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Freshman guard Russell Westbrook will try to continue his stellar play Sunday against UC Riversid
No. 1 Bruins are least of Riverside’s worries this season
The Highlanders’ woes include a player’s death, three season-ending injuries and a coach’s absence
M. BASKETBALL Sunday, 2:30 p.m. v. UC Riverside Pauley Pavilion
There couldn’t be two more different teams facing each other on Sunday. While the No. 1 UCLA men’s basketball team is 5-0 and is off to its best start since the 1994-1995 season, UC Riverside (3-4) has been hit by a huge amount of tragedy to begin its season. The Highlanders, who are only in their sixth season of Division I competition, first heard bad news when sophomore transfer Mark Hall died in a car accident Sept. 16. In the same accident, the Highlanders’ best player, junior guard Aaron Scott, suffered injuries that will prevent from him playing at all this season. For a team that was 5-23 the previous season, this was not the way to begin anew. Following the accident, UC Riverside coach David Spencer took a medical leave of absence from the school due to illness, and assistant coach Vonn Webb took over the coaching duties. This Sunday, when the Highlanders face the No. 1 Bruins, they will be a completely different team from the one they had projected to start the season. Not only are Hall and Scott gone, but junior forward B.J. Visman and sophomore forward Benoit Bekono have since suffered injuries that will cause them to redshirt this season. The Bruins are 2-0 all-time against the Highlanders and defeated UCR 84-70 in 2003 in the last matchup between the two teams. If there is any hope for the Highlanders, it is that they have shocked the world previously by defeating the No. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes in 1988 in the finals of the Chaminade Classic. After facing UC Riverside on Saturday, the Bruins will host Cal State Fullerton at home next Tuesday. They will then face currently ranked No. 9 Texas A&M in the John Wooden Classic on Dec. 9.
COLLISON WINS HONOR: Point guard Darren Collison was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for Nov. 20-26 for his play in the EA Sports Maui Invitational. Collison helped lead the Bruins to a tournament victory with wins over Chaminade, Kentucky and Georgia Tech. He averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 assists per game in the tournament. He is averaging 13.2 points and 7.4 assists per game on the year.
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