Bruins Face a Tall Order in No. 15 North Carolina

William Mackay isn’t a central figure in today’s UCLA-North Carolina showdown. He doesn’t even have tickets to the game. But as head honcho at the Tar Heels’ team hotel, Mackay has taken pains to make sure their stay has been cushy.

That’s no simple task, considering 15th-ranked North Carolina features two 7-footers and two more players who come darn close.

“We want to make sure every guest feels at home,” said Mackay, general manager of the Four Seasons. “They’ve come a long way, and the world’s watching. They’ve got a lot of pressure on them. The last thing we want is for them to be uncomfortable.”

Five miles down the road, the Bruins have the opposite goal. They hope to use their speed and endurance to leave the sky-scraping Tar Heels gasping for air.

“I definitely like playing with big guys,” said UCLA forward Matt Barnes, who at 6-7 merely would blend into a crowd at North Carolina. “I lose some size, but I have the speed to make up for it.”

The game is vital to both teams. UCLA (4-3), which will be playing before a packed house at Pauley Pavilion for the first time this season, needs a confidence boost with Pacific 10 Conference play starting in less than two weeks.

North Carolina (6-2) is looking to avenge a home loss to the Bruins last season. Although they are riding a three-game winning streak, the Tar Heels lost to their two top-flight opponents this season: Michigan State and Kentucky.

They are led by 7-foot center Brendan Haywood and 6-8 swingman Jason Capel, two of the elite players in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Three games ago, Haywood recorded the first triple-double in school history with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 67-45 victory over Miami. Two games later, in a 31-point rout of Buffalo, Capel matched the feat with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

It’s the first time in ACC history that two players have recorded triple-doubles in the same season.

The Bruins also will have their hands full with 6-11 forward Kris Lang, who averages 16.2 points a game--second to guard Joseph Forte’s 19.0--and has made more than 50% of his shots in every game this season.

Making outside shots will be key for the Bruins, who, by doing so, can draw North Carolina out of the key and force the Tar Heels to play them honestly.

“Obviously, size is their strength,” said Jason Kapono, UCLA’s leading scorer and best shooter. “We’ve got to counter that by making our shots from outside.”

The Bruins also will lean on 6-11 center Dan Gadzuric, their only true big man, just as they did in last season’s game at Chapel Hill. Gadzuric had 10 points and 10 rebounds in that 71-68 victory.

Gadzuric sat out some practice time this week because he felt ill Tuesday and has been nursing a sore right hand, the result of slapping the backboard on a block attempt against Hawaii.

Although Gadzuric is an inch short of 7 feet, Coach Steve Lavin said he often plays taller than his actual height, particularly when he stays out of foul trouble and maintains his aggressiveness.

“When Dan’s at his best, he’s as dominating a presence as anyone in the country,” Lavin said.

Another UCLA player to watch is freshman T.J. Cummings, a 6-8 forward who had his best game against Kansas, another team loaded with tall players. He scored 24 points and had seven rebounds in a 99-98 loss.

It’s interesting to note that the Bruins made 54.2% of their three-point shots in the Kansas game, far better than they have shot from behind the arc in their other six games. That sharpshooting helped negate the Jayhawks’ height advantage.

The North Carolina player bound to attract the most gawking today probably will not set foot on the court. He’s Neil Fingleton, a 7-5 freshman from Durham, England, and--along with former Laker Chuck Nevitt, who played at North Carolina State--the tallest player in ACC history.

Fingleton, who underwent back surgery in August and has not played this season, would have had a tough time fitting in the standard 72-inch bed at the Four Seasons. Fortunately, the hotel also has a couple of 84-inch versions.

Said Mackay: “We just want to make sure every guest is comfortable.”

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