During Ben Howland’s weekly press conference, a television reporter asked him if he thought the UCLA-USC rivalry could become the west coast version of North Carolina and Duke.
“We don’t need to compare ourselves with UNC-Duke,” Howland answered. “We’re USC and UCLA. It already is a great rivalry.”
Indeed, for the Bruin players and coaches, this rivalry carries all the intensity and anticipation of the famous Tobacco Road matchup, even if it may receive markedly less attention from national media.
And the seventh-ranked Bruins (12-2, 2-0 Pac-10) expect a daunting physical test Sunday when they travel those 12 miles of Los Angeles freeway to face USC (10-4, 1-1).
Howland said his team needs an outstanding rebounding performance to overcome USC.
The Trojans average almost 40 rebounds per game. Their starting forward, Taj Gibson, rebounds as well as anyone in the Pac-10 and has averaged 10.6 per game this season. No UCLA player averages more than six rebounds per game.
In the Bruins’ last loss to USC, January 2008 in Pauley Pavilion, UCLA lost the rebounding battle 30-20. On Sunday night the Bruins will need stellar performances from forward Alfred Aboya, and his backup, freshman Drew Gordon. Gordon leads the team in rebounds per minute, Howland said.
“I don’t think we’re doing a good job blocking out,” Howland said. “And we will lose on Sunday night if we don’t do a better job blocking out because USC is such a good rebounding team.”
UCLA players said they feel like the team is finally clicking after a slow start to the season. The Bruins swept through their Oregon road trip last weekend, beating Oregon and Oregon State. The team has now won eight consecutive games since its last loss, Dec. 4 at Texas.
The Trojans had won five straight before a surprising, 62-58 overtime loss Sunday at Oregon State. The team relies on a trio of juniors, Gibson, point guard Daniel Hackett and shooting guard Dwight Lewis. Lewis leads the team with 16 points per game, but struggled badly in the loss to Oregon State, going 2-for-13 from the floor for just six points.
USC also boasts a highly touted freshman, DeMar DeRozan, who has struggled with his shooting this season but is very athletic and an excellent rebounder.
“I think this is their best team (of the past three); they’ve been in the same system with their core three guys for three years, and then you add DeRozan to the mix,” Howland said. “We’ll have to play our very best to have success at ‘SC Sunday night. I know that and our players know that.”
The Bruins also anticipate a lively, if not raucous crowd at the Galen Center, and they relish that type of atmosphere.
“It gets extremely loud,” senior Darren Collison said. “That’s one of my favorite gyms to play in. Just to feed off their crowd.”
Collison, the Bruins’ senior leader, best scorer, and most important offensive player, has faced the Trojans seven times. UCLA has won five of those matchups but most have been tightly contested.
“This rivalry has definitely lived up to the hype,” he said.
LEE PROBABLE: UCLA freshman guard Malcolm Lee is listed as probable for Sunday’s game, team spokesman Marc Dellins said late Wednesday evening. Lee has been sidelined since late December with a knee injury but practiced for an hour and 10 minutes Wednesday. Howland said Lee looked fine even though he was a little tired.
PITT IS IT: Pittsburgh, Howland’s former team, reached the No. 1 national ranking for the first time in school history this week.
Howland coached the Panthers for four years before jumping to UCLA in 2003. Pitt reached the NCAA tournament in the final two of those four seasons, and Howland was named national coach of the year in 2002.
Howland’s former top assistant, Jamie Dixon, currently coaches Pitt.
“I’m excited for them, and not surprised,” Howland said. “They’re really, really good.”