UCLA MEN’S PREVIEW

At a Glance

* Last season: 11-17 overall, 7-11 Pacific 10 Conference.

* Finish: Tied for seventh in conference, lost to Washington, 91-83, in the first round of the Pac-10 tournament after beating the Huskies twice during the regular season. It was UCLA’s second consecutive losing season, the first time that has happened since the 1940-41 and 1941-42 seasons.

* Coach: Ben Howland, second season, 11-17.

* Who’s gone: T.J. Cummings, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Walcott, Jon Crispin, John Hoffart, Gene Barnes.

* Projected starters: Guards Jordan Farmar (27.5 points, 6.5 assists as a high school senior) and Arron Afflalo (23 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists as a high school senior); forwards Dijon Thompson (14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds) and Ryan Hollins (6.5 points, 4.3 rebounds); center Michael Fey (6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds).

* Keys to season: How will the highly touted freshman class respond and who will pick up the slack of Cedric Bozeman, the Bruins’ best defender, who was lost for the season because of a knee injury the day before the first exhibition game? UCLA is thin up front and will need Fey and Hollins to be tougher defensively and more active on offense than they’ve shown. For only the second time since Michael Holton and Rod Foster in 1980, the Bruins will start an all-freshman backcourt. Baron Davis and Earl Watson in 1997-98 were the others. It worked both times. The Bruins were ninth in the conference in scoring (66.9 points a game), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio and 10th in steals last season. Improvements in all those areas will be necessary.

* Outlook: Picked to finish fifth in the conference, the Bruins, to a man, say they will consider this season a disappointment if they don’t return to the NCAA tournament. “We don’t just want to make the tournament either,” Farmar says. The Bruins will miss Ariza, who surprised many by turning pro after one season in Westwood but who has been one of the biggest NBA surprises this season. Their weakness at power forward probably means UCLA is still a season away from NCAA play.