I guess nothing's impossible

But give us a friggin sign (or a pulse)!!!

Bruins making plans for Pac-10 Tournament
By AL BALDERAS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Feb. 16, 2010
Updated: 9:12 p.m.

LOS ANGELES - A lot of things are going to have to go right for UCLA to win the Pac-10 regular-season title.

At the same time, a lot of things are going to have to go wrong for opponents such as Cal, Arizona State, USC, Washington, and so on.

"We still have an outside shot of winning the Pac-10 regular season, but obviously Cal is in control and they're a really good team, so you have to expect them to take it at this point," freshman Reeves Nelson said.

Rather than try to beat the odds, the Bruins are going to try to use their final six games as a springboard to the end-of-season Pac-10 Tournament. The tournament will provide the winner with a key to bigger and better things, namely a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

"I'd definitely say there's more importance," senior Michael Roll said. "We need to pick up some more momentum just to be feeling good coming into the Pac-10 Tournament. We're going to have to win three games (in the Pac-10 tourney) just to get into the NCAA Tournament.

"For some of us, it's our last games. I definitely want to play better than we have been and push 110 percent these last few games."

It's not going to be easy. Of UCLA's last six games, four are on the road, including games in Pullman, Wash., and Seattle this week.

Though the Bruins haven't lost at Washington State since 1992-93 but will be facing a Cougars team that is talented enough to break that streak.

Then there is Washington, which has won its past five home games against UCLA. No one on the Bruins' current roster has experienced a victory on Washington's home court.

But first things first. UCLA beat Washington State, 74-62, when the teams played at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 23.

The Bruins' defense did a good job in holding guard Klay Thompson (Santa Margarita) to 13 points. Thompson is the second-leading scorer in the Pac-10 with 21.4 points per game.

What the Bruins didn't do in that game was keep closer watch on Thompson's teammate, Reggie Moore. The freshman guard led Washington State with 24 points.

"He got off," Bruins guard Malcolm Lee said of Moore. "We're just going to have to play him real well. We're going to have to defend him."

KEEFE STILL OUT

UCLA coach Ben Howland said Tuesday it's "unlikely" senior James Keefe will play this weekend.

Keefe re-injured his left shoulder at practice last Friday and was forced to miss Sunday's game at USC.

Keefe had an MRI on Sunday but results didn't reveal any new damage.

Keefe had surgery on the shoulder to repair a torn labrum in 2007, and dislocated the same shoulder earlier this season.

With Keefe out, Brendan Lane and J'mison Morgan are expected to get more playing time.