Big Things Necessary for Bruins

There was a parade of Stepford Bruins speaking for UCLA this week.

“We have to keep giving them the ball,” said point guard Jordan Farmar.

“We have to get them touches,” said his backcourt mate, Arron Afflalo.

“Get them the ball,” said senior forward Dijon Thompson.

“Feed the post,” said freshman swingman Josh Shipp.

As UCLA (6-2) prepares to open its Pacific 10 Conference season today against Oregon State (8-3) at Gill Coliseum, Bruin Coach Ben Howland took inventory.

He’s happy with the development of all four freshmen -- starting guards Farmar and Afflalo, starting forward Shipp and backup center Lorenzo Mata. He is pleased with the adaptability of Thompson, a senior who has made a marked improvement in his rebounding enthusiasm and a graceful transition from shooting forward to power forward.

But Howland is no closer to having a strong, dynamic post presence than he was two months ago. His two 7-foot juniors -- Michael Fey and Ryan Hollins -- have been unwilling or unable to take and give punishment, to push and shove their way to rebounds or to create open space for easy shots.

Howland wants Fey to be vocal and demanding. Instead his center was late for the bus on the day the Bruins left for Michigan State, thus earning Mata his first start.

Howland, who sticks to a program of positive reinforcement, was almost publicly harsh 10 days later.

“When I think about it, him being late for the bus the day after we beat Michigan,” Howland said, “those are the kinds of things that drive me crazy because I don’t get that. We’re playing well, a big win, and then you’re late.”

Still, Howland must play Fey. He has no other options. Mata is a project, a young man who got a late start in basketball and still is raw on offense. Fey is shooting nearly 59% from the field, but he has taken only 41 shots.

“We see Michael do the job every day in practice,” Farmar said. “Then he gets in the game and doesn’t do it. I know he’s frustrated and he’s been going through a struggle.”

As games progress and Fey and Hollins fumble passes or stand stagnant instead of moving to the ball, UCLA’s guards seem to become less eager to pass the ball inside. Farmar, particularly, has been caught in the air, looking to pass to Fey but seeing only opponents.

“We need to establish some kind of post game,” Afflalo said. “We’ve got to give them touches inside. We don’t even give them the opportunity to make mistakes.”

Afflalo caught himself quickly and rushed into his next sentence. “These guys can do the job, though. It’s going to happen.”

Farmar, who is averaging 33.9 minutes a game, and Afflalo, who is averaging 32.5 minutes, have gotten more experience and playing time than they had imagined so soon in their UCLA careers. But with the season-ending injury to guard Cedric Bozeman, Thompson missing time because of an injured thumb and senior backup Brian Morrison struggling with his shooting, the rookies have had to play.

Now they move to the conference season. Thompson offered advice learned from hard experience.

“No game in this conference is over, ever,” he said. “That’s what I’ll tell them. You know what I remember from my freshman year? We were leading Arizona by 20 at halftime in Tucson and we ended up losing by 20. So anything can happen in this league.”

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TODAY

at Oregon State, 3 p.m.

Site -- Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.

Radio -- XTRA 1150/690.

Records -- Beavers 8-3, Bruins 6-2.

Update -- Oregon State hasn’t won its Pac-10 opener in a decade, and is coming off a season when it was one of two teams that didn’t qualify for the conference tournament. But the Beavers, with all five starters back from last season, are being led by a freshman from Croatia -- 6-foot-10 forward Sasa Cuic. Cuic is tops in both scoring (14.5 points) and rebounding (5.9) for the rejuvenated Beavers, who also got a boost Tuesday when David Lucas, an all-conference player last year, returned after having surgery on his right big toe. Lucas, a 6-8 senior, had 13 points against Sacramento State in his season debut. Nick DeWitz, another 6-8 forward and a transfer from Iowa who became eligible Dec. 11, has fit nicely into Coach Jay John’s rotation. DeWitz is averaging 12.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. This will be UCLA’s first game since a 12-point loss at Michigan State Dec. 21.