UCLA vs. Stanford - Pac-10 Tourney Game Preview

By KS Wong
Bruin Basketball Report

Top seed UCLA (30-3) ends the Pac-10 season the way it started when it faces No.2 seed Stanford (26-6) in the Pac-10 Tournament championship game.  The Bruins played the Cardinal in the first game of the Pac-10 conference season back on January 3.

Stanford earned its chance to play in the championship game by beating Washington State Friday night, 75-68.  Sophomore Brook Lopez scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Lawrence Hill added 14 off the bench.  The game was close throughout but Stanford made its free throws down the stretch and the Lopez twin brother were just too much to overcome.  Robin Lopez finished with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

UCLA swept Stanford during conference play including a controversial overtime decision at Pauley Pavilion last Thursday.   With time running out in regulation and the Bruins down by two, Darren Collison drove to the basket and was fouled by Stanford's Lawrence Hill. 

Many criticized the call, feeling there was no foul committed on the play.  Collison went on to make both free throws to send the game into overtime where UCLA dominated outscoring Stanford 14-4 to win the game, 77-67.

The Bruins will be playing without forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute who suffered a severe sprained ankle in the first half of the USC contest.  X-rays taken were negative. With the NCAA tournament starting in a week, the Bruins hope to have him back by the first game.

Mbah a Moute will be sorely missed against Stanford's big front line.  He recorded a double-double, 10 points and 11 rebounds last Thursday against them.  His defense, especially off the double in the low post will be missed.  Alfred Aboya will likely get the start at power forward spot with James Keefe backing him up.  Keefe played a spirited game against USC and was a big contributor in the win - the Bruins will need the same effort.  Lorenzo Mata-Real should also see major minutes on the floor.

Stanford dominated for most of the game at Pauley last Thursday.  The Lopez twins controlled the paint, changing a number of shot attempts by the Bruins who ventured in.  UCLA stepped up its defensive pressure in the second half to rally and set up Collison's late game free throws.

UCLA will need to bring the same defensive pressure, especially on the perimeter, to prevent Stanford from setting up offensively and to make it hard for the guards to make a pass into the post.  While Stanford is big inside, the Bruins have a decided advantage at the guard spots with both Collison and Westbrook.

Freshman Kevin Love held his own against the Lopez twins in the last game, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds, but he will need either Aboya, Keefe, or Mata-Real to step up big without Mbah a Moute next to him on the baseline.

After having one of their best shooting games against California on Wednesday, the Bruins returned on Thursday against USC with one of their worst.  UCLA shot just 39.2% from the field and a miserable 16.7% on three-pointers.  The Bruins can ill afford to shoot as bad against Stanford.

Its unlikely the outcome of the championship game will have any impact UCLA's seeding with the NCAA tournament selection committee.  At this point, the Bruins will likely receive the No.1 seed in the West from the committee.

Stanford Roster and Statistics

PLAYER	POS	PTS	REB	AST
*Brook Lopez	F	18.9	8.5	1.4
*Anthony Goods	G	10.5	2.0	1.7
*Robin Lopez	C	10.0	5.5	0.6
*Lawrence Hill	F	8.8	5.0	1.1
*Mitch Johnson	G	6.8	4.3	4.7
Taj Finger	F	5.9	4.3	0.5
Fred Washington	F	4.6	4.0	2.3
Landry Fields	G	3.9	2.1	1.0
Kenny Brown	G	3.8	1.3	0.6
Drew Shiller	G	3.5	0.9	0.7
Peter Prowitt	C	1.5	1.0	0.4
Josh Owens	F	1.4	1.6	0.3

Game Information
Pac-10 Tournament Championship Game
No.1 seed UCLA vs No.2 seed Stanford
Time: 3:00PM PT
Place: Staples Center
TV: CBS
Radio: AM 570

(photo credit: Stanford Athletics)