Now we’re talking.

UCLA and senior forward Nikola Dragovic were in the zone today, literally, as Drago notched 23 points (six from beyond the arc) and the Bruins finally showed off a zone defense. Both were effective weapons in the first half, as UCLA secured an early 16 point lead.

The Sun Devils clawed back towards the end of the game as senior point guard Derek Glasser finally began to assert himself. The Bruins didn’t help the cause with a healthy dose of missed free throws in crunch time. With less than five seconds left, Arizona State forward Jerren Shipp (younger brother of former Bruin Josh Shipp) attempted a wide open three pointer for the win, only to be partially blocked by a flying Jerime Anderson as time ran out.

UCLA needed one of two things to happen for any hope of a successful season, and both took place. Dragovic finally woke up from his horrid shooting slump, and the defense showed giant leaps of improvement switching to a zone. Coach Howland has been a stickler for man defense, but the proof was in the pudding as the Bruins pulled away once the zone was implemented. If Nikola can continue to be a threat from beyond the arc, while the defense builds off this showing, the Pac-10 better watch out.

It’s only one game, but that may be all the Bruins needed to turn this season around.

Addtional Game Notes:

1) All UCLA starters scored in double figures

2) Nikola Dragovic tied a career high in points (23) and 3-pointers made (6)

3) Jerime Anderson had a solid game: 10 pts, 6 rebs, 6 assts, with only 2 to’s and a game saving block

4) James Keefe returned to action, playing 12 mins

5) The Bruins shot 17-28 from FT for 60.7%. Not going to cut it.

Official Boxscore

AP Photos

Additional reaction around the net:

ESPN.com – UCLA wins, apocalypse upon us?

LATimes.com – Bruins hang on to defeat Arizona State 72-70

Bruinsnation.com – Heart stopper: Bruins start the Pac-10 season with a victory…

Mercurynews.com – Dragovic, UCLA hold off Arizona State 72-70

AZcentral.com – ASU basketball comes up short at UCLA

UCLA opens conference play against Arizona State, Thursday at 1:30pm PST at Pauley Pavilion. The Sun Devils are -1.5 point favorites against the Bruins according to Vegas. However, I see UCLA pulling away in the closing minutes, winning by at least 6.

Here are some previews for Thursday’s game from around net:

LATimes.com – Bruins look at Pac-10 opener as a fresh start

AZCentral.com – ASU men’s basketball sees opportunity in Pac-10

HouseofSparky.com – ASU basketball begins Pac-10 play tomorrow night against UCLA

More Pac-10 predictions from around the net:

ESPN.com – Injuries play role in Pac-10’s rocky start

But with UCLA, which has had injuries and a defection, down this season at 5-7, the perception of the league goes south with the Bruins. That’s the same perception that happened to the ACC when North Carolina had a subpar season in the middle of the previous decade. “Anybody that knows basketball doesn’t think UCLA will be an easy out,” Arizona State coach Herb Sendek said. “Their personnel is too good, the coaching too outstanding and to think you can go into Pauley like we have to Thursday and get an easy win?”

Oregonlive.com – Pac-10 basketball: Washington is the favorite in a depleted conference

Which team has fallen the most? At times this season, UCLA (5-7) has seemed about as far removed its three consecutive Final Four berths as possible. The Bruins have been hit hard not just by early departures, but also by injuries this season.

At one point, the Bruins lost five games in a row (although two were to ranked team, including No. 1 Kansas) and seemed utterly inept offensively. They seemed to have found their shooting touch in winning three of their last four, but it remains to be seen if this storied program has any chance of continuing its run of five consecutive NCAA berths.

OCregister.com – Taking a look at the Pac-10 basketball season

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH — Reeves Nelson, UCLA: The freshman forward has been one the few bright spots for the Bruins, leading the team in rebounds (5.8) while scoring about 10 points a game. Problem is, he has been UCLA’s only low-post presence and help might not be on the way. The Bruins have yet to break from their traditional man defense while forward Drew Gordon transferred. Nelson is a work in progress on defense and will have to learn on the fly as he figures to draw the other team’s top big man.

TEAM UNDER CONSTRUCTION — UCLA: How quickly the Bruins have fallen. Credit Coach Ben Howland for taking three different UCLA teams in consecutive seasons to the Final Four. The rebuilding job ahead of him will mean at least another year before UCLA can even think about making it back. The loss of seniors Darren Collison, Alfred Aboya and Josh Shipp hurt, but was expected. Had freshman Jrue Holiday stuck around, maybe the Bruins make it back to the NCAA Tournament. As it stands, UCLA has the lowest RPI in the conference and figures to finish on the wrong side of .500. This is Howland’s youngest team since arriving in Westwood seven years ago and it is certainly playing like it.

