The UCLA and USC men’s basketball teams are so different from what they were a year ago that fans walking into Pauley Pavilion on Saturday afternoon might do a double-take.
No more heated, back-and-forth battles between Darren Collison and Daniel Hackett?
No more duels in the post between rival veterans Alfred Aboya and Taj Gibson?
Without the usual names, many feel the crosstown showdown has lost its steam. So with both teams experiencing down years ““ at least in relation to recent seasons ““ Saturday’s game won’t be as intense, right?
Coach Ben Howland is not buying it.
“Believe me,” Howland said. “We’ll get their best game of the year on Saturday. That’s just part of the rivalry.”
The Bruins (7-9, 2-2 Pac-10) are coming off a split of their Bay Area road trip, but one that ended on a sour note.
UCLA committed 23 turnovers, which directly led to 25 Cardinal points in an 11-point loss at Stanford on Saturday. The Bruins shot more than 50 percent but were plagued by wasted possessions. Needless to say, the emphasis leading up to Saturday’s contest against USC (10-6, 2-2) has been on the Bruins’ turnover troubles.
“We are having such an issue with turnovers that we are trying to understand the value of each possession,” Howland said.
To stress the importance, Howland has tallied the turnovers committed during this week’s scrimmages and made the team run.
“Hopefully that will help us value the ball a little bit more.”
USC, meanwhile, is through running.
Earlier this month, Trojans’ Athletic Director Mike Garrett announced self-imposed sanctions on the program after investigations revealed that former guard O.J. Maya’s handler Rodney Guillory had been paid to deliver the star to USC.
As a result of the sanctions, the Trojans will not participate in postseason play.
Despite a weaker record, the Bruins still have that opportunity. “We obviously have a chance and they don’t, so we’re definitely in a much better spot,” redshirt senior guard Michael Roll said.
Prior to Garrett’s announcement, USC had won eight in a row ““ including an upset of then No. 9 Tennessee. The Trojans didn’t look the same afterward and were swept by Stanford and California last week.
“Kevin (O’Neill) has done a good job with this group,” Howland said. “They’re good. They’re talented and they’ve got size.”
Four players are scoring in double figures for USC, led by senior guard Dwight Lewis’ 13.
“We don’t shoot the ball well, particularly from 3,” O’Neill said. “We have seen a lot more zone.”
Howland has implemented the zone defense consistently over the last few games. It worked in the Bruins’ last-second overtime victory in Berkeley Jan. 6, as Cal shot an anemic 11 percent (2-of-18) from the 3-point range. Stanford’s Jeremy Green and Landry Fields found a hole in the zone, though, combining to score 46 of the Cardinal’s 70 points.
But UCLA doesn’t expect USC to get complacent even though it technically has nothing to play for.
“A lot of (the freshmen) have been able to come to these games in the past,” Roll said. “They know how fierce it is and how much the fans are into it, so I think they understand.”
Freshman forward Reeves Nelson, whose father attended USC, knows first-hand how intense the rivalry is.
“It’s pretty heated,” Nelson said. “I’ve watched it my whole life. It will be good to take part in it as a player.”
When asked if he and his father were not speaking this weekend, Nelson laughed and said, “He’s more of a USC football fan anyways.”
Freshman Tyler Honeycutt, who has started at small forward for two straight games, will also get his first taste of USC v. UCLA.
“I came to one of the games last year,” Honeycutt said. “It was crazy.”