He Wants to Go Out a Winner

The last time the Bruins won a Pacific 10 Conference basketball championship was nine years ago. They could be three days away from their next one. They’ll win the title if they win their final two games of the conference season, on the road Thursday against the California Bears and Saturday against the Stanford Cardinal.

But UCLA wing Cedric Bozeman, a fifth-year senior, has been around long enough to know that won’t satisfy the Bruin faithful.

“Our fans are pretty spoiled,” he said. “They are hoping for a Final Four spot or a national championship. Winning the conference is just a steppingstone.

“They would never hang a Pac-10 banner [at Pauley Pavilion]. If they did, the arena would be filled. There are places they hang them, but not here.”

Bozeman’s first conference championship would be a cause for celebration, though.

“I came here to do great things,” he said, “and a Pac-10 championship would be icing on the cake. Despite everything in the past, if you go out a winner, that is what people remember.”

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Power forward Alfred Aboya is again suffering from a strained groin and will miss practice this week, but is expected to play against Cal. It’s a routine the freshman has been following since suffering the injury several weeks ago.

“This is the best way to manage it,” UCLA Coach Ben Howland said. “We don’t want him to aggravate it. A groin injury can be a long standing thing and take a long time to heal.”