High School Gatorade player of the year Jrue Holiday came to UCLA with a ton of hype. Much was expected from the McDonald’s All American as the Bruins had reached the Final Four the previous season, and one-and-done stud Kevin Love (also selected as High School Gatorade Player of the year) was selected 5th overall in the NBA Draft. Rising sophomore star Russell Westbrook was taken 4th. It was a great time to be a Bruin. Jrue Holiday was the next stud to continue the run of Final Fours (three consecutive), but never seemed to get it going. He averaged a mediocre 8 points, 3 boards and 3 assists on the season, and was inconsistent along the way. In any case, Holiday felt his talent alone was strong enough to earn him a spot in the NBA and enetered the draft. He was right, and was selected 17th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers.

One of the reasons many people, including Holiday, thought he wasn’t able to perform up to the highest level during his brief stint at UCLA was the presence of point guard Darren Collison. Holiday’s natural position is the point guard, which he assumed would open when he arrived at Westwood, but Collison opted to remain a Bruin for one more year and earn his degree, in turn occupying the position.

Chemistry seemed to be a problem throughout the season, as Jrue never found his footing at shooting guard. His shot was erratic, and it was clear he was more comfortable with the ball in his hands creating off the dribble. Head coach Ben Howland was caught between a rock and a hard place, as Collison was his proven floor leader, and a preseason All American that year, while Holiday had potential oozing out of him. The two never seemed to be on the same page, and Holiday’s future as a Bruin became unclear.  Many assumed he would return for a sophomore season after a relatively unimpressive freshman campaign, but that didn’t happen.

So we pose the question.

What if Jrue Holiday didn’t leave UCLA for the NBA?

Well for one, he would be the starting point guard, and I think it’s safe to say his numbers would improve across the board. My guess is something like 15, 5 and 5. Nearly doubling the major categories of points, rebounds, and assists. His defense was solid, and would only be better, along with his strength.

The starting lineup would be one of the best young back court’s in the nation pairing Holiday with sophomore Malcolm Lee, currently the Bruins leading scorer at 14 ppg. Mike Roll would start at small forward, Nikola Dragovic at the power forward, and Drew Gordon at Center. I’m assuming Gordon is still a Bruin and didn’t transfer because winning games usually keeps everyone happy. Jerime Anderson would serve as back up point guard, with Reeves Nelson, James Keefe, and J’Mison “BoBo” Morgan as back up big men. Talented freshman Tyler Honeycutt would add size to the small forward spot off the bench, sliding Roll to his natural position of shooting guard.

The Achilles heel all season long has been a lack of leadership and terrible point guard play. With Holiday around, I believe he would take care of both issues. As it stands the Bruins are 5-7 entering Pac-10 play, so I’ll play it safe and guess their record with Holiday would be 8-4, replacing losses with wins against Cal State Fullerton, Portland, and Long Beach State. Losses to Kansas (#1 in the nation), at Notre Dame, and against Mississippi State remain. Although, one of those three could be a win. This is a respectable record, with quality losses if there is such a thing.

UCLA has been projected to finish anywhere from 3rd to 8th in the Pac-10, but with an 8-4 overall record would now look like a legitimate contender to win the conference. A top 3 finish is what I would predict , most likely second to Washington, with Cal sliding into third. I’ll cut Cal a break, and pick them to win the Pac-10 tournament. I also believe the Bruins would crack the top 25 a few times throughout the season, somewhere in the 20’s, dropping out a week here or there. Jrue Holiday is selected 1st team all Pac-10, and wins player of the year in the conference. Sorry Quincy Pondexter.

Ultimately, UCLA would qualify for the tournament with an at-large bid, I’m guessing a #5 seed. Point guard is without a doubt the must crucial position in college basketball, especially come tournament time. It’s no wonder the Bruins (without Holiday) have been so much worse than predicted. Sophomore point guard Jerime Anderson has not lived up to expectations, and continues to falter early in the season. But we’re in fantasy land, with stud point guard Jrue Holiday leading the charge! The Bruins rack up a few wins in the tourney, but fall short of a Final Four appearance and lose in the Elite Eight.

A successful season is complete, with plenty of valuable experience for the younger Bruins to take with them into the 2010-2011 season. High school standouts Josh Smith and Tyler Lamb (plus additional recruits who commit during the season) join the team, continuing the run of powerhouse recruiting classes. Jrue Holiday cements himself as a lottery pick, and winds up on the Clippers. Yes, they will be in the lottery yet again. And UCLA remains one of the elite programs in the nation.

A fairy tale, maybe. Nevertheless, it’s always fun to ask “What if?”…

David Leon Moore of USA Today explains the down season UCLA is having thus far.

‘You have to be patient’

Whether the current players can improve enough to turn the season around is open to debate. Maybe it will take another recruiting class or two to put the Bruins back on top. Coming in next year will be one of the best prep centers in the country, 6-9 Josh Smith, along with 6-4 guard Tyler Lamb.

“They’ll help us right away,” Howland says. Not that he’s giving up on 2010.

“Everybody acts like we’re writing things off here, but it’s very early,” he says. “You have to be patient. The freshmen are getting thrown to the fire, but they’re getting better.”

