When the No. 5 UCLA men’s basketball team takes the floor on Saturday, they’ll be facing a team in transition.
The Arizona Wildcats, who have been one of the most consistent teams in the country over the last two decades ““ having gone to the NCAA Tournament for 23 straight years, the second-longest streak in NCAA history ““ are in the middle of some significant changes.
Coach Lute Olson, who would have been in his 25th year at the helm of the program this year, took a leave of absence for personal reasons on Nov. 4 and hasn’t returned. Assistant Kevin O’Neill has stepped in as head coach since then, and he is believed to be Olson’s successor when he eventually retires permanently.
“I think our players will carry on business as usual ““ obviously not as usual, but they will carry themselves in a way that you’ll appreciate,” O’Neill said at a press conference at the time. “We have plenty of work to do to uphold the legacy of excellence Lute’s built into this program.”
Initially, the Wildcats struggled to do that. They didn’t have a strong start to Pac-10 play, beating Oregon State but losing at home to Oregon, then losing to in-state rival Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. They lost to Stanford in Palo Alto but beat Cal on the road to improve to 2-3 heading into last weekend’s home stand against the Washington schools.
But things were beginning to change for the better for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats swept, upsetting then-No. 6 Washington State 76-64, then handily defeating Washington 84-69.
“They are very good, and they are playing really well, to no one’s surprise,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “They have outstanding players, and in Lute’s absence Kevin’s done a great job. The defense is very good.”
Perhaps more importantly, the Wildcats were getting healthy. Freshman guard Jerryd Bayless ““ sidelined with a knee injury during the Oregon and Arizona State losses ““ was back and playing up to the high expectations he had generated coming out of high school. Bayless had 23 points in the win over Washington State, and he is averaging a team-high 19.9 points per game.
“Bayless is one of the best players in the conference, another freshman who is really, really good,” Howland said. “When he was out of the lineup, I think that they lost a couple games, two or three games, and when he is in the lineup their record is close to being perfect. Any time you lose one of your best players, it’s tough.”
The responsibility of stopping Bayless will likely be split between a number of Bruins. Sophomore guard Russell Westbrook often draws the responsibility of guarding the other team’s most dangerous perimeter player, and junior Darren Collison is also known for the pressure he is able to generate on opposing ball-handlers. Collison is healthier now than he has been most of the season.
“I just feel a lot more healthy on the court,” Collison said. “I told my trainers, that (Oregon) trip was actually the first time I didn’t feel any pain anywhere…I just feel a lot looser out there, and (have) the ability to do whatever I want.”
GAMEDAY FOR THE DEN: ESPN will be on campus on Saturday. SportsCenter will air live from Pauley Pavilion at 7 a.m., followed by College GameDay at 8 a.m. All UCLA students are invited to attend; Gate 10 will be open at 6:30 a.m. Priority seating will be given to members of The Den wearing Den T-shirts.
College GameDay will air live again at 5 p.m., followed by the UCLA-Arizona game at 6 p.m.