All the hype coming into the season was centered around freshmen Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo and their eventual Pac-10 showdown.
Meanwhile, Bruin sophomore Russell Westbrook flew under the radar and was one of the least talked about Bruins on a team boasting one of the top freshmen in the nation, a preseason All-American point guard in Darren Collison, and juniors Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, all of whom seem headed for the NBA by the end of their careers.
But now, a few months into the season, the matchup that will perhaps be the most intriguing come Saturday afternoon will be the one between Westbrook and Mayo, two solid defenders who can also create scoring chances.
Come game time, Westbrook won’t back down from the challenge, as he has become accustomed to going up against one of the best point guards in the country on a daily basis when he takes on Collison in practice.
“Last year, Darren really got the better of him more often than not,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “It’s much more competitive this year. Russell brings it every day. They both do a great job of pressuring the ball, and they both play very, very hard.”
Howland also said that, while Westbrook isn’t likely to start, he will be seeing some time against Mayo, whom Howland considers one of the nation’s premier players.
“I was watching him earlier and how low he gets on his drives to the basket,” Howland said. “He’s very difficult to stay in front of. He can really, really shoot it.”
Westbrook, however, will be coming into the game with the mind-set he has before any other game and will attempt to play lockdown defense on the Trojans’ leading scorer, who is averaging 19.9 points per game thus far.
The two went up against one another during the summer when they would compete at the Student Activities Center on the UCLA campus.
“It’s another game, another person,” Westbrook said. “He’s a good player and a good scorer. I just have to come out and play.”
INJURY UPDATE: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute strained his right groin late in Monday’s practice and was held out of the Bruins’ practice on Thursday. He is not, however, expected to miss Saturday’s game.
Collison continues to undergo treatment for his left hip, which he injured in the Bruins’ game against Washington last Thursday.
“It was sore after Saturday’s game, but it’s something I have to get through,” Collison said. “Coach Howland said I’m going to have a lot of injuries to get through in my career.”
Another Bruin who has been struggling with injuries this season is Michael Roll, who just recently was able to get rid of his crutches and rely solely on a boot for his injured foot.
Roll tore the plantar fascia in his left foot during a practice over winter break, shortly after returning to the lineup after rupturing the same plantar fascia.
MAKING THE GRADE: The Bruins had collective team GPA of 3.15 for fall quarter, the highest grade point average any team has had under Howland. Eight players were selected to the honor roll.