A Knee-d to Know About This Bruin

Strangers stop Dan Gadzuric in restaurants and ask how his knees feel. It happens when he walks down the street too, and on campus is as constant as sunshine.

“I guess they have a concern,” he says.

Obviously UCLA fans.

The rest of the Pacific 10 Conference--the rest of the nation, really--also has a strong interest. It’s why Gadzuric’s tendinitis-plagued, constantly scrutinized, surgically repaired left knee will be a more closely watched Bruin joint than Pauley Pavilion. Because one holds UCLA’s supporters and the other holds UCLA’s hopes.

Actually, both knees troubled Gadzuriclast season, from the first week of practice on, but the left one required surgery and sidelined him for the final five games, including the first-round NCAA tournament loss to Detroit Mercy. Proving either how well he has come back from the torn cartilage or that the soreness never goes away, he began this season with the tendinitis more bothersome in the right knee.

Gadzuric’s knees are such an issue as 1999-2000 begins because the only thing more fragile is the Bruins’ depth at center. There is none.

They are such an issue that even teammate Sean Farnham, on his segment called “The Farnham Files” on Fox Sports West’s weekly show about UCLA sports, hit Gadzuric with a question about his knees first thing in an interview.

They are such an issue that Earl Watson, the point guard and emotional leader, says, “When we lost Dan last year, you saw how Arizona was inside [in the last regular-season game]. They were doing whatever. It would be the same way if we had lost Jerome [Moiso]. We need both big guys to be at their best.”

True, except that Gadzuric, a member of the Pac-10 all-freshman team last season, plays center. Everyone else tries to fill in, especially since Travis Reed, a physical presence while averaging 15.9 minutes a game last season, transferred to Cal State Long Beach. Moiso is 6-feet-10, but is much more comfortable away from the post and doesn’t bring the same inside toughness on defense.

Moiso is gifted, if somewhat lacking in concentration, athletic and smooth and able to make 16-footers and run the break, and will start at power forward. But Farnham, JaRon Rush, Matt Barnes and maybe even Jason Kapono, the star-in-the-making freshman from Artesia High, are capable of playing there.

Every other position has reinforcements at the ready, though the exact extent of some will not be known until grades arrive in mid-December and the versatile Barnes is either cleared to return after sitting out at least the first four games, or is ruled out for the season. Even point guard has two experienced returnees, Watson and Ryan Bailey, and possibly Kapono to deal with the unenviable task of replacing Baron Davis. There is no true center beyond Gadzuric.

“Dan’s knees are something that will definitely be a concern, for this team to reach the goals we plan to reach,” Farnham said.

It isn’t reassuring to the Bruins that Moiso sat out two games and grimaced his way through many others over the final month of last season because of arch problems, or that he fouled out four times without playing more than 23 minutes. He did it in 14 minutes once, 16 another time. And Gadzuric had problems of his own.

Knowing it needs to protect both big men, and because depth and athleticism are obvious at the other positions, UCLA plans to press more than last season, hoping to create turnovers, or at least get opponents out of their offense in half-court sets. The extension of that is to mix the defenses, regularly changing from man to zone to pressing. The desired outcome is keeping Gadzuric and Moiso out of harm’s way as much as possible, not letting teams pound the ball inside on them.

The pair will also be major parts of the offense and again will rely on teammates’ help, Gadzuric especially because he doesn’t float outside much for his shots. The Bruins need to prove they can have at least a competent perimeter game or opponents will continue to play zone and pack the inside--a regular occurrence last season as UCLA finished last in the Pac-10 in three-point accuracy.

The so-called zone buster of 1998-99, Brandon Loyd, departed as a senior, but possibilities remain. Billy Knight, pegged as Loyd’s replacement in that role off the bench, returns after a redshirt season because of groin injury, and Ray Young has proved capable. Watson and Rush will also shoot from the arc but are erratic, especially Rush, who was more of a weapon inside as a freshman than the Bruins expected but also a liability when extended cold streaks didn’t deter launch mode.

Watson, of course, will have other things to worry about. After temporary duty at point guard early last season as Davis recovered from a knee injury, Watson gets the gig full time now in a move from shooting guard. The status of the big men might be the most critical situation, but this will be the key transition, even more than Kapono’s probable move to the starting lineup at one of the wing spots.

“It was different because before, I always knew Baron was coming back,” Watson said. “Now, I know I’m the point guard. It’s a whole different approach to the game.”

The Bruins say they are not concerned, but there is no denying that Watson had only 15 more assists than turnovers last season, a shocking number for someone who is about to become the primary ballhandler. Help will come from Bailey and probably Kapono, either from the backcourt or as point forward in an alignment that will allow Watson to stay in as a shooter, but dependability remains an issue.

UCLA remains loaded with options at shooting guard and small forward, so many possibilities that Coach Steve Lavin will again have the versatility to use a big lineup or go small: Rico Hines, Bailey, Barnes (maybe), Kapono, Knight, Rush and Young. Todd Ramasar would ordinarily challenge for a role off the bench but is probably going to redshirt after undergoing shoulder surgery a month ago.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

UCLA at a Glance

Last season: 22-9 overall, 12-6 in Pacific 10.

Finish: Third in conference, lost to Detroit in first round of NCAA tournament.

Coach: Steve Lavin, fourth season, 70-26.

Who’s new: Jason Kapono.

Who’s gone: Baron Davis, Brandon Loyd, Travis Reed.

Projected starters: Guards Earl Watson (13.3 points, 4.6 assists in 1998-99) and Ray Young (5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds); Forwards Jason Kapono (freshman) and Jerome Moiso (10.8 points, 5.8 rebounds); Center Dan Gadzuric (8.6 points, 5.7 rebounds)

Key to season: Watson doesn’t need to duplicate the All-American potential of Davis, who left for the NBA after his sophomore season, only be a solid replacement. Solid would actually be ideal at that position, for the starter and his backups, since Watson, for all his positive attributes, is turnover prone from a tendency to play out of control. Gadzuric and power forward Moiso must avoid injury and foul trouble because of limited depth there.

Outlook: Talented and athletic and able to offer a lineup to counter any opponent matchup, but just as likely to implode and impossible to trust for any success on the national level. Picture the Lakers on the college level. Anywhere from first to third in the conference, in the mix that includes Arizona and Stanford, is realistic. So is advancing in the tournament--or, until proving otherwise--losing in the first round.