Bruins believe that another big run is coming

UCLA BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: Bruins believe that another big run is coming

By Jon Gold Staff Writer
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Posted: 12/19/2011 11:46:46 PM PST
Updated: 12/19/2011 11:47:01 PM PST


Roughly a year ago, UCLA was in a similar position.

The Bruins are 5-5, one year after a 4-4 start had fans horrified at the prospects of a second straight losing season.

What happened next for UCLA last year?

A 16-3 streak.

The Bruins, winners of three straight heading into tonight's contest against UC Irvine, say they believe they have it in them for another run.

"Basketball is a game of ups and downs, and I'm sure we'll have some times when we're having a drought. But I think we can definitely make a push," said junior point guard Lazeric Jones, who has made a push of his own the last few weeks, raising his team-leading scoring average to 13.6 points per game. "We just have to stick to our principles. I preach that all the time."

With the Bruins coming off an 82-39 win over woeful UC Davis, it appears the sermon is sinking in.

Time was, a 40-point win over the Aggies would have barely registered a blip on the radar. But these Bruins lost to Loyola Marymount and Middle Tennessee.

"We've got a lot of new pieces, so it was definitely a comfort factor trying to get worked out," said sophomore forward David Wear, one of the new pieces after transferring from North Carolina. "We had some defensive breakdowns because we weren't really familiar with playing with each other. But as the season's gone forward, we realize where we fit in."

Head coach Ben Howland was quick to shoot down comparisons to last year's team - "Last year we had two kids who are in the NBA; those guys were pretty good players" - but the players said that familiar feeling is setting in.

The key going forward now? Stop looking backward.

"We're not looking at our losses," Jones said.

"We're looking at the wins we can gain, at the team we can become at the end of the season."


Blind ignorance

You'd expect some of the Bruins' positive outlook has to do with the struggles of the rest of the Pac-12, which included Washington's 92-73 home loss to South Dakota State on Sunday.

Wrong.

"You see there? I didn't even know they lost," Jones said. "My parents say I have a problem with that, too. I really don't pay attention to things like that. I'm really a stickler on staying focused on what you have going on in your life, keeping tunnel vision."


Bumps and bruises

Sophomore forward Travis Wear returned to practice on Monday after missing six days - and two games - with a skin infection on his left foot. The Bruins' second-leading scorer was hospitalized mid-week last week but is expected to play against the Anteaters.

UCLA's Wear brothers are striving siblings

Photo:UCLA

UCLA's Wear brothers are striving siblings


Identical twins Travis (#24) and David (#12), who have shared a basketball journey as well as a close bond, are filling bigger roles for the Bruins than they might have expected.



By Baxter Holmes
The Los Angelinos Times
8:08 PM PST, December 19, 2011



A week ago, David Wear left the downtown Los Angeles hotel where UCLA was staying to find himself a snack.

But he returned to jarring news: His identical twin brother and fellow Bruins forward, Travis, had been rushed to a nearby hospital with a rapidly inflamed skin infection on his left foot.

The following night, Travis was still in a hospital bed, pumped full of antibiotics, while David took the court against Eastern Washington at the Sports Arena.

But something was off, David said, and the 6-foot-10 sophomore played like it, scoring just seven points while missing six of eight shots.

"That was the first time, really, he wasn't there playing or on the sidelines in a game I was playing in," David said.

Travis was released two days later, but wasn't cleared to play in UCLA's next game, so he sat behind the team bench.

And with his brother nearby, David didn't look off or feel strange at all.

In fact, he played his best game of the season, scoring a career-high 15 points against UC Davis in an 82-39 win.

"There's just an unspoken connection," said their father, David Sr.

It's hard not to feel connected when you have spent nearly every waking moment together and sleep just feet apart, as the brothers have done their entire lives.

They've also shared a long journey, one that began in their hometown of Huntington Beach, led to prep powerhouse Santa Ana Mater Dei, where they won two state championships, and continued with a pit stop with the famed North Carolina Tar Heels before each transferred to UCLA in May 2010.

But this season, they're both playing larger roles for the Bruins (5-5) than either imagined, thanks to center Joshua Smith's continued conditioning issues and the recent dismissal of forward Reeves Nelson.

"And you're talking about two guys that didn't play in a year and a half," said former Bruins star Don MacLean, who works as an analyst on the team's radio broadcasts.

Each sat out last season in accordance with NCAA rules after transferring from North Carolina, where neither really played much when they were freshmen.

"I haven't played major minutes in a game really since high school," Travis said.

As such, they're rusty, but Travis' foot injury, which was related to his snorkeling accident in Hawaii last month, and a concussion David suffered before the team's trip to Hawaii have slowed their progress.

"Their problem is the health things," UCLA Coach Ben Howland said.

Howland said they'll gradually improve and while they look similar, they play differently.

For instance, Howland said Travis has more post moves, and David is a better rebounder and outside shooter.

Out of high school, Scout.com ranked David as the 26th best player nationally, Travis No. 27.

Now that they're at UCLA, their statistics are close: Travis averages 10.6 points per game, David 8.0.

But their statistics have always been almost identical since they began playing basketball at 11, shortly after giving up roller hockey.

In fact, it's hard to find how the two brothers are different, aside from David's slightly longer hair. "If they really wanted to trick people, they could get the same haircut," said guard Lazeric Jones.

Smith, UCLA's center, said he has mistakenly identified them more than once, even on the court, and their father admitted doing the same long ago. To help, he made David wear a lower jersey number; he's worn No. 12 since. (Travis wears No. 24.)

The only time they're not together, they said, is when they're with their girlfriends, who both attend and are roommates at USC.

Aside from that, they're inseparable.

So, how else are they different?

David: "Our attitudes. I'm a little bit more serious."

