Before even stepping foot on the court against their first opponent, the 2007-2008 UCLA men’s basketball team is getting a lot of respect.
The Bruins are ranked No. 2 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Poll behind only North Carolina. UCLA received 734 votes, just five shy of the Tar Heels, and actually received more first-place votes, getting 12 to North Carolina’s 10.
“It is great, and we are excited to be ranked so high,” Coach Ben Howland said. “But we are just trying to focus on getting better.”
The high preseason ranking is due in large part to returning the majority of the lineup from last year’s Final Four appearance. Arron Afflalo, who opted to head to the NBA, is the only member of the starting five who will not be back this year. Add high-profile recruit Kevin Love into the mix, and the expectations for the season are as high as could be.
Love, the 2007 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year, gave his coach and teammates a scare even before the first exhibition. In the last five minutes of practice on Friday, Love got kicked hard in the shin, resulting in an immediate bruise and a contusion. Love underwent precautionary X-rays Friday night that were negative, and he returned to practice on Saturday.
“I tell you what, anytime one of these guys go down, my heart always ends up in my throat, because you just never know,” Howland said. “I’m pretty confident that he should be fine. He walked on his own and walked up the stairs to go to the training room, so I think he’ll be fine.”
Love, who is already being compared to past UCLA greats, will officially step out on the court at Pauley Pavilion for the first time this Friday in the Bruins’ exhibition against Azusa Pacific.
They then play another exhibition against Chico State, before opening the season against Portland State at home on Nov. 9.
As notable as the Bruins’ high preseason ranking is the multitude of Pac-10 teams that are ranked in the top 25. Heading into the season, the Pac-10 has been expected to be one of the most ““ if not the most ““ competitive conferences in the nation. The preseason rankings demonstrate that respect.
The conference has a total of six teams presently in the top 25. Washington State is the closest to UCLA, coming in at No. 10, followed by No. 13 Oregon and No. 17 Arizona. Crosstown rival USC, with the addition of O.J. Mayo, sits at No. 18, with Stanford coming in at No. 21.
But of all the Pac-10 teams, it’s the Bruins that have been getting the most attention as a possible national title contender.
“I think it is great that there is a real buzz about our team this year,” Howland said. “With all the experience coming back and then adding Kevin to the mix, I think it is exciting, and I know that all of our students and people on campus are excited about it, because I hear about it all the time.”