RISE CONTINUES FOR HOLLINS UCLA CENTER TAKEN BY CHARLOTTE WITH 50TH PICK.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN Staff Writer

Thinking of center Ryan Hollins as an NBA draftable player six months ago was laughable. He wasn't a starter at UCLA, looked lost offensively and overmatched defensively.

But once UCLA coach Ben Howland figured out how to best utilize the athletic Hollins, his play improved drastically and his stock soared.

If Hollins, who was a senior last season, had been able to play another year in college, perhaps he could have worked his way into the first round of the draft next year. Still, Hollins was thrilled to be selected by Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats in the second round with the 50th overall pick of the NBA draft Wednesday. He became the 100th UCLA player drafted all-time.

``When you drop down the board, it's like you're sitting on pins and needles,'' Hollins said. ``You get a little nervous. Charlotte told me they liked me but didn't think I'd be available at No. 50. But when you see your name on the board, it's just joyous.''

Hollins' teammate, point guard Jordan Farmar, was selected 26th overall by the Lakers. Farmar, a Taft High of Woodland Hills product, became the first UCLA player taken in the first round since Jerome Moiso was selected 11th overall by Boston in 2000.

``When I came in and decided to leave my name in (the draft), I knew I would be at peace with anywhere I ended up,'' said Farmar, who left UCLA after his sophomore season. ``But I can't think of a better situation.''

While Farmar was confident he would be selected in the first round, Hollins' draft status wasn't as certain. The 7-foot, 235-pound Hollins had individual workouts for more than a dozen teams, and also participated in the NBA pre-draft camp earlier this month. He received some feedback from teams about possibly being picked late in the first round -- which would have meant a guaranteed contract -- but he fell to the 20th pick in the second round, in which contracts are not guaranteed.

``Whether I was getting guaranteed money or not, I'm going to continue to work and go out and make myself better,'' Hollins said. ``Whether it's the first round or 50th overall, I'm going to come out with a killer instinct.''

That Hollins is even in this situation took a remarkable transformation late in his senior season. No longer asked to play with his back to the basket, Hollins was instead able to showcase his athleticism by going hard for rebounds and making catches off dribble penetration for layups and dunks.

In fact, Hollins was the catalyst for the Bruins' run to the NCAA title game, in which they lost to Florida. He averaged 11.3 points in his last 10 games and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Oakland region. Overall, Hollins averaged seven points and 4.8 rebounds, and shot 61.9 percent from the field.

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Ryan Hollins averaged 11.3 points in his last 10 games with UCLA.

Win McNamee/Getty Images