Holton Might Have a Shot With Aztecs

Bruin assistant Coach Michael Holton has emerged as an outside candidate to replace the recently fired Fred Trenkle at San Diego State.

UCLA Athletic Director Pete Dalis spoke Thursday with his San Diego State counterpart, Rick Bay, and was believed to have been told that the Aztecs are hoping to land a name coach with experience as a head coach.

But if that doesn’t happen, Holton’s name could surface if San Diego moves to its second tier of candidates.

Holton, who played for UCLA in the early 1980s, is in his third season on the bench with Coach Steve Lavin and serves as the recruiting coordinator. He is also a former assistant at Oregon State and Portland--where he played a major role in recruiting current Bruin Ryan Bailey, before Bailey got released from the letter of intent--and at Pasadena City College.

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Thursday night against Washington State marked the Bruins’ 27th game of the season--and their 20th different opening lineup. This one had Matt Barnes, Sean Farnham and JaRon Rush on the front line and Earl Watson and Baron Davis, as usual, in the backcourt.

It was also the eighth consecutive game with a new group of starters. UCLA has not had the same one for two games in a row since Jan. 23-28, at Louisville and at Washington State.

That the Bruins went into Thursday’s contest with 19 victories and had used 19 combinations was not lost on Lavin.

“I think it’s because the team is hungry,” he said. “Nobody gets complacent.”

* Saturday vs. Washington, 3, Pauley Pavilion--The teams separated by half a game in the standings meet in a game that could have major implications for the logjam between second and fourth place in the Pacific 10 Conference. Thursday at Arizona State.