On the brink of postseason extinction just days ago, UCLA now
seems to have caught a glimpse of its own redemption.
It won’t come easily of course. But the seventh-seeded
Bruins, losers of 13 of their last 15 games, are convinced that the
Pac-10 Tournament could represent a second life and not just a stay
of execution.
Washington, UCLA’s first round opponent tonight at the
Staples Center, is the only conference team the Bruins swept all
season. Though the Huskies may be one of the hottest teams in the
nation, the match-up is definitely a favorable one for UCLA.
“We’re coming in knowing that we’ve beaten
them twice,” freshman forward Trevor Ariza said. “I
think it’s the best situation for us.”
Implausible as it might seem, UCLA (11-16, 7-11 Pac-10) does
have reason to be confident. The Bruins dominated the Huskies
(17-10, 12-6) on the glass both times they played thanks to what
seems to be a big advantage in the frontcourt.
Though UCLA will need to win all three of its games in the
tournament to extend its season, the team feels that Washington may
be the ideal opponent to fuel a postseason run.
“We match up well with them,” sophomore center Ryan
Hollins said. “This is a team we have confidence
against.”
Head-to-head results aside, the Bruins and Huskies are headed in
opposite directions. Washington has won 12 of its last 13
conference games since starting Pac-10 play 0-5. UCLA, on the other
hand, reeled off five straight conference wins to begin the season
before spiraling into a tailspin.
The second-seeded Huskies clearly are a better team now than
they were when UCLA last saw them in early February. Coming off of
a 13-point victory over then-undefeated Stanford, Washington is
peaking at the right time, but still may need at least one more
victory to play its way into the NCAA Tournament.
“They’re the hottest team in the league,” UCLA
coach Ben Howland said.
Where the Huskies could pose the most problems for UCLA is in
the backcourt. The diminutive Nate Robinson (14.6 ppg) is
Washington’s leading scorer in conference play, while
swingmen Brandon Roy (13.4 ppg) and Will Conroy (12.3 ppg) are both
capable of scoring in bunches.
Conroy had a season-high 29 points in UCLA’s 80-75
overtime victory in Seattle.
A healthier Brian Morrison should help the Bruins contain the
Husky trio, but UCLA still is at a marked disadvantage in terms of
quickness. Instead, the Bruins will likely look to take advantage
of their height inside as Hollins, fellow 7-footer Michael Fey, and
6-foot-11 T.J. Cummings have each performed well against the
Huskies this season.
Fey has been particularly effective. In two games against
Washington, he tallied 22 points on 10-for-12 shooting.
“By far the best he played against anyone this season was
the two games versus Washington,” Howland said.
The Bruins could use another double-digit effort from Fey, as
well as an inspired effort from Cummings, who has averaged 20
points per game against the Huskies. That alone would go a long way
towards keeping UCLA alive another day.
“This is sudden death for us,” Howland said.
“We’re not going anywhere unless we win the tournament.
If we beat Washington, that’s another day of life for us.
And another chance to salvage a season gone awry.