"I was (16) and in a different country, a different culture," said Jorge Gutierrez. "Everything was different. ... But I guess it all helped me grow as a person and a player."

For Gutierrez -- Cal's floor-diving, ponytail-wearing and backcourt-terrorizing point guard -- the bruises tell stories of charges taken, loose balls corralled and elbows swung, the small on-court tussles he's sought on his way to becoming one of the toughest players in college basketball.