UCLA Lite

The light switch malfunctioned, leaving UCLA standing in the dark, in shock, unsure of its next move.

The Bruins had stumbled in the shadows for weeks, but always believed when the Pacific 10 Conference and NCAA tournaments began, they could simply turn it on and fill a room with light.

They’d done it before. Two years ago after a 4-8 start in the Pac-10, UCLA reeled off eight victories in a row, including two in the NCAA tournament before losing to Iowa State in the round of 16.

And last season the Bruins bounced back after a loss to Washington by winning two NCAA tournament games and again advancing to the Sweet 16.

“We’ve always played our best ball this time of year,” forward Jason Kapono said after the 67-61 first-round Pac-10 tournament loss to Cal on Thursday night.

“Everybody counts us out, and we come out and win.”

But last year the Bruins were seeded high enough at No. 4 to draw a relatively easy NCAA tournament opponent, knocking off No. 13 Hofstra and No. 12 Utah State in the first two rounds before losing to eventual champion Duke.

This time, the damage is graver--UCLA is projected to be seeded No. 8 or 9, meaning its first-round opponent would be solid and a top-seeded team would await in the second round.

The scenarios are not promising. UCLA could be sent to Washington, D.C., with No. 1 seed Maryland; to Greenville, S.C., with No. 1 seed Duke; or to Dallas with No. 1 seed Oklahoma.

Not that any potential top-seeded team relishes the idea of playing UCLA (19-11) in the second round.

This is still a team that defeated currently ranked Kansas (No. 1 at the time and No. 1 now), Alabama, Arizona, USC, Stanford and Cal. That never lost to a team with a record under .500. And that ranks 21st in the RPI and ninth in strength of schedule.

“If we would have won two or three games [in the Pac-10 tournament], we’d have a much stronger resume,” Coach Steve Lavin said. “But in looking at the whole package of the season, this loss shouldn’t have a dramatic effect on our seeding.”

Making enough of a dent in the NCAA tournament for Bruin followers to forget the disappointing regular season is a longshot, though. Signs of improvement normally foreshadow a tournament run. A freshman begins to perform like a veteran, a key player comes off an injury, a senior steps up and displays leadership.

But the only sign associated with the Bruins reads “yield.” They defer to opponents who are quicker, more determined, more anything. The freshmen still play as if it is their first week in the program and the veterans appear fatigued.

No player is going to admit he is tired, but the recent stretch of nine losses in 17 games clearly has taken an emotional toll.

“We haven’t played like we deserve to get in,” forward Matt Barnes said. “You need to get hot during the season to get into the tournament. You’ve got to be optimistic, but this team is lacking something.”

A reliable point guard, for starters. Freshmen Cedric Bozeman and Ryan Walcott both show signs of one day becoming solid playmakers. But they are not ready to lead a team on a tournament run.

Bozeman had six turnovers, two points and one assist in 12 minutes against Cal and Walcott had five turnovers in 26 minutes. Walcott drew postgame praise from Lavin for scoring 10 points and passing for six assists, but he made crucial mistakes in the last few minutes.

Walcott scored on a floater in the lane to tie the score, 59-59, with two minutes left, but after a Bear basket he turned the ball over, leading to two free throws by Cal’s Brian Wethers with 47.2 seconds to play.

On UCLA’s next possession, Walcott slowly dribbled the ball into the frontcourt while Bruin coaches and a chorus of fans screamed at him to hurry up. About 15 seconds elapsed before he got the ball to Kapono, who missed a shot.

But there is plenty of blame to go around. Kapono and Billy Knight, the team’s leading scorers, are not getting open shots. Are they worn down physically? Knight’s ankle bothers him, but Kapono is sound.

The motion offense Lavin implemented less than three weeks ago opened to rave reviews in wins over Arizona and Stanford. But its freelance nature rewards athletic players who create their own shots. Knight and Kapono need screens and set plays to get open and the offense isn’t obliging.

Barnes, too, has admitted to not feeling totally comfortable in the motion. Center Dan Gadzuric has been the primary beneficiary because he has room to maneuver in the key, but his recent hot spell ended in a six-point, nine-rebound effort against Cal.

Another concern is that UCLA has been unable to win close games since Knight made a basket at the buzzer to defeat USC on Feb. 6. No one appears able to play with poise or willing to create a shot with the outcome in the balance.

The loss to Cal on Thursday surprised no one. It was nothing more than the continuation of a disturbing trend.

“We are just missing that toughness,” Knight said. “At the end I saw a lot of guys with their heads down. The body language is bad, and that’s something I haven’t seen in the past.”

Long able to sally forth as if nothing was amiss because they believed in a tournament-time turnaround, the Bruins are just now admitting the obvious.

“We’ve had an awful season,” Barnes said. “We’ve been playing badly the whole time.”