Howland Encourages UCLA to Run Its Course

Almost every time the UCLA Bruins grab rebounds, whenever the Bruins make a steal and sometimes even when the opponent has just made a basket and Arron Afflalo or Jordan Farmar or Josh Shipp is set to inbound the ball, Coach Ben Howland stands up and shouts.

“Run,” he bellows. “Run. Run.”

While his reputation building a powerhouse Pittsburgh team was of a coach who liked his players to be strong, big-shouldered and patient workers in a patterned offense, Howland has urged this young team to move it forward aggressively.

As UCLA (10-3 overall, 4-1 in the Pacific-10 Conference) prepares to play at No. 17-ranked Arizona (13-3, 3-1) in a key conference game today, the Bruins are forging the identity of a running, gunning, fun-to-watch team.

“At the start of the season we were more of a slow-down team,” freshman Afflalo said. “I think we’ve recognized that our guards are our strength and in the past four or five games we’ve really got the running thing going.”

The Bruins are fourth in the Pac-10 in scoring, averaging 76.5 points a game (Arizona is third at 76.9). In Pac-10 play, the Bruins are averaging 82.2 points and have found a confidence unusual in a young team.

“We’re not afraid to take shots when they’re open,” freshman point guard Farmar said.

Howland disputes Afflalo in one thing: “We’ve been trying to push it up all year,” he said. “It’s an ongoing process.”

It is also wrong, Howland said, to suggest that because he coached a slower-paced, power-oriented game at Pitt that it was the only style of basketball he understood.

“I just like to win,” Howland said. “I like our ability to get easy baskets in transition.”

Howland pointed to a quick dunk by freshman Shipp midway through the second half of Thursday’s 86-82 win over Arizona State. The Sun Devils had just worked hard and used most of the 35-second shot clock before powerful Ike Diogu had scored.

Howland said he thought that on the film it was clear Diogu was still admiring his own basket when “you could see Ike look up and Josh has already scored.”

It was a trade of baskets but an advantage to UCLA. The quick scores, Howland said, can be debilitating for a defense.

The style is working also because senior Dijon Thompson has used his talents to become an all-court player.

“Dijon is standing up screens, blocking out, giving up his body,” Howland said.

In other words, Thompson is not letting himself get taken out of plays defensively. Because Thompson is more alert on defense, Howland says, he is getting more rebounds and more steals. When the Bruins were trailing the Sun Devils by 12 in the first half, Thompson made a quick steal and an unguarded lay-up.

“Working to get easy opportunities is very important for us,” Howland said.

Another big help is the revival of junior forward Ryan Hollins. Howland had benched Hollins for all but two minutes of the season-opening Pac-10 road trip to Oregon State and Oregon.

“It was the right thing,” Hollins said. “Coach got my attention. Playing two minutes on the road, that was a wake-up call. What coach wanted from me was better rebounding and for me to bring a lot of energy into the games because of how we play. He’s right about that too.”

Hollins played 20 minutes Thursday and played full speed on offense and defense. “It’s great to get that from Ryan,” Thompson said. “He can be big for us the rest of the season.”

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TODAY

at No. 19 Arizona, 3 p.m. PST, Channel 7

Site -- McKale Center, Tucson.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- Wildcats 13-3 overall, 3-1 in Pacific 10 Conference; Bruins 10-3, 4-1.

Update -- Arizona is led by a veteran trio: 6-foot-11 senior center Channing Frye (14.3 ppg., 8.4 rpg.), 6-1 senior Salim Stoudamire (14.6 ppg.) and 6-4 junior guard Hassan Adams (12.4 ppg., 5.8 rpg.). Stoudamire is shooting better from three-point range (46 of 82, 56%) than from closer in (69 of 135, 51.1%).

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Battling Wildcats

UCLA’s record in recent seasons against Arizona:

*--* Date Site Winner Score Jan. 20, 2000 at Pauley Pavilion Arizona 76-61 Feb. 19, 2000 at Tucson Arizona 99-84 Jan. 20, 2001 at Tucson Arizona 88-63 Feb. 15, 2001 at Pauley Pavilion UCLA 79-77 Jan. 19, 2002 at Tucson Arizona 96-86 Feb. 14, 2002 at Pauley Pavilion UCLA 77-76 Jan. 18, 2003 at Pauley Pavilion Arizona 87-52 Feb. 13, 2003 at Tucson Arizona 106-70 March 13, 2003 at Staples Center UCLA 96-89 Jan. 17, 2004 at Pauley Pavilion Arizona 97-72 Feb. 14, 2004 at Tucson Arizona 107-83

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