Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 5, 1994

UCLA will enter the Pacific 10 Conference basketball race unbeaten for the first time since, well, 1992. . . .

“They were more experienced and better offensively,” Coach Jim Harrick said of the Bruins, who featured Don MacLean and Tracy Murray, won the conference title and were eliminated by Indiana in the NCAA West Regional final. “This team is better balanced, better defensively and better on the boards.” . . .

These Bruins, who are playing some of the most entertaining basketball at Pauley Pavilion since John Wooden retired, also seem to get along better and have a lot more fun. . . .

Of course, two-fifths of the starters, brothers Ed and Charles O’Bannon, are related. . . .

“They have a great relationship,” Harrick said. “In practice, there is an intense, sibling rivalry between them. In the games, Ed always knows where Charles is, Charles always knows where Ed is, and they have a sixth sense about what to do.” . . .

First up for the sixth-ranked Bruins in Pac-10 play is Oregon Thursday night at Pauley. . . .

“UCLA is what I call a world-class team,” Oregon Coach Jerry Green said. “They’re capable of beating any team in America on any night, any place.” . . .

Harrick believes the conference is as strong as it has been in years and that as many as six teams will make the NCAA tournament. . . .

“I definitely think we’ll be a factor in the race,” USC’s George Raveling said. “But you could probably say the same thing about six or seven other teams.” . . .

Raveling on the 11 a.m. starting time Saturday against Oregon: “That’s a reward when you practice at 6 every morning.” . . .

The early start was necessitated by the Clipper-Miami game Saturday night at the Sports Arena. The good thing is that the Trojans will be able to honor former All-American Harold Miner, the Heat guard who has made generous financial contributions to his alma mater, in ceremonies before the Oregon game. . . .

Raveling was encouraged by the work habits of slow-starting freshman center Avondre Jones at practice the other day. . . .

“Are you trying to send me a message?” Raveling asked Jones. “Yes, and I hope you’re getting it,” Jones said. . . .

Most underrated Trojan is senior forward Mark Boyd, who is leading the team in scoring and rarely makes mental errors. . . .

Raveling on being selected the 64th most powerful person in sports by the Sporting News: “That threw the whole damn credibility of the poll out.” . . .

Stanford, 7-2 after finishing 7-23 last season, is among the most pleasant surprises in the conference. . . .

“We’re far and away the quickest we’ve ever been,” said Arizona Coach Lute Olson, whose Wildcats (10-1) have been getting some of the finest guard play in the nation from Khalid Reeves and Damon Stoudamire. . . .

Point guard is the strongest position in the conference. The three best, in probable order, are Jason Kidd of California, Tyus Edney of UCLA, and Stoudamire. And it might have been even more formidable if Jacque Vaughn from Muir High in Pasadena hadn’t gone to Kansas. . . .

“Cal has the best talent,” Arizona State Coach Bill Frieder says. “They’re not quite there yet, but they might blossom now that the conference race is starting.” . . .

Danielle Scott led Long Beach State to the NCAA volleyball championship Dec. 18, went home to Baton Rouge, La., for the Christmas break the next day, started basketball practice Dec. 26 and scored a career-high 30 points against Western Michigan the next night. . . .

A lot of people, including me, had forgotten that Auburn was the only major college team to finish the football season unbeaten. . . .

How would you like to have been Richie Petitbon, sitting there and trying to explain the Washington Redskins’ 4-12 record to Jack Kent Cooke?