Bruins' Williams prepares to `be the best teammate'
If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready.
When the UCLA men's basketball team trailed USC 22-15 with 6:28 left in the first half of Saturday's game, freshman forward Devin Williams scored four straight points to jumpstart the Bruins' 12-0 run, part of a greater 24-6 surge to close the first half of their 65-50 victory over the Trojans.
The 6-foot-10 freshman was ready when his number was called by UCLA coach Mick Cronin, even after not receiving any playing time the previous seven games.
Williams has played in only six of UCLA's 20 games this season, averaging 2.3 points in four minutes per game. However, he said he's already learned so much by having a front-row seat to watch college basketball.
“First of all, the main thing was being the best teammate,” Williams said. “Clapping every time. Standing up, cheering on my teammates but seeing it, being able to watch and be like, `OK, I can be in this position, that position or I see Adem or whoever Berke do this, do that.' Just honestly taking notes in my head and asking questions to Coach and being able to hopefully apply it onto the floor and help the team.”
Williams credited his ability to contribute when called upon to constantly honing his craft.
“Honestly, just being in the gym every single day,” said Williams, who is less than a year removed from being a star at Corona Centennial High, where he helped win a third consecutive CIF-Southern Section Open Division title.
“Trusting the process,” he said. “Watching highlights every day. Watching practice, going over practice just seeing how it is, what can I do to get on the floor. Staying poised. Staying confident always so whenever my number is called I'll be ready.”
Williams' final stat line against the Trojans of four points, one rebound and one block in 7 minutes and 32 seconds
LOS ANGELES >>
tells only part of the story, according to Cronin.
“You have to stay positive with them in practice and you have to stay committed to their development and keep them engaged and not let them hang their head ... you have to keep their head up and keep them working and keep them positive,” Cronin said. “Keep them positive and believing that their work ethic and their fight and their attitude has got to stay positive and that will determine whether they get where they want to go some day or not.”
“It felt really good to be out there with my teammates, actually on the battlefield going at it, sticking together, huddling up,” Williams added before Tuesday's practice at the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. “It was great to get that win also.”
Sophomore point guard Dylan Andrews said, from his perspective, Williams is progressing well from being a highly touted high school basketball player to the college basketball scene.
“It's an adjustment for sure coming from high school, especially to this type of high-level basketball,” Andrews said. “I feel like he's progressing great. He's a dog, coming in Day One, and he's just a gym rat. He just wants to get on the floor and is always asking questions, always trying to figure out how can he help us and make our team better.”
Williams, who is listed at 200 pounds, is making a constant effort to not only bulk up in the weight room but continue being as supportive as possible.
“Right now, I'm really just focusing on what can I do to be the best teammate on and off the floor, what can I do to help the team win,” Williams said. “I feel like we're starting to change and get better every single day and I'm extremely proud of us.
“I'm extremely proud of Coach and how he's been training us and getting us prepared for that battle because it's hard out there for sure, but I think our progress has been great and absolutely, I am trying to change my body though for sure.”
UCLA VS. OREGON STATE
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network/1150 AM Records: UCLA is 9-11, 4-5Pac-12, Oregon State is 11-9, 3-6
UCLA's latest result: Sophomor point guard Dylan Andrews scored 20points and dished out four assists in UCLA's win at USC. Junior guard Lazar Stefanovic had 17 points and nine rebounds (five offensive) and sophomore forward Adem Bona's double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds anchored UCLA's big win in the crosstown rivalry game. The Bruins also outrebounded the Trojans 43-29, including a 10-0 advantage in offensive rebounds in the first half.“For us with this team, I just know defensively we've got to continue to be engaged for 40 minutes to give ourselves a chance,” Cronin said. Oregon State's latest result: The Beavers are coming off an 83-80 upset of No. 11 Arizona on Jan. 25 and an 8471victory over Arizona State on Jan. 27. Sophomore guard Jordan Pope had a team-high 31points against the Wildcats and a team-high 19 points against the Sun Devils. The Bruins beat the Beavers 69-62 in their Pac-12 opener Dec. 28, behind Bona's 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Matchup to watch: Andrews vs. Pope. Andrews is averaging 10.2 points and 3.7assists per game. Pope is averaging a team-high 17.8points and 3.7assists per game, has scored more than 25 points in five games this season, while shooting 45.7% from the field, including 39% from 3-point range on nearly six attempts per game. Andrews is committed to being UCLA's full-time point guard. “I feel like it's a work in progress for sure,” Andrews said. “I'm working on it. My teammates are trusting me, and coaches are trusting me. They're talking to me every day, showing me film and I feel like I'm getting 1% better every day. “I'm going to keep going, keep working, and see the results.”
