COLLEGE BASKETBALL : Hazzard Is Still Looking for the Right Combination

The UCLA Bruins begin a new year with the same problem that has been bothering them all season.

Who is going to play? At UCLA, this may be becoming a big headache.

UCLA resumes its Pacific 10 schedule at Pauley Pavilion with games against Stanford tonight and against California Sunday afternoon, and Bruin Coach Walt Hazzard is still trying to divide playing time between his players.

Resolving that issue has become an even more pressing matter since UCLA started conference play with an 0-2 record.

And finding the right combinations of players became even harder when Hazzard had to suspend four Bruins at Washington.

But that was only the start. Forward Craig Jackson, apparently upset that he was to be removed from the starting lineup, bolted the team for six days. Jackson missed a game when he went back to his family in Denver.

Then the Bruins lost Charles Rochelin and Montel Hatcher for most of the Cal State Long Beach game when they collided. That was the same game that Jackson missed.

The Bruins managed a narrow victory in that one and edged Cal State Fullerton with Hatcher and Jackson sitting on the bench in street clothes.

Pooh Richardson played well, as usual, but Reggie Miller, who played off-guard for Hatcher, attempted only seven shots, which was highly unusual.

Hazzard singled out freshmen Kevin Walker and Trevor Wilson as well as Dave Immel for their games against Cal State Fullerton. But since they aren’t starters, it may just further cloud the issue of playing time.

“Yes, it makes the decision about who to play even more difficult,” Hazzard said.

But for now, Rochelin-for-Jackson seems to be the only lineup change, although freshman Greg Foster continues to push Jack Haley at center.

Hazzard also said Miller isn’t through playing guard.

“We’ll still play Reggie out there because that works for us,” he said. “But at the same time, it cuts into the playing time of Immel and Hatcher. So the coach has some decisions to make.”

After losing four straight, UCLA is 5-4 as a result of its two nonconference victories, and Hatcher, who suffered a concussion in his collision with Rochelin and needed eight stitches to close a cut on his forehead, will be back against Stanford.

Hazzard said he is relieved that the Bruins have a chance to iron out their problems at Pauley.

“Thank God we’re at home,” he said. “We’re due to break out on somebody, and these games really count because we’re already 0-2 in the conference.”

Stanford is 1-1 in the Pac-10 with a victory over Oregon and a loss to Oregon State. Both of those games were at home, where the Cardinal has not been recently.

Stanford played in the Miami (Fla.) Christmas tournament at Palm Beach, Fla., and lost to the host team, 71-58, in the championship game Tuesday night. The Cardinal will play at USC Sunday.

Stanford, which is 7-4 overall, is coached by Mike Montgomery, who is in his first year with the Cardinal after spending eight years coaching Montana.

Bruin Notes Tipoff for the Stanford game is 7:30 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. . . .UCLA plays Cal at 3 p.m. Sunday. . . . Stanford has two starters back from last season’s 14-16 team, coached by Tom Davis, who is now at Iowa--6-4 sophomore forward Todd Lichti and 6-8 sophomore center Howard Wright. Another starter is 6-2 sophomore guard Todd Meinert, the older brother of Bruin freshman Stu Meinert.