Kapono Knows This Enemy

No introductions will be necessary when Jason Kapono of UCLA and Justin Reed of Mississippi take the floor in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday.

The off-season basketball circuit often forges unlikely acquaintances, such as a Bruin junior and a Rebel sophomore. They trained together in Colorado Springs, Colo., last summer and played on separate national teams.

Kapono made what was considered the more prestigious team, which played in the World Championship for Young Men in Japan.

Reed made the team that played in the World University Games in China. Mississippi Coach Rod Barnes was an assistant on that team.

Although Reed did not believe he played to his potential during tryouts, he came to a realization that has made him a better player.

“That’s one thing I talked about with Coach Barnes, developing some more outside skills,” Reed said. “Last year, we didn’t have a lot of size, so I had to play underneath the basket. I believed adding a jump shot and developing my ballhandling skills will help my game.”

Kapono remembers the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Reed as a versatile power forward.

“He’s a good player, a very good player,” he said.

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Playing in Pittsburgh will be a homecoming of sorts for first-year UCLA assistant Patrick Sandle. He coached under Ben Howland at Pitt the last two seasons.

“It will feel like going home,” Sandle said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Actually, he got the same feeling when UCLA Coach Steve Lavin hired him. Sandle, 38, was a star guard at Crenshaw High, helping the team to the City Section championship in 1980.

Sandle became a coach shortly after completing his eligibility at San Francisco State and was an assistant as St. Mary’s, Fresno State, Sonoma State and three junior colleges before Howland hired him at Northern Arizona in 1996.