No madness at this late-night practice

There should be much pleasure in watching UCLA have its first basketball practice tonight at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins, coming off back-to-back Final Four seasons, are ranked No. 1 in several preseason basketball magazines. Coach Ben Howland should be eager to show off top recruit Kevin Love, the 6-foot-10 post player from Oregon who, if summer tales are true, shoots confidently from three-point range, makes strong and crisp outlet passes and can set a screen hard enough to stop an avalanche -- or at least one of Stanford’s 7-foot Lopez twins.

Howland holds these practices sacred, though, so what Love is doing to cause veterans such as Josh Shipp to say “Kevin’s better than advertised,” and Darren Collison to say “He’s wise about the game in ways I’ve never seen,” won’t be observable to the rest of the world until Nov. 2, when the Bruins have an exhibition against Azusa Pacific.

Even tonight’s “Midnight Madness-esque” opening practice, beginning at 10 p.m., will be conducted in private -- unlike at most schools, where the cheerleaders show up, the band plays, students cause a cacophony, and ESPN might even drop by.

Not at UCLA.

The first practice will be serious. Howland tried to sound grim Thursday after the annual Los Angeles Athletic Club-sponsored College Basketball Tip-Off Luncheon.

Center Lorenzo Mata-Real won’t be ready for today’s workout, Howland said, because his sprained right foot hasn’t fully healed. “Maybe Monday he can go all out,” Howland said.

Sophomore forward James Keefe is also unavailable for full scrimmaging as he rehabilitates his surgically repaired shoulder. “We’ll only have 10 scholarship players available,” a sad-eyed Howland said in hopes, maybe, of earning some sympathy.

He got none. At the luncheon, Howland was needled for his new seven-year contract extension and his Final Four successes.

And as long as Love, Shipp, Collison, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Alfred Aboya, Michael Roll, Russell Westbrook and freshman Chace Stanback are available, there will be floor burns earned.

But it would be fun for fans to watch Love and Collison develop what promises to be a special rapport. They played together at the Adidas National Basketball Experience in August in New Orleans. According to Love, he and Collison were counselors and players at the camp and it was an experience Love says will help the Bruins.

“Chemistry is huge,” Love said. “It might be the biggest thing. Talent only takes you so far, but when you throw in coaching, throw in chemistry, it’s all an equation and the chemistry really gets into that.

“In New Orleans, for the first time, I really got to talk to Darren. We hung out and he told me everything that’s going on. At the end of camp, a few pro scouts came up and asked, ‘How long have you and Darren been playing together?’ I said this was the first time and they couldn’t believe it.”

A note on the website DraftExpress.com says of Collison and Love, “There’s a definite case to be made that those two have been the most impressive prospects.”

Love said Collison is the quickest player he’s ever seen. “And I think he can get faster,” he added.

Collison said New Orleans taught him that running fast when Love is rebounding is worth losing his breath. “You run, you get the ball,” Collison said. “Right where you want it.”

Howland will hold a coaching clinic Nov. 3 at Pauley Pavilion. Cost is $50 per coach if paid in advance, $60 for walk-ups and $170 per staff. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with a session by the UCLA basketball staff from 9:30 to 10:30 and a session by Howland from 10:30 to noon. After lunch, the coaches can watch UCLA practice.

diane.pucin@latimes.com