Arizona Offers Shot at No. 1

As soon as the horn sounded to end UCLA’s victory over Georgetown on Saturday, a smiling Coach Steve Lavin turned and flashed one finger to Bruin Athletic Director Dan Guerrero.

“It wasn’t because we were No. 1 in the country, that’s for sure,” Lavin said. “It was No. 1 as in one down, one victory after nine straight losses.”

Tonight the Bruins must look out for No. 1, as in top-ranked Arizona. UCLA has defeated No. 1-ranked opponents three years in a row, but Lavin has not reminded his players of it.

“With the amount of blows we’ve taken, as bruised up as we are as a team, I don’t think that would be much of an [incentive],” he said. “A lot of the best motivational stuff, the timing hasn’t seemed right. The players know [Arizona’s ranking]. They watch ESPN. They’ll be excited.”

The Wildcats ascended to the top of the rankings this week for the third time. Only North Carolina in 1993-94 had more trips to the top spot in the same season.

But it doesn’t mean everything is perfect in Coach Lute Olson’s fiefdom. Last week, Arizona had to overcome a late 10-point deficit to defeat lowly Washington in overtime and was tied with Pacific 10 Conference cellar-dweller Washington State, 54-54, before rallying.

Wildcat players held a meeting and practices this week have been excellent.

“Everybody was totally in tune,” Olson said. “Everyone was really concentrating on what needed to be done.”

Seniors Luke Walton and Jason Gardner have particularly struggled. Walton’s scoring average of 8.9 is little more than half of last season’s mark and Gardner’s average has dropped from 20.5 to 14.6.

Walton has sprained his right ankle four times this season and practices full-time only on Tuesdays.

“You can see it’s really hurting him,” Olson said. “His timing is off. He’s not in the kind of condition that he needs to be in. We’re going to have to see if there’s a chance he can work out for 15 minutes a day or something.”

UCLA players who have endured their school’s worst season in more than 50 years must roll their eyes at these minor Wildcat problems. But at least the Bruins haven’t been accused of ripping off a candy machine.

Arizona is investigating whether players stole money and candy bars from a vending machine Jan. 25 at the Marriott Spring Hill Suites in Lawrence, Kan. After Arizona’s victory over the Jayhawks, police surprised coaches by entering the locker room to talk to players.

Olson called the accusations “a bunch of hogwash,” but an Arizona assistant paid $80 restitution to the hotel desk clerk.

Bruin forward Jason Kapono couldn’t help taking a good-natured jab at a situation embarrassing to a team expected to contend for the national championship.

“We’ve been fortunate to stay in hotels, not motels where they have those candy machines,” he said. “We don’t get in that kind of trouble.”

*

TONIGHT

at No. 1 Arizona, 7:30 PST

Fox Sports Net

Site -- McKale Center, Tucson.

Radio -- XTRA (690, 1150).

Records -- UCLA 5-14 overall, 2-8 in Pacific 10; Arizona 18-2, 10-1.

Update -- When these teams met Jan. 18, UCLA played so poorly that Lavin replaced the starters with five seldom-used reserves with 13 minutes to play. The 87-52 loss was the worst at Pauley Pavilion and was the fourth in what became a nine-game losing streak. The Bruins also had a meltdown last year at McKale Center, blowing a 20-point lead in the last 14 minutes. UCLA will stick with the lineup used against Georgetown, teaming freshman center Ryan Hollins with guard Cedric Bozeman and forwards Andre Patterson, Jason Kapono and Dijon Thompson.