DO YOU KNOW KAPONO? SUDDENLY, SUBTLY, HE'S UCLA'S BEST PLAYER.

Byline: Jon Wilner Staff Writer

UCLA freshman forward Jason Kapono is set to shake things up at the NCAA Tournament.

And it just won't be with the new headband, a custom-made variant of the basic white and black he has worn for three months, that he'll be wearing.

For the first time since Don MacLean arrived from Simi Valley High in 1988-89, UCLA's best player is a freshman.

Kapono has just one dunk this season, but he leads the Bruins in scoring (16.4 ppg). He has not caught an alley-oop pass, but he is their best passer and their best shooter. Their central nervous system. He understands body position and passing angles. He does not have the speed to dash past defenders, but he moves brilliantly without the ball. He doesn't read defenses, he dissects them.

The ultimate tribute arrived Sunday, when Kapono became the first freshman in school history to make the All-Pacific-10 team. MacLean didn't make it. Nor did Baron Davis or Rod Foster or Pooh Richardson or David Greenwood. (Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton did not play as freshmen.)

``What does Kapono do for UCLA? He does everything,'' Arizona coach Lute Olson said. ``He's the kind of guy every coach in America would like to have.

``They always say of players, `He's another Magic. He's another Bird.' But when people say (Kapono) is a shorter Larry Bird, that's one I understand. We tried to get him. He's a special player.''

Kapono is the league's top 3-point shooter (47.7 percent), he's 84 points shy of MacLean's freshman scoring record, and he has sparked a headband craze among opposing fans.

But his greatest accomplishment has been a seamless ascension within the team dynamic. He does not crave attention and he does not crave shots. He does not speak out of turn or upstage upperclassmen. He's as subtle as he is savvy. His touch with teammates is as soft as a 3-pointer from the right wing.

``His impact has been amazing, especially for a freshman,'' UCLA senior Sean Farnham said. ``He's not an athlete like Baron Davis. But his all-around package is incredible.

``I've been here four years, and you always hear hype about the freshmen. Sometimes, they don't live up to the level of hype. But Jason's better than his hype. He's the guy we look for if we need a basket. We're not going to second-guess him.''

Kapono credits a rigorous summer program for his success. He worked on skill development with his Artesia High coach, Wayne Merino. He spent time with Tim Grgurich, one of the most respected assistants in the NBA. Each afternoon, he drove to UCLA for pickup games against NBA players. He hired a trainer to improve his quickness and footwork. He changed his diet to reduce body fat and enhance speed.

``As soon as I played my last game in high school, I changed my mindset,'' Kapono said. ``It was time to move on. I knew I had to get my mind and body ready for college.''

When practice began in October, Kapono was better than the Bruins expected. Not three weeks had passed when coach Steve Lavin pronounced Kapono the most-skilled freshmen he had seen. Yet his game was subtle. While his teammates tossed alley-oops, Kapono made bounce passes. While they soared for dunks, he made backdoor cuts. He's chicken-noodle soup among a dozen lobster bisques, but he's the best meal on the team.

``On a daily basis, he doesn't do the spectacular things,'' Lavin said, ``but he does all the little things that add up to big things.''

Kapono didn't expect to lead the Bruins in scoring or stand where no freshman has stood before. His plan was simply to help the team. If that meant scoring, fine. If that meant passing, fine. He did not expect to start and he did not make closed-door demands for playing time. He was neither upset nor inspired by preseason magazines that picked Stanford's Casey Jacobsen as Pac-10 freshman of the year.

``I wasn't worried,'' he said. ``I didn't even think about that stuff. But it's crazy to think about (being UCLA's first all-conference freshman) with all the great players to come through here.''

That list has grown by one.

UCLA vs. BALL STATE

--When: Thursday, at Minneapolis

--TV: 7:20 p.m., Ch. 2

CAPTION(S):

photo, 3 boxes

Photo: (color) no caption (Jason Kapono driving, wearing number 24)

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) March Madness/First Round

(2) UCLA vs. Ball State (see text)

(3) HOLDING HIS OWN

UCLA forward Jason Kapono has had one of the best freshman seasons in UCLA history.