Travis: "I'm more silly, but at the same time I might be more responsible."

David: "No, it doesn't work out like that."

Travis: "What?"

David: "We're both pretty responsible, but when it comes down to it, I have the final say on things."

Travis: "No, you don't."

After much discussion, they found an example: the closet at their apartment.

Travis: "I have my stuff folded up nice, and then your side is just organized piles."

David: "Yeah, but it's still organized."

Travis: "Yeah, but it's organized in piles."

Then, almost in unison, they said, "There are subtle differences."

Subtle indeed.

Improved defense sparks UCLA turnaround

Improved defense sparks UCLA turnaround

By Peter Yoon
ESPNLA.com, UCLA Report
December, 19, 2011 8:20 PM PT


Almost from Day 1 of practice this season, coach Ben Howland was telling anyone who would listen that UCLA was a long way from being the type of defensive team he'd like it to be.

Ten games into the season, the Bruins are finally starting to show some glimpses and they hope to continue that trend when they face UC Irvine Tuesday night at the Sports Arena.

UCLA (5-5) has held it's last two opponents to 47 and 39 points, respectively, and has given up an average of only 53.4 points over the last five games. In the first five games this season, the Bruins gave up and average of 73.2 points per game as they started 1-4.

"I think it was us having some issues that we needed to work out and watch film and just get better," forward David Wear said. We're getting more comfortable and more familiar with what we’re doing.

We’re starting to realize each other’s tendencies and as the season goes on we’re just going to get better and better."

Shooting percentage defense is where the biggest improvement has come. UCLA's first five opponents made 50.1 percent of their shots. Take away UCLA's 92-60 victory over Division II Chaminade and the Bruins gave up a whopping 56.9 percent of shots. In the past five games, however, the Bruins have allowed opponents to make only 36 percent of their shots, including 24.8 over the last two games.

The players credit simply growing as a team. Starters David and Travis Wear are new to the team after sitting out last season because of transfer rules. Tyler Lamb is in a starters' role after playing sparingly last season and key reserve Norman Powell is a freshman.

"We actually came together more as a team," Powell said. "Our chemistry is building. We all haven’t played together. Travis and Dave sat out last year. I’m just coming in. We’ve been trying to feel each other’s game out. And in practice, we’re actually working hard and there’s less attitude and more coming together as a team. Our chemistry is getting better on defense and the flow of our offense."

The importance of playing good defense has become abundantly clear. In UCLA's five victories, opponents are averaging 51.6 points and shooting 31.1 percent. In their five losses, opponents are averaging 75 points and shooting 56.5 percent.

At first, it was easy to just shrug it off as running into a hot shooting team. But when UCLA seemed to keep running into hot shooting teams, it was time to look in the mirror.

Team captain Lazeric Jones said a team-wide commitment to defense sparked the turnaround. He traced the early struggles to summer workouts with NBA players. Those games feature a different kind of defense, Jones said.

"In the summer it’s just keying on your man, not too much help," Jones said. "You’re playing NBA rules and it's more spread out so it’s hard to get there to help. In college everything is so help oriented. We’ve been playing with them so much all summer and I know my mindset wasn’t that great about helpside defense, but now I’m trying to be the catalyst of that. Making sure I do that and get on the others for not doing it."

The jury is still out on just how much better UCLA has gotten. It's one thing to dominate Eastern Washington and UC Davis, as the Bruins have done the last two games, but the big test is coming next week when UCLA opens Pac-12 play on the road against Stanford and California.

Still, even a stickler for defense like Howland can't help but notice the improvement over the last two weeks.

"We’re getting better in that respect," he said. "Hopefully that's something that will continue to evolve."

"We're getting better in that respect," he said.

Smith, Wear play big part in UCLA rout

UCLA's Joshua Smith battles his way to the basket in the Bruins' victory over UC Davis, 82-39, at the Honda Center on Saturday afternoon.MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER


Smith, Wear play big part in UCLA rout

By BRIAN WHITEHEAD / SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER
Published: Dec. 17, 2011 Updated: 7:20 p.m.


ANAHEIM - Remember those backyard big brother vs. little brother basketball games where a much older and larger brother did nothing but use his size advantage, grab rebound after rebound and lay every shot up with ease?

Well, UCLA's game against UC Davis on Saturday unfolded the exact same way.

The Aggies had no answer for the 6-foot-10 tandem of Josh Smith and David Wear as the towering duo fueled the Bruins' 82-39 victory at Honda Center.

"UC Davis is a better team than they showed today," Bruins coach Ben Howland said. "It was a good combination of them not playing well and us playing real well.

"We're pleased to get the win and get a little momentum with one week left before we go into conference play."

Smith led all scorers with 18 points and Wear added 15 as the duo finished a combined 14 of 20 from the field with 16 rebounds.

"Josh played well getting a double-double today so that was nice," Howland said. "Josh is our most dominant scorer ... he's playing better and better and we need that. We're counting on him."

UCLA guard Tyler Lamb did a bit of everything on the perimeter, setting career-highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (seven) to go along with nine points.

"Tyler played very well today," Howland said. "He played outstanding defense and had a really well-rounded game."

Around the hoop, the shot-blocking abilities of Smith (three blocks) and 6-foot-10 Anthony Stover (five blocks) altered countless shots and forced the Aggies (1-9) to settle for contested jumpers.

As a team, UC Davis shot 23 percent from the field.

"Blocking shots helps us with our post defense because then guys think about what they do before they even go up," Smith said. "As bigs, we have to defend the middle. We can allow some points, but if we're around, we're going to block it."

UCLA freshman Norman Powell grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds off the bench as a handful of Bruins finished with five or more boards.

"I was really just trying to make my presence known on defense," Powell said. "Coach said he wanted somebody to grab more than five rebounds in a game, so I took it upon myself to get him there."

