Charles the Humble? : O’Bannon Puts Hype Behind Him

He was 18, flying on a cloud of hype and glory.

Two years ago, bursting with all the confidence a dominant Artesia High career and a thousand glowing compliments could provide him, Charles O’Bannon had a plan:

Storm the world of college basketball with a barrage of midair acrobatics, then alley oop on out of UCLA after two quick, but brilliant, seasons alongside his older brother, Ed.

Maybe get two more national championship banners put up in the Pauley Pavilion rafters on the way.

“I wanted to set myself in a position where after two years I’d be able to go into the NBA,” Charles O’Bannon said this week. “I wanted to just come in, be a big bang and I guess put a couple banners up on the wall. I thought that it’d be something, to be in the same draft as my brother.”

But, after an exhilarating burst of success, one of the nation’s most-watched freshmen hit a dry patch last season during a long, and eventually frustrating, campaign.

Matched against opponents as agile and quick as himself, the 6-foot-6 1/2 O’Bannon’s productivity sagged, his swoops to the hoop grew less frequent and, gradually, understandably, the two-year plan was altered.

“I think last year he had some pretty good success in the beginning and he was kind of satisfied with that, and I think it hurt him in the long run,” Ed O’Bannon said.

“But this year, I think things haven’t come as easy to him. Now he’s working harder, he’s in the weight room. Hopefully, he doesn’t think he can change the world with a couple games. He has to play hard every game and improve.”

Beginning with a scoreless effort in a loss to Notre Dame in early February last year, Charles O’Bannon averaged a little more than five points a game during a five-game stretch. Though he recovered and scored at least 10 points in six of UCLA’s last seven games, the point was made.

Sometimes, O’Bannon discovered, reality isn’t a slam-dunk.

“You know, I was basically living a dream--going into the NBA after my sophomore year,” he said.

“I realized that’s not realistic and it takes more than one person--especially one freshman--to change a program all the way around. Now, I’m on a four-year plan, and I’d like to put myself into that position after my senior year. It’s not even an issue. I’m not even thinking about coming out my junior year.”

This year, with the arrival of two significant freshmen contributors--J.R. Henderson and Toby Bailey--O’Bannon finds himself in between the glittering rookie class and UCLA’s three foundation seniors: his brother, Tyus Edney and George Zidek.

What’s a former headline-grabber to do?

“Things are a lot more stable this year, especially with the help of J.R. and Toby, with all the media attention they’ve gotten,” Charles O’Bannon said. “Thanks to them, a lot of focus has been taken off me, and it’s basically been just trying to be consistent and doing what I have to do.

“I realized it was all hype in the middle of last year. I realized if I’m not performing, then there’s no longer any talk. My focus this year was just basically to come into the season and just be consistent; not be so caught up on statistics but to be caught up on working on my game.”

Henderson and Bailey have cut into his floor time, but O’Bannon’s scoring average is up more than two points per game (from 11.6 last year to 13.9), his field-goal percentage is up from 51.4% to 54.4% and the dunks still come when the way is clear.

More to the point, O’Bannon appears to be far more willing to dive on the floor, play defense and do the things on the court that do not show up on a stat sheet.

“He can’t just go in and catch lobs and dunk on people all game every game,” Ed O’Bannon said, “because it’s not going to happen.

“Even if we want him to do that, the other teams won’t let him. And once that’s taken away, what else is going to happen? So he has to play defense, grab rebounds. . . .”

Said Charles O’Bannon: “Those were the small intangibles I was lacking last year. I did have a few blocked shots last year, but at the same time I’m trying to control the blocked shots this year. Instead of being an ESPN highlight and throwing it into the third row, I’d like to block the shot, control it and maybe start a fast break.”

At one point early this season, when Henderson and Bailey were on the court during decisive moments of a few games--and Charles O’Bannon was not--he asked the coaching staff what he had to do to stay on the floor.

Since then, O’Bannon has provided crucial blocked shots in a few victories--including a career-high five blocks in last week’s victory over Washington--and made some significant passes in the half-court offense. Through 18 games, O’Bannon has 55 assists, nine more than he had in all 28 games as a freshman.

“They told me that I just had to play well during the course of the game,” O’Bannon said. “I can’t be inconsistent, I can’t be throwing the ball away during crucial times. . . . They said it’s up to me.”

With the team’s emphasis on Edney, Ed O’Bannon and Zidek--and lately, Henderson and Bailey--in the half-court offense, Charles O’Bannon often is the fifth option on the floor.

So he says he has dedicated himself even more this year than last to getting out front on the break and making himself a huge part of the Bruins’ manic transition game.

“I think it’s different from last year in the sense that I realize that’s probably where I’m going to get maybe 80% of my points,” O’Bannon said. “I enjoy scoring. And if I’m going to score, I’d better get out there in front of Tyus and I better work hard defensively.

“I’ve realized that and accepted that, and I’m willing to play my role and wait my turn.”

UCLA Coach Jim Harrick says he never got caught up in the Superman hopes that surrounded Charles O’Bannon coming out of high school, and that O’Bannon’s gradual development into a complete player is unfolding game by game.

“Not me, but everybody else has great expectations for Charles,” Harrick said. “Somehow, some way, they put him up here , where he’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world.

“He was just a freshman last year, and a sophomore this year--a real good player who we’re glad to have on our team. But people expect him to be an All-American or something, but he’s not there yet. A good player, very unfair expectations.”