M. hoops face Arizona in decisive Pac-10 battle
Wildcats the team to beat to keep top spot in conference
By Melissa Anderson
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
There are just four weeks remaining in the regular season, but
for the No. 18 UCLA men’s basketball team, it might as well be an
eternity.
Last weekend’s bizarre loss to Stanford, in which UCLA had three
points taken off the scoreboard, prohibited the Bruins from
building a three-game lead in the Pacific 10. It also left them in
a must-win situation this week as the Arizona schools enter Pauley
Pavilion.
"(The loss to Stanford) might have been a good thing because if
we were to win, we might have started playing a little slower, a
little more lackadaisical," Bruin guard Toby Bailey said.
"Hopefully, with something riding on each game now, we’re gonna get
more prepared for the playoffs and when they come, we’ll be ready,
instead of coasting through the rest of the Pac-10 and not being
ready."
Clinging to a one-game lead in the conference, a loss to the No.
13 Wildcats Thursday could put UCLA (16-6 overall, 9-2 Pac-10) into
a three-way tie for first place. A victory, however, would give
them an edge down the final stretch.
"It’ll be a great weekend again here," UCLA head coach Jim
Harrick said. "That’s what February basketball is all about."
***
Cameron Dollar is expected to start practicing next week without
the bandage he has worn on his hand since December. Though he is
leading the team with 4.5 assists per game off the bench, his ball
handling has been hindered by the dislocated pinky finger and he is
averaging just 3.2 points. According to doctors, he is almost back
to 100 percent.
The Bruins are still not at full strength, however, as sophomore
omm’A Givens suffered a chipped bone in his knee last week in
practice. He was suited up for the Cal game and did not play,but he
did not dress for the Stanford game. His status for this week has
not yet been determined.
"We thought he had torn cartilage but he didn’t," Harrick said.
"He chipped a bone in there and it really bothered him this
weekend."
***
UCLA is still the hottest shooting team in the nation this week,
boasting an NCAA-leading 53.0 clip from the field. Freshman Jelani
McCoy leads the team and the Pac-10 from the field, connecting on
66.4 percent of his shots.
The 6-foot-9-and-a-half-inch center has shot at least 50 percent
from the field in 17 of 22 games this season.
***
Bench production has not been UCLA’s strong suit in recent
years, and this year’s team is no exception.
The Bruins played last weekend with basically a six-man team due
to the absence of Givens. Other than Dollar, junior Bob Myers was
the only player to see action off the bench.
Against California, Myers played 15 minutes and grabbed a
career-high seven boards with two assists and two steals.
***
In the Bruins’ last home game against Oregon State, the starting
lineup elicited a rather hostile reaction from the crowd when it
returned to the game in place of the second team. The fans were
apparently disappointed with the level of effort the first team had
shown in the opening moments of the game.
Harrick is confident that the fans will play an important role
in motivating the team this week.
"In this town, people want to see a great effort," Harrick said.
"Our crowd is terrific. In the last two years our students and our
crowd have been outstanding and they will be very, very supportive
Thursday.
"There won’t be very many people in the arena that like Arizona,
I can guarantee you that. And that helps you tremendously."
STEVE KIM/Daily Bruin
Sophomore omm’A Givens’ injury may impede his playing
Arizona.
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