Wednesday, December 3, 1997
Bruins must face inconsistency
M. BASKETBALL:
Winter gives UCLA a chance to redeem mediocre startBy Mark
Shapiro
Daily Bruin Staff
Be ready for a shock after winter vacation, because the UCLA
men’s basketball team will not be as you remember it.
With 11 games on tap over the winter vacation, including a trip
to Arizona to kick off the Pac-10 schedule, the Bruins will be in
midseason form before UCLA reopens its doors.
The Wooden Classic is the first of these games, pitting the
Bruins against eighth-ranked New Mexico at 12:30 at The Pond of
Anaheim.
The Bruins go into the game still trying to shake off the
after-effects of the 4- point drubbing they received at the hands
of North Carolina last Thursday. Though they are 2-1 and ranked
15th in the country, they still have only one starter over 6-5, a
vacuum that cost them dearly against the monstrous Tar Heels.
The undefeated Lobos have a starting lineup that will offer
little respite for the lilliputian Bruin squad, as it features a
pair of 6-8 starters and a sixth man who is 6-9.
"We have to find a way with small lineups to neutralize our lack
of size and strength," UCLA head coach Steve Lavin said. "We have
to make a concerted effort on the boards. Our guards have to
rebound like forwards. On defense, we have to use our quickness to
swarm."
There is little question that New Mexico’s premier player.
Junior forward Kenny Thomas, a Wooden Player of the Year candidate,
is the featured element in the Lobos’ attack, averaging nearly 20
points and 12 rebounds per game in the UNM’s first five games this
year.
"Kenny is a tremendous force in the middle," Lavin said. "He’s
very quick, very athletic."
On the UCLA side of the ball, the scoring load has been carried
by seniors Toby Bailey, J.R. Henderson, and freshman Baron Davis,
all of whom are averaging over 17 points per game.
But while scoring may not be a concern, inconsistent play is.
UCLA’s starting lineup has bumped the team to a lead after the
first 10 minutes in each of the first three games of the season,
only to watch it disappear, first in the loss to UNC, and again in
the comeback victory over Alabama-Birmingham.
"We’ve had great starts in the first 10 minutes," Lavin said.
"Once we go to the bench, we’ve struggled."
The bench will receive little support with the partial
reinstatements of Kris Johnson and Jelani McCoy. Neither will be
eligible to play in the Classic.
After their second game against a top-10 team, the Bruins will
have something of a respite leading up to the Pac-10 conference
opener, with six games against teams not ranked in the top 25.
The biggest challenges on the slate will be games at home
against Illinois and Saint Louis, and on the road against UNLV.
On Jan. 3, the Bruins open their Pac-10 schedule with games
against third ranked Arizona, Arizona St., and Oregon St.
JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS/Daily Bruin
Earl Watson hopes to dribble past eighth-ranked New Mexico at
the John Wooden Classic on Saturday.