It Has Become a No. 1 Priority

UCLA will be looking to repeat history when it faces top-ranked Stanford today at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins have defeated a No. 1 team in each of the last four seasons, so the matchup against the unbeaten Cardinal presents UCLA with a chance to extend an uncanny streak.

“It’s a great opportunity,” UCLA Coach Ben Howland said. “The expectation is that Stanford is going to win. They haven’t lost yet.

“But we’re UCLA. We expect to win every game, even if we are 11-11 and 7-7 [in the Pacific 10 Conference]. I can’t imagine ever approaching it differently.”

UCLA’s last four victories over No. 1 teams were achieved under former coach Steve Lavin. The Bruins beat Arizona, 96-89, in overtime last season in the Pac-10 tournament, they defeated Kansas, 87-77, at Pauley Pavilion in 2002, and defeated Stanford in Palo Alto in 2001, 79-73, and in 2000, 94-93, in overtime.

Howland said a UCLA victory today could be beneficial for Stanford as well.

“I think [Stanford has] a great chance to win it all,” he said. “And I think it would be good for them to lose one before they get to the NCAA tournament, just from the standpoint of having that monkey off their back.”

So far, Stanford hasn’t fallen into that trap. The Cardinal improved its record to 22-0 on Thursday by rallying from a 13-point deficit late in the first half to defeat USC, 76-67, at the Sports Arena.

“The thing that makes this team special is their toughness and their team-oriented play,” Howland said of Stanford.

Howland downplayed any advantage UCLA might have by being the underdog against a team protecting an unblemished record.

“I don’t necessarily [think that’s an advantage],” he said. “It’s good to be home. Being the underdog is not a new thing for us.”

Howland said the Bruins would need to get the ball inside, as they did Thursday in a 66-49 victory over California, to be successful against Stanford. In particular, he said 7-foot sophomore center Ryan Hollins needs to play well.

It also helps when senior forward T.J. Cummings has a hot hand.

In each of the Bruins’ victories during their 2-8 stretch, Cummings made his first seven shots.

He did it Thursday, when he finished eight-for-nine shooting for 19 points, and he did it Feb. 7, when he finished nine for 12 for 18 points in an 80-75 victory over Washington at Pauley Pavilion.

Cummings’ fast start helped UCLA take a 30-14 halftime lead against Cal, which shot only 25% in the first half.

Stanford used a first-half run to pull away from the Bruins in a 67-52 victory in Palo Alto on Jan. 22. After leading by two, the Cardinal outscored UCLA, 31-12, to take a 42-21 lead with 57 seconds left in the half.

Stanford forward Justin Davis made his first nine shots and finished 10 for 11 for 21 points, but the senior has sat out the last five games because of a partially torn knee ligament suffered Jan. 29 against Oregon State. He is not expected to play today.

Others have taken up the slack for the Cardinal.

Forward Josh Childress, a 6-foot-8 junior from Los Angeles, scored a career-best 36 points Thursday against USC and averages a team-leading 14.7 points in a balanced lineup. Ten players average at least 10 minutes for Stanford.

“They have a great combination of inside play and perimeter play,” Howland said.

He would like to see UCLA in a similar position in the not-so-distant future.

“My hope for this program is that someday we’re going to be the No. 1 [team] that people are trying to beat,” Howland said. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to get to that point, but that’s the goal. Everybody wants to be Stanford.”

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John Wooden plans to attend today’s game with an old friend. Sitting with the former UCLA coach will be Dutch Ferhing, a former basketball teammate of Wooden’s at Purdue and formerly the longtime baseball coach at Stanford.

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TODAY

vs. No. 1 Stanford, 1 p.m., Channel 2

Site -- Pauley Pavilion.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- UCLA 11-11, 7-7 in Pacific 10; Stanford 22-0, 13-0.

Update -- Stanford has won five of the last six meetings and has defeated the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion six consecutive times. The Cardinal’s 22-game winning streak is the longest for a Pac-10 team since Oregon State won 26 in a row during the 1980-81 season.