Tonight

* UC IRVINE (0-0) at PEPPERDINE (1-0), 7, KUCI (88.9)--Better teams lie ahead for Pepperdine--Kansas, Rhode Island, Michigan State--but the Waves play Big West Conference Schools in four of their first six games. Pepperdine handled UC Santa Barbara in the opener Saturday as guard Jelani Gardner scored 19 points. Much depends on transfers, as Gardner (California), guard Tommie Prince (Arizona State), forward David Lalazarian (Notre Dame) and center Nick Sheppard (Louisiana State) all started against the Gauchos. Lalazarian scored 14 points. Irvine is still rebuilding from its 1-25 season two years ago. Second-year Coach Pat Douglass has brought in some talent, but the Anteaters lack experience. They will probably start two freshmen and two sophomores. One returner, sophomore forward Ben Jones, played well in the team’s two exhibition games. But another, junior forward Adam Stetson, is out because of a foot injury. Stetson was the team’s leading scorer last season, when Irvine finished 8-19.