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UCLA moves into college hoops Top 10

By David Wharton
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The Bruins hoped to make a good impression with their nationally televised victory over Notre Dame on Saturday, and apparently they did. The UCLA basketball team rose six spots to No. 6 in the latest ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and four spots to No. 11 in the Associated Press poll.

With four consecutive victories -- all by big margins -- UCLA is climbing out of a hole that saw the team drop from its No. 4 preseason ranking to as low as No. 17 in the AP poll just two weeks ago.

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‘We’re really playing well right now; I think that’s pretty obvious,’ Coach Ben Howland said after the 89-63 win over the Irish. ‘These last four games, we’re playing at a new level and have really shown a lot of improvement.’

The CBSSports.com RPI has UCLA at 26th in the nation.

The Bruins get a chance to test their new rankings on Thursday night when they play at No. 18 Arizona State.

-- David Wharton

Sports Now
David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

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