UCLA's Joshua Smith is shedding lb's

J'Mison Morgan was one of the best centers in the country when he came out of high school and headed to UCLA. But Morgan was never able to make a significant impact with the Bruins, in large part due to being out of shape and having a poor work ethic.

This season, Ben Howland brought in Josh Smith, another very highly regarded high school center with weight and conditioning issues. Many believed that Smith would face some of the same problems that Morgan dealt with throughout his time in Westwood. But according to this article from Yahoo!'s Jason King, all of that has changed:

Josh Smith has gotten in shape since arriving at UCLA.
(photo credit: SeaTown)

The noticeably-leaner Smith has an extra bounce in his step. It certainly didn’t come easily.

UCLA's dietician devised a meal schedule that Smith said he adhered to for the entire summer. Dinner in the Bruins dining hall often consisted of two chicken sandwiches along with rice and fruit. If Smith was still hungry, he ate additional apples, oranges and bananas "instead of sucking down extra cheeseburgers." Much like that pizza from B.J.'s, Smith said those kinds of foods hardly appeal to him anymore.

"He's dedicated himself,” Howland said. "He's changed his lifestyle."

Smith's efforts didn't end with healthy eating. ... While his teammates played pickup games, Smith went through cardiovascular workouts three times each day under the watchful eye of strength coach Wes Long. Sometimes it was running, other days he was on the stationary bike or in the pool. For more than two months, Smith’s only off days were on Sundays.

If Smith can become a force in the paint, it should once again put the Bruins in the thick of the Pac-10 race. UCLA already has a number of talented perimeter players and a bulldog of a power forward in Reeves Nelson.

But Smith is a different beast. There is a reason that he was a top 25 recruit and a top five center in the class of 2010; strong and talented 6'10" kids don't exactly come a dime a dozen.

An effective, slimmer, Josh Smith will make a huge difference for this UCLA team.