pro team, like the 49ers or the Dallas Cowboys do. You want to do as well as you can while keeping your academic integrity and your integrity within the rules and regulations.”

Harrick, though, said he doesn’t expect anybody associated with UCLA basketball to accept anything less than a national title contender.

“I think our focus will be there, I think our hunger will be there, our desire will be there,” Harrick said. “You won’t see any less on my part. I kind of like this.”

Ed O’Bannon said: “Hopefully, they won’t be satisfied with one championship.”

The coaches are looking at a starting lineup of Dollar at point guard; Bailey remaining at the other guard; Henderson, Charles O’Bannon and Johnson rotating as forwards, and current freshman omm’A Givens, current sophomore Ike Nwankwo and incoming freshman Jelani McCoy getting chances at center.

Also in the mix will be incoming freshman guard Brandon Loyd and a probable third recruit, expected to be signed next week.

“This year’s team had such great seniors,” assistant coach Mark Gottfried said. “Somebody in the remaining group will have to rise up and be the horse that carries you, like Ed or Tyus did.”

The players and coaches agree that there is one thing about next year’s team that is not in question: It will be excitable, emotional and occasionally just plain crazy.

“It’s definitely going to be a case of the young guys running the show,” Kris Johnson said. “It’s going to be a good time. The guys that are left over, we love to have fun--myself, Toby, Charles, Cameron.”

Ed O’Bannon, Edney and Zidek were three of the most valuable--and least voluble--Bruins this season, and the leadership roles are being passed on to the fiery Dollar and the high-flying Charles O’Bannon.

“I think it’s going to be a fun team to coach,” Gottfried said. “I would hope that they are as hungry as they were this year, or even hungrier, because I think the challenge of next year, without Ed and George and Tyus, will be even greater.”

Harrick said: “I need some great conditioning and firming up of Kris Johnson. I need some strength on J.R. Henderson. I’ve told omm’A Givens to firm up and strengthen up.

“I want Charles O’Bannon to refine his game to the nth degree. Cameron Dollar has got to get in the gym and shoot a few thousand times a day.”

The biggest drop-off for the Bruins from this season to next was supposed to be at the point, where Dollar has always been a considerable defender but never an offensive force.

Then, with Edney out because of a wrist injury, Dollar carried the load against Arkansas, and the Bruins won the title.

“He comes into the championship game, the pressure is just unbelievable,” Johnson said. “He showed people that our point guard spot is secure. With Cameron Dollar running the show, we’re going to be an awesome team.”

That is not a belief shared by some analysts, who already have said they don’t expect UCLA to be a top-10 team next season.

“I guess some of the so-called experts already aren’t picking us high,” Gottfried said. “I think the guys have noticed that.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Starting Over

Now that the NCAA men’s basketball title is UCLA’s to lose, here’s a look at how the Bruins might look next season:

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Forwards G FG% FT% RPG APG PPG J.R. Henderson 33 54.7 67.4 4.1 1.3 9.5 Charles O’Bannon 33 54.2 73.9 5.8 3.4 13.3 Center G FG% FT% RPG APG PPG omm’A Givens 26 38.1 56.3 1.4 0.1 1.6 Guards G FG% FT% RPG APG PPG Cameron Dollar 33 35.4 65.9 2.1 3.1 3.5 Toby Bailey 33 48.4 56.4 4.8 1.8 10.7

WHO THEY LOST

Player G FG% FT% RPG APG PPG Ed O’Bannon 33 53.7 78.5 8.1 2.5 20.4 Tyus Edney 32 49.7 76.4 3.1 6.9 14.3 George Zidek 33 55.3 73.1 5.4 0.5 10.6