Rebounding Bruins Face Washington : After a Slow Start, UCLA Has Won Four of Last Five in Pac-10

The UCLA Bruins are moving right along in Pacific 10 basketball. After a slow start, they have won four of their last five conference games, and the one they lost, at Arizona, was a good effort.

Today, it’s Washington at Pauley Pavilion, and the Bruins are looking forward to it.

After a 25-point victory over Washington State Thursday night, UCLA forward Trevor Wilson said, “We were really disappointed with the way we started our Pac-10 schedule, but now, if we play our game, I think we can beat anyone. I think we’re feeling pretty confident.”

Washington is coming into the Los Angeles area with a record of 6-10 overall, just 2-5 in the Pac-10. The Huskies will play UCLA, 8-10 overall and 4-4 in the conference, today and then USC Monday.

Bruin Notes

UCLA’s game today against Washington will be televised on Channel 2 and broadcast by KMPC radio (710 AM). Game time is 3 p.m. . . . Washington’s two conference victories have been its last two games, so the Huskies, too, are on something of a roll after losing five conference games. Washington’s two recent victories were over Oregon State and Oregon, after losses to Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, Stanford and Cal.

Last season, Washington was 20-15 overall and 10-8 in the Pac-10. But only Eldridge Racasner, a 6-foot 2-inch sophomore guard, returns from last season’s starting lineup. He’s averaging 17 points a game for the Huskies. Mark West, the 6-7 center who averages 15.1 points a game, is a sophomore who lettered last season. And 6-8 forward Mike Hayward, a freshman who red-shirted last season, is now starting and averaging 14.6 points a game.

Husky Coach Andy Russo is in his third year as head coach at Washington. . . . Last season, Washington won both regular-season games over UCLA, 90-80, in Seattle and 95-87 in Pauley Pavilion. But the Bruins beat Washington in the final of the Pac-10 tournament, 76-64.