There Might Be More at Stake Than Usual as UCLA, USC Meet

A USC-UCLA game is always meaningful from the standpoint of their traditional rivalry, but tonight’s basketball game at the Sports Arena is of more than passing interest.

The Bruins, 9-7 overall and 6-2 in the Pacific 10, and the Trojans, 11-5 and 5-2, are both legitimate contenders for the conference championship.

And, even if both teams turn out to be of less than championship caliber, they at least are capable of placing high in the final standings and earning a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Pac-10 teams haven’t been a factor in the NCAA playoffs in recent years, and the tournament committee has correspondingly slighted the conference on its invitation list.

Last season, for example, Washington and Oregon State tied for first and were the only Pac-10 teams invited to the NCAA tournament. The Atlantic Coast Conference, meanwhile, had five teams in the post-season tournament.

But the NCAA field has been expanded to 64 teams this season, which suggests that the top three Pac-10 teams may get into the tournament.

All of which means there’s a lot at stake in tonight’s game.

Walt Hazzard’s Bruins have been toughened by an early season schedule in which they lost to such ranking teams as DePaul, Memphis State and St. John’s. They are perhaps playing better than any other Pac-10 team now, and they moved into sole possession of first place when Cal upset Oregon State, 42-36, Thursday night.

USC was rolling along, too, until it was derailed by Stanford Monday night, 60-54.

The Bruins are apparently a quicker team with better outside shooting than the Trojans, who like to pound the ball inside. But USC may be a better rebounding team, having maintained a plus 5.5 average in rebounds over its opponents this season.

Front-line matchups:

UCLA--6-8 Gary Maloncon, 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds; 6-11 Brad Wright, 10.4 and 8.3, and 6-6 Reggie Miller, 12.7 and 3.8. USC--6-8 Wayne Carlander, 15.7 and 7.4; 6-10 Clayton Olivier, 6.8 and 3.6, and 6-6 Derrick Dowell, 12.4 and 8.4.

Backcourt matchups:

UCLA--6-5 Nigel Miguel, 10.5 and 2.8, and 6-1 Montel Hatcher, 7.9 and 1.6. USC--5-11 Larry Friend, 4.6 and 1.9, and 6-5 Ron Holmes, 16.0 and 4.2.

UCLA-USC Notes Tonight’s game will begin at 8 and will be televised by Channel 5. A crowd of 11,000 is expected, and tickets are still available. . . . UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard has stressed defense and it has been evident in Pac-10 games. The Bruins are allowing their conference opponents to shoot only 38.2% from the floor. Nigel Miguel has been UCLA’s primary stopper, having shut down such high-scoring players as Washington’s Detlef Schrempf, Washington State’s Joe Wallace and Arizona’s Eddie Smith. . . . UCLA’s Reggie Miller is shooting 57.1% in conference games. . . . Miguel has made 22 of of his last 28 shots.

USC’s Wayne Carlander scored a career-high 31 points and took down 13 rebounds in his team’s 75-69 overtime loss to UCLA last year at Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans got a split by beating the Bruins at the Sports Arena, 80-72. . . . Ron Holmes and Kevin Steward got career highs of 28 and 14 points, respectively, in that game. . . . If tonight’s game can be considered a road game for UCLA, it bodes well for USC. UCLA is 1-6 away from home this season. . . . UCLA has won six of its last seven games, USC four of five.