11 UCLA

Apparently a Bruin does not like to get any farther away from its home than does a trap-door spider. UCLA's first 11 games are in Pauley Pavilion and, other than mandatory travel within the Pac-8, it has only one away game. This schedule should not only make UCLA's record impressive, but it will also deprive fans around the country of seeing 6'9" junior David Kasim Greenwood (above) in the flesh. That's a shame, because Greenwood's quickness and accurate, flat-trajectory jumper figure to make him one of the finest big men around. He moves from center to forward this season, and he has the mobility and the outside shot to do so with ease.

UCLA is well served at other positions, too, despite the graduation of All-America Forward Marques Johnson and the defection of 7-foot Center Brett Vroman to Las Vegas. The pivot will be occupied by one of the two sophomores, 6'9" Gig Sims, who looked like a male version of Olive Oyl until he added 14 pounds in the off-season, and hefty 6'9" Darrell Allums. The other forward very likely will be either steady Ernest (Kiki) Vandeweghe of James Wilkes, a tough defender who will probably guard the opposition's best cornerman. Wilkes was Los Angeles' high school co-player of the year two seasons ago, but Vandeweghe has the better shooting touch, plus dynamite genes. His father and uncle were both pros, and his mother was Miss America in 1952.

The Bruins are deep in guards. Roy Hamilton, who starred with Greenwood at Verbum Dei High in L.A., is the best ball handler on the team. Brad Holland, who almost departed with Vroman, decided to stay and play for new Coach Gary Cunningham, and his long jump shots are dropping in more regularly than ever. Raymond Townsend is good at everything, including baseball, where he plays third base.

Perhaps more important to the Bruins than Greenwood or the 20 games in Pauley is the coaching change. Gene Bartow replaced John Wooden and had two miserable seasons. This total incompetent only won UCLA's 10th and 11th straight conference titles. Alas, he failed to win the customary national championships. He left for Alabama-Birmingham, critical barbs sticking in his thin skin like banderillas. Cunningham was a forward for Wooden in the early 1960s and a Bruin assistant for 10 seasons before becoming executive director of the UCLA Alumni Association. If he does net win an NCAA title right away, he will learn more about alumni relations than he ever wanted to know.

ILLUSTRATION