Men’s basketball team keeps Wildcats at bay with forward Reeves Nelson blocking Derrick Williams
By Brantley Watson
March 1, 2011 12:12 a.m.
After an upset victory over Arizona Saturday, UCLA coach Ben Howland was big on his bigs.
Sophomore forward Reeves Nelson and freshman center Josh Smith combined for 44 points, 20 rebounds and shot 17-for-24 from the field, a stat line that was more significant, considering the starting Bruin backcourt of juniors Lazeric Jones and Malcolm Lee combined for five points on two-for-12 shooting.
But not surprisingly, Howland was more impressed with Nelson’s performance on the defensive side of the ball.
“Although he had 27 points and 16 rebounds, the thing I was most pleased with was his defense of (Derrick) Williams in the second half,” Howland said. “(Wiliams) only had two points and (Reeves) wanted him. He came to me right after the game against Arizona State and said he wanted to guard Williams.”
Willliams, a sophomore forward for the Wildcats, is averaging 19 points in the season and is high on the draft board for NBA scouts. But after having his way with the UCLA defense in the first half Saturday, scoring 13 points, Williams was held to one basket in the second half while Nelson was defending him.
“I’ve been told that some people say I can’t play defense,” Nelson said. “So I just take that very personal. I’m still working on my help-side defense, but I’ve always been very confident in my man-to-man defense.”
ҬHowland excited about renovations
However emotional coach Howland was over Saturday’s game, the last time the Bruins will play in Pauley Pavilion in its original state, he seems even more enthusiastic about what is to come in 2012.
“It’s really exciting,” Howland said of the renovations currently under way at the famous arena. “We’re going into a new era in terms of Pauley Pavilion. As tough as it will be to play outside it next year, it’s also great to think what’s going on.”
During Saturday’s postgame press conference, Howland was asked what he is looking forward to most about the renovations, and the eighth-year coach was glad to finally release his frustration about a particular Pauley Pavilion attribute.
“Well now I can say it, that the floor here is so hard, I am not going to miss the floor for our players’ sake,” Howland said. “The most important thing we’re getting in this whole building, for me, is the floor for our players to play on.”
