As Usual, Veteran Is the One to Pick It Up

Partly because of desperation but mostly because of patience, UCLA’s freshmen -- especially guards Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo and swingman Josh Shipp -- have turned into the dangerous players they were expected to be.

But as he prepares to play his last game at Pauley Pavilion, it is senior Dijon Thompson who has quietly dragged the youngsters to this point where an NCAA berth is in reach and he can now call them “super sophs.”

The Bruins, 17-9 overall and 10-7 in the Pacific 10, are aiming for at least a third-place tie in the conference and a stronger sense of belonging in the NCAA tournament field with a win today at 5 p.m. against Oregon (14-12, 6-11) on Senior Day.

The eighth-place Ducks will not be without motivation. They still haven’t assured themselves of a spot in the eight-team Pac-10 tournament next week at Staples Center -- though they will have if Washington State beats California in a 1 p.m. game.

It is the Bruins, though, who can move into the postseason portion of their season with a strong statement. They could arrive at Staples with the confidence of having won five of their last six games and by playing their best and most consistent basketball of the season.

Besides Thompson, UCLA’s other two scholarship seniors -- guard Brian Morrison, who transferred to UCLA after two years at North Carolina, and Josiah Johnson, son of former Bruin great Marques Johnson -- will start. But they will be in the background. Thompson has earned today’s spotlight.

He is 6 feet 7, 210 pounds and built to float around the court rather than power his way anywhere. He has an even-tempered personality that isn’t suited to loud leadership. But Thompson has altered his game and his temperament in a huge effort to improve both his future as a professional player and UCLA’s future as a resurgent college power.

“Dijon has, without question, been our best player this year,” UCLA Coach Ben Howland said Friday. “He’s been the most consistent and has done all the little things. If you had told me he’d be able to handle the defensive assignments of a [strong forward] the way he has, I would have been flabbergasted he played this well.

“He’s always the best guy out there, even during the walk throughs, making sure everybody else is doing the right thing. I couldn’t be prouder of his efforts this year.”

During the preseason Thompson stood in front of Pauley and spoke quietly. In his even voice it was hard to tell if there was emotion or fire or belief in his words. “I want to take this team on my shoulders,” he said. “It’s on me this year.”

Thompson meant what he said. Going into the final regular-season game, Thompson is second in the conference with an 18.5 scoring average, and third in rebounding with an 8.1 average, nearly double last year’s average of 4.3.

“It’s getting back to the NCAAs that means the most,” Thompson said after Thursday’s tense 69-61 win over Oregon State. “I’ll take great pride in that. It will mean a lot to me because I feel like I’ve played a part in things getting better here.”

Thompson never complained this season as more attention fell to point guard Farmar and shooting guard Afflalo.

Farmar’s performance Thursday night -- 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two turnovers -- was the culmination of a season’s worth of learning on the job.

Howland couldn’t praise Farmar enough, congratulating his point guard on “making a lot of plays,” of being “masterful” in the way he handled picks and screens and of “controlling the tempo and handling the ball like you want a point guard to do.”

Thompson said Farmar, Afflalo and Shipp, who have all started all or most of the season and who have had to play over 30 minutes a game because there isn’t anyone else, have matured in ways he couldn’t have imagined.

“They’ve been tough, they’ve listened, they’ve paid attention, they’re smart,” Thompson said. “They’re not freshmen anymore. I think of them as super sophs.”

It was Thompson, though, who made the biggest changes. He has become a fierce rebounder. He makes right decisions on shot selection and passes. He was the first to suggest that since Ryan Hollins was struggling early that Thompson move from small forward to big forward and handle defensive assignments against taller, stronger, burlier guys.

“He’s made sacrifices,” Farmar said earlier this week. “He’s been the senior leader.”

For his reward, Thompson said, he wants one more thing. One last trip to the NCAAs. He went as a freshman when there were other stars and no one noticed Thompson.

Now the team is his.