Lavin Ready to Reassert His Authority

Coach Steve Lavin, responding to UCLA’s worst conference start in 12 years, promised Friday to take greater control of practices, saying he still has full confidence in his three assistants but that the time has come to be more forceful.

“I need to be more assertive and maybe more demonstrative in our practices than I have been to this point in the season,� Lavin said the day after the Bruins dropped to 1-3 in the Pacific 10 Conference with a 76-61 loss to Arizona, the Wildcats’ largest margin of victory at Pauley Pavilion.

“I’m going to make a more concerted effort to ensure that we play with the sense of urgency we need to be successful. To this point, that’s what we have not been able to do consistently.

“My first three years, I dominated everything in practice. This year, I wanted to delegate some of the responsibilities to each of the assistant coaches, which has been good for us. . . . I’ll find a middle ground. I think the assistants have done a great job, and I think it’s good for players to hear other voices.

“But also, there are times in the season when the head coach needs to step up and be more demonstrative, more adamant, more clear in his expectations of what he wants from the team.�

Lavin looked the part last Friday in Chapel Hill, N.C., offering more of a commanding presence with a loud voice and sharp tones days after a terrible showing by the Bruins against USC. They responded the next day with a victory over North Carolina.

Then came the loss to Arizona. There was no chance for Lavin to show an assertive side on the court Friday because the Bruins instead watched film of the game the night before--the entire game and then some, three hours in all. Time enough to see all 26 turnovers, 18 in the second half.

“A lot of rewinding,� said swingman Billy Knight, one of the few Bruins who looked in the flow against the Wildcats.

TODAY

vs. Arizona State

1, Fox Sports Net 2

* Site--Pauley Pavilion.

* Radio--KXTA (1150).

* Records--Bruins 10-5, 1-3; Sun Devils 11-5, 3-2.

* Update--The Bruins have a 21-game winning streak against Arizona State dating to Feb. 16, 1989, with the Sun Devils’ last victory in Westwood coming Feb. 16, 1987.

* Tickets--(310) UCLA-WIN.