UCLA has more pep in its PIP

UCLA can be a scoring machine from the perimeter. Ranked 12th in the nation in three-point shooting (second in overall shooting), the team has a lot of talented guards and a major downtown threat in swingman Michael Roll.

Until this weekend, things were a little dicey inside. Struggling with zone defenses in particular, the Bruins needed to establish their inside game and prove that they can penetrate. UCLA entered the weekend averaging 27.8 points in the paint per game, but piled up 38 against Cal and 42 against Stanford.

Along with improved spacing, Alfred Aboya said that a lot of credit went to the Bruins' senior point guard. "Coach told Darren Collison that he can't be tentative. He has to pressure the ball, like 25 or 27 feet [away from the basket]. We thrive off of dribble penetration. He took that upon himself. I think he played really hard these past two games."

Part of the success against Stanford, statistically, also can be explained by the Bruins' defense. "When we get a lot of stops, we get a lot of good things coming out of it," Collison said. Translation: turnovers lead to fast breaks, which lead to easy layups.

It didn't hurt that the Cardinal have a new look after last year's squad featured the Twin Towers (Brook and Robin Lopez). That made it easier for UCLA to establish a presence in the low post, when the ball actually got there.

One of the Bruins' statistical curiosities this year is that their point guard, not a big man, leads the team in points in the paint. Collison averages 5.5 per game. Aboya had a simple explanation. "Darren is so quick that we run a lot of ball screens for him so that he can get to the paint and create for himself and other players. I think he does a great job of reading the other team's scheme and understanding what they're trying to do. That's what a point guard does; that's what a leader does."

UCLA's top scorers in the paint at the mid-point of Pac-10 play:

1. Darren Collison — 116
2. Alfred Aboya — 102
3. Jrue Holiday — 96
4. Josh Shipp — 68
5. Drew Gordon — 58

—Adam Rose

Photo: Drew Gordon scores a high-percentage shot.

Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times