Work’s for Him

Steve Lavin saunters into Pauley Pavilion 10 minutes late, rolls out the balls and the UCLA players conduct another helter-skelter practice without breaking a sweat while their coach yaks on the cellular phone to recruits, boosters and Kevin Malone.

That’s the prevailing impression of Lavin--the ultimate hands-off coach.

That’s why he recruits well, detractors say. Those know-it-all prima donnas love the idea of a coach who leaves them alone.

That’s why he’s no Gene Bartow, Gary Cunningham or Larry Brown--don’t even think of mentioning the Wizard--longtime Bruin followers huff. No discipline. Too much coddling, not enough coaching.

And this is his most experienced team in his six years. He probably doesn’t even show up half the time.

But the chosen few privy to practices--which are closed to the media for the first time in Lavin’s tenure--insist the coach is coaching like never before. The players have noticed as well.

“Lavin is a lot more hands-on,” said Billy Knight, a fifth-year senior guard. “With a freshman point guard and new assistant coaches, he believes he needs to be more active.”

Much is at stake. Expectations, never low for Lavin and the Bruins, are very high. With four returning starters and a talented freshman class, No. 5 UCLA is the preseason pick to win the Pacific 10 Conference.

Lavin realizes it’s time to whistle while he works.

“I was hands-on my first two years, then I started to focus more on managing the overall program, becoming more of an executive, where I was delegating certain things,” he said. “I was told I needed to do that. But I think maybe I went from one extreme to the other, I went too far in that direction, and now I’m taking a more balanced approach.”

The executive look didn’t fit. “Lav,” as his friends call him, is a youthful-looking 37. The stress of dodging the slings and arrows of outraged boosters has not aged him prematurely.

And his five-year record is undeniably strong, 114-47 with four Sweet 16 appearances, including last season, when Lavin was named Pac-10 coach of the year.

Barring key injuries or unimagined catastrophe, the Bruins will make their most serious run for a national championship since the title team of 1995 under Jim Harrick.

And run is the operative word. Lavin plans to employ a full-court press much of the time. A measure born out of desperation at halftime against North Carolina last season is now a badge of honor.

“We’ve got a lot of guys 6-6 to 6-8 with long arms who will be hounding the ball up and down the floor,” senior Matt Barnes said. “A lot of teams won’t be able to play an up-and-down game with us.”

Conditioning has been emphasized in practice. “We are in the best shape of our lives,” guard Rico Hines said. “We are running all the time. We shouldn’t be tired at all.”

And if the warhorse seniors aren’t winded, the three young colts aren’t either. Freshmen Cedric Bozeman, Dijon Thompson and Andre Patterson all should make an impact.

They are of similar build--about 6 feet 7, long arms, lean and athletic. Bozeman will start at point guard. Thompson and Patterson are wings who will come off bench to provide a jolt of scoring and a bolt of defense.

The freshmen give Lavin a rotation of 8 to 10 players, essential to a successful press. The blend of new and old is invigorating.

“I’m very excited, the most excited since I’ve been about starting a season,” Barnes said. “We do have a lot of talent, a lot of returning starters and a great freshman class.”

Jason Kapono, the leading scorer last season at 17.2, believes the most improved veteran is 6-11 center Dan Gadzuric, whose production was sporadic the last two years.

“Dan has gotten much stronger,” Kapono said. “The last two years he’s had a tough time keeping his weight up. He’s training harder and it definitely shows.”

Gadzuric and Barnes will pound the boards. Barnes, the front man on the press, finished strong last season, averaging 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds over the last 24 games when UCLA was 19-5 after a 4-4 start.

Avoiding another slow start is an immediate priority, although a tough early schedule might make it difficult. The season-opening Maui Invitational Monday through Wednesday includes No. 1 Duke and No. 7 Kansas.

Also, Bozeman is sure to experience growing pains. The Mater Dei High graduate is replacing the Bruins’ most stable force, Earl Watson, and although teammates say Bozeman is mature beyond his years, rookie mistakes are inevitable.

“He’s like a 6-7 Magic type, he knows how to play basketball,” Kapono said. “He is a true point guard, not one of those guys who comes in trying to score.”

For now, the freshmen are busy absorbing the 1-4 motion offense and variety of pressing defenses. Lavin is teaching the system in almost remedial fashion, allowing the newcomers a comfortable learning curve. The approach is valuable for veterans too.

“You always want coaches to tell you what you need to work on and Lavin has done that this year more than ever,” Barnes said. “We have a lot of seniors, but freshmen will play a key role, especially the point guard. So it’s important that [Lavin] slows down and breaks it down, and goes over everything, which is good for the seniors too.”

Two new assistant coaches must be brought up to speed as well. Michael Holton and Steve Spencer took head coaching jobs at Portland and Orange Coast College, respectively, and were replaced by Gerald Madkins and Patrick Sandle, who join holdover Jim Saia.

“What’s been great is having built-in assistant coaches with the four returning starters,” Lavin said. “They provide great leadership, direction and insight for our younger players. They understand our system and expectations.”

When that isn’t enough, Lavin has stepped in and made himself heard, changing from reluctant CEO to assembly-line supervisor.

“He’s more loud and more stern,” Kapono said. “He’s not going to take any days off. He’s tougher this year.

“Coach knows what’s at stake. He’s never had UCLA ranked so high and had so many guys back. He wants to make a big splash.”

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UCLA at a Glance

Last season: 23-9 overall; 14-4 in Pacific 10 Conference play.

Finish: Third in the conference, advanced to the East Regional semifinal of the NCAA tournament as a No. 4-seeded team, beating Hofstra and Utah State before falling to eventual champion Duke.

Coach: Steve Lavin, sixth season, 114-47.

Who’s gone: Earl Watson, Ryan Bailey, Jason Flowers and Todd Ramasar. Assistant coaches Michael Holton and Steve Spencer.

Who’s new: Guards Cedric Bozeman, Ryan Walcott, Gene Barnes and Quinn Hawking; forwards Josiah Johnson, Dijon Thompson and Andre Patterson; center John Hoffart.

Projected starters:Forwards Matt Barnes (11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds) and Jason Kapono (17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds), center Dan Gadzuric (11.7 points, 8.6 rebounds), guards Billy Knight (7.9 points, 1.9 rebounds) and Cedric Bozeman (19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists at Mater Dei High).

Keys to season:Bozeman is the only unproven commodity in the starting lineup. Tall and silky smooth, the freshman is vastly different from the frenetic Watson, whose leadership will be missed. How quickly Bozeman adjusts to the college game will determine how far the Bruins go. Another key is for Gadzuric to improve his consistency and become one of the top centers in the nation.

Outlook: It has never been better in Lavin’s tenure. The mature, experienced Bruins are projected to win a somewhat depleted Pac-10 Conference and make a serious run at the Final Four. Anything less will be a disappointment.