PATIENCE IS PAYING OFF

There were surely times when UCLA Coach Ben Howland wanted to put his mouth to the ear of freshman point guard Jordan Farmar and mainline some sense into Farmar’s brain.

But instead, after Farmar threw his third straight pass to nowhere or took a quick jump shot or made one spin too many instead of forging a straight-ahead drive, Howland would put an arm on Farmar’s shoulder or pat his back or mouth, “Keep it up.”

Because that’s what you do with freshmen.

You bite your tongue, clench your fist, gnaw on the insides of your cheeks. As Bruin senior Brian Morrison said, “Howland recruited those guys, so he must have faith in them.”

As the fourth-seeded Bruins (18-9 overall, 11-7 in the Pacific 10 Conference) prepare for their first game in the Pac-10 tournament at 2:50 p.m. today against fifth-seeded Oregon State (16-13, 8-10) at Staples Center, it has become time for another learning experience for their three freshman starters -- Farmar, shooting guard Arron Afflalo and forward Josh Shipp. Tournament time.

Steve Fisher, who took Michigan’s Fab Five lineup of freshmen to the national championship game, remembers how in the first half of their opening game, the widely acclaimed class of freshmen committed more turnovers than they scored points.

“At that moment,” said Fisher, now the coach at San Diego State, “I realized you have to just accept that some bad things are going to happen, even with talented players.”

Howland has seen those bad things. Such as the day when the Bruins had 19 turnovers, nine by Farmar, and lost at Oregon State. Or the 20-turnover performance against Stanford at Pauley Pavilion, or the game against California when Shipp, Afflalo and Farmar combined to go four for 17 from three-point range and never gave the offense a chance in a 64-51 loss.

The coach would make his public points about rushed offensive possessions or scatterbrained passes and then offer a compliment. Maybe it was to thank Shipp for his offensive rebounding or Afflalo for playing blanket defense.

“Coach is always positive about us even when he’s getting on us,” Shipp said. “I know it’s not always easy but Coach has been careful with our spirit.”

Since the fifth game of the season, UCLA has played with three freshman starters. In Pac-10 play, Farmar has averaged 34.3 minutes a game, Afflalo 30.7 and Shipp 30.6. Howland says only one team in the country, Georgia, has played freshmen more minutes.

“It’s a major challenge having such an immature team,” Georgia Coach Dennis Felton said. “You don’t have the natural leadership within the ranks. You have to be very patient. You have to be methodical in what you do. I’ve kept an eye on UCLA and Ben has done a very, very good job. You can tell that by how the point guard has progressed.”

Brandin Knight has watched the evolving relationship of Howland and Farmar as closely as he could while spending time this year with Asheville, N.C., in the National Development Basketball League. Knight was Howland’s point guard at Pittsburgh and it is his experiences with Knight that Howland has mentioned several times this season as helping him nurture Farmar.

“There was a give-and-take relationship,” Knight said from Charlotte, where he is rehabilitating his knee after surgery. “Sometimes that relationship was overbearing for me because I felt capable of doing certain things. But Coach always wanted his hands on. I look back now and it ended up helping me mature. But I also think it helped Coach Howland mature. I see Farmar out there now doing stuff and I know Coach Howland is giving him more freedom. The trust is there.”

It was not Howland’s plan to start three freshmen. But after senior point guard Cedric Bozeman suffered a season-ending knee injury on the day before the first exhibition game and junior forward Ryan Hollins was slow to regain his confidence and willingness to play hard on defense and while rebounding after summer knee surgery, Howland moved senior Dijon Thompson to the strong forward position and Shipp into the lineup.

“I don’t think Coach has ever eased up on us,” Afflalo said. “He’s never acted as if expectations were lower because we were freshmen. I think the key has been that we always stayed pretty positive and Coach always stayed very positive. I think there were times he could have been disappointed, but he never showed that.”

It is with Farmar, though, that Howland has marked a perfect line between control and freedom.

After the nine-turnover debacle at Oregon State where Farmar wasn’t made available to the media, Howland brought Farmar with him to a hotel lobby the next day. Normally, Howland keeps his players off-limits on days between Pac-10 games. And rather than hanging his head or expressing remorse for his mistakes, Farmar said it was over, lessons were learned and that he would not stop trying to make plays. “I’ll just try and make them better,” Farmar said.

And so he has.

“When I watch Farmar,” Knight said, “I can see the moments when he’s been given the freedom to be an individual. I can see in Farmar’s face when he’s running a play by instinct.”

Felton said he has had moments of extreme frustration this season.

