How big is this? Cougs face Bruins in well-hyped game

LOS ANGELES – In all the 50 times Washington State has met the UCLA Bruins here, none has met with as much hype as this morning’s game.

That’s probably a good thing for WSU, seeing as the Cougars have won exactly 2 percent of those contests.

The matchup between No. 4 WSU and the fifth-ranked Bruins was the lead story on SportsCenter Friday.

The 14-0 Cougars (2-0 in the Pac-10) – off to their best start since World War I; 15-1 UCLA (3-0 in conference) – off to its best start since, well, for a program that once won 88 consecutive games, it’s not that big a deal.

But whether today’s game is the biggest thing in WSU basketball history is up for debate.

“As I told the guys before, you have to be realistic. This is a game of great significance for our program,” said WSU coach Tony Bennett, 40-8 in his first two seasons as the Cougars’ head coach, “but it’s the third game of the Pac-10 season. So you have to understand it is one game.

“They are the measuring stick because they don’t beat themselves. They are so solid the way they play. They do it the right way.”

“They’re a potential Final Four team,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said of the Cougars, returning the compliment, “so it’s a big game.”

Only three games into the Pac-10 season, the Cougars have shown they belong in the rarified atmosphere UCLA has occupied almost continuously since John Wooden’s 1963-64 team won the first of the Bruins’ 11 national titles.

Only once in those 50 games have the Cougars been ranked higher than the Bruins. That was in the 1979-80 season, when an unranked UCLA team defeated the 20th-ranked Cougars 88-60.

But today’s contest may allow the Cougars to exorcise some L.A. ghosts – and move into a tie with Arizona State atop the conference standings.

The Bruins won’t be easy. They are led by preternaturally experienced freshman Kevin Love, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound Lake Oswego, Ore., graduate who is averaging 16.1 points and 10.0 rebounds. Their loss was by two points at home against then-eighth-ranked Texas.

Howland thinks the Cougars are an even tougher test.

“They’re patient offensively, they defend, they are a complete team,” Howland said. “They don’t turn the ball over … they screen well; they read the screens well … and they pass it well.

“They don’t care who scores, they really are a team, which is impressive.”

That adds up to one thing.

“WSU, we really have respect for them,” Howland said.

Such respect is mirrored by the Cougars’ players.

“They’re such a physical team,” said junior Daven Harmeling, who had a season-high 19 points, including five 3-pointers vs. USC. “They play hard on defense and execute great on offense. Coach Howland has those guys playing some great ball.”

Besides Love, who will probably match up with 6-10, 270-pound Aron Baynes, the Bruins feature sharp-shooting guards Josh Shipp (14.4 points per game hitting nearly 40 percent of his 99 3-point attempts), Russell Westbrook (12.1 points and 5.4 assists per game, 42 percent from long range) and Darren Collison (12 points and 2.3 steals per game, 41 percent from 3).

Collison suffered a left hip bruise against Washington on Thursday, but he’s expected to play.

“They’re a great team, both offensively and defensively,” said Cougars point guard Taylor Rochestie, second in the Pac-10 in assists (4.9 per game) behind Westbrook. “They’re not going to beat themselves, so we’re going to have to devise a game plan and come out and execute it to be able to have a chance against them.

“It’s on their home court and they’re just a real sound, fundamental team.”

Notes

Besides Collison, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute also left Thursday’s game with a knee bruise. The 6-8 junior is expected to play. … When asked earlier this week about the Love vs. Baynes matchup, WSU’s Robbie Cowgill said he was looking forward to seeing it himself. When asked about it, Baynes said, “Games like this are why I came here, to play in the Pac-10.” … Howland thinks Baynes’ play (12.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game) is the difference for WSU this season. “He’s an added factor now,” Howland said. “He’s given them a huge inside presence. They have an in-and-out game now.” … Love has seven double-doubles (points and rebounds) this season. … Westbrook’s 18 points against UW was a season high.