By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
UCLA will attempt to capture its 12th NCAA title tonight against Florida, but not so long ago, many of the players on the Bruin roster were dominating California's high school ranks - and appearing on the pages of MaxPreps.
Here is a peek into the not-so-distant past of a few of UCLA's 13 Golden State-natives;
Any talk of UCLA's 16th Final Four team has to begin with the sophomore backcourt tandem of point guard Jordan Farmar and shooting guard Arron Afflalo.
Farmar prepped at Taft High and is from Los Angeles. Farmar is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 13.3 points per contest, and leads the squad in assists (185). Before he was a Bruin, the point guard helped the Taft Toreadors to a 27-4 record while averaging 27.5 points per game as a senior.
Jordan Farmar's MaxPreps Page (2003-2004, Senior Season)
Afflalo leads the Bruins in scoring at 16 points per game. A first team All-Pac-10 selection, the Centennial High product is considered a lockdown defender and has started 66 of 67 games since joining UCLA last season.
Arron Afflalo's MaxPreps Page (2003-2004, Senior Season)
"Arron Afflalo was born in the UCLA Medical Center. Jordan Farmar's grandfather was the first physician that worked in emergency care at the UCLA Hospital back in the early '60s," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said at a press conference Sunday. "Those kids were connected at birth, as far as I'm concerned. I just happened to be the coach that was lucky enough to get them to come (to UCLA)."
Darren Collison's role has increased steadily throughout his freshman campaign. The reserve point guard was a star at Etiwanda High as a senior, and just a year later, is contributing to a Final Four team at the college level.
Darren Collison's MaxPreps Page (2003-2004, Junior Season)
Darren Collison's MaxPreps Page (2004-2005, Senior Season)
Josh Shipp underwent hip surgery last September, returning to average 11.3 points per game in four Pac-10 contests. But pain from the hip injury returned, cutting his season short. The Los Angeles native will bolster the Bruins shot at a repeat when he returns to the lineup next season. Shipp is a product of powerhouse Fairfax, leading the Lions to the State Division I title as a senior.
Josh Shipp's MaxPreps Page (2003-2004, Senior Season)
"We were fortunate to get a lot of tough kids. Recruiting UCLA is much, much easier because of the tradition, the history, the quality of the institution, the location. He's (Farmar) about eight miles, he's (Afflalo) about 15 miles away. Cedric Bozeman.how far is Inglewood there? 10 or 12 miles away? Ryan (Hollins) is a whole 20 miles away in Pasadena," Howland commented on Los Angeles' fertile recruiting grounds.
The Bruins will look to capture their first national title since 1995 tonight against Florida.
Other Bruins' MaxPreps Pages:
Lorenzo Mata's MaxPreps Page (2003-2004, Senior Season)
Kelvin Kim's MaxPreps Page (2003-2004, Senior Season)
Bruins From California
Player - Hometown (High School)
Arron Afflalo - Compton, Calif. (Centennial)
Cedric Bozeman - Los Angeles, Calif. (Mater Dei)
Darren Collison - Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Etiwanda)
Joey Ellis - Hidden Hills, Calif. (Crespi)
Jordan Farmar - Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft)
Ryan Hollins - Pasadena, Calif. (Saint Louis)
Kelvin Kim - Lake Forest, Calif. (El Toro)
Lorenzo Mata - Huntington Park, Calif. (South Gate)
DeAndre Robinson - Riverside, Calif. (King)
Nican Robinson - Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Tech)
Michael Roll - Aliso Viejo, Calif. (Aliso Niguel)
Janou Rubin - Union City, Calif. (Logan)
Josh Shipp - Los Angeles, Calif. (Fairfax)
Photo - Jordan Farmar dishes under the hoop while Josh Shipp defends (Alex Camacho).
