UCLA lands quality PG in Farmar

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- A few columns back, I wrote about guards and how they tend to dominate AAU play. Well, since that last writing, not a single big man has taken home an MVP trophy. Glen "Big Baby" Davis remains the lone power forward or center to capture a major AAU MVP award this spring.

The 2003 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions was no different.

Jordan Farmar, the outstanding point guard of the Pump 'n' Run squad, was named the MVP as he paced his team to the championship in a 94-86 win over the powerful Atlanta Celtics.

Just three days later, Farmar committed to the UCLA Bruins over the Florida Gators. His play last weekend improved as the tournament progressed and by the final game, his floor game was at its best.

In Pump 'n' Run’s playoff wins on Sunday, which included victories over Houston Westside and the New York Ravens, Farmar simply took over, directed traffic and made championship plays.

Jordan Farmar Profile Position: PG Height: 6'0" Weight: 160 HS: William Howard Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) Class: 2004 Senior Bio: Farmar is that rare point guard who is both an outstanding scorer and a distributor of the basketball. He posesses great range on his jump shot. A good, but not great, athlete, Farmar has an excellent understanding of the point-guard position. He ranks among the top 2-3 point guards on the West Coast.

Whether it was finding wing ace Bryce Taylor and setting him up for open 3s or connecting on long-range shots himself, Farmar was in a groove (20 points, four assists in title game). Maybe even more important, he took the leadership reigns over and moved his team forward.

To win the championship, Pump 'n' Run had to overcome one of the biggest and most talented frontlines AAU basketball probably has ever had. The Celtics go 6-foot-11, 6-10 and 6-9 up front and each guy can play.

The highest rated of the Celtics' trio is center Dwight Howard. The 6-11 post man is going to be a phenomenal player. Check that, he already is. Howard was willing to do his part and take the Celtics as far as they wanted but the guards didn’t cooperate.

Randolph Morris, Howard’s comrade in the post, also was in the throes of a big weekend. Morris, playing more aggressive and assertive than I’d ever seen, just needed touches. They never came.

With Smith’s jumper failing him in the title game and the Pump 'n' Run’s guards taking over, the Celtics all-airport frontline was left standing idle at the gate.

Back to Farmar for a minute. Don’t look now, but UCLA’s backcourt of the future is set. Shortly after Ben Howland was named the head coach, he made Arron Afflalo, a talented shooting guard, his top priority. Days later, Afflalo was a Bruin.

Now, with the addition of Farmar, the Bruins have acquired the services of two guys who rank among the elite prospects on the West coast and compare favorably on the national level, as well.

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