UCLA trends to watch: The Bruins will play seven of their final 11 regularseason games at Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA is 5-4at home this season. The Bruins played 11 players in the first half against USC on Saturday. Andrews, Stefanovic and Bona combined to score 47 of the the team's 65 points. Freshman forward Berke Buyuktuncel (left wrist) and freshman guard Sebastian Mack (toe) practiced Tuesday and are considered day to day ahead of tonight's game.
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
NFL: Super Bowl
Favorite
Sunday, Feb. 11
San Francisco
NBA
Favorite
at Boston at New York Cleveland at Utah
Underdog
11/2 (471/2) at Kansas City
Line (O/U)
11 (2401/2) 4 (241)
81/2 (1971/2) 4 (2331/2)
College Basketball
Favorite
at UCLA Oregon
Long Beach St at UCSD at CS Fullerton UC Irvine at Green Bay at Marshall Appalachian St Louisiana Tech at SMU at UMKC
FGCU at S Utah at Arizona Wisconsin at Utah Tech at W Kentucky Liberty at Grand Cnyn at Arizona St at Wright St E Washington at UTEP Portland at San Fran. at UCSB
BASEBALL
MLB
American League ANGELS:
Acquired RHP Carlos Espinosa from Houston in exchange for OF Trey Cabbage.
BOSTON RED SOX:
Oregon St
at USC at CS Bakersfield CS Northridge
Hawaii at Cal Poly
IUPUI Old Dominion at Georgia St at Florida Int Tulane Denver at C Arkansas UT Arlington
Cal at Nebraska
UT Rio GV Sam Houston at New Mexico St Seattle U Stanford Youngstown St at Montana St Jacksonville at Pacific San Diego
UC Davis
Claimed INF/OF Romy Gonzalez off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Designated RHP Zack Weiss for assignment.
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS:
Agreed to terms with RHP Tyler Zuber on a minor league contract.
HOUSTON ASTROS:
Designated RHP Zack Weiss for assignment.
National League MILWAUKEE BREWERS:
Agreed to terms with INF Christian Arroyo on a minor league contract.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES:
Agreed to terms with LHP Aroldis Chapman on a one-year contract. Designated OF Canaan SmithNjigba for assignment.
Named Anuk Karunaratne senior vice president for business operations.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:
BASKETBALL
NBA NBA:
Fined Minnesota G Anthony Edwards $40,000 for repeatedly criticizing the officiating after a Jan. 29th game against Oklahoma City.
WNBA SPARKS:
Acquired G Kia Nurse and a 2024 number four overall draft pick from Seattle in exchange for a 2026 first round draft pick.
MINNESOTA LYNX:
Acquired G Natisha Hiedeman from Connecticut in exchange for G Tiffany Mitchell and a 2024 secondround draft pick.
FOOTBALL
NFL
DETROIT LIONS:
Signed WR Daurice Fountain to a futures contract for 2024.
Re-signed LB Jesse Luketa and OL Carter O'Donnell to one-year contracts.
Named T.J. Yates
ARIZONA CARDINALS:
ATLANTA FALCONS:
QB coach.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer LAFC:
Signed F Tomas Angel to a contract through 2027 and added him as an international roster slot, pending receipt of his international transfer certificate (ITC) and P-1 visa.
Acquired M Matias Coccaro from CA Huracan (Argentine first-division) and signed him to a threeyear contract.
CF MONTREAL:
INTER MIAMI CF:
Transferred M Nicolás Stefanelli to Fehérvár FC (Hungary).
Signed G Oliver Semmle to a contract through 2025 pending receipt of his P-1 visa. Acquired college protected rights for Semmle from Colorado Rapids in exchange for a 2025 SuperDraft second-round pick.
Re-signed Ms MCall Zerboni and Sinead Farrely and G Michelle Betos to one-year contracts.
PHILADELPHIA UNION:
NJ/NY GOTHAM FC:
MEN
AP TOP 25 SCORES
No. 1 UConn 74, Providence 65
No. 2 Purdue 105, Northwestern 96, OT Florida 94, No. 10 Kentucky 91, OT
No. 16 Auburn 81, Vanderbilt 54
No. 18 Baylor 77, UCF 69
Boise State 85, No. 19 New Mexico 78 No. 24 Alabama 85, Georgia 76
OTHER SCORES
Line (O/U)
Line
81/2 21/2 31/2 91/2 11/2 141/2 131/2 81/2 51/2 81/2 91/2 21/2
2
11/2 161/2 11/2 41/2 31/2 51/2 91/2 11/2 21/2 31/2 31/2 21/2 171/2 31/2
Underdog
Lakers Indiana at Memphis Philadelphia
Underdog
Pittsburgh 77, Wake Forest 72 Rhode Island 71, La Salle 69 Richmond 83, Fordham 69
Saint Joseph's 75, George Mason 73 West Virginia 69, Cincinnati 65 South Florida 71, East Carolina 60 UNC-Greensboro 85, VMI 79 Virginia 65, Notre Dame 53