HOWLAND RECRUITS FOR TOUGHNESS.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Two defenders collapsed on Jordan Farmar the moment he touched the ball, 20 feet from the basket. Farmar nearly recognized the defense before it moved, fired a pass to an open teammate, who was fouled trying for a layup.

The foul and potential two points weren't good enough for Farmar, so he quickly met with his teammate and pleaded with him to understand the urgency needed to dunk the ball next time.

A few nights later, Lorenzo Mata raced from half court to stop Josh Shipp from dunking after a steal. Mata committed the foul, and hard enough to keep Shipp from scoring an easy two points. Make Shipp earn the points from the line, Mata thought.

This is the new face of UCLA basketball, a trait of toughness coach Ben Howland has hankered for since the autumn. The new breed is brimming with confidence, extremely talented and hellbent on turning the Bruins into a bruising squad that welcomes a physical confrontation rather than shying away from it.

The old UCLA, which is 11-13 after a 10-19 abomination last season, plays its last home game of the season this afternoon against Notre Dame, and the next time a UCLA team steps on Pauley Pavilion's floor it promises to have a look that better fits the personality of the hard-nosed Howland.

For as lackadaisical, carefree and devoid of emotion the current crop of Bruins often appear, the four members of Howland's first recruiting class promise to establish an identity the moment they arrive on the Westwood campus to begin a summer school ``bridge'' program.

``They're a talented group that will inject a lot of enthusiasm and passion into our practices and into our team,'' Howland said. ``I think that they'll add and interject a lot of athleticism. They're going to help all the returners next year, in terms of making practices more competitive to where there's a lot more competition on a day-to-day basis, which is what you need to improve as a team.''

The four players are led by two McDonald's All-Americans in Farmar, a senior point guard at Taft High of Woodland Hills, and rugged Arron Afflalo, a 6-foot-5 wing from Centennial High of Compton.

There is also Shipp, the state's third-leading scorer at Fairfax High of Los Angeles and brother of former Cal standout Joe Shipp, and Mata, a 6-9, 235-pound tenacious post player from South Gate High who is known for his toughness, tremendous work ethic and the enjoyment he gets from pushing people around inside.

It's already considered a top-10 recruiting class by many scouting services, and it could improve in talent and doggedness should a fifth member be added. UCLA is a leading contender for highly rated wing Malik Hairston of Detroit's Renaissance High.

``(Howland) always talks about toughness, and that's one of the main reasons why he got me,'' Farmar said. ``That toughness transcends from a coach to a player.

When each recruit was asked about what he saw when he watched this UCLA team, the answer mirrored that of what Howland spent a season talking about.

``A lack of toughness, and a lack of intensity,'' Afflalo said. ``That's about it. They have talent, but they need a little fire, a little will to win, some determination. Don't get embarrassed on your home court.''

The attitude is brash, but it might turn into a welcome change from the malaise of the past two seasons.

Though power forward T.J. Cummings is UCLA's lone starting senior, it appears none of the incumbents' jobs will be safe once the new blood arrives and workouts begin in October.

The four incoming recruits, each of whom signed binding national letters of intent in November, independently said their recent conversations with Howland, as well as other members of the coaching staff, often included discussions about a change in attitude that will be present next season.

``We know what's up. We know what's going down next year,'' Afflalo said. ``We're going to provide a little bit of pressure because we want to win just as bad as them. We'll bring a lot more leadership, a lot more fire.''

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Farmar is the most dazzling of the high school seniors. He can score, has tremendous court vision and his leadership skills on the court are evident and eye-catching.

Afflalo plays with passion and plays hard. He's an All-American who likes to draw charges, doesn't mind battling inside and will shoot from long range (44.6 percent on 3-pointers) but really enjoys driving to the basket.

Shipp is a shooting guard in every aspect, willing to shoot from anywhere on the floor. He is averaging 30.7 points per game, and the collection of shooting talent and basketball IQ should make it more difficult for teams to play a zone defense against the Bruins next season.

Mata, who Shipp describes as ``a monster,'' didn't start playing basketball until after the eighth grade. He also embodies so much of what this current UCLA teams lacks. He rebounds, enjoys the physical contact inside and can block shots.

``That's what my game is all about,'' said Mata, who averaged 22.6 points and 13.1 rebounds. ``I love to do that. I'm used to doing that. It seems kind of easy to me to go in and bang all the people around.''

Although Shipp and Mata said they don't know each other well, they got a closer look at each other when the two met Wednesday in the City Section tournament. Shipp's Fairfax team won, but each said the same thing (``He's going to be a great teammate'') about the other after facing off.

And it is no coincidence Howland's first recruiting class is ripe with strong personalities that embrace competition.

``They were just going after guys that hate to lose and want to win because coach Howland and his staff are trying to win a national championship,'' Shipp said. ``It's been a rough year and I don't think the players are doing too well with the transition. I think it's going to be a lot better next year.''

Since the moment Howland stepped onto the Westwood campus, it seems he talked about a need for toughness in the program. During UCLA's five-game winning streak in January, Howland spoke about a need to play tougher and more menacingly. When UCLA backed up that winning streak with six consecutive losses, Howland bemoaned the fact his team wasn't strong enough and often spoke about them not being tough enough.

As recently as Wednesday night, moments after the Bruins lost a heartbreaking 78-77 decision to USC at the Sports Arena, Howland discussed his current team's approach and attitude.

``I can remember two old-fashioned, three-point plays where they score on layups and we kind of hit them on the wrist instead of really making a hard foul, where you're not going to get a potential three-point play,'' Howland said. ``I thought we had some hustle plays that we missed out on; where we're not diving on the floor for the ball, we're blocking out but letting the ball bounce instead of going to get it.''

Howland built Pittsburgh into a national power by recruiting talent laden with ferocity. Fights in practice, born out of intense competition, sometimes occurred, but there was always one teammate pushing another.

When UCLA's coaching staff set out on the recruiting road last spring, finding talent wasn't the only objective. If a kid could play, he also had to be a fierce competitor who relished physical play and had mental toughness.

``I just can't wait,'' Farmar said. ``Expectations bring out the best in people, and I can't wait. I just can't wait to get a chance to live up to all the hype and all the expectations and make everyone around happy.''

Brian Dohn, [phone]

brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Ben Howland recruited hard-nosed players at Pittsburgh and is taking similar approach at UCLA.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(2) Josh Shipp, right, of Fairfax High is one of four acclaimed players in the new UCLA recruiting class.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Box:

(1) UCLA vs. NOTRE DAME

(2) TOP OF THE CLASS