Smith scored six of the Bruins' first 10 points as they jumped out to an early lead that got as high as 35 in the first half.

The 43-point difference was UCLA's largest margin of victory since a 113-62 triumph over Wyoming on Dec. 23, 2008.

UCLA (5-5), which has won three in a row, will face UC Irvine on Tuesday at the Sports Arena.

_______________


Change continues to be good for UCLA in 82-39 rout of UC Davis


The Bruins improve to 3-0 since the dismissal of forward Reeves Nelson, and 5-5 overall. Joshua Smith gets 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Coach Ben Howland says his team 'has become more cohesive.'

By Baxter Holmes
The Los Angeles Times
6:26 PM PST, December 17, 2011


Addition by subtraction.

That was the argument being tossed around when UCLA dismissed volatile forward Reeves Nelson on Dec. 9 — that it lost a good player but was better off for it.

It might be too early to know if that equation is accurate, but these numbers don't lie:

The Bruins have added three consecutive wins to their record and evened it at 5-5 since Nelson left, the latest an 82-39 demolition of UC Davis before 5,132 at the Honda Center on Saturday.

"Our team has become more cohesive, obviously," UCLA Coach Ben Howland said.

UC Davis Coach Jim Les, whose son Tyler led the Aggies in scoring with nine points, agreed.

And so did UCLA center Joshua Smith, who scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first double-double this season.

"With the guys we have, the chemistry is getting really good," Smith said. "Our practices are harder."

The Bruins had it together against UC Davis (1-9), which has defeated only Division III Santa Cruz, in what became UCLA's most lopsided win since rolling Wyoming by 51 in December 2008.

But it's easy to look together in what amounted to a varsity vs. JV scrimmage.

UCLA led by as many as 35 points in the first half and by 47 in the second.

If UC Davis put up any fight, it came when it outscored UCLA, 12-11, just after halftime.

Then the Bruins responded with a 20-0 run, the equivalent of a roundhouse knockout punch.

"UC Davis is a better team than they showed today," Howland said. "It was a combination of them not playing well and us playing really well."

Well enough that seldom-played Tyler Trapani, the great-grandson of John Wooden, saw some final-minute floor time. (He missed his only shot.)

Travis Wear missed his second straight game because of a skin infection on his left foot that could be related to an injury suffered while snorkeling in Hawaii last month.

Fellow sophomore forward David Wear scored a career-high 15 in his twin's absence.

Howland said Travis Wear, the Bruins' second-leading scorer (10.6 points per game), probably will return Tuesday against UC Irvine (2-8).

The Aggies missed 42 of 55 shots, so there were plenty of rebounds to grab and UCLA grabbed more for a change, outrebounding UC Davis, 50-34.

Guard Tyler Lamb had career highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (seven), and Smith was one point short of a career high, but his mostly-dominant 21 minutes of playing time stood out more.

That's the most the 6-foot-10, 305-pound Smith, who's struggled with conditioning, has played since logging 22 minutes against Chaminade on Nov. 21, and he said he could've played more.

"I know it's going to be my issue the whole year until I get in great physical shape," Smith said.

Smith said he feels "great" compared to earlier this season and that tweaking his diet — not what or how much he eats, but when he eats — has helped.

"Like, before I go to class, grabbing a banana, a water, just to take to get it in you so you're not going straight to practice just empty-bellied," Smith said.

That's a small change compared to what the team has dealt with in losing Nelson.

But minus one key element — the Bruins have improved their record.

Said Smith: "We're kind of getting our chemistry back."

_______________

Five observations: UCLA 82, UC Davis 39

By Peter Yoon
ESPNLA.com, UCLA Report
December, 17, 2011 5:24 PM PT


ANAHEIM--It took a game against hapless UC Davis, but UCLA seemed to finally rediscover its identity in a dominating 82-39 non-conference victory over the Aggies Saturday at the Honda Center.

The Bruins played staunch defense and center Joshua Smith showed signs of emerging from a season-long slump as the Bruins (5-5) won their third consecutive game and reached .500 for the first time this season.

It was UCLA's largest margin of victory since a 103-62 victory over Wyoming on Dec. 23, 2008. That it came against UC Davis (1-9) is a bit of a disclaimer because the Aggies have lost six consecutive games and have defeated only Division III UC Santa Cruz.

Still, the Bruins can use all the victories they can get after a dreadful start to the season.

"UC Davis is a better team than they showed," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "It was a good combination of them not playing well and us playing real well. We’re pleased to get the win and get a little momentum here with one week left before we go into conference."

Smith led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds and added three blocked shots. David Wear had a career-high 15 points, Lazeric Jones had 12 points and Tyler Lamb had a well-rounded performance of nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists.


Five observations from the game:


1) Joshua Smith dominated the paint

Smith has struggled with foul trouble and and conditioning most of this season, but showed little trouble on either of those fronts Saturday when he finished with season highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes.

Howland expertly subbed Smith in and out of the game to keep him fresh, and it seemed to pay dividends as both coach and player seemed to find a rhythm to keep the big man effective. He seemed spry at times with three of his baskets coming on powerful dunks and he also blocked three shots.

"I was just being aggressive, to be honest," Smith said. "I felt great out there tonight. I know it’s going to be my issue the whole year until I get into great physical shape, but since the start, I feel great now compared to our first couple of games."

Howland said Smith's improvement is causing a case of deja vu. Last season, Smith struggled early but played himself into game shape as the season went on and became a dominant force by the end of the season.

"It’s about two months in now kind of like last year," Howland said. "Things are all of a sudden coming easier and he’s playing better and better and we need that. We’re counting on Josh obviously."


