Wright keeping tabs of former team

Ryan Wright text messages his best buddies on his former team. He keeps in close touch with UCLA guard Darren Collison, center Lorenzo Mata-Real and forwards Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

Wright, a 6-foot-9, 229-pound power forward, transferred from UCLA to Oklahoma last spring after he averaged 1.3 points, 0.9 rebounds and 5.4 minutes a game as a sophomore.

With injuries to forwards James Keefe and Michael Roll, and with a close call last week when Aboya suffered a broken bone under his right eye, it seemed as if Wright might have been playing quality minutes for a team aiming for its third straight Final Four appearance.

But while his new team was playing USC on Thursday night at the Galen Center, Wright was back in Norman -- he has to sit out a season after his transfer -- and happy with his decision.

“Lack of playing time was a factor,” said Wright, who is from Mississauga, Canada. “I needed a fresh start and a change of scenery. I just needed to change everything.”

Wright was ranked as the 38th best player of the 2005 recruiting class by one scouting service, HoopScoop, 56th by Scout.com and 80th by Rivals.com. He started four times as a freshman for UCLA.

Wright said UCLA Coach Ben Howland’s precisely run, physically demanding practices made him a better player. And gave him bumps and bruises.

“The way we went after each other in practice every day, guys got injured for sure. But eventually it seems like everybody comes back healthy and that benefited us when we got to the tournament.”

When Wright told Howland he was considering transferring, Wright said, “Coach Howland was understanding. He told me he knew how I felt and that I should take my time. After I made the final decision, he let me still be with the team during spring workouts. So no bridges burned and if UCLA wins a national championship this year I’ll be happy.”

Former UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar came to the UCLA-George Washington game Wednesday night. Farmar, now a Lakers guard, also said that it’s never a surprise when he hears that a Bruin is injured.

“Ben’s guys really go after it in practice,” Farmar said. “And they play the way they practice. All out.”

CSTV.com is starting a weekly “Wooden Watch,” a prediction of who will win one of college basketball’s most prestigious awards, the John R. Wooden Award.

The CSTV panel includes former coaches Steve Lappas and Pete Gillen.

UCLA freshman Kevin Love was No. 4 after the first poll. North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough was first followed by Kansas State freshman Michael Beasley and Memphis’ Chris Douglas-Roberts.

Collison played 26 minutes and scored 14 points in his first game of the season Wednesday in UCLA’s 83-60 win over George Washington. Collison’s return means that sophomore Russell Westbrook will more often be playing his more natural position as shooting guard.

Still, Howland said, all the minutes Westbrook got in Collison’s place were worthwhile. “It’s exciting to have two guys out there who can handle the ball and play and think like point guards,” Howland said.

diane.pucin@latimes.com