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Freshman forward Ryan Wright proved to be a force on the defensive end Saturday, helping to doubl

ANAHEIM — In the incredible shrinking world of UCLA big men, freshman Ryan Wright was Saturday’s man of the moment. In only his fourth appearance for the Bruins this season, Wright played 33 minutes in the team’s 67-56 victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack, scoring three points, grabbing three rebounds, and, most importantly, getting it done on the defensive end. “Right now, I’m really excited about Ryan Wright,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “We just beat a nationally ranked team with him playing 33 minutes and doing a solid job.” Prior to Saturday, Wright’s season high was seven minutes played against Coppin State. The freshman from Ontario, Canada, had scored a total of two points and grabbed just two rebounds in his three previous appearances. Wright looked much more comfortable against the Wolf Pack, a welcome sign for the Bruins. “It was definitely fun to get out there on the floor in front of a lot of people and play in the John Wooden Classic,” Wright said. “Hopefully, I can get to expand on that, continue to get some more minutes, and continue to get involved in the game and feel good about myself.” With senior Michael Fey and sophomore Lorenzo Mata out due to injuries, and with senior Ryan Hollins’ relative ineffectiveness, Wright got his chance to play a lot of minutes Saturday against the Wolf Pack. And for the most part, he did a good job. Howland was particularly impressed with Wright’s ability to handle his responsibility of double-teaming Nevada’s all-everything performer Nick Fazekas. “He did the job defensively,” Howland said. “He remembered all of his assignments.” Wright knows that his primary responsibility is on the defensive end, and that’s where his focus is. He also said he was concentrating on running the floor and setting good screens, doing anything to get his teammates open. “Defense is our focus,” Wright said. “It always comes first. No matter how bad your offense is going, if you shut down your opponent, you’re going to win every game. You’ve got to focus on just shutting down the opponent.” Wright’s aggressive play and effectiveness on the defensive end also caught the notice of his teammates. “Ryan Wright stands out in my mind,” sophomore point guard Jordan Farmar said. “He just played a great game. He’s been up and down, struggling mentally, but he stepped up and focused and came through tonight.”

MORE FRESH PRAISES: With the shot clock running down on a UCLA possession late in the first half, freshman point guard Darren Collison didn’t look much like a freshman. Collison recognized a mismatch, took one dribble toward the basket, stepped back and hit a huge 3-pointer to give the Bruins a nine-point lead going into halftime. It was the freshman’s 10th point of the half, as he was an instrumental part of UCLA’s early success. “I thought Collison gave us a huge life off the bench on both ends of the floor in the first half,” Howland said. “He really helped ignite our team.” With Collison in the game, Farmar was able to move over to the shooting guard spot and become even more of a scoring threat. “With (Collison) in there, it gives Arron (Afflalo) and I the ability to get out and run,” Farmar said. “He’s quick enough so if he gets by somebody, he has a lot of options.”

THE LEGEND: There’s no name in college basketball more respected and revered than that of John Wooden. That fact wasn’t lost on the players, coaches or fans at the 12th annual John R. Wooden Classic. Wooden, 95, received a standing ovation from the fans at Arrowhead Pond during a television timeout in the second half of the game. He then stood to show his appreciation. “Our players know how special it is to be in this tournament because it’s named after Coach,” Howland said. “They get it. They see Coach every game.” Wooden coached at UCLA for 27 years, winning 10 national championships in 12 seasons from 1964-1975. DRIBBLERS: Howland said he expects Mata (concussion) to practice Tuesday, and Fey (ankle) to return Wednesday ... UCLA’s next game is Saturday, Dec. 17 at Michigan ... No. 13 Washington won the first game in the Wooden Classic, defeating New Mexico 81-71 ... Freshman forward Alfred Aboya was ineffective in his second game of the season, making the stat sheet with just one rebound in five minutes of action.