2) UCLA's man defense is showing some life

Much has been made about UCLA's need to play more zone defense with it's current cast of players, but the Bruins have played a suffocating man-to-man defense the last two games.

UC Davis shot only 23.6 percent Saturday as UCLA played predominately man-to-man. It was lowest shooting performance by a Bruins opponent since Mississippi Valley state shot 19.7 percent on March 20, 2008.

Tuesday against Eastern Washington, the Bruins played all man-to-man and held the Eagles to 25.9 percent from the field. In the last two games, UCLA has given up and average of 43 points per game.

"Our defense hasn’t really changed that much but we’ve just really been focusing on help," Smith said. "Just making the extra rotation in help defense because a lot of times in the first games, we weren’t helping. A lot of guys were just playing one on one defensively. We didn’t have guys coming over to rotate and getting blocks and changing shots."

Blocked shots contributed a great deal to the defensive performance. Anthony Stover had five blocks and Smith had three.


3) UCLA crashed the boards

One of Howland's big points of emphasis coming in to Saturday's game was the need for UCLA to rebound better and they did so in a big way. The Bruins out-rebounded UC Davis, 50-34, setting a season-high for team rebounds.

Smith had 10, Norman Powell had 10 and Lamb had nine. Rebounding was a key part of UCLA's defensive performance as the Aggies had only six second-chance points.

"Coach said he wanted somebody grabbing more than five rebounds a game so I took it upon myself to get in there and grab more rebounds and try to be the leading rebounder today," Powell said.


4) The three-guard lineup proved the winning formula

UCLA's obvious strength this season is size with four players at 6-10, but sometimes there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Howland has tried using lineups filled with trees, but early on that formula led to slow-footed performances and losses.

During UCLA's current three-game win streak, Howland has used a three-guard approach more often than not, putting Jerime Anderson, Lamb and Jones on the floor with Smith and David Wear. It's created more quickness, better ball handling and a better defensive team.

"I feel that us with three guards on the floor it gives us more options," Powell said. "When we get defensive stops, we can push. If we have three guards on the floor, it’s harder to guard us because we can go inside out. Get the ball to Josh, space out, let him draw the double team and kick out for the open shots. It’s easier with the three guards."

Travis Wear missed a second consecutive game with a skin infection on his foot so his absence made it easier to use the three-guard lineup. He's expected to come back next week and Howland said he'd have to figure out his rotations based on opponent.

"We’re going to play big at times," Howland said. "There’s going to be times definitely with Travis at the three and depending on the team we’re playing against, it’ll be a team we’re zoning more when he’s at the three."


5) Momentum is heading the right way

It's been a difficult start to the season for the Bruins with Reeves Nelson's on-the-team, off-the-team situation disrupting chemistry as well as new faces David Wear, Travis Wear and Norman Powell trying to carve out roles.

With Nelson permanently gone now and 10 games in the books, things have settled and it's showing on the floor.

"We’re starting to get a feel for each other’s game, starting to make that extra pass," Powell said. "Not looking for your shot but looking for others coming off the second option of the play."

The early-season adversity easily could have torn apart the team, but instead it seems to have brought the team together. And even though the victories have come against teams the Bruins should have no troubles beating, UCLA players are growing more and more confident as more time passes from their 1-4 start.

"Everybody needs those games where you start to gel together and start to get wins," Jones said. "I feel like we’ve been doing that lately. We’ve been real confident and aggressive and real supportive of each other when we’re out there."

And lest anyone forget, UCLA was a preseason top-25 team and picked to win the Pac-12. Getting back to that level is still within reach, Smith said.

"We had high expectations and we still do," he said. "The season didn’t start as well as we wanted to and now it’s one of those where we have to put ourselves in the best position to get to the tournament. We know we’ve lost five games and we’re just kind of trying to keep it like that, keep winning our non-conference games which is kind of big for us to get wins before we go into conference play."


Click on boxscore to enlarge (Yahoo!Sports.com)

Bruins trying to rebound against UC Davis

Bruins trying to rebound against UC Davis

By Peter Yoon
ESPNLA.com, UCLA Report
December, 16, 2011 8:38 PM PT


If UCLA is going to rebound from its lackluster start, the Bruins (4-5) have to rebound better and that starts against UC Davis in a non-conference game Saturday at noon at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

David Wear is leading the Bruins in rebounding with only 5.6 per game and the Bruins have had only two players reach double figures in rebounding in a game so far this season. They are getting out-rebounded 33.6-32.9 per game, which isn't particularly impressive for a team that has four players who are 6-10.

Those 6-10 players are David Wear (averaging 5.6 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game), Travis Wear (5.1 in 27), Joshua Smith (4.9 in 16.8) and Anthony Stover (1.1 rebounds in 7.6 minutes).

"We need more rebounds out of our bigs," coach Ben Howland said. "It’s pretty clear to our team: If you want to play a lot of minutes, get rebounds. Be a good, leading rebounder. We need someone to step up and take that challenge to get eight or nine rebounds a night."

That player last season was Reeves Nelson, who averaged 9.1 rebounds last season and had 16 games of 10 or more. Nelson was dismissed from the team and Howland has yet to find the player who can replace him on the glass.

Howland would even like to see better rebounding out of his guards and small forwards.

"It’s everybody," Howland said. "When we contest shots on the perimeter, instead of rushing back in to help rebound, they’re kind of leaking out. We can’t afford to have anybody leak out early. We don’t have Kevin Love on the boards getting every rebound."

TRAVIS WEAR STILL QUESTIONABLE: Travis Wear, who missed Wednesday's game against Eastern Washington because of a skin infection on his foot, did not practice Thursday or Friday and is questionable for Saturday's game against UC Davis.

"There’s a possibility he’ll play but they didn’t want him to practice today because they felt like exercise that close to coming back off this infection might make it swell back up," Howland said. "Hopefully he’ll be able to play tomorrow. I don’t know that yet."

