After earning a victory for the first time in more than three weeks, the UCLA men’s basketball team is set to experience another first.
The Bruins will finally leave Southern California.
“It’s going to be cold,” freshman forward Reeves Nelson said jokingly following UCLA’s 100-68 win against New Mexico State on Tuesday night.
Nelson wasn’t kidding. The Bruins will play Notre Dame on Saturday in South Bend, Ind., where the expected game-time temperature outside of the Joyce Center is a chilly 31 degrees.
Having played their nine contests at either Pauley Pavilion or in Anaheim, the Bruins (3-6) said they are excited to hit the road despite the daunting atmosphere that awaits them. Notre Dame (9-2) is a combined 23-4 at home for the last two years.
“We’re going to go in there and give it our all,” freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt said.
The game will be televised nationally by CBS beginning at 11 a.m. The early start is nothing new to the Bruins, who easily disposed of the Fighting Irish 89-63 last season in a game that tipped off at 10 a.m.
“We played one of our best games against them here a year ago,” coach Ben Howland said. “I know that they’ll be looking forward to welcoming us in South Bend.”
UCLA heads for the Midwest shorthanded, as senior forward James Keefe will be out two to three weeks while he nurses his injured left shoulder. Keefe, who has started in seven of the team’s nine games, dislocated the shoulder during the first half of the Bruins’ 32-point win Tuesday night. X-rays taken after the game were negative.
“The thing that is so disappointing is that he had been playing so well,” Howland said after. “He had started at center and had good defensive possessions. It’s very bad for James, but hopefully he will be back soon.”
The Bruins could use Keefe against All-American forward Luke Harangody, who is averaging nearly 25 points and more than 10 rebounds per game this season.
The Fighting Irish average more than 82 points per game and shoot more than 50 percent from the field ““ a number that Howland said will stop the Bruins from utilizing their much-discussed zone defense.
“Notre Dame shoots the lights out,” he said. “They would be really happy to see somebody zone them.”
The Bruins played a good defensive game Tuesday against the Aggies to snap their five-game losing streak. Players did the little things ““ taking charges, forcing turnovers and blocking shots. New Mexico State committed 20 turnovers while UCLA stole the ball 10 times.
“That’s the stuff that’s exciting,” Howland said. “That’s the stuff that’s going to help you win in the Pac-10.”
Expectations have undoubtedly decreased for a UCLA team that was picked to finish third behind California and Washington in the conference standings. But as the season unravels, the team’s young players continue to gain much-needed experience.
“Even sophomores like Malcolm (Lee) and Jerime (Anderson) only played seven or eight minutes a game last year,” Howland said. “They’re getting to play a lot of minutes now, and I think they’re starting to get more comfortable. It’s a step in the right direction.”
Win or lose on Saturday, the Bruins hope to take another step forward.
“Some people are starting to doubt us,” Honeycutt said. “It’s us against the world.”