Wednesday, February 19, 1997
O’Bannon named Pac-10 Player of the Week
Senior forward Charles O’Bannon earned Pac-10 Player of the Week
honors for his effort against the Arizona schools last weekend.
O’Bannon averaged 19.5 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the
two games in the Grand Canyon State. In the 66-64 victory over
then-No. 11 Arizona, O’Bannon was pivotal, scoring a team-high 26
points going 10-of-14 shooting.
While his contribution at Arizona State was low-key in
comparison, O’Bannon still added 13 points and handed out 5 assists
in the win.
"To look at Charles O’Bannon’s play in the last month is to see
someone playing at a high level of concentration and intensity for
a sustained amount of time," UCLA head coach Steve Lavin said.
"Every week now we’re saying ‘That’s the best game O’Bannon’s
played.’ When you start to say that five or six times, that means
someone is having a great season. We don’t know where the ceiling
is with Charles O’Bannon."
Although his play has made a case for O’Bannon as a Pac-10
Player of the Year candidate, O’Bannon is not worried about such
awards.
"(Being Pac-10 Player of the Year) would be a nice thing to say
20 years down the road, but that’s not my concern," O’Bannon said.
"My concern is with wins, getting a ring on my finger and on my
teammates’ fingers."
O’Bannon is the first UCLA men’s basketball player to be named
Player of the Week this season.
Bruins movin’ on up in the polls
With the sweep in Arizona, the UCLA men’s basketball team jumped
seven spots in The Associated Press poll.
The Bruins are now ranked 17th in the nation after re-entering
the poll last week at 24th place. UCLA had been ranked as high as
No. 5 in the preseason polls, but with early-season losses to Tulsa
and Kansas, the Bruins fell out of the rankings on Dec. 23.
UCLA is also ranked 19th in the CNN/USA Today coaches poll.
Bruins top nation in shooting
The Bruins’ 52.8 field goal percentage still leads the
nation.
UCLA has outshot its opponents in its last 11 games. The Bruins’
best effort came against Jackson State on Dec. 17, when the Bruins
shot an astronomical 71.1 percent. UCLA’s worst outing was against
Stanford on Jan. 9 at 36.7 percent  which helped lead to a
48-point loss.
While its offense is lighting up the scoreboard, UCLA’s defense
has held its opponents in check. UCLA ranks second in the Pac-10 in
field goal percentage allowed. Opponents are shooting at a 41.6
clip against the Bruins.
Notes compiled by Emmanuelle Ejercito, Daily Bruin Staff