UCLA’s Rochelin Given Start Over Jackson Against 49ers

The UCLA Bruins are finally back home in Pauley Pavilion, but when they take on Cal State Long Beach tonight at 7:30, they are going to look slightly different than they did when they last played at home Dec. 6.

Losers of four straight, the Bruins are having their lineup shaken up. Coach Walt Hazzard is moving 6-foot 7 1/2-inch Charles Rochelin in at power forward and moving out 6-8 Craig Jackson.

“I just think it’s the time to do it,” Hazzard said. “We just needed to make a change at this point, although I still think Craig will be an important factor.”

Rochelin, a sophomore, played high school basketball in Toronto and was born in Haiti. He is shooting 57% for the season and made 4 of 6 shots in the only Pacific 10 game he played, the Bruins’ conference opener at Washington State.

Hazzard hinted afterward that Rochelin had won a starting job for the next game at Washington, but then Rochelin and three other Bruins were suspended from the Husky game for violating a team training rule.

Hazzard likes Rochelin for his scoring punch, among other things.

“Pound for pound, Charles is the most talented player on our team in terms of basketball ability,” he said. “Charles will be as good as Charles wants to be. He is a great shooter and a great leaper.”

Jackson, a junior, had started all seven games this season and 24 of 29 games last season. But in UCLA’s first two Pac-10 games, Jackson neither rebounded nor scored enough to remain a starter.

Jackson scored 10 points in the two Pac-10 games. He shot 42% and had 5 rebounds. For the season, Jackson is shooting 51.5% and averaging 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds.

With Rochelin starting, Hazzard may be able to combat the zones the Bruins are expecting to see this season. Since Rochelin represents another outside scoring threat, which Jackson was unable to do, defenses concentrating on Miller may not be as effective against the Bruins.

The last time UCLA played a game in Pauley, the Bruins defeated Pepperdine and were 3-0. They have not won since, a span of more than three weeks, and the sting of four straight losses still has an impact.

“We could have won all four of those games with a good effort,” Hazzard said. “But we did not put out. I still think this is going to be a good team. It’s just a matter of getting it together.

“Right now, we’re focused again,” he said. “At least I think we are. We’ll find out.”

Bruin Notes The 49ers of Coach Ron Palmer are 5-5. Although they lost to Texas Christian in their last game, the 49ers already have victories over Bradley, Houston and Pepperdine. Long Beach returns two starters from last season’s 7-22 team, 6-foot 10-inch junior center DeAnthony Langston and 6-5 junior guard Morlon Wiley. . . . Last season, UCLA defeated Long Beach, 84-64, behind Reggie Miller’s 28 points. Wiley had 16 for the 49ers. . . . Monday night at Pauley, UCLA plays Cal State Fullerton, probably the hottest team on the West Coast. Coach George McQuarn’s Titans (7-1) defeated Loyola Marymount, 88-65, Tuesday night game and haven’t been beaten since opening the season with a 70-69 loss to Texas Tech at Lubbock. . . . UCLA resumes its Pac-10 schedule in Pauley with games against Stanford next Friday night and Cal on Jan. 4.