Pac-10 title on line for UCLA, Stanford

  Illustration by ERICA PINTO/Daily Bruin MEN’S
BASKETBALL PREVIEW vs. Saturday 1p.m. Pauley Pavilion
CBS

By Chris Umpierre
Daily Bruin Staff

It is arguably the most significant game to be played in Pauley
Pavilion in more than four years.

When No. 12 UCLA (20-6, 13-2 Pac-10) faces off against No. 1
Stanford (26-1, 14-1) Saturday, both teams’ hopes to get a
number one or two seed in the NCAA tournament, hopes to stay in the
tournament’s West region, and that little old thing called
the Pac-10 title are all on the line.

You have to go back to Feb. 23, 1997, when the Bruins played
highly ranked Duke to find a game in Pauley that had as many
implications.

UCLA senior guard Jason Flowers was asked what he thinks the
atmosphere will be like in Pauley when his team takes on the
Cardinal for the whole enchilada.

He mulled over the question, took a second to look around a
currently empty Pauley Pavilion and said, “Hopefully this
place will be wild ““ wilder than Arizona.”

The sold-out Arizona game at Pauley two weeks ago featured the
rowdiest crowd in recent memory, culminating with 100 students
storming the court in celebration of UCLA’s 79-77 overtime
win.

It looks like Saturday will feature the same environment.
According to the UCLA Central Ticket Office, the game has been sold
out for weeks. In addition, CBS plans on broadcasting the game
nationally, and the school had given out all its media credentials
early in the week.

There isn’t a Bruin on the team who has played in a league
game with this much riding on it. Not only does UCLA control its
own destiny to win the conference if it runs the table the rest of
the season, but the team likely controls its chance of playing in
San Diego and Anaheim come tournament time.

“This is my first time in this position,” junior
shooting guard Billy Knight said. “I’ve never been in
this position where if we win the rest of our games we will win the
Pac-10. My freshman year we had to hope Arizona would lose or
something like that. Now it’s all up to us.”

On the other hand, a number of Stanford players have played in
pressure-packed conference games like this in March, and the
Cardinal has won the last two Pac-10 championships.

Although Stanford didn’t perform that well down the
stretch last season ““ losing two out of its last three league
games, tying Arizona for the conference title ““ Cardinal Head
Coach Mike Montgomery feels that experience will help his team on
Saturday.

Stanford also features three seniors in its starting lineup with
Michael McDonald, Jarron Collins and Ryan Mendez, as well as a much
healthier team than the one that lost to UCLA 79-73 on Feb. 3.

Then-No. 1 Stanford had two significant players out of the game
due to injury and two other players who played at less than 100
percent.

Sophomore backup guard Julius Barnes and super sub forward
Curtis Borchardt did not play due to a sprained ankle and injured
foot, respectively.

Stud freshman forward Justin Davis played with a sprained ankle
while guard Ryan Mendez played with the flu.

All of the aforementioned players will be healthy for the game
with the exception of Borchardt, who is having surgery on his
foot.

While UCLA must be prepared to deal with a healthy Stanford
team, the Cardinal must have a better understanding than it did
last time of where Knight is on the floor.

Knight, who had been averaging 10 minutes a game before the
Bruins faced Stanford, played the game of his career on both
offense and defense.

He led UCLA with 22 points but more importantly, put the clamps
on Stanford’s leading scorer, sophomore Casey Jacobsen.
Knight held Jacobsen to a horrendous 4-of-18 shooting
performance.

While it’s true Knight and the Bruins haven’t been
in this position before, the team feels they have the advantage
because they are playing in their building.

“Basically Stanford is in the same position we are,”
Flowers said. “And if you look at it, they’re the team
that’s on the road and we’ve beat them at their place.
We’ve just got to go in and play relaxed.”

And if the Bruins needed any more motivation for
Saturday’s showdown, Montgomery provided just that in
Tuesday’s Pac-10 media teleconference.

Quizzed about his thoughts regarding the league’s decision
to place UCLA Head Coach Steve Lavin on probation for the rest of
the season after his outburst towards a referee, Montgomery said
the conference should have came down harder on Lavin.

“I was concerned when Steve was up here,” Montgomery
said. “He was wild, and it forces the rest of us to feel like
we’re at a disadvantage.”

Now it’s personal.