Howland said Joshua Smith would again start at center with Travis Wear out.

NORMAN POWELL NEEDS TO GET DEFENSIVE: Freshman guard Normal Powell has impressed on offense during his time on the court but Howland would like to see some improvement on the other end of the floor.

Howland said Powell broke down twice in the first half against Eastern Washington and allowed his man to get off a wide open shot.

"What I explained to Norman is, hey, you’re going to miss shots and that’s much less of an issue than defensive breakdowns," Howland said. "He’s still learning these things...I think Norman is going to be a real good player, but there is a learning curve and like most freshman that’s what he’s going through."

NELSON HEADING TO LITHUANIA: Howland said Reeves Nelson has signed a professional contract with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, though he did not reveal the terms of the contract.

"He’s got a very, very good opportunity to play with an outstanding team," Howland said. "I talked to a friend who said he’s going to a really good team at the highest level of European basketball."

STRUGGLING AGGIES: UCLA's opponent Saturday is probably the weakest team on the Bruins' schedule this season. The Aggies (1-8) have lost five consecutive games and their only victory this season was against Division III UC Santa Cruz.

Two weeks ago, Davis lost to Eastern Washington, 79-59. UCLA defeated Eastern Washington, 60-47, on Wednesday. The Aggies had a late lead against Hawaii in the last game, but couldn't hold on and lost, 74-61. Adding to the troubles is a season-ending knee injury to leading scorer Ryan Sypkens.

Still, Howland said he is concerned about defending the Aggies because of the unusual style of offense they play.

"They really spread you out," Howland said. "They do a lot of dribble handoffs and weaves. A lot of ball screening and slipping of screens. It's a hard team to guard."

Sophomore Josh Ritchart, who had 24 points against UCLA in a 74-67 Bruins' victory last year, is averaging 13.8 points this season.

UCLA grinds out 60-47 victory over EWU

UCLA grinds out 60-47 victory over EWU

ESPNLA.com
December, 14, 2011 11:16 PM PT


LOS ANGELES--UCLA's performance against Eastern Washington certainly won't win any beauty pageants any time soon, but that's of little importance to the Bruins.

UCLA won, 60-47, in a slow, plodding non-conference game at the Sports Arena, stringing together consecutive victories for the first time this season and building a bit of momentum toward turning around an season that got off to a rocky start.

The Bruins (4-5) made 11-of-16 free throws in the final five minutes and have now won three of their last four games after a 1-4 start.

"Style points are nothing," guard Tyler Lamb said. "We just have to try and get the win."

Lazeric Jones had 19 points and Lamb added 14 for UCLA. The Bruins played without starting forward Travis Wear, who was hospitalized because of a skin infection on his foot.


Five observations from the game:

1) Slow was the right tempo

Eastern Washington surprised UCLA by playing a stalling offense early on. The Eagles routinely held the ball until there were 15 seconds or so left on the shot clock before running a play.

It led to an ugly, 28-18, halftime score, but wound up benefiting the short-handed Bruins, who have had issues with speed and conditioning all season.

"The stall helped us," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "I wasn’t disappointed in it. We got off to a great start and it allowed us to rest being short a man in our rotation."


2) The bench came up big

With Travis Wear out and Joshua Smith again finding foul trouble, Anthony Stover and Brendan Lane played 18 minutes each -- a season high for both players -- and made them count.

While they combined for only four points they both played excellent defense. Stover was especially active with three blocked shots and three rebounds. Lane had two rebounds.

"It was very important for myself and Brendan Lane to get in there and do some things that Travis normally does for us on a nightly basis," Stover said. "Get rebounds, play hard defense, hedge and everything we do on the floor."

Norman Powell also played well off the bench with four points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.


3) Lazeric Jones continued his roll

Jones started the season in a dreadful slump, making only 12 of his first 49 shots (24.5 percent) but has averaged 18.8 points while shooting 26-41 (63.4 percent) over the last four games.

He made his first three three-point shots Wednesday, extending his streak of consecutive three-pointers to eight over the last three games before missing late in the first half.

"Zeek really was off keel to start the season and he’s really got it back now," Howland said. "He's very much under control and really playing well and steady for us. That’s what I expected out of him and I think he’ll show that the rest of the way."

Jones suffered a cut on his chin during the game and required stitches. He also aggravated a left wrist injury suffered last season, but Howland didn't seem all that concerned. Jones was not available to the media because he was getting medical attention.


4) The Bruins didn't need a zone

After playing mostly zone Saturday against Penn, the Bruins showed no zone Wednesday and had their best defensive performance of the season.

UCLA held the Eagles to a season-low in points and their 25.9 percent shooting was the lowest by a UCLA opponent this season. Eastern Washington made only 15 baskets for the game and the Eagles, shooting 36.4 percent on three-pointers this season, made only five of 22 (22.7) from beyond the arc Wednesday.

"I was afraid to zone this team because they shoot almost 37 percent from three on the season and really spread you out," Howland said. "Our man defense as far as the field goal percentage defense was good."

The rebounding wasn't so hot, though. UCLA was out-rebounded, 42-32, and Eastern Washington had 19 offensive rebounds. Howland said the Eastern Washington long-range shots led to a lot of long rebounds.

"Our guards have to rebound better," Howland said. "I though Zeek [Jones] did a good job in the first half with four. He got tired, got worn down because I played him too many minutes."

Jones finished with six rebounds, tying David Wear for the team high.


5) The Bench got awfully thin

Travis Wear was already out and Joshua Smith got into foul trouble, so the Bruins were already going deep into the bench, but then David Wear went crashing hard to the floor early in the second half and it didn't look like he would be able to return.

