Tradition Means Little to Pauley Visitors

In this day and age, does UCLA enjoy a home-court advantage at Pauley Pavilion? While Tuesday’s 78-74 loss to Cal State Northridge ranks among the Bruins’ most humiliating defeats in their home arena, the announced--and largely sedate--crowd of 6,448 left the place half-empty. The average attendance of 9,440 last season was the lowest in seven seasons.

The Bruins won 98 consecutive home games from 1970-76, and 11 NCAA championship banners hang proudly in the arena, but that’s ancient history to the current generation of players. No longer can the Bruins expect opposing players, from Northridge or anywhere else, to quake at the chance to play in Pauley Pavilion.

“There will always be a special kind of mystique to Pauley Pavilion because of the accomplishments. This is a basketball mecca,” UCLA Coach Steve Lavin said.

“But kids today are less overwhelmed by any college basketball arena, because they’ve gotten so much exposure in high school and even in grammar school. The kids have played in these venues. They’ve played on national TV. They’ve played overseas. They’ve read about themselves in USA Today.

“The kids are less in awe than the ones who came here 20 years ago. They’re less wide-eyed and bushy-tailed when they step in here. There’s less of that, wow, this is Duke, this is North Carolina, this is UCLA.”