March 27, 2007

Los Angeles - Courtesy of CollegeInsider.com

The Pac-10 Conference doesn't have a Defensive Player of the Year honor. If it did, it's hard to imagine anyone other then UCLA's Darren Collison being the recipient.

"He's best on-the-ball defender in America," says collegeinsider.com's Joe Dwyer. "It all starts with Collison on the defensive end. He sets the tone and is the reason why UCLA is such a great defensive team."

He's only a sophomore, but UCLA's Darren Collison is quickly making a name for himself. In his first season as a starter, Collison led the Bruins in assists (6.0) and steals (2.2) and is third on the squad in scoring (12.4).

His all-around game landed him on the All-Pac-10 first team, but it's his prowess on defense that separates him from other great players.

To say that the 6-foot-2 guard is disruptive on the defensive end is an understatement. Collison is the head of head coach Ben Howland's defensive monster.

Second in the Pac-10 in assists with nearly six per game, Collison makes it difficult for the opposition to get assists. He led the Pac-10 Conference in steals with 2.3 thefts per contest.

The once highly-recruited point guard is quickly becoming a complete player.