GET THE POINT UCLA FRESHMAN CEDRIC BOZEMAN LEARNS ON THE JOB.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

There were no desks, no chalkboard and no overhead projector. Yet, the Lahaina Civic Center served its purpose well as a classroom for Cedric Bozeman.

UCLA's participation in the Maui Invitational was the first exposure of UCLA's three freshmen to the world of college basketball, and nobody got more of an education than Bozeman, the one freshman in the starting lineup.

Bozeman, the Bruins' point guard, was taught the difference between high school and college basketball the hard way. The opponents who were too weak to bother him raked the ball away when he drove the lane. Others that he was used to overwhelming with his 6-foot-7 frame and long arms simply raced past him.

While Bozeman certainly had his successes - he scored 13 points in his debut Monday against Houston - the three games left plenty of room for improvement. He has 11 turnovers to nine assists and in the last two games - against Ball State and South Carolina - he's scored four points.

Defensively, he was one of many Bruins who struggled.

``It was a big-time learning experience,'' Bozeman said after the Bruins beat South Carolina in the third-place game. ``I've got to be patient and keep doing what the coaches tell me and try to get better. My time will come.''

That doesn't seem to be an issue. After all, Bozeman was one of the most decorated players in the country last year at Mater Dei High of Santa Ana, which he led to the Division I state championship.

What separates him from the Bruins' other talented freshmen - forward Andre Patterson and wing Dijon Thompson - is his circumstance. While Thompson and Patterson can learn behind veterans Jason Kapono, Billy Knight and Matt Barnes, Bozeman has no mentor.

He is the Bruins' only point guard they feel comfortable putting on the floor and is the only freshman among four returning starters in the lineup. Moreover, Bozeman is faced with replacing four-year starter Earl Watson, the Bruins' all-time leader in steals and their unquestioned leader the last two seasons.

In other words, Bozeman isn't a player the Bruins could use. He's one they need.

Kansas coach Roy Williams, who is breaking in a freshman point guard of his own, Aaron Miles, said the demands of the position make it the toughest position to make the transition from high school to college.

Williams, a former North Carolina assistant, had Phil Ford, the former Tar Heels All-American point guard, talk with Miles about the adjustment. After Ford's struggles in his first few games, a headline in the Raleigh Observer declared: ``This Ford is an Edsel.''

``The biggest adjustment is how much faster the game is,'' Williams said. ``And (the point guard) has to adjust to the speed of the game and be the quarterback. He has to get everybody on the same set. It's a huge adjustment.''

UCLA assistant coach Jim Saia, who runs the Bruins' offense, agrees.

``As the point guard, you've got to learn all the plays and not just worry about your own play, but everybody else's play,'' Saia said. ``What freshmen tend to do is, because things came so easily for them in high school, they tend to rush themselves and try to force the game. They think, `Hey, this worked in high school.' But in high school, they were much better than the players they were playing against. Now they have to slow down, let the system come to them and eventually their God-given talents will take over. Earl did it, Baron (Davis) did it, but they all struggled at one point.''

Also complicating matters is that Bozeman is a relative newcomer to the position. In high school he played mostly on the wing, though he had his hands on the ball often and was adept at distributing to teammates. He also played just nine minutes of the Bruins' two exhibition games after bruising his tailbone in a fall.

To ease the transition, the Bruins have lightened some of Bozeman's responsibilities. The leadership vacuum that Watson left is being filled by upperclassmen Kapono, Barnes and Rico Hines. And the ball-handling duties are being spread around as well.

The Bruins' 1-4 offense, which uses a double high post as its basic set, was almost exclusively initiated by Watson last season. This year, a number of players will fill that role - Bozeman, Kapono, Thompson and Knight.

``It's very similar to the Lakers,'' Saia said. ``Kobe (Bryant) can initiate it, Brian Shaw can, Derek Fisher can. Cedric doesn't necessarily have to have the ball. Earl just demanded it more. We'll mix it up a little.

``Cedric just has to worry about doing the things like run the team, play good defense, make good decisions and make our system go.''

Fundamentally, the most important lesson Bozeman gleaned from the trip was the importance of staying low at both ends of the court.

``That's where you build up most of your strength,'' Bozeman said. ``When you're lower to the ground, you have more stability, a wider base. It helps you get to the basket a lot easier and it helps you stay in front of your man.''

Bozeman, who is praised by UCLA coaches for his poise, insists the intensity of the games didn't catch him by surprise. ``There's no gimmes at this level, but I knew that,'' he said. ``There's no pushovers out there. You've got to bring you're `A' game every time. I felt comfortable out there.''

Just not with the results. After he was called for traveling against South Carolina - one of his five turnovers - he re-planted his pivot foot and pointed to it in front of the referee. Then he trudged to the bench, his head down.

``You throw him into this high-level competition, you have ESPN, it's the first time he's been on national TV. He had a lot of things going through his head,'' Saia said. ``He's calm and cool, but I'm sure his stomach was churning. He wanted to have a good coming-out party, like all freshmen.''

And right now, Bozeman is just like all freshmen. The Bruins just hope it's not for long.

UP NEXT

Pepperdine at UCLA

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

TV: FSN

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) UCLA freshman point guard Cedric Bozeman has inherited a tough assignment this season, but he says he knows his ``time will come.''

Tony Donaldson/Icon Sports Photos

(2) Cedric Bozeman, a 6-foot-7 freshman, scored 13 points in his first collegiate game but found the going tough in the next two.