LOS ANGELES - The idea that the conference season is a brand new season isn’t just a myth. It’s fact.
The Great Eight that take the floor for Ben Howland and the Bruins in Thursday’s Pac-12 opener against Cal will have to wipe the slate clean of a 10-3 start to the season.
For the four freshmen, they’ll experience a side of basketball they’ve yet to go through in their brief collegiate careers.
“We got to play hard every possession and take no plays off,” said freshman Jordan Adams. “(Cal guard) Allen Crabbe is the No. 1 leading scorer in our conference and I can’t come in this game lackadaisical or not paying attention to detail."
The freshmen have been advised by their older teammates as well as the coaches that what they’re getting ready to embark on is a drastic change from the first 13 games of the season.
As Adams mentioned, not only is every possession vital, it’s tough as well.
Familiarity is a key component. Teams know each others tendencies and the same can be said about players. The scouting report is a lot more detailed this time of year.
“It makes it difficult because teams can take you out of your game,” Travis wear said. “You just really got to be on your toes.”
UCLA enters Pac-12 Conference play on a five-game winning streak, including their most recent 97-94 overtime win over Missouri. The Tigers were No. 7 in the country at the time. As the Bruins have continued to gel and progress during the season, they’ve done so standing on the shoulders of freshmen.
Three of the team’s top four scorers are in their first year. Shabazz Muhammad is leading the team with 19.6 points per game, followed by Adams’ 17.7 points per game. Kyle Anderson is fourth, scoring 8.8 points per game this season.
“Since we lost players our roles are just getting bigger and I think we’re stepping up to the challenge as a whole with ‘Bazz (Muhammad) and Jordan being the first two leading scorers and me being the leading rebounder and leading in steals,” Anderson said.
“We’re all tough kids and whatever the team or the coach needs us to do, we’re going to get done.”
Adams has scored 20 or more points in seven of 13 games this season. Muhammad has accomplished the feat in five of the 10 games he’s played in, including the last four. He’s averaging 25 points per game over his last four games.
Those types of numbers won’t be as easy to come by once Pac-12 play tips off on Thursday, but the youngsters are going to have to continue to lead if the team is going to have any success.
Can they do it?
“Yeah, they’re great players,” Wear said. “There’s no reason why they can’t bring that into conference.”