He bruised his tailbone, but managed to come back after sitting out for a bout 10 minutes and finished with seven points and six rebounds.

"That gave me a big scare," Howland said.

Moments after Wear fell, Jones cut his chin and sat out for a few minutes while trainers bandaged it. At that time, only six scholarship players were available: Stover, Lane, Smith, Tyler Lamb, Jerime Anderson and Norman Powell.

Howland used Smith sparingly, subbing him in for offense and out for defense, and he never really found a rhythm. He had seven points and two rebounds in only 19 minutes.

New-look UCLA holds off Penn, 77-73

Photo: Bruins guard Lazeric Jones (11) sets up the offense against Penn and guard Zack Rosen in the first half Saturday at Honda Center. Credit: Gary A. Vasquez / US Presswire

New-look UCLA holds off Penn, 77-73

By SCOTT M. REID / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Dec. 10, 2011 Updated: 9:22 p.m.


ANAHEIM – UCLA is a team in transition.

In recent days the Bruins have added a new defense (a zone) and dropped a longtime headache (volatile all-conference forward Reeves Nelson). Mainly the Bruins are a team in search of the right chemistry.

UCLA's 77-73 victory against Penn in front of 6,332 at Honda Center on Saturday suggests that between adopting the zone and losing Nelson the Bruins might have found the right formula to jumpstart a so far disappointing season.

Point guard Lazeric Jones scored 21 points while also dishing out four assists, and forward David Wear posted his first double-double as a Bruin (11 points, 12 rebounds) enabling UCLA (3-5) to withstand a lethal shooting night by Quakers guard Tyler Bernardini.

Bernardini, who grew up in Carlsbad, sank 8 of 12 3-point field-goal attempts en route to finishing a game- and career-high 29 points.

Bernardini's shooting brought the Quakers back from a 14-point deficit midway through the second half.

"When you even gave him an inch of space he knocked it down," Jones said. A Bernardini 3-pointer pulled Penn to 71-67 with 2:58 remaining but the Quakers (5-6) could not narrow the gap any further.

"It was important for us to get a win," UCLA coach Ben Howland said after the Bruins' only second victory in their past five games. "It was a good feeling to get a win ... a step in the right direction."

Saturday's victory was the latest in a series of major steps Howland and the Bruins took last week.

UCLA has billed its season away from an under-renovation Pauley Pavilion as the "Bruin Road Show."

The show arrived in Anaheim with a lighter load, having shed the baggage that has been the distraction of Nelson.

Howland, having already twice suspended Nelson in less than a month this season, dismissed the junior forward Friday believing the move would be a "positive" for the team but was still uncertain how his players would react.

"Anytime you have someone that you dismiss from the team it changes the chemistry," Howland said.

At least Saturday the move produced the right chemical reaction.

"It feels like I've lost a brother," UCLA center Joshua Smith said of Nelson. "We are the closest of friends but he and Coach discussed it. We are going to go out and play hard."

Even with Nelson gone, Howland had to overcome another set of philosophical differences.

Howland, who throughout his career has been almost militant in his insistence on playing man-to-man defense, has reluctantly acknowledged this team will benefit from playing a zone.

The Bruins stayed in a 2-3 zone for nearly a third of Saturday's victory.

"Zone is not preferred, but it's what fitting for our team now," Howland said.

"We need to use it, it will be helpful for us, especially as we get better at it."

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UCLA zones in for 77-73 win over Penn

UCLA holds off Pennsylvania for a 77-73 victory, as the Bruins employed more zone defense than usual — and more than Coach Ben Howland likes to use.

By Diane Pucin
The Los Angeles Times
8:50 PM PST, December 10, 2011


Ben Howland made a concession this week.

UCLA will be playing more zone defense.

The coach hopes it will be played a little better after more practice. UCLA held on for a 77-73 win over Pennsylvania at the Honda Center on Saturday, the victory almost in spite of rather than because of the zone.

Penn guard Tyler Bernardini, a 6-foot-6 senior from Carlsbad, scored a career-high 29 points and made 8 of his 12 three-point shots in the effort.

Adding more zone defense isn't a decision Howland made lightly. In most of his years as UCLA head coach, he has stayed steadfast that man-to-man defense is the only defense he wants to play.

But having seen his team struggle this season, Howland has installed zone, and it's here to stay.

"Zone is not preferred," Howland said, "but it's what is fitting for our team now. We practiced zone at each of our practices this week. We're going to need to use it and be a team that plays both man and zone."

This has been a week of turmoil for the Bruins. Reeves Nelson, the junior who led UCLA in scoring and rebounding a year ago, was suspended for the second time this year and then Friday was officially dismissed from the team.

Sophomore center Josh Smith said losing Nelson as a teammate gave him the same feeling as losing a brother. "We are the closest of friends," said Smith, who had 12 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

"Obviously, this is a tough time," point guard Lazeric Jones (team-high 21 points) said. "But my teammates came out and stayed focused and got the win. That shows how mentally tough we are."

It seemed UCLA (3-5) was safely on to victory when, with 9:40 left in the game, Jones hit a jump shot to put the Bruins up 60-46. But Bernardini immediately knocked down a three-pointer, and when he hit his final one, with 2:58 left, the Quakers (5-6) were within four, at 71-67.

And with 29 seconds left and UCLA hanging on to a 75-70 lead, Bernardini rimmed out a final three-point shot.

"Whenever we gave him just an inch of space, he made it," Jones said. "That's something we have to work on, when someone is hot like that."

Howland said that however the win was accomplished, it was necessary.

"It was important for us to win a close game," he said. "It was an important game to win. It's a step in the right direction."

Sophomore David Wear, who had his first career double-double (11 points and 12 rebounds), agreed. "It was our first week where we've concentrated on running the zone, but I think we could be a really good zone team. We have to get back and work out some kinks."

