Bruins’ Schedule Has a Bye

The UCLA men’s basketball schedule for the 2004-05 season reflects Coach Ben Howland’s desire to focus on Pacific 10 Conference games, even if it means a loss of revenue for the Bruin program.

UCLA will fill one of its two Pac-10 bye dates by honoring its contract to visit Notre Dame on Feb. 26. However, there will be no game on the other bye date, Thursday, Jan. 27. UCLA then will play USC on Saturday, Jan. 29.

UCLA has traditionally filled its conference bye dates with lucrative nationally televised games. Last season, UCLA (11-17) lost on the road to St. John’s, 71-55, and at home to Notre Dame, 75-60.

“No one else in our league played a nonconference game during the conference season,” Howland said. “TV does dictate some of our schedule, but I don’t want to have two nonconference games because we cram 18 league games into a short period of time.”

The schedule will begin with seven nonconference home games, including contests against UC Irvine, Pepperdine and Michigan. The Bruins will play Boston College in the Wooden Classic at the Arrowhead Pond and will play nonconference games outside Southern California at Michigan State on Dec. 21 and at Notre Dame.

In a departure from the traditional schedule of Thursday-Saturday Pac-10 games, UCLA opens conference play at Oregon State on Friday, Dec. 31, and plays at Oregon on Sunday, Jan. 2.