Compiled by Bruce Pascoe
Probable starters
Arizona
• G Josiah Turner (6-3, Fr.)
• G Kyle Fogg (6-3, Sr.)
• G Brendon Lavender (6-5 Sr.)
• F Solomon Hill (6-6, Jr.)
• C Jesse Perry (6-7, Sr.)
UCLA
G Jerime Anderson (6-2, Sr.)
G Lazeric Jones (6-1, Sr.)
G Tyler Lamb (6-5, So.)
F David Wear (6-10, So.)
C Travis Wear (6-10, So.)
Sidelines
Big Saturdays the norm
The Wildcats could face a potential emotional overload today, with Senior Day ceremonies following a game with significant conference and postseason implications, but coach Sean Miller at least figures the Wildcats won't be experiencing anything new.
Arizona will be playing its fifth straight nationally televised day game on a Saturday, while it also lost to Oregon at home on Jan. 14 before a full national CBS audience and committed four turnovers in the first five minutes of a Jan. 28 loss to Washington at McKale on ESPN.
"You always worry that they want to do so well that it can at times backfire," Miller said. "But I believe some of our past experiences will help that.
"We've dealt with that against Washington, where we had a number of guys really excited, wanting to do well for all the right reasons and sometimes turnovers happen because we're anxious as a group."
Bruins need win more
While UA might need to win today's game in order to earn a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament, the Bruins almost definitely do.
The expanded league tournament will give byes to only four teams, and UCLA is in sixth place - but just a game back in the loss column from UA, Colorado and Oregon.
Those who don't earn a bye would need to win four games to capture the Pac-12 tournament title. "You look at the percentages, and the likelihood of somebody winning four games in four days is slim," UCLA coach Ben Howland said.
45 percent of the nation
Today's game will receive split national coverage on CBS, with Brian Anderson and Dan Bonner calling the action.
It will be carried to 45 percent of the country, with the other 55 percent receiving Villanova against Georgetown in a Big East matchup.
HOW THEY MATCH UP
• The last time: Without 300-pounder Josh Smith because of a concussion, the Bruins received 34 combined points from twins David and Travis Wear to win 65-58 on Jan. 5 at Anaheim, Calif. The Wildcats also hurt themselves with 16 turnovers and 3-for-17 three-point shooting. Solomon Hill led the Wildcats with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
• What's new with the Bruins: Picked to finish first in the Pac-12, the Bruins have disappointed. They are 7-5 since beating Arizona in January, having returned Smith immediately after the Jan. 5 game. But UCLA is playing Smith off the bench, due to his propensity for picking up early fouls, and the Bruins started freshman Norman Powell on the wing Thursday at ASU while Tyler Lamb came off the bench because of an academic issue. The Bruins have also moved Lazeric Jones to off guard to better capitalize on his offense, while Jerime Anderson plays the point.
• Status report: UA: Guard Jordin Mayes will play after returning briefly from a foot stress reaction on Thursday. UCLA: Center Josh Smith is questionable with a back strain. Center Anthony Stover is probable after returning Thursday with tendonitis in his left foot. Guard De'End Parker is out for the season with a knee injury.
KEY PLAYERS
Kyle Fogg
Arizona
UA's senior guard could make his final home regular-season game a big one. Already motivated enough to pull down 31 rebounds over the Wildcats' past three games, Fogg says it also bugs him that he played poorly against UCLA last month (seven points, two rebounds).
Lazeric Jones
UCLA
It's easy to look at Josh Smith's more than 300 pounds, or the skills of the Wear twins, but the heart of UCLA's offense is often the former juco teammate of Jesse Perry. Jones often shoots off screens toward the end of the shot clock.
Numbers game
3
Straight UA wins on Senior Day, after the Wildcats lost the final home games for three seasons in a row between 2005-06 and 2007-08.
6
20-win seasons in eight years as a head coach for Sean Miller.
133
Career games played by Wildcat senior Kyle Fogg, who could break Jason Gardner's school record of 136 if UA plays in at least one postseason game beyond the Pac-12 tournament.
He said it
"UCLA's greatest strength is that they do have balance. Tyler Lamb, Norman Powell and Jerime Anderson, they all have had good games and can be double-figure type players. But having said that, where you have to worry about is their great size and skill level. They're very efficient getting the ball to the low post. The Wear twins are excellent players: They're smart, give great effort and they score, get offensive rebounds and run the floor. And Josh Smith is just really big and physical. When he gets the ball deep, he gets fouls on your team."
UA coach Sean Miller
