WSU, UCLA matchup has built a buzz in Pullman

PULLMAN — Some Washington State students attempted to go big-time this week and were thwarted. They are hoping their men's basketball team fares better tonight against one of the nation's elite.

The 13th-ranked Cougars (23-5) host No. 2 UCLA (25-3), aiming to close to within a game of the Bruins in the Pac-10 and add some shine to an already lustrous season.

The game has been sold out for weeks, so some WSU students tried to be first in line to claim choice seats by pitching a tent outside Beasley Coliseum on Tuesday before they were warned and then asked to leave by university personnel and campus police. Safety concerns were cited.

WSU coach Tony Bennett, in fact, got a call on his Tuesday-night radio show, imploring him to do what he could to help students erect "Bennettville." Duke students long ago created "Krzyzewskiville," named for the school's longtime coach.

"Most campuses, I think they let 'em," said Bennett. "Strange."

A campus police spokeswoman said the athletic department had established the admission policy and the police department was enforcing it.

Once the game tips off, it's expected to be a grinding, low-scoring affair with open shots at a premium.

"You have to know it's going to be a moment-by-moment game," Bennett said. "UCLA is probably the most physical and toughest team in our league."

Three days before the New Year, WSU and UCLA played at Pauley Pavilion in a Pac-10 opener. The Cougars, down by one, had a late three-point miss by Derrick Low that could have upended the Bruins, who prevailed, 55-52.

Some key elements from that game: Nikola Koprivica, a promising WSU freshman swingman, had 12 points, but suffered a season-ending knee injury a month later.

The Bruins shot just 32.7 percent and won, which their coach, Ben Howland, calls "astounding," while the Cougars shot 43 percent. The difference was the Bruins made five more threes, WSU was only 11 of 19 at the foul line, and UCLA had a 40-28 rebounding advantage.

Low had a game-high 14 points, which is his average.

These might be the two best defensive teams in the Pac-10, but the Bruins' Josh Shipp scoffs at WSU's half of it. Shipp told the L.A. Daily News, "They kind of play off on defense, not really aggressive. It's kind of weak, and they try to play the passing lanes.

"Basically, we just have to knock down shots and force them to get out and run."

But it's the Cougars who have a vast statistical edge defensively. In conference games, they hold opponents to .383 field-goal shooting, tops in the Pac-10, to UCLA's fifth-place .446. It's in rebounding where the Bruins have a solid edge, with a margin of plus-4.2 to WSU's minus-4.7.

WSU had a short but rugged scrimmage Wednesday, and Bennett's staff preached to players to fight through fatigue. Indeed, he expects it to be a test of wills. "Oh yeah, we're going to have to battle like crazy," he said.

Another issue: The Bruins, who reached the NCAA title game last year, have been steeled by playing big games. It's virgin territory for the Cougars.

Asked this week how he has kept his players grounded, Bennett answered, "They've eaten dirt for a few years. They know how hard it is."

Tonight, WSU hopes to scrape more dirt off its plate and replace it with caviar.

Note

• Kyle Weaver and Low were named to the District 14 first team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com