UCLA Prepares for Indiana by Breezing Past Czechs

If Tuesday night’s exhibition is any indication, UCLA’s basketball team will be thought of as anything but boring this season.

The high-scoring Bruins warmed up for their season-opening game against Indiana on Friday at Springfield, Mass., by routing Trencin of Czechoslovakia, 112-50, at Pauley Pavilion.

Behind 20 steals, eight blocked shots and five dunks, UCLA dominated Trencin, which is 0-3 on its West Coast tour.

In its games against USC, Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA, Trencin has lost by a combined total of 141 points.

With no Bruin playing more than 29 minutes, Tracy Murray led UCLA with 22 points, with Don MacLean adding 20 and Darrick Martin 16.

Even without 6-foot-9 Ed O’Bannon, who had knee surgery Nov. 5 and will be out indefinitely, the Bruins’ depth was impressive.

Martin and Tyus Edney came off the bench to spark the Bruins by combining for 29 points and 11 steals.

UCLA finished with six players scoring in double figures, with Shon Tarver scoring 14 and Mitchell Butler 10.

“We’re a lot deeper than last year,” said Murray, who made three of four three-point attempts. “We are just going to get better and better as the year goes on.”

The Bruins started Gerald Madkins, Rodney Zimmerman, Murray, MacLean and Tarver, who has beaten out Martin for the off-guard position. Zimmerman led UCLA with nine rebounds, with Tarver grabbing eight.

“We’re looking at different combinations, but we’re trying to build a seven- or eight-man rotation,” UCLA Coach Jim Harrick said.

“Right now, Tarver is starting because he is awfully hard to keep out of the lineup.”

UCLA, which finished 23-9 last season, will travel to Springfield to play Indiana as part of a celebration of the centennial season of college basketball.

“(The Indiana game) is real important for us because it will set the tone for the season,” Murray said. “It is a pride thing.”

Ivan Mikusovic led Trencin with 24 points, with Denis Chromej adding 11.