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UCLA guard Norman Powell battles for the ball with Penn forward Fran Dougherty during a 77-73 victory at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times / December 10, 2011)

Men's basketball fends off Pennsylvania Quakers in close victory

By RYAN MENEZES
The Daily Bruin in Men's BasketballSports
Published December 10, 2011, 11:51 pm


ANAHEIM — The UCLA men’s basketball team sat at the intersection of two transitions prior to Saturday’s matchup against Pennsylvania.

In the rear-view mirror was junior forward Reeves Nelson, dismissed a day earlier by coach Ben Howland. At the same time they were losing a key cog, the Bruins were also establishing a new defensive mindset that will stay with them for the remainder of the season – the zone.

For a day, UCLA didn’t look like a team in transition. The Bruins held off a late run from the Quakers to win, 77-73.

Howland hinted at it after last week’s loss to Texas, but finally deployed a zone midway through the first half and mixed it with man-to-man defense for the remainder of the game. It virtually eliminated any attacks to the basket for the Quakers (5-6), who chose to shoot over the top of the spaced-out defense.

“It’s not my preference, but I think it’s what’s fitting our team right now,” Howland said.

The zone forced long-range shots – the Quakers took four more 3-pointers than 2-pointers in the game – but Penn still was able to convert 12 of their 31 chances, with guard Tyler Bernardini hitting eight of his own.

Faced with the zone themselves at times, the Bruins (3-5) were more patient on offense. They worked their way inside-out with the ball and scored 34 points in the paint. Sophomore center Joshua Smith scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, including a backboard-shaking dunk.

Still, the Quakers made it a game with a 12-3 run that cut it to a four-point UCLA lead with 2:58 to play.

The Bruins closed out the game with a suffocating closing stretch, forcing a hot-shooting Bernardini into two more misses with the game still within the Quakers’ reach. Senior guard Jerime Anderson added an emphatic block, and a five-second inbounds violation got the Honda Center as loud as it had been during UCLA’s first of four home games in the venue.

“We’ve been in that situation where we’ve played a team that has shooters, like with Michigan,” said senior guard Lazeric Jones, who had a team-high 21 points. “We kind of broke down, so we were telling each other coming out of the huddle not to break down, not to give up on defense and keep fighting. To see that we came through at the end against a similar team gives us a lot of confidence.”

The Bruins hung their hat on their defense closing out the game but admitted they were still figuring out the zone, which they started focusing on just a few days earlier.

“We could be a really good zone-defensive team,” redshirt sophomore forward David Wear said. “We had some breakdowns in it but we’ve only been running it for a week now. We’re going to get back, work out some kinks, and I think we’ll be that much better.”

Improvements on a disastrous start to the season will have to happen without Nelson, who was the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder. On Saturday it didn’t look like UCLA missed Nelson on the court, but it’s a different story off the court.

“Personally, I felt like I lost a brother. Reeves is one of my closest friends, I love him to death,” Smith said. “Our attitude doesn’t change. Whoever’s on the team, we’ve got to go out and play hard with the guys we’ve got.”

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Defensive shift helps UCLA men's basketball team fluster Penn in victory

By Sam Strongm Special to the Daily News (via The Long Beach Press-Telegram)
Posted: 12/10/2011 10:21:57 PM PST
Updated: 12/10/2011 11:07:27 PM PST


ANAHEIM - The Bruin Road Show's tour of Southern California now is complete.

The Bruins, playing their first of four games at the Honda Center - the final stop on the road show's three-arena parade -decided to try something new Saturday.

Coach Ben Howland and his Bruins were 1-3 at their primary home, the Sports Arena. With the change of venue, Howland decided to change UCLA's defensive philosophy. Deploying an uncharacteristic zone defense worked just well enough for UCLA to escape with a 77-73 win over Penn.

Howland, who rarely departs from the man-to-man scheme that brought him success at Pittsburgh and earlier at UCLA, reluctantly made the switch midway through the first half after several of his big men were on the verge of foul trouble. That included sophomore center Joshua Smith, who picked up two fouls shortly after entering the game.

"Zone defense is not my preference, but I think it's what fits our team right now," said Howland, who added UCLA made a commitment to practicing the zone last week and will continue to play a combination of man and zone as the season continues.

The zone helped UCLA open the second half on a 6-0 run. As Smith started to get more touches, the outside shots began to fall and UCLA's lead ballooned. The Bruins held Penn to 39-percent shooting from the field in the second half as opposed to 52 percent in the first.

Smith scored on three of five possessions early in the second half, including a two-handed slam off a lob assist from senior guard Jerime Anderson.

Two possessions later, Smith drew a double team and got the ball to redshirt sophomore Travis Wear, who then found freshman guard Norman Powell open for a 3-pointer that pushed the Bruins' lead to 13 points with just under six minutes to play.

"We know what our strengths are," said Smith, who finished with 12 points after failing to score in double figures in UCLA's last two games. "We want to get the ball inside. We want to be aggressive under the basket.

"It's really nice to watch when you get guys wide-open threes."

A late 21-11 run by Penn (5-6) made things close. The catalyst to that surge was Quakers guard Tyler Bernardini, who had 15 points in the second half and was 8 for 12 on 3-pointers. That matched the Bruins' total from behind the arc.

Late baskets from senior captain Lazeric Jones and Smith, however, helped seal the outcome.

"It was important for us to win a close game," Howland said. "Our guys made big plays down the stretch."

Said Jones, "We've been in that situation where we've played a team that has shooters and we broke down. We were telling each other to keep fighting, and to see us come through at the end gave us a lot of confidence."

Confidence was in short supply coming into Saturday's game after junior forward Reeves Nelson, the team's leading scorer last season, was dismissed from the team on Friday. He had been indefinitely suspended for the second time earlier in the week.

