Freshman Arizona guard Gilbert Arenas might act like one of
those players who wallows in self-doubt, wondering just how
good he truly is.

But those who have watched him - including his Airness,
Michael Jordan - know why Arenas is averaging 14.8 points, 3.8
rebounds and 3.3 assists and steals per game for No. 4 Arizona
going into tonight's game against Brigham Young.

"I really didn't know if I could play at this level because I never
played against the competition," Arenas said.

But over the summer, while working at Jordan's basketball
camp in Santa Barbara, Calif., Arenas faced some of college
basketball's best, outperforming them in pickup games.
"The first couple of nights he was one of the better players on
the floor," said George Raveling, former coach at Washington
State and USC, who will be the color analyst for tonight's game at
McKale Center.

"He'd hit jumpers, go to the basket, defend. Other than Jordan,
he was the most dominant player on the floor. He was pulling up
on the fast break and hitting NBA threes. He was dunking on the
break. Amazing."

And even Jordan wanted to know who Arenas was.
"Sometime through the games, Michael comes up to me and
says, 'Who is this kid?' " Raveling recalled.

"He's going to Arizona," Raveling replied.
When Raveling told Jordan his name, Jordan replied: "I've
never heard of him."

Then, Raveling told Jordan nobody had heard of Arenas.
Raveling said he was so impressed with Arenas he phoned
Arizona coach Lute Olson the next morning to tell him what had
occurred.

"I called Lute and told him I saw his next superstar," Raveling
said. "It's Gilbert Arenas. I told Lute that he was so good that he
wasn't going to be able to keep him out of the starting lineup."
Arenas, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, has been the starter for
about a month. In the process, last year's starter, Ruben Douglas,
decided to transfer.

For Arenas, there's still a long road ahead. But when Olson
recruited him out of Grant High School in North Hollywood,
Calif., he saw great potential. And not just because Arenas
averaged 33.4 points a game his senior season.

"In watching him, what impressed me was his athleticism,"
Olson said. "And even though he scored a lot, he could rebound
above the rim. And he wasn't a guy who was looking for his shot.
He made good passes. He played with a more solid, all-around
game compared to guards who were big-time scorers."
Arenas said he wanted to pass, tried to pass, but his
teammates "didn't want to shoot the ball. They just wanted to see
me score."

In part, perhaps, because it was the only way they'd win. He
eventually became Grant's all-time scorer with 2,124 points and
was named the Los Angeles Times San Fernando Valley Player of
the Year. Olson likened Arenas' story to former UA player Mike
Bibby's, who scored the majority of his high school team's points
because he had to. And Bibby, too, looked to pass before he
shot.

"The thing I like about him is his attitude," Olson said. "He's fun
and his teammates like him. And he's very unselfish. And that's
very unusual when you have a high school player who scored 35
points a game."

What's not to like? He is young in mind and body - he's still 17
- and fun-loving. Almost goofy.

Fellow freshman and teammate Jason Gardner, who is also
Arenas' roommate, thinks Arenas is a bit quirky.
And talkative.

"He talks a lot," said UA sophomore Richard Jefferson. "He
asks a lot of questions. He's shy around the media, but he's a very
vocal person. He's going to go down as one of the best players to
have played at Arizona. With us he's definitely a leader. He's fun
to play with, and I'm glad I am."

Talkative? With the media, getting more than one-word
answers is tough at times.

"Oh, he's talking when nobody is listening," Jefferson said.
"Sometimes you try to tune him out, but he's always talking."
Then again, that's part of the way he entertains.

"He can be serious at times, but behind closed doors he's the
silliest person on the team," Gardner said. "You always need one
of those guys to keep you going and relaxed."

In the three months the two have been roommates, there have
been times when Gardner would shake his head in an
I-can't-believe-he-just-did-that manner.

"Sometimes he does things I didn't believe he'd do," Gardner
said. "I'd shake my head. He's funny, but a great friend."
What were the instances? "There are just too many things,"
Gardner said. "He's just fun."

That is what it is all about to Arenas. That and winning.
"I am having fun," Arenas said. "I don't want to get too
serious."

If he did, things might fall apart. Olson joked after UA's win
over Kentucky that Arenas was not flustered by all the pressure,
perhaps because he is too young to know what's going on.
"That's the good thing about Gilbert," Olson reiterated
yesterday, "he just goes out and plays."

And he plays hard each and every time out, perhaps because
he still is unsure of his game.

"When you get too comfortable," he said, "that's when you start
slacking off."

Steve Rivera's e-mail: srivera@tucsoncitizen.com.