It’s not always about time for Howland

It is puzzling sometimes the way UCLA Coach Ben Howland calls timeouts. He often will call one just as the Bruins make a three-point basket in the second half, or just after one of his players makes a shot for a double-digit lead when it seems his team has momentum.

Most coaches hoard timeouts as if they were a precious resource, which they are. Howland was asked about his use of timeouts at a news conference at UCLA on Monday afternoon.

In Saturday’s NCAA second-round win over Indiana, the Bruins and the Hoosiers used up all their timeouts and neither coach could stop the clock in the final few frantic minutes.

Howland’s strategy must be working though. The second-seeded Bruins will play third-seeded Pittsburgh at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in San Jose in a semifinal of the West Regional. It is UCLA’s 16th Sweet 16 appearance -- which ranks fourth all-time -- and its second straight.

“I try to utilize my timeouts to keep us in an advantageous situation,” Howland said. “Sometimes I use one early in the second half. We play so hard; sometimes I use them just to rest our players.

“I took one when we were up 14 or 16 against Indiana because I think it’s tough for some teams mentally when you’re down 16 and another TV timeout is coming.

“I’m not so worried about having a timeout at the end.”

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Only three Bruins -- Arron Afflalo, Josh Shipp and Darren Collison -- were available to speak with the media because it’s final exams week.

Shipp said he had done a smart thing: “All my courses, the final exam is a paper so I can do it when I need to,” he said.

Shipp has quietly been an all-around steadying influence for the Bruins over the last eight games -- shooting 50.6% from the field, 40% from three-point range and 72.2% from the foul line. Shipp also has averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Shipp sat out all but four games last season while recovering from hip surgery and didn’t play at all as the Bruins went on a late-season winning streak and advanced to the national championship game.

“I really want to be contributing now,” Shipp said. “It’s a special time. Watching from the bench last year was hard. I wanted to support my teammates any way I could, but I like supporting them while I’m playing better.”

Collison said having finals during Sweet 16 week didn’t offer any special hardships. “At UCLA you always have to concentrate on school.”

He also said the sprained left ankle he had suffered in practice last Tuesday was “fine.”

“I don’t think it’s affecting me at all,” he added.

With 73 steals this season Collison is fourth on UCLA’s all-time list and one away from tying Tyus Edney (74 in 1995) for third.

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Howland is among five active Division I coaches who have taken teams to the Sweet 16 in four of the last six years. Howland took Pittsburgh in 2002 and 2003 and UCLA the last two years. Roy Williams took Kansas in 2002 and 2003 and North Carolina in 2005 and 2007; Rick Barnes took Texas in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006; Jim Calhoun took Connecticut in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006; and Mike Krzyzewski took Duke in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

diane.pucin@latimes.com