Hazzard Dealt New Loss (Reid) by Tar Heels, Hits Oregon Trail

J.R. Reid’s announcement Wednesday that he would play his college basketball at the University of North Carolina came as no shock to Walt Hazzard. The UCLA coach had already had a day to get used to the idea that the big guy from Virginia Beach, Va., would not be coming to help him get the Bruins back on their feet.

“J.R.’s father (Herman Reid) called me yesterday and told me that J.R. wanted to stay closer to home,” Hazzard said. “Of course, it’s disappointing, but we knew it was a long shot. Overall, we’re very pleased with our recruiting class.”

Hazzard had a lot of things to say about how much brighter prospects seemed for next season. And he wanted to thank the fans for their support this season--especially the students, who rallied behind the team, even as it struggled to its current 14-12 record (8-8 in the Pacific 10).

UCLA is in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference with games remaining tonight at Oregon State and Saturday at Oregon.

But when Hazzard addressed the media at his weekly conference Wednesday morning, he seemed to be wrapping up one season and looking forward to the next.

What about this goal of winning at least one of these last two games to finish above .500 and defend the NIT title?

Hazzard said Wednesday that he was not sure that the Bruins would accept an NIT bid even if they did finish 15-13. And he said that after admitting that it would not be real easy for his team to come up with one more victory.

“Oh, we’re going up there to play,” Hazzard said. “I’d love to win both of those games. But I’m just being realistic. There is no sense in trying to hide the situation. We don’t have that many bodies.”

The loss of guard Corey Gaines to a knee injury last Saturday weakened the Bruins considerably.

Forward Reggie Miller, the Bruins’ leading scorer, is playing with a badly injured thumb. It was jammed in practice last Thursday, and Hazzard said there are some bone chips in it.

Big forward Kelvin Butler has not been the same since he returned from an abdominal muscle pull.

UCLA has lost six straight games to Oregon State at Corvallis, Ore., dating back to 1979. UCLA beat Oregon at Eugene, Ore., last season, and Oregon has an overall record of just 9-17 this season. But both sites are tough on visiting teams, and sellout crowds are expected at both.

All along, Hazzard and Athletic Director Pete Dalis have said that it would take at least a record of 15-13 for the Bruins to accept an NIT bid. They have never said, however, that the Bruins would definitely accept an NIT bid with that record.

Last season, the coaches and the administration figured that the Bruins deserved a chance to go on to postseason play when they won seven of their last eight games. At the moment, they have lost five of their last seven.

“It’s not the same situation this time,” Hazzard said. “A variety of things would have to happen for us to accept an NIT bid now, and I’m not prepared to go into all of those things right now.”

He also did not elaborate on how disappointing it was to lose the 6-10, 240-pound Reid to Coach Dean Smith at North Carolina.

Smith had also taken Scott Williams, an outstanding 6-10 prospect from Hacienda Heights Wilson High School, right out from under Hazzard’s nose.

Hazzard did comment later: “Who knows what Scott Williams might have done if he had not signed early and was still undecided when J.R. Reid announced? You just never know how these things are going to go.”

Reid told the Associated Press that he chose North Carolina because “they’ve got a great (basketball) program, a lot of great players, and their communications program is one of the tops in the country.”

Reid’s father said: “I told him a decision has to be made, either now or next month. I wanted him to get it over with. It was a tough decision for him. It came down primarily to Carolina and Virginia.”

Hazzard was out recruiting Tuesday night after his call from Reid’s father. He might sign two more recruits this spring. The Bruins have already signed 6-11, 215-pound Kevin Walker of Brea Olinda; 6-8, 210-pound Trevor Wilson of Cleveland in Reseda, and 6-10, 215-pound Greg Foster of Oakland Skyline.

Bruin Notes UCLA’s game at Oregon State tonight at 7:30 will not be televised but will be broadcast on KMPC (710). . . . Oregon State has a record of 12-13 overall and is tied for fourth in the Pac-10 with UCLA and Stanford at 8-8. . . . Oregon State’s leading scorer is center Jose Ortiz, a 6-10 junior who is playing his first season of college basketball. He was among those named to the All-Pac-10 team earlier this week. . . . UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard said that Reggie Miller would probably be moved to guard next season, when the big freshmen take their places in the lineup.