Williams Stands Out for UCLA in Intrasquad Basketball Game

Kevin Williams, battling freshman Darrick Martin for a starting guard position, made 8 of 11 shots and scored 23 points to help the Blue team to an 87-77 victory over the White team Tuesday night in UCLA’s annual intrasquad basketball game at Pauley Pavilion.

“He’s probably been as pleasant a surprise as anybody on our team,” Coach Jim Harrick said of Williams, a 6-foot 2-inch sophomore. “He can play alongside Pooh (Richardson) better than anybody, so the chemistry might be right. He’s come out of nowhere.”

Richardson led the Blue with 25 points and 7 assists.

Bruin Notes

Junior Kevin Walker scored 25 points for the freshman-dominated White team. Trevor Wilson, UCLA’s leading scorer and rebounder last season, was ill with the flu and did not play. . . . UCLA received an oral commitment from 6-foot 10-inch forward Rodney Odom of Kingwood, Tex., in addition to 6-5 guard Mitchell Butler of North Hollywood Oakwood. Today is the first day of the week-long early signing period. UCLA has seven scholarships to give, and Coach Jim Harrick said he hopes to sign as many as four other players.

Harrick has cut two players, Hunter Knapp and Chris Kenny, since the start of practice last month. A third, Stu Meinert, was unable to overcome a knee injury and is no longer on the team. . . . UCLA’s 12-man roster includes four walk-ons--Stephen Brumbach, Sean Lamb, Jeff Bronner and Keith Owens. . . . Harrick on the first 3 1/2 weeks of practice: “The thing I dislike most is that our competition in practice has not been keen. We’ve got walk-ons guarding Division I players. Nobody can stop Pooh (Richardson). That’s not real.”

UCLA will play Athletes in Action Nov. 15 and the Adelaide 36ers of Australia Nov. 22 before opening the regular season against Texas Tech Nov. 26 at Pauley Pavilion. . . . The Bruins will play 3 of their first 5 games on the road, including games at Miami, Brigham Young and North Carolina.