The offseason began earlier than usual for UCLA in 2010, but “˜offseason’ may not be the appropriate term for the period between March and late September, especially for one Bruin who was not afforded the luxury one year ago.
Tyler Honeycutt literally limped into his freshman season with the Bruins after being hampered by a laundry list of injuries which sidelined him until the Bruins’ seventh game of the year, a loss to Kansas on Dec. 6, 2009.
The 6-foot-8-inch sophomore forward made an impact almost immediately; he moved into the starting lineup Jan. 6 and impressed fans and foes alike with his scoring, ball-handling and rebounding abilities.
But after finishing last season as what many fans believe to be the Bruins’ best all-around player, Honeycutt made this offseason anything but an off-period.
During the Bruins’ media day, Coach Ben Howland raved about the work that Honeycutt put in leading up to this season, commenting namely on the improvements he has made in the shooting department, which seemed to be one of the only shaky aspects of his game.
Besides carrying a significant portion of the scoring load, Honeycutt will also be called upon to serve as a veteran voice for a Bruin team that lacks a senior on its roster.
Despite a shortened year, Honeycutt certainly got people talking about him, and ended the year on the Pac-10 all-freshman team. With his central role in Howland’s offense, the pro scouts can’t be far behind.