Thompson Conflicted
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When junior Dijon Thompson was moved from small forward to shooting guard two weeks ago, it fulfilled his dream of playing in the backcourt alongside his best friend, point guard Cedric Bozeman.
“He’s started since we were freshmen, and I always thought, ‘What if?’ ” Thompson said. “Now, here we are.”
There’s only one problem: The 6-foot-7 Thompson, UCLA’s top scorer at 15.6 points a game, had grown fond of the frontcourt.
“If I had a choice, I’d play” small forward, he said. “Rebounding is something Coach [Ben Howland] emphasized from the time he got the job. He engraved that in my mind, I got to like crashing the boards, and then he pulled me off it. I’m disappointed.”
Thompson is averaging 5.6 rebounds after averaging 3.5 his first two seasons. However, his shooting has improved since the position change, which was prompted by the return of forwards T.J. Cummings and Trevor Ariza.
Thompson scored a season-high 21 points in the loss to Michigan on Saturday, making five three-point baskets. He had been in a shooting slump and has made only 40.7% of his shots.
Besides getting more open looks from the perimeter, he has found another advantage in playing guard.
“I take less of a beating physically, it’s less tiring,” he said. “But I’d still rather be a forward.”
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Ariza has been inconsistent since joining the lineup after sitting out the season’s first four games because of a collapsed lung. He has shot only 38.1% from the field and has three more turnovers (14) than assists (11).
Howland said it is important to remember that Ariza is not yet in top physical condition and that he is a freshman.
“When you take 17 days off as he did, you don’t get back in great shape in one to two weeks,” Howland said. “I know he’s a freshman. That’s why I’m more forgiving when he makes mistakes.
“He’s listening. All this experience he’s getting is really good.”
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Center Michael Fey visited an eye doctor Tuesday and was told the corneal abrasion he suffered when a Loyola Marymount player poked him in the left eye Dec. 13 has completely healed.
