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Kapono, Knight Share Style Points

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If you think Jason Kapono and Billy Knight look alike in the way they effortlessly stroke those shots from behind the three-point arc, you aren’t just seeing things.

“Me and Jason worked out the whole summer, every day for about two or three hours a day,” Knight said. “He let me work out with him and his trainer. We had summer school together, so we’d go out there, shooting about 500 shots a day. We’d play one on one and all that. At first, he was blowing me out a lot and winning, 5-0. But as the summer went on, I started getting better and picking up his moves. I started winning a couple and then it was pretty even.”

Knight, who scored 14 points in Thursday’s victory over Washington State, has no qualms about saying he tries to emulate Kapono’s shooting style.

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“I’ve tried to take some of his moves because he shoots real quick,” he said. “That’s probably why I’m having a good year. Every time I’d miss a shot, Jason would help me out.”

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Point guard Earl Watson will start his 126th game for UCLA today, leaving him one behind Don MacLean’s school record.

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Dan Gadzuric is listed at 6 feet 11, but sometimes he seems a lot taller. It looked that way to Washington State players, at least, who were awed by his 16-rebound, three-block performance against them.

“Sometimes you try to get up next to the guy [to get a rebound], and he’s 7-foot-4 and he’s already in there,” Cougar forward Milton Riley said. “He’s a big giant, so you just try to do your best.”

TODAY

at Washington, 3

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Bank of America Arena.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--No. 13 UCLA 21-7, 14-3 in Pac-10 play; Washington 9-20, 3-14.

* Update--The Bruins have not won in Seattle since the 1996-97 season, meaning no player on the UCLA roster has accomplished that feat. If the Bruins don’t pull off a victory today, it will be shocking. Jason Kapono is back in the flow of the offense, and so is Dan Gadzuric. Earl Watson might be the best point guard in the conference, and Matt Barnes has had a breakout season few could have anticipated. Washington is in a pronounced down cycle. The Huskies have lost seven consecutive games and 10 of 11.

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