“It’s been very challenging,” he said. “There are times when I’m just scratching my head, pondering why we could make these kinds of mistakes. But then I always remind myself we’re just really, really young. And that things will be better next year.”

Howland won’t say he has had moments of frustration. There have been times when his face turned red or his head was thrown back or where he would start to rush toward one of his young players with his hands waving after they had made a mistake. But Howland always stopped, just in time.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

NO. 1 ARIZONA VS. NO. 8 CALIFORNIA

* Season results: Arizona 25-5 overall, 15-3 in Pacific 10, California 13-15 overall, 6-12 in Pacific 10. The Wildcats swept the Golden Bears, 87-67, in Berkeley on Jan. 6, 97-76, in Tucson on Feb. 3.

*--* STARTERS Arizona Ht Wt Stats Pos California Ht Wt Stats Ivan Radenovic 6-10 221 5.8 rpg F David Paris 6-8 260 56.5% FG Hassan Adams 6-4 212 12.5 ppg F Dominic 6-8 210 4.9 rpg McGuire Channing Frye 6-11 248 7.5 rpg C Rod Benson 6-10 210 13.7 ppg Salim 6-1 179 18.2 ppg G Richard 6-2 205 35.0% 3pt Stoudamire Midgley Mustafa Shakur 6-3 183 4.6 apg G Martin Smith 5-11 175 4.0 apg RESERVES Chris 6-4 210 5.9 apg Marquise 6-5 220 9.3 ppg Rodgers, G Kately, G Jawann 6-4 214 43.1% FG Ayinde 6-3 200 6.1 ppg McClellan, G Ubaka, G Isaiah Fox, F 6-9 263 78.6% FT DeVon 6-10 225 4.6 rpg Hardin, F

*--*

* How they match up: Not well at all. Arizona has one of the more athletic and better starting lineups in the country. California has its best player, power forward Leon Powe, sitting on the sidelines. Powe, last season’s Pac-10 freshman of the year, missed the entire season with a knee injury. That old maxim about certain teams having other teams’ numbers applies here. There’s a reason the Wildcats have won 15 of the last 17, and 12 of 13, against the Golden Bears.

* Keys to the game: The Golden Bears, who have endured a season of injury and a rare sweep by last-place USC, essentially backed into the tournament, having lost six of their last seven. If Arizona is focused -- Coach Lute Olson always has shown a disdain for the tournament -- the deeper and more talented Wildcats should make short work of the Golden Bears. Expect Cal to try to slow things down and hit from beyond the three-point arc.

*

-- Paul Gutierrez

*

NO. 4 UCLA VS. NO. 5 OREGON STATE

* Season results: Bruins 18-9 overall, 11-7 in Pacific 10, Beavers 16-13 overall, 8-10 in Pacific 10. Oregon State won the first meeting, 85-80, in Corvallis on Dec. 31, UCLA won the second game, 69-61, at Pauley Pavilion a week ago. UCLA’s best win came over Washington, 95-86, on Jan. 8. Oregon State was 8-1 at home in conference play and 0-9 on the road.

*--* STARTERS UCLA Ht Wt Stats Pos Oregon State Ht Wt Stats Dijon 6-7 209 18.2 F Nick DeWitz 6-8 220 53.4% Thompson ppg 3-pt Josh Shipp 6-5 200 4.9 F David Lucas 6-8 246 18.7 rpg ppg Michael Fey 7-0 270 54.9% C Kyle Jeffers 6-9 270 19 FG block s Arron Afflalo 6-5 206 11.0 G Lamar Hurd 6-4 190 2.7 ppg ppg Jordan Farmar 6-2 170 5.3 G Chris 6-2 194 86.6% apg Stephens FT RESERVES Brian 6-2 219 35.3% J.S. Nash, G 6-2 210 29.6 Morrison, G 3-pt mpg Ryan 7-0 225 22 Jason 5-10 169 3.1 Hollins, F block Fontenet, G apg s Matt 6-8 222 1.6 Sasa Cuic, F 6-10 240 9.4 McKinney, F rpg ppg

*--*

* How they match up: The Bruins struggle to match up with Oregon State forward Lucas, who has scored 45 points in the two UCLA games. The Beavers took advantage of an unconvincing Bruin zone defense in the first game with long-range shooting, but UCLA’s active man-to-man kept hot-shooting guards Stephens, Nash and Fontenet in check last week.

* Keys to the game: Can Farmar, UCLA’s freshman point guard, come close to his controlling performance last week when he scored 23 points and had seven rebounds and seven assists? The Beavers need another strong inside game from Lucas and better outside support from DeWitz, who scored seven points in the first four minutes last week but only two more in the game.

