Number crunching
UCLA (19-7, 12-2 Pac-10) continues its climb in the national
rankings after a sweep of the Oregon schools on the road this past
weekend.
The Bruins jumped up three spots to No. 12 this week in the
Associated Press Top 25 and are No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today
poll.
UCLA has won seven games in a row and 15 of its last 17. The
Bruins own the fifth-strongest schedule in the country this week,
giving them the fifth-best Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) ranking
with less than two weeks left before Selection Sunday.
“It’s so difficult to be able to project and predict
what region or seed we might receive for the (NCAA)
Tournament,” Head Coach Steve Lavin said. “I just want
to have this team continue to play better basketball.”
More on the Oregon trail
The Bruins’ recent victories over the Ducks and Beavers
gave them only their third sweep of the Oregon schools in 14 years
and their first since 1996.
After each of the two previous sweeps, which came in 1992 and
1996, UCLA won the conference championship both times.
Would you like fries with that?
The East and West rosters for the 2001 McDonald’s
All-American game was announced on Monday and for the third time in
four years, a future Bruin will be on the floor.
Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana) point guard Cedric Bozeman was
named to the West team, alongside fellow Monarch Jamal Sampson. The
6-foot-5 Bozeman is rated one of the top 10 prep point guards by
several publications and chose UCLA over Florida, Kansas and
Arizona.
The Bruins were in the running late for Sampson, who eventually
signed with California.
Two years ago, sophomore forward Jason Kapono was a
McDonald’s All-American from Artesia High in Lakewood, CA. In
1998, junior guard Ray Young (St. Joseph Notre Dame) and junior
center Dan Gadzuric (Governor Dummer Academy) were selected to the
squad.
He said what?
At his Tuesday press conference, Lavin was asked how it felt to
be continually scrutinized as the Bruins’ head coach.
“I feel like a big piñata sometimes,” he said
jokingly. “But you become immune. I don’t listen to
talk radio and never have. But I do read the papers and it’s
important to (get) perspective.”
Stealing a record
Senior point guard Earl Watson continues to lead the Pac-10 in
steals at 1.96 per contest. He is second on the UCLA career list at
222, behind only Tyus Edney (1992-95) at 224.
Watson will have his work cut out for him this weekend if he is
to break the school record on the final home-stand of his career.
His defensive assignments ““ Stanford’s Michael McDonald
and Cal’s Shantay Legans ““ are in the top two spots in
assist-to-turnover ratio in the Pac-10. Both average fewer than two
turnovers per game.
Watson also looks to start in his 123rd straight game Thursday
when UCLA plays Cal in Pauley Pavilion.
Notes compiled by AJ Cadman, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.