Zag traits with a Pac-10 bias

OAKLAND, Calif. – In the end, UCLA’s Jordan Farmar called his decision to become a Bruin a “no-brainer.”

But there was a time when the 6-foot-2 sophomore out of Taft High School in Van Nuys, Calif., seriously considered letting his college career play out at Gonzaga University.

“I was very close to becoming a Zag,” explained the All-Pacific-10 Conference point guard, who will be triggering the offense for the second-seeded Bruins when they take on third-seeded GU this evening in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at the Oakland Arena.

“I took two unofficial visits up there on my own, so I obviously liked the program.”

What he didn’t like was the thought of playing in the West Coast Conference, as opposed to the Pac-10 or a couple of other better-known conferences.

“It was just the WCC versus the Pac-10, or the SEC,” explained Farmar, who had narrowed his final three college choices to UCLA, Gonzaga and Florida before signing with the Bruins. “And for me, being from UCLA and knowing what wearing those four letters across your chest means, it was a no-brainer.”

Farmar, who averaged 27.5 points and 6.5 assists as a high school senior, was one of the first players Ben Howland signed after taking over the UCLA program three years ago. And he has proven to be a splendid get, having been named the Pac-10’s freshman of the year last season, when he averaged 13.2 points and 5.3 assists.

This year, Farmar is averaging 13.6 points and 5.2 assists on the Bruins team that is built on defense.

“That was a huge signing,” Howland said of Farmar. “My first two recruits at UCLA were Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo, and I think they’re the best guard tandem in the country, right now, in college basketball.”

It would be hard to get GU coach Mark Few, or his top assistant Billy Grier, who did the majority of the recruiting work on Farmar, to disagree.

“He’s a Gonzaga-type guard,” Few said of Farmar. “He works his game, he’s got a great feel, and he can score. Those kinds of guards we love – plain and simple.”

According to Grier, Farmar has the unique knack of making everyone around him better.

“He scores and gets his own,” Grier said, “but he also knows how to get other guys the ball where they can score. His feel for the game is his greatest attribute.”

Few thinks Farmar would have been a Bulldog had it not been for the coaching change that brought Howland from Pittsburgh to UCLA to replace Steve Lavin.

“We thought we were in there really, really strong,’ Few said, “I know Florida made a late rush at the end, but Jordan came (to GU) three times and really hit it off with our staff and our players. If UCLA had kept Lavin, he probably would have been a Zag.”

Several players on the GU roster said they remember playing with Farmar during his three campus visits – only one of which was official, and think he would have been a great addition to the team.

“He’s definitely a talented player, and he’s a leader, too,” junior forward Sean Mallon said. “I wish we could have gotten him, but he’s having a good career at UCLA, so it worked out well for him.”

Junior Adam Morrison called Farmar a “very talented player,” who would fit in nicely at GU.

“Of course, everybody fits in pretty well here,” Morrison added. “Guys are pretty laid back. He just made this own decision and wanted to stay at home – which is what I did. I don’t think it was anything personal about our program.”

“I think he’d have been a great fit anywhere,” said senior guard Erroll Knight. “He’s a great player and a great leader for UCLA. And for only being a sophomore, that guy plays with a lot of experience.

“I think we’re going to have our hands full guarding him and Afflalo.”

Grier said there was a point during Farmar’s junior and senior years in high school that he got a bit caught up in being an AAU star.

“But then Ben brought him back down to earth and got him to be a tougher player and better defender – the two things that were kind of knocks against him coming out of high school.

“He’s really a good kid and he’s got a great family. He would have been a great fit here. I think he would have bought into everything we do, too.”

Unfortunately for the Zags, Farmar never took them up on their offer.

“And now we’ve got to figure out a way to deal with him,” Grier said, “which isn’t going to be easy.”