First Matadors, now Gauchos
Before the Bruins’ 78-74 loss to CSU Northridge Wednesday,
UCLA sported a perfect 4-0 lifetime record against the Matadors.
The Bruins had last beaten CSUN 114-97 in Pauley Pavilion during
the 1998-99 campaign.
Tomorrow’s opponent, UC Santa Barbara, has lost all 17
meetings to UCLA in the series history. The last time the Bruins
faced the Gauchos was during the 1979-80 season, a 102-58 thrashing
in Westwood.
Poll searching
UCLA (1-2) was absent from this week’s Top 25 rankings
after the stunning loss to CSUN last week. In the ESPN/USA Today
rankings, the Bruins fell from No. 17 last week to knocking on the
door at No. 26 with 82 votes, two votes shy of No. 25 DePaul. In
the Associated Press Top 25, UCLA took a mightier tumble from No.
15 to No. 28.
In the Pac-10, former No. 1 Arizona (3-1), who lost to Purdue in
the championship game of the Maui Invitational, dropped from the
top to fifth in both polls. Meanwhile, previous No. 5 Stanford
(4-0) moved up to No. 4 AP and No. 3 ESPN/USA Today following a
Puerto Rico Shootout title.
Duke (5-0) claimed the top spot in the both polls for the first
time this season after capturing the Preseason NIT
Championship.
Off the bench
Freshman forward Josiah Johnson will be re-evaluated this week
to determine if the stress fracture in his left foot has healed
enough to allow him to return to practice with the Bruins.
UCLA head coach Steve Lavin announced Johnson sustained the
injury on Oct. 27 and has worn a walking boot since. The 6-foot-7
Van Nuys, Calif., native is expected to be a major contributor in
the Bruins’ frontline rotation upon his return.
By the numbers
Sophomore sharpshooter Jason Kapono’s six points Wednesday
against CSU Northridge should not be cause for alarm in Westwood.
The Wooden and Naismith Award candidate scored under 10 points in
four games during his freshman campaign.
The 6-foot-8 forward scored his career low of five points in a
loss to Colorado State last year. UCLA is 2-3 when Kapono scores
less than 10 points.
On the flip side, the Lakewood, Calif., native has dropped 20
points or more on 11 occasions during his short Bruin career
““ twice during this season’s IKON Coaches vs. Cancer
Classic in New York. UCLA is 6-5 in those games.
Watch for a shootout on Saturday against Georgia Tech. The
Bruins’ 2000 Wooden Classic opponent has averaged 89.7 points
per contest, the same offensive total as UCLA (No. 24 in the
nation).
The Yellow Jackets find most of their success shooting the
three, averaging a nation-leading 11.7 per contest, and have a 52
percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc (No. 7
nationally).
The Bruins’ opponent next week at Pauley Pavilion, the UC
Irvine Anteaters, have held their opponents to a 52 points-per-game
average in two games this season, placing them eighth nationally in
scoring defense.
Wooden watch
Former UCLA head coach John Wooden was on hand in Indianapolis
to witness the 72-69 upset of top-ranked Arizona by the Purdue
Boilermakers Saturday at the first annual Wooden Tradition
Game.
The 10-time national championship coach saw his alma mater knock
off the Wildcats before heading back to Southern California.
Wooden is expected to be on hand for the Wooden Classic at
Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim on Saturday. UCLA returns to the event
following a one-year absence and squares off against Georgia Tech
at 12 p.m. USC takes on head coach Rick Majerus and the Utah Utes
at 2:30 p.m. or a half hour after the Bruin-Yellow Jacket
contest.
Ex-Bruins sign with L.A. Stars
Former UCLA standouts Toby Bailey (“˜98) and Ed
O’Bannon (“˜95) have been the first signees of the Los
Angeles Stars of the new ABA 2000.
“They are NBA caliber players who are going to have an
immediate impact in the league,” vice president of Stars
basketball operation Jamaal Wilkes stated. “These two guys
have played together and win together and will be a huge influence
on the quality of the Stars that we build around them.”
Bailey, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, and O’Bannon, a 6-8
forward, led UCLA to its last national championship in 1995.
The Stars have also signed UC Irvine’s Scottie Brooks
(point guard) and Loyola Marymount’s Peter Cornell (center).
Los Angeles opens its inaugural season Tuesday, Dec. 26 at the
Great Western Forum.
Notes compiled by AJ Cadman, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.