Young Makes Some Progress

Ray Young was one of UCLA’s few bright spots Saturday in a 25-point loss to Arizona, leading the Bruins with 18 points and knocking down outside shots he had been missing all season. Still, his coaches expect more from him.

“The challenge for him is to sustain it once he plays well,” said assistant coach Michael Holton, whom Young considers a mentor. “I thought that once he reached the 14-point mark in his game, he lost his edge.”

Young made five of seven shots for 13 points in the first half, then made two of nine in the second half.

Despite his uneven halves, Young was relieved that he finally started making some shots. When he was slumping, his teammates were careful not to give him too much advice.

“They kind of know that I’m a grown man now, and I need to start figuring out things myself,” he said. “You can’t always run to the coach, or run to anybody else. You’ve got to just look inside yourself and start making things happen. Think positively.”