Sunday’s game at the Nike Los Angeles College Pro-City League turned into the showdown everyone wanted to see. The result, though, may have had a different outcome than expected. Jordan Farmar, UCLA’s incoming All-American point guard, proved again why the future of Bruin basketball appears to be safe in his hands. The incoming freshman scored 33 points and dished out two assists en route to securing his Sinclair’s Bruins a 95-85 victory over the Playmakers and current starting point guard Cedric Bozeman. “I came to UCLA to lead, and I fully expect to do so,” Farmar said last week. “My job is to get everyone the ball.” In Sunday’s game Farmar followed through with his role, leading his team on the break and feeding to fellow Bruin incoming freshmen Josh Shipp and Arron Affalo. Farmar’s counterpart Bozeman did well in his own right, finishing with 15 points and two assists, but was not able to pull out the victory. “I think I played pretty well today,” Bozeman said. “But our goal was to win, and we didn’t get it done.” Although the two guards were not matched up against each other on defense, both had the ball in their hands the majority of the time. While both played respectable games, Farmar has won over spectators and coaches alike with his heady play. “I think Jordan showed a lot of composure today,” Sinclair’s Bruins’ coach Cedric Jones said. “He knew he was playing against a three-year starter in Bozeman, and he came ready to play.” Bozeman’s coach, Cordell Crawford, had a sour view of his point guard. “Bozeman has a lot to work on in his game, and I don’t see the determination in him to change it,” Crawford said. In the end, the battle of the point guards came down to their ability to hit key shots down the stretch and, though Farmar hit 3-for-4 from the three-point arc, Bozeman finished 0-for-3. Bozeman’s outside shooting has been questioned ever since he arrived at UCLA three years ago, and if Sunday’s game was any indication, not much has changed. “I’ve been working on my shooting,” Bozeman said. “I have just been trying to get better this summer, playing pickup basketball at UCLA.” But, for Crawford, the way a point guard is ultimately judged is not by his shooting. “It comes down to a player’s ability to make the players around him better,” Crawford said. “I see that in Farmar, but I don’t see it in Bozeman. Farmar is the future of UCLA basketball.”
SHIPP STARTS TO CRUISE: Though most of the spotlight was focused on Bozeman and Farmar, the improved play of Shipp and power forward Lorenzo Mata also garnered attention. Shipp had a breakout game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in addition to an eye-opening dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy. “Shipp was a sleeper today,” Jones said. “He has been continuously improving, and his dunk really gave us a big boost.” Meanwhile, Mata pulled down six rebounds of his own and altered player’s shots on the defensive end. Bozeman, himself, was very satisfied with the play of the freshmen. “The future of our team looks very bright,” Bozeman said. “All the freshmen played very well, and they will help our team immensely.”
ATTENTION GRABBERS: All the hoopla surrounding the promise of the four incoming freshmen has not gone unnoticed, as Sunday’s game was the second-straight standing-room-only crowd involving the four freshmen. “I’ve been working at the (College Pro-City League) for four years now, and I have never seen this much excitement and electricity in the building,” Assistant Staff Director Stephon Cannon said.