Thompson’s Offense Remains AWOL

Dijon Thompson couldn’t have played much better last weekend in a victory over Arizona State and competitive loss to Arizona.

But the senior couldn’t have played much worse in the consecutive losses to Stanford and California in Pauley Pavilion. Thursday against the Cardinal, Thompson was scoreless in the first half and finished with six points. Saturday against the Golden Bears, Thompson was scoreless in the second half and scored six points.

“I didn’t get the job done,” said Thompson, who started the weekend averaging more than 18 points a game, second best in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Coach Ben Howland said he may consider moving Thompson back to the shooting forward spot from the power forward position the 6-foot-7, 210-pounder has been playing for more than a month, since Howland lost patience with 7-foot junior Ryan Hollins.

“I’ve got to rethink playing Dijon at the three spot,” Howland said after Thompson took only nine shots -- and only three in the second half -- against Cal. “We’ve got to get Dijon more touches.”

Hollins, who played a total of two minutes in UCLA’s opening Pac-10 games at Oregon State and Oregon, had seemed rejuvenated the last couple of weeks. He played 20 minutes against Arizona State and 18 against Arizona and was active defensively and on the boards.

But after getting pushed around by Stanford’s bulky inside players Thursday, Hollins played only one minute against Cal. Even Josiah Johnson, the senior who had played only one minute in UCLA’s first seven Pac-10 games, played five against the Bears.

“Josiah can turn and face the basket against a zone,” said Howland. “Maybe he needs more minutes.”

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With the success Cal had in zoning the Bruins, who shot 30.3% from the field overall and 18.5% from three-point range (including 0 for 11 in the first half), it seems probable they will see more zone defense the rest of the season.

“We were tentative and on our heels, especially in the first half,” Howland said.

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The Bears had only eight scholarship players in uniform against UCLA and only one Cal player, junior walk-on Martin Smith, has started every Pac-10 game. Leading scorer Richard Midgley sprained a shoulder against Washington on Jan. 2 and sat out against USC and UCLA after trying to play one-handed for two weeks.

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UP NEXT

Saturday at USC, 1 p.m., FSN West, Sports Arena -- Nine days ago, the Bruins were tied for first in the Pac-10 and getting close to cracking the Associated Press top 25. Now, UCLA is reeling and loser of three in a row.