“It’s going to be a war,” Flowers said.
“You don’t have to get up for a war. You have to get up
for other games that sometimes we don’t get up
for.”

THE PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE LAST 10 YEARS
Year School
Overall Conference UCLA
record vs. Stanford 2000-2001 ? ? ? 1-0 1999-2000 Stanford
27-4 15-3 1-1 1998-1999 Stanford 26-7 15-3 0-2 1997-1998 Arizona
30-5 17-1 0-2 1996-1997 UCLA 24-8 15-3 1-1 1995-1996 UCLA 23-8 16-2
1-1 1994-1995 UCLA 32-1 17-1 2-0 1993-1994 Arizona 29-6 14-4 2-0
1992-1993 Arizona 24-4 17-1 2-0 1991-1992 UCLA 28-5 16-2 2-0
Original by JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web adaptation by MONICA
KWONG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff THE MATCHUP
Positions: Comments:
Advantage Center: Jason
Collins PPG: 14.0 RPG: 7.8 MPG: 25.2 Dan
Gadzuric PPG: 11.6 RPG: 8.0 MPG: 25.4

Collins has become a more polished player this year after
incurring two redshirt seasons in Palo Alto. He is a load inside
and will force Gadzuric to focus upon his own assignment and, as a
result, will keep Gadzuric off the weak side. Staying out of foul
trouble will be key for both. Jason is usually more effective when
brother Jarron is on the floor. Gadzuric will look to be the
aggressor in this meeting.Advantage: UCLA

Power Forward: Jarron Collins
PPG: 12.8 RPG: 6.8 MPG: 27.3 Matt Barnes PPG: 10.8
RPG: 6.9 MPG: 29.6

The other Collins twin is the more versatile frontline player in
his inside-out game. He has proven he can step out and knock down
the perimeter jumper. Barnes plays the Bruins’ high-low game better
than anyone in his ability to make the lob pass and take almost any
power forward off the dribble to the goal. Again, Jarron is more
effective when his brother is on the floor.Advantage: STANFORD

Small Forward: Mark Mendez:
PPG:10.8 RPG:3.2 MPG: 26.9 Jason Kapono PPG: 17.5
RPG: 6.0 MPG: 35.4

These two guys are probably the most savvy basketball players in
the conference. They have both worked hard to add more elements to
their game than just deadly shooting touches. Mendez is viewed as a
leader who provides balance to a potent offensive attack. Kapono is
more in the trenches this season and has developed a reserved and
patient demeanor that helps keep UCLA composed in close
games.Advantage: UCLA

Shooting Guard: Casey Jacobsen
PPG: 17.7 RPG: 4.1 MPG: 30.6 Billy Knight PPG: 6.6
RPG: 1.8 MPG: 15.4

Jacobsen, like Kapono, dismissed any notion of the sophomore
slump and is the consistent favorite to win the Conference Player
of the Year. His stats are incredible, his team is a unanimous No.
1 in both polls, and he has few weaknesses to his game other than
an occasional off-night of shooting. Knight has approached in this
season with a determined attitude on both ends of the floor that
has been a boost to the Bruins’ high-octane offense.Advantage:
STANFORD

Point Guard: Michael McDonald
PPG: 8.1 RPG: 2.9 MPG: 26.3 Earl Watson PPG: 14.4
RPG: 3.4 MPG: 33.9

McDonald, in every sense, has been an extension of the Stanford
coaching staff on the floor. His daunting timing on the floor has
helped the Cardinal achieve unparalleled success. He knows when to
pass, when to push the ball on the break, and when to slow things
down and pull back the reins. But Watson has managed to do all of
that, hit the clutch basket and free throw, and start every game in
his career.Advantage: UCLA

Coaches: Mike Montgomery
313-144 (15th year at Stanford) Steve Lavin 110-44
(Fifth year at UCLA)

Montgomery’s troops have won the last two conference
championships and can win three in a row for the first time in
school history. It would be the first time it happened in the
Pac-10 since UCLA from 1995-1997. Meanwhile, Lavin has dodged every
bullet aimed at him since his arrival at Westwood. And amid all the
scrutiny, his team is the hottest in the country. Advantage:
PUSH

Final projected score: UCLA 80, Stanford 77

DRAW Original by JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web
adaptation by MONICA KWONG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff