Foes Will Be Seeing Double

It isn’t the ideal way to play defense, at least not for most basketball teams.

But for UCLA, using a double team on the opposition’s center has become the Bruins’ most effective style.

And it doesn’t matter if the post player is Arizona State’s Ike Diogu, who leads the Pacific 10 Conference in scoring and rebounding, or USC’s active Jeff McMillan or such less-accomplished big men as Notre Dame’s Torin Francis.

“Our post double team is kind of like a press for us,” freshman guard Arron Afflalo said. “It keeps us active and moving. We get tips and steals. Everyone has to concentrate.”

UCLA (16-9, 9-7) plays host to Oregon State (16-11, 8-8) Thursday in a Pac-10 game that is critical both in the conference standings and for the Bruins’ chances to earn an NCAA tournament at-large invitation.

When UCLA last played the Beavers on New Year’s Eve, the Bruins did not double the post. Instead they tried playing zone defense, a strategy Coach Ben Howland loathes and one, Howland says, that led directly to UCLA’s 85-80 loss in the conference opener.

The Beavers’ David Lucas, son of former NBA star Maurice Lucas, is built solidly like his father. Even though he was playing in only his second game after recovering from toe surgery, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound Lucas dominated the Bruins inside while scoring a game-high 21 points.

“He’s a load,” Howland said of Lucas. “We will be double-teaming the post and we will not play zone.”

UCLA’s double teams work because center Michael Fey is 7 feet tall, weighs 270 pounds and can dig into a spot and not be moved and because long-armed, nimble forwards Dijon Thompson and Ryan Hollins can deflect balls and cause havoc simply by jumping back and forth.

“And us perimeter players are quick,” Afflalo said, “so we’re pretty good at rotating and covering for whoever doubles.”

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Freshman swingman Josh Shipp is still wearing a protective boot on his sprained right ankle. Howland said Shipp, who suffered the injury during the USC game last week, sat out practice Monday and would probably do so Tuesday. His status for Thursday wasn’t certain, Howland said, but Shipp limped through 32 minutes in the win over Notre Dame on Sunday.... Howland is also hopeful that freshman center Lorenzo Mata will play Thursday. Mata suffered a cracked rib two weeks ago and didn’t play against USC or Notre Dame.