-- Diane Pucin

*

NO. 2 WASHINGTON VS. NO. 7 ARIZONA STATE

* Season results: Washington 24-5 overall, 14-4 in Pacific 10, Arizona State 18-12 overall, 7-11 in Pacific 10. The Huskies swept the Sun Devils this season, 79-70, in Tempe on Jan. 30, 90-82, in Seattle on Feb. 24.

*--* STARTERS Washington Ht Wt Stats Pos Arizona State Ht Wt Stats Bobby Jones 6-6 210 48.1% 3pt F Serge Angounou 6-8 230 6.7 rpg Tre Simmons 6-5 200 16.7 ppg F Bryson Krueger 6-7 190 44.7% 3pt Mike Jensen 6-8 240 4.3 rpg C Ike Diogu 6-8 255 22.5 ppg Will Conroy 6-2 195 6.5 apg G Steve Moore 6-5 205 11.7 ppg Nate Robinson 5-9 180 16.3 ppg G Jason Braxton 6-2 206 3.6 apg RESERVES Brandon Roy, G 6-6 215 13.2 ppg Kevin Kruger, 6-2 186 10.7 ppg G Jamaal 6-5 225 57.1% FG Tyrone 6-2 186 10.7 ppg Williams, F Jackson, G Hakeem 6-7 245 16 blocks Allen Morill, 6-7 232 48.1% FG Rollins, F F

*--*

* How they match up: Better than you think. While Washington loves to run and create havoc on the defensive end of things, the Sun Devils are not shy about getting it going in transition either. Still, Arizona State’s strength is in its big man -- Pac-10 player of the year Ike Diogu -- and thus, the Sun Devils have a rare advantage in the post. Everything else, from guard play to bench production, favors the run-and-gun Huskies.

* Keys to the game: The Sun Devils’ best hope is in Diogu’s having a career game in the post, something for which the Huskies have no answer. Expect the Huskies to press the Sun Devils into an up-and-down game while trying to get Diogu in foul trouble. Arizona State must also incorporate some semblance of a halfcourt game, with Diogu having his way with Washington’s undersized pivot players, to hope for an upset. Expect ASU to look for success at the free-throw line.

Paul Gutierrez

*

NO. 3 STANFORD VS. NO. 6 WASHINGTON STATE

* Season results: Stanford 17-11 overall, 11-7 in Pacific 10, Washington State 12-15 overall, 7-11 in Pacific 10. The Cougars shocked the Cardinal by pulling off their first season sweep in 12 years, beating Stanford, 60-51, in Spokane on Dec. 31, and 59-48, in Palo Alto on March 3.

*--* STARTERS Stanford Ht Wt Stats Pos Washington Ht Wt Stats St. Matt 6-11 230 9.0 rpg F Chris 6-7 220 4.5 ppg Haryasz Schlatter Nick 6-6 205 8.2 ppg F Jeff Varem 6-6 240 8.0 rpg Robinson Rob Little 6-10 260 50.7% FG C Robbie 6-10 200 3.5 rpg Cowgill Fred 6-5 205 47.1% FG G Thomas 6-5 194 13.5 ppg Washingto Kelati n Chris 6-2 190 15.1 ppg G Derrick Low 6-1 177 89.7% FT Hernandez RESERVES Jason 6-2 190 88.1% FT Kyle 6-5 185 4.9 ppg Haas, G Weaver, G Taj 6-8 185 1.1 ppg Josh 5-11 185 31% 3 pt Finger, F Akognon, G Peter 6-10 250 76.2% FT Daven 6-7 215 37.7% FG Prowitt, Harmeling, C F

*--*

* How they match up: Neither team is exceptionally athletic and both are more comfortable in slow-it-down, half-court sets. Yet the Cougars have owned the Cardinal this season. Washington State loves to use most, if not all, of the shot clock, while Stanford patiently moves the ball around until it sees a good shot. Cougar Coach Dick Bennett said his team’s success against the Cardinal was due mostly to the schedule.

* Keys to the game: Confidence and what’s at stake. Sure, Washington State swept Stanford, but even Bennett acknowledged it was hard to beat a team three times in one season. The Cougars are simply playing out the string, while the undermanned Cardinal -- its rotation at six players after the loss of leading scorer Dan Grunfeld to a season-ending knee injury -- is hoping to not only defend its tournament title but also polish up its NCAA tournament at-large resume.

-- Paul Gutierrez

*