Wake-Up Call at Tucson Is a Reminder

Aftershocks from the UCLA fissure that Arizona exposed at Tucson could cause a serious shakeup or be too mild to notice. It’s tough to predict with this team.

Beyond dispute is that allowing a 20-point lead to vanish in fewer than four minutes and the resulting 96-86 defeat prove the Bruin foundation is not solid. Even a victory over Stanford at home Thursday would not change that, just as last week’s victory over then-No. 1 Kansas was not a cure-all.

Several problems are glaring:

* Center Dan Gadzuric’s frequent foul trouble. The 6-foot-11 senior has fouled out of three games in a row, limiting his minutes to an average of 19. Equally troubling is his apparent lack of willingness to alter his game.

“I’m trying to play hard,” he said. “If I get in foul trouble, so be it. My teammates are getting beat, so I have to be there to protect the basket. I’m not going to be a post player who is soft.”

The problem is compounded by poor defense and rebounding by backup T.J. Cummings.

* The lack of an experienced point guard. Freshmen Cedric Bozeman and Ryan Walcott are improving, but are not close to being ready for the rigors of the NCAA tournament. Not only were they no match for Wildcat veteran Jason Gardner, they lacked the poise and polish of Arizona freshmen Salim Stoudamire and Wil Bynum.

“It’s coming, but it’s taking time,” Bozeman said. “I learn something every time I’m out there.”

* The snail-like progress of freshmen Dijon Thompson and Andre Patterson. Both have great potential, but Errick Craven of USC and Arizona’s trio of Stoudamire, Bynum and center Channing Frye (19 points against UCLA) are freshmen much further along.

For every breathtaking play made by the athletic Thompson, there is a youthful blunder. Patterson rebounds well and is a shot-blocker, but he isn’t playing enough to improve rapidly.

* Coach Steve Lavin’s glacier-pace adjustments during games. The UCLA coach devised effective game plans for top opponents--Alabama, Kansas and Arizona being the prominent examples--but he must react more quickly and imaginatively during the battle.

After UCLA scored at will from the perimeter in the first half, the Wildcats went to a three-guard lineup and extended their pressure defense to midcourt. The Bruins ceased getting open shots, and Lavin’s only response was pulling Bozeman in favor of Walcott.

The result was 12 second-half turnovers and 33% shooting by UCLA and a barrage of easy transition baskets by Arizona.

“They were shaky ballhandlers,” Bynum said. “So we felt if we turned up the pressure and got the crowd into it, we’d be able to come back. It seemed like we adjusted and they didn’t. And once their big guy fouled out, we scored inside and out.”

A succinct summary of the game--and of UCLA’s problems, which apparently even a freshman can recognize.

Steve Henson