UCLA to wrangle with Cowboys at Wooden Classic

Friday, December 4, 1998

UCLA to wrangle with Cowboys at Wooden Classic

PREVIEW: Bruins charged for game with Oklahoma after tough
losses, big win

By Brent Boyd

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Two teams riding opposite waves of momentum will roll into one
another this weekend when UCLA meets Oklahoma State in the second
game of the John Wooden Classic.

Playing in the fifth annual Wooden Classic, the Bruins will meet
the 11th-ranked Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Arrowhead Pond
of Anaheim. The game will be preceded by a 2 p.m. contest between
Pepperdine and sixth-ranked Kansas.

Coming off two consecutive strong performances – a narrow loss
to Kentucky and a blowout of Delaware State – the 19th-ranked
Bruins (3-2) are anxious to test themselves against a national
power for the first time with their full squad.

Although he won’t start, guard Baron Davis will make his second
appearance of the season. He scored nine points and had four
assists in 16 minutes Wednesday night against the Hornets.

"He gives me and the rest of the guys a lot of confidence in our
game," sophomore guard Rico Hines said. "We are going to bring a
lot of confidence from (the win over Delaware State) into the
Wooden Classic."

Confidence, however, is one thing that the Cowboys (4-1) are
lacking.

In what was supposed to be a tune-up for the UCLA game, OSU fell
to undermanned Florida Atlantic Tuesday, 83-81. It was the first
time since 1987 that Oklahoma State has lost a non-conference home
game – a streak that extended 80 games.

And though many wonder if the Cowboys can recover from this loss
by Saturday, Oklahoma State head coach Eddie Sutton has a much
longer recovery period in mind.

"I told the squad they’ll just have to live with this the rest
of their lives," Sutton said. "Maybe it’ll open their eyes and
they’ll gain something from it, but right now it’s pretty
painful."

In any case, the Cowboys will bring some talented players to
Anaheim.

Guard Adrian Peterson – the sole senior in the starting lineup –
leads OSU with 18.6 points per game and 6.0 rebounds. He has also
connected on 13-of-27 three-point attempts, over half of the team’s
total.

Peterson will be accompanied by four junior starters including
forward Desmond Mason, who has averaged 15.6 points per game and a
team-high eight rebounds.

While the Cowboys may have experience on their side, UCLA has
history in its corner.

Three times the Bruins have participated in the Classic, and all
three years they have been victorious – 1994 over Kentucky, 1995
over Maryland, and last season over New Mexico.

After losing to nationally-ranked Maryland and Kentucky in
Puerto Rico over Thanksgiving break, the Bruins would relish ending
their winless streak against ranked teams.

This will also be UCLA’s last major test before conference
season opens in January.

The rest of December consists of contests against an average
UNLV squad, as well as mismatches against Cal State Northridge,
American and Loyola Marymount.

"We need to iron out some deficiencies but I have a great deal
of confidence that we will perform well against Oklahoma State,"
Bruin head coach Steve Lavin said.

* * *

Ticket prices for the John Wooden Classic are $15-$150. Both
games are included in the cost.

* * *

The second-annual John Wooden Classic High School Invitational
will be held Friday at the Pond. A girl’s basketball game at 4:30
p.m. between Brea-Olinda and Chino Ayala will begin the Classic. It
will be followed by three boy’s contests – San Diego Rancho Buena
Vista vs. Los Alamitos at 6 p.m., Dominguez vs. Houston (Tex.)
Waltrip at 7:30 p.m., and Mater Dei vs. Glendora at 9 p.m.

Tickets for these games run from $8 to $25.

Bruin wire services contributed to this story.GENEVIEVE
LIANG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Baron Davis looks to continue his comeback this Saturday.

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