Lavin Sharpens His Firing Lines

The same questions were asked about the same topics, so Steve Lavin took a novel approach to explaining his team’s sorry season and his own precarious job status to yet another group of out-of-town reporters.

He called his mother.

“Hi Mom, what’s the correct spelling of Mrs. Ramaciotti, you know, my fifth-grade teacher?” he asked.

Mary Lavin wasn’t certain, so he told her he loved her and hung up the cell phone.

The teacher’s name came up because Lavin compared the fire drills he went through nearly 30 years ago at Ross Elementary School in Marin County to the prospect of getting fired as UCLA coach.

“Every year [before this one], I was supposed to get fired and didn’t,” he said with a wry smile. “Now there’s really a fire, so I know the drill. I know the way to the door.”

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Craig Esherick of Georgetown is another coach on the hot seat. The Hoyas are 2-6 in the Big East Conference and have lost four in a row.

Hoya fans have been up in arms since Athletic Director Joe Lang told the Washington Post two weeks ago that it was “an unreasonable expectation” for Georgetown to qualify for the NCAA tournament every season.

Georgetown reportedly is finalizing a contract extension for Esherick through the 2009 season, but the local media is questioning whether he should be retained. Princeton Coach John Thompson III, whose father led Georgetown to 24 consecutive postseason appearances, is being mentioned as a potential successor.

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Georgetown center Wesley Wilson has been given a leave of absence from school and will not play today. The 6-foot-11 senior has had a disappointing season, averaging 6.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 16 minutes a game.

A back injury kept Wilson out of the most recent game, but the leave of absence is not injury-related and could be the result of a locker-room altercation after the Hoyas played Notre Dame on Feb. 1.

“Wesley has a problem that relates to more than his back,” Esherick said. “He has not been kicked off the team. Both his return to school and his return to the team are open-ended.”

Victor Samnick, a 6-8 senior, will replace Wilson in the starting lineup. Samnick has played more than Wilson, averaging 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.2 minutes.

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The game will be officiated by Pacific 10 Conference referees.

Big East officials, who have a reputation for calling fewer fouls than their Pac-10 counterparts, called UCLA’s 98-91 victory over the Hoyas last season at Pauley Pavilion.

“Last year we had physical players [Matt Barnes and Dan Gadzuric],” Lavin said. “This year I don’t think it matters [who officiates the game].”

TODAY

UCLA at Georgetown

10 a.m. PST, Channel 2

Site -- MCI Center.

Radio -- XTRA 1150/690.

Records -- UCLA 4-14, Georgetown 10-8.

Update -- The Hoyas have lost four in a row and eight of 11 since opening the season with seven victories. Forward Mike Sweetney is a force inside, averaging 10.1 rebounds and 22.7 points on 55.4% shooting. UCLA, which has lost nine in a row, has had problems defending strong post players, so Sweetney, a Wooden Award candidate, could do serious damage.