Howland thinks the Bruins are getting better every day and will be competitive in the Pac-10. He sees Lee maturing into a consistent scorer. He sees Honeycutt hitting the offensive boards. He sees Anderson gaining confidence. He sees Keefe getting back on the court and beefing up the front line.

And, like everyone else, he sees freshman forward Reeves Nelson (10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds a game) showing his teammates how to fight back.

Nelson is a bruiser, a 6-8, 230-pounder who still is sporting a black eye from a serious poke in the eye in the loss to Kansas three weeks ago. Fans have taken to calling him Rocky.

“If I could be as tough as Rocky, that would be fine with me,” he says. Well, is he?

“I’d like to think so,” he says.

Full article here.

Mercury News college hotline reporter Jon Wilner attempts to rank the mess that is this season’s Pac-10 men’s basketball.

UCLA come’s in at #3, behind Cal at #2, and Washington at #1.

Wilner explains:

3. UCLA: Admittedly, the Bruins have looked more like a team bound for ninth than third and could very well finish much, much lower than this (see: “utter failure” reference above). But despite all their deficiencies, the Bruins still have several very talented players and one very good coach. I think they’re the best example of early-season results not being indicative of conference success.

He also projects his choices for player of the year, coach of the year, and freshman of the year. Along with the all Pac-10 1st team and 2nd team.  Full article here.

Compton Centennial guard Deonte Burton, and has blown up this season and is now on the radar of many Pac-10 schools, including UCLA.

Above is a recent video from LATimes.com, and accompanying article, discussing Burton’s recent success, and prospects that comes with it.

Angelo Chol

On Saturday, January 2nd the first annual California Classic will tip off at Cerritos College. Numerous prospects from the 2010 and 2011 class will be participating.

Two players of note for Bruin fans are 6′8 Angelo Chol of Hoover High School in San Diego, and 6′2 PG Josiah Turner of Sacramento High School. Both hail from the 2011 class and are major players of interest for UCLA, with Chol currently ranked 5th at his position and Turner 11th. UCLA has extended scholarship offers to both Chol and Turner, and are being aggressively recruited by the coaching staff.

Angelo Chol is being courted by Alabama, Arizona State, Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. Here is some footage from his play with the 2009-10 USA Basketball Developmental National Team. Kansas and UCLA have been hot on Josiah Turner.

The California Classic schedule is as follows:
Game 1: 11:00 am - Orange Lutheran vs. Oakland
Game 2: 12:30 pm - Leuzinger (Lawndale) vs. Maranatha Christian (San Diego)
Game 3: 2:15 pm - Compton vs. Sacramento
Game 4: 3:45 pm - Gahr (Cerritos) vs. Clovis West (Fresno)
Game 5: 5:30 pm - Serra (Gardena) vs. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad)
Game 6: 7:00 pm - Campbell Hall (N. Hollywood) vs. Newark Memorial (Newark)
Game 7: 8:30 pm - Price (Los Angeles) vs. Hoover (San Diego)

Click here or more information.

UCLA finished off its out of conference schedule with a win over Delaware State 66-49, Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.

Center Reeves Nelson led all scorers with 21 points in 28 minutes, while fellow freshman Tyler Honeycutt added 11 points and 4 rebounds. Senior shooting guard Mike Roll, unexpectedly was the leading rebounder with 7 boards.

It was a balanced attack for the Bruins, as they were clearly the more talented team, which is something we haven’t said much this season. Point guard Jerime Anderson struggled once again, netting 6 assists to go with 6 turnovers, most coming against the press where he seemed confused on how to break. Anderson was in and out of the lineup for most of the  game, but did end up playing 27 minutes by default. Help is on the way with the recent verbal commit of  point guard Lazeric Jones, considered the #1 junior college PG in the nation.

Official Boxscore

AP Photos

Additional reaction around the net:

LATimes.com: UCLA finds the fun in 66-49 win over Delaware State

SGVtribune.com: Bruins pick up momentum heading into Pac-10 play

Bruinsnation.com: Bruins end out of conference season on a winning note, take care of Delaware State.

UCLA added some much needed point guard depth for next season with the verbal commitment from junior college point guard Lazeric Jones on Sunday.

The 6′1 Illinois native spoke with ESPN about why he chose UCLA:

“My parents were really comfortable with UCLA,” he said. “It’s one of the best schools academically.”

“They have told me that I will have the opportunity to come in and play a lot and start as long as I come in and work hard,” Jones told ESPN.com.

“I believe in the next two years the team will become really good. The younger players on the team are very talented and hard-working, so as they mature, they will be very good.

“Next year, I will try to bring hard work and my toughness on both ends of the court.”

Jones visited the Bruin campus last week, and was scheduled to visit to the University of Wisconsin over the next couple of days.

In related news, current sophomore point guard Jerime Anderson continued to struggle, scoring only 4 points to go along with 6 assists and 6 turnovers against powder puff Delaware State. Anderson did manage 6 steals, which leads to 666 across the board, apparently spelling his impending doom.