Role Players Inspire Confidence

The just-completed trip to the Puerto Rico Shootout was marked not only by three games with varying results--a sluggish win over San Francisco, a bad loss to Maryland, an encouraging loss to Kentucky--but by the solid play of the lesser-known Bruins.

While the likes of Earl Watson, Jerome Moiso and JaRon Rush struggled--Watson while playing with sore ribs and Rush with back spasms--Ryan Bailey, Brandon Loyd, Rico Hines, Travis Reed and Matt Barnes made noteworthy contributions. Bailey, the sophomore who sat out last season after transferring from Penn State, became a stabilizing force in the backcourt, exactly what Coach Steve Lavin had hoped from one of only a handful of Bruins with much experience.

“At this point, he’s got to improve defensively,” Lavin said. “He knows that. But he does a lot for us offensively.”

Loyd was a spark in the tournament opener against San Francisco, making three three-point baskets, but didn’t get off the bench against Maryland and played only four minutes against Kentucky. Hines and Barnes, the freshman who arrived without the publicity of Rush, Moiso or Dan Gadzuric, played in the backcourt and up front. Reed was a key reserve at power forward.

“One of the strengths of this team, unlike past years, is that we are more difficult to prepare for when there’s 14 players we can put in the game,” Lavin said. “I have the confidence playing the defending national champions [Kentucky] to put Sean Farnham in the game. I had the confidence to putt Todd Ramasar in the game [if needed].”

* Complete polls: Page 9