The sense of urgency the Bruins are feeling these days is
nothing new. However, the stakes they’re playing for heading
into tonight’s showdown against USC are entirely different.
Buried near the bottom of the conference standings the last two
seasons, UCLA (14-9, 8-7 Pac-10) was scrambling for season-ending
wins just to get into the eight-team Pac-10 Tournament. This year,
it’s a different tournament the Bruins are eyeing, and there
does not appear to be a back-door entrance in. “There’s
desperation in both situations,” junior center Ryan Hollins
said. “But it feels a lot better fighting for the NCAA
Tournament than just to make the Pac-10 Tournament.” Last
year, UCLA dropped its final five regular season games and slipped
into the conference tournament only through outside help. The NCAA
selection committee, however, isn’t required to take a
certain number of Pac-10 teams, and the Bruins understand there is
only one way to reach their desired destination this time around.
“They’re all must-win games,” freshman shooting
guard Arron Afflalo said. “We’re still playing for our
tournament berth so we need every win we can get. I said before we
needed 18 wins. There’s no one game that’s more
crucial.” Tonight’s match-up against the Trojans
(11-15, 4-11 Pac-10) is only the most important in that it is the
first of four must-win games for the Bruins. And although USC
currently sits at the bottom of the Pac-10 standings, the Bruins
can relate to the stakes this game has for them as well. “We
need to win badly and they need to win badly,” UCLA coach Ben
Howland said. “We’re trying to improve our opportunity
to go to post-season play and they’re fighting to get into
the Pac-10 Tournament. There’s a lot riding on that and then
you add the fact that we’re rivals.” It’s a
rivalry the Trojans had been getting the best of until last month.
Jumping out to an 18-point halftime lead in the first contest in
January, USC appeared poised to capture its fifth straight win over
a lackadaisical UCLA squad. But a feverish second-half rally
triggered by tenacious defense and clutch shooting propelled the
Bruins to the victory and sent the Trojans into a downward spiral.
However, USC has slightly recovered, picking up two wins in its
last four games, the same number of victories the Bruins have
claimed in the same stretch. Though the Trojans are mired in their
third consecutive losing season, the rivalry game has usually been
a reason for celebration for them. “They’re going to
bring everything they have,” Hollins said. “The
atmosphere is going to be great ““ sold out with fans going
nuts. It’s definitely a big week.” And it first depends
on UCLA avoiding another slow start. “We need to play with a
sense of urgency for all 40 minutes,” said senior Dijon
Thompson, who scored a game-high 24 points in the first contest
between the two teams. “If we play aggressive from the tip
off, we’ll be alright.” Since the two teams’
first meeting, the Bruins have righted the ship at the start of
games and have faced a double-digit halftime deficit just once.
They’ve also significantly improved their zone offense, which
USC took advantage of at times in the first meeting. “I hope
they play zone,” Howland said. “What it does is makes
us be patient, play at a better pace where we don’t have to
push.” Win and the Bruins will stay in position to push
through the front door to the NCAA Tournament. Lose and
they’ll be dealing with a pushy neighbor who will make the
past two years feel all the more familiar.
INJURY UPDATE: X-rays revealed that freshman Lorenzo Mata has a
fractured sternum. He is doubtful for tonight’s game.