Wednesday, 2/26/97
M. Hoops notes
Lavin predicted win
When the occupants of the student section rushed the court after
the victory over Duke on Sunday, some people reacted negatively,
saying the act gave too much respect to a visitor to Pauley
Pavilion.
UCLA head coach Steve Lavin took it in a different light.
"People kind of made it sound like that must mean that UCLA
didn’t expect to win," Lavin said. "But that was our fans. Our
students were excited, which is great for them.
"The (players) were at a point where they felt that they played
hard and deserved to win the game."
Lavin, who usually stays away from saying anything about the
outcome of a game because of superstitious reasons, boldly
predicted the victory over the sixth-ranked team.
"I’m a knock-on-wood, superstitious guy … but I told my dad,
and I told my girlfriend that we’re going to beat Duke," Lavin
said.
"Two months ago, we hadn’t earned the right to beat Duke. But
with all the growth and maturity they’re showing in their hearts,
they deserved to win that game."
In and out of the zone
The 10th-ranked Bruins started using predominantly a zone
defense after the Illinois setback in December.
But lately, as the team has been on a five-game winning streak,
UCLA has employed a man-to-man defense almost exclusively.
At the same time, UCLA’s defense has been harassing its
opponents like never before. The Bruins currently rank second in
the Pac-10 in field-goal defense percentage, holding its opponents
to 41.3 percent shooting. The Golden Bears of UC Berkeley lead the
conference with a clip of 40.4 percent.
"At some point I wanted man-to-man because I hate the zone,"
Lavin said. "Now, it’s great because we can change defenses back
and forth. In the tournament, we can play some zone, do a little
press, play man-to-man.
"I never thought I’d be a guy who alternates defenses, but now
because our players are confident in the zone and playing good
man-to-man, we can actually use both."
Moving out? No sweat
Can the turmoil the Bruins have had to endure turn out to be a
positive for them come tournament time?
Lavin is a believer of that notion.
"March Madness is crazy and to me the team that is more
experienced, and less likely to be thrown a curve ball … is this
team," Lavin said. "They’ve been turned upside down, they’ve been
spun around, and they’ve seen a lot."
Because the team was shipped out of the West in last year’s NCAA
Tournament despite winning the Pac-10 title with a 16-2 mark, the
Bruins fear they might be the recipient of a similar injustice this
year.
But Lavin contends that when it comes down to the essence of the
game, it doesn’t matter where the team plays in the first
round.
"Even if we get sent to the East or Anchorage, Alaska, or
wherever we go, the hoops are still 10-feet high," Lavin said.
"Playing good basketball is a lot more important right now than
worrying about whether it’ll be in the West or a three (seed) or a
four.
"Once the ball gets thrown up, it’s five on five and guys are
running around, trying to put it in the hole and trying to stop the
other team from putting it in the hole."
Notes compiled by Hye Kwon, Daily Bruin Staff.