Howland said he plans to meet with Nelson again today to discuss his options.

"Anytime you dismiss a player from the team, it changes the chemistry," Howland said. "I'm wishing Reeves nothing but the best and I'm going to help him in any way that I can."

The Bruins (3-5) doubled their win count over Division I opponents this season.

"We have to play hard with the guys we've got," Smith said. "We had guys playing hard the whole game and it was a really good win for us."

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New-look Bruins zone in for 77-73 victory

By Peter Yoon
ESPN Los Angeles, UCLA Report
December, 11, 2011 12:02 AM PT

ANAHEIM--The UCLA basketball team had a new look in terms of both personnel and scheme and took the court at a different arena, but the most important change was that on the scoreboard.

Playing their first game without Reeves Nelson and their first game this season at the Honda Center, UCLA held off a pesky Pennsylvania, 77-73, in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon.

The Bruins (3-5), struggling out of the gate this season, doubled their season victory total against Division I teams by implementing a zone for significant stretches of the game, taking advantage of their significant size advantage and playing efficiently on offense.

Lazeric Jones had 21 points for UCLA, David Wear had 11 points and 12 rebounds and Travis Wear and Joshua Smith each had 12 points in a balanced attack for the Bruins.


Five observations from the game:

1) The Bruins needed this win

It was a difficult week for UCLA as Reeves Nelson, the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder, was dismissed from the team because of conduct issues. It would have been easy for the team to come out flat and unenergetic, but they channeled their emotions into a passable performance on both ends of the floor.

"It was important for us to get a win," coach Ben Howland said. "It was a good feeling to win and again. Any time you have someone that you dismiss from the team, it changes the chemistry."

Despite his occasional outbursts on the court, Nelson is well-liked by many of the UCLA players, so dealing with the emotion of losing him has been difficult.

"Obviously this is a tough time but the fact that my teammates stayed focused and came out and played hard and got a win shows how mentally tough we are," Jones said.


2) The Bruins zoned in, and looked good doing it

UCLA played extensive zone for the first time this season and was fairly successful in doing so.

The 2-3 zone seemed to stifle Penn, which wasn't prepared to see it and had a tough time adjusting. They were forced to shoot long range shots, taking 31 of their 58 shots from behind the three-point line. They shot only 39.4 percent in the second half, when UCLA played mostly zone.

Penn's leading scorer for the season, Zack Rosen, scored only eight points on three of 12 shooting, including 0-7 on three pointers. Tyler Bernardini had a career night by setting a career high in three-pointers made (8) and points (29), but the rest of the team shot 37 percent for the game and four of 19 on three-pointers.

"I think it gave the offense something to change it up a little bit, something for them to try and work through and switch up their offense," David Wear said. "I think we could be a really good zone defensive team. We had some breakdowns but we’ve only been working on it for a week now."

Howland is generally against using zone defenses, preferring a tough man-to-man style, but realizes that his roster is filled with big slow-footed players and is resigned t the fact that a zone better suits the team. He said the Bruins will implement more zone as the season goes on, switching back and forth depending on the personnel on the floor.

"It’s not my preference, but I think it’s what’s fitting our team right now," Howland said. "We’re going to need to use it. We’re going to have to be a team that plays both man and zone."


3) The Bruins Road show completed its rotation

The Honda Center is the third different home arena UCLA is playing at this season during the makeover of Pauley Pavilion, so completing the circle is kind of a relief for the Bruins, who no longer have to fret about an unfamiliar home floor.

Though it's not exactly uncharted territory. The Bruins have played the annual Wooden Classic at the Honda Center since 1994 and are now 13-4 in the building. It gives Howland good vibes to play at the Honda Center because Wooden used to attend the games there before his death in 2010.

"My first seven years coach was here at every one of the games we played here," Howland said. "Those are always going to be special memories for me and I always think of coach whenever we come here so I enjoy coming here."

Now that they have played at all of their home arenas, the Bruins are finally starting to get used to the road show concept.

"I don’t think we even notice it that much anymore," David Wear said. I think we established at the beginning of the season that this is our team. The people on this team, this is our family and we always have each other’s back no matter who is in the crowd or how many people are in the crowd. Going forward I don’t really see it being a factor at all."


4) The Bruins held on down the stretch

This was UCLA's first game this season to end with a single-digit margin of victory. UCLA had a 68-55 lead with 5:52 to play, but Penn closed to 75-70 with 1:55 to go.

The Bruins made several key defensive plays, including a block five rows deep into the crowd by Jerime Anderson, and showed character and resolve to hold off Penn's run. Early this season, the Bruins struggled against mid-major opponents Loyola Marymount and Middle Tennessee, so to pull off the victory in this game was important.

"It was important for us to win a close game and our guys made some big plays down the stretch," Howland said. "Penn is not an easy team. They’re a very well-coached team they have seniors that are very good players so this was a good win for us and a step in the right direction."


5) Norman Powell recovered from his allergy scare

Powell spent Wednesday night in a hospital after eating a shrimp and walnut dish and suffering an allergic reaction. He played only 12 minutes Saturday, but looked plenty healthy while on the floor. He made two of two shots--both three-pointers-- and had two rebounds.

"I’ve got to continue to use Norman Powell more," Howland said. "He played 12 and he played good so we’ve got to keep giving him some minutes."

Powell will be tested this week to figure out the exact cause of his allergic reaction, but first must take a final exam that he missed while in the hospital.

Jones, Smith and backup center Anthony Stover all left the Honda Center with minor injuries. Stover sprained his ankle, Smith tweaked his knee and Jones pulled a groin muscle. UCLA plays again Wednesday, the wounded have some time to recover.


Click on boxscore to enlarge (from Yahoo!Sports)