A HOUSE PARTY FOR ONE THAT GOT AWAY.

Byline: Jon Wilner Staff Writer

The crowd gathered in Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 25, 1967 kept chanting, "Give the ball to Lew," so what else were the UCLA Bruins supposed to do?

Sophomore center Lew Alcindor responded with one of the greatest performances of his legendary career, scoring a conference-record 61 points in UCLA's 100-78 victory over Washington State.

To do it, Alcindor hit 26 of 35 shots and made three baskets in the final minute, including a dunk at the buzzer. If the big fella had made more than 9 of 18 free throws, he'd have approached 70.

"They played him straight (man-to-man defense)," UCLA coach John Wooden said at the time. "I don't believe you can handle him this way."

For 33 years, Alcindor's performance stood as the greatest in league history. Now it has company.

Saturday, in Cal's sparkling new Haas Pavilion, Arizona State senior guard Eddie House scored 61 in a double-overtime victory over the Bears.

It was the most points by a major college player since Kansas State's Askia Jones hit 62 six years ago and the most points ever scored in the Bay Area (any level) by someone not named Rick Barry or Wilt Chamberlain.

Athletes sometimes talk about being "in a zone." House was in a different dimension. He scored 19 points in the overtime periods and secured victory with two free throws with 2.9 seconds left. He made 18 of 30 field goals, 7 of 10 3-pointers and 18 of 19 free throws.

Afterward, House screamed, "This is my house," and with good reason. The Union City resident and Hayward High School graduate did not receive a scholarship offer in 1995-96 from then-Cal coach Todd Bozeman.

"It means a lot to me to come back home and get a win like this," said House, who had his number retired at Hayward last week.

House saved his best for the Bears, but he's been picking on everyone. In the six games since an 0-of-16 performance against Brigham Young, he's averaging 37.5 points. He's the first player to win the Pac-10 player- of-the-week award three straight weeks.

"I don't know what Cal was thinking," said UCLA guard Ray Young, an Oakland native who played against House in high school. "I never envisioned anybody going for 60 at this level, but I could definitely see Eddie getting 40. He puts in the work. The dude just works."

It's impossible to compare House's 61 to Alcindor's 61. House had 10 more minutes, courtesy of two overtimes, and he made seven 3-pointers, which didn't exist in Alcindor's time. (The issue is moot anyway; Wooden never would have let Alcindor shoot from 19 feet.)

Then again, the 7-1 Alcindor was physically superior to his competition, while House, at 6-1, is small by today's standards.

There's really only one way to solve the argument: House has to score 62.

--THE RIGHT DIRECTION: The NCAA Convention lost its bite a few years ago when college presidents and CEOs removed power from the membership and gave it to committees.

But one issue discussed in San Diego earlier this week is worth noting: the elimination of summer basketball recruiting, which would disempower the AAU coaches, camp organizers and leeches that push - and, in some cases, broker - players to various colleges.

Limit evaluation periods to the school year, the theory goes, and you return influence to high school coaches, who are easier to police than AAU coaches.

"In the last seven or eight years, the recruiting pendulum has swung back to the more unseamly side," Oregon State coach Eddie Payne said.

--DESERT DEPLETION: Richard Jefferson's broken foot leaves Arizona with seven scholarship players, and three freshmen in the starting lineup: point guard Jason Gardner, wing guard Gilbert Arenas and small forward Luke Walton, who replaced Jefferson against Stanford and contributed seven assists.

Jefferson is out 6-8 weeks. He'll wear a removable boot, not a cast, enabling him to maintain conditioning through aquatic drills. It's possible he'll return in time to help the Wildcats in March, but they aren't counting on him.

"We have to go as if he's not coming back at all," Arizona coach Lute Olson said.

Losing Jefferson is a bigger blow to Arizona than JaRon Rush's suspension is to UCLA.

--AROUND THE PAC-10: As Arizona showed, Stanford won't make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament without superior play from one of its guards - the kind Art Lee provided in the 1998 Final Four run.

Washington forward Thalo Green, who sports a Bill Walton '73 hairstyle, will grow his locks all season then donate them to the American Cancer Society, which makes wigs for chemotherapy patients.

Cal might not have the best freshman class in the league, but with so much playing time available, it's certainly the most productive: Joe Shipp, Brian Wethers, Shantay Legans and Nick Vander Laan scored 67 points against Arizona State - six more than House.

Oregon State center Jason Heide, one of the most underrated players in the league, is using a cumbersome brace on his injured right (shooting) thumb. The Beavers desperately need his production.

And finally: If he stays healthy and stays four years, Jason Kapono will have the best career in Westwood since David Greenwood (1976-79).

HOOP NOTES

Daily News Staff Writer Jon Wilner is an Associated Press top-25 voter. Here's his top-10 teams for the week.

THE TOP 10

1. Arizona (13-2) (-) 'Cats have beaten Kentucky, Texas, Michigan State and Stanford.

2. Cincinnati (15-1) (-) Bearcats beat Tulane Wednesday night.

3. Connecticut (12-2) (-) Showdown with St. John's this weekend.

4. Michigan State (12-4) (-) After OT win, Spartans bracing for rematch in Bloomington.

5. Duke (12-2) (-) Devils beat Georgia Tech Wednesday night.

6. Stanford (12-1) (-) After Ariz. loss, Cardinal hits the tough Oregon Trail.

7. Auburn (14-1) (-) Tigers beat Kentucky for first time since 1990.

8. Syracuse (12-0) (-) Orangemen prove they can win outside Carrier Dome.

9. Indiana (12-2) (-) Proposed name-change: A.J. Manton.

10. Kansas (13-2) (-) Beat Kansas State Wednesday night.

--FIVE TO WATCH: Texas, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Stanford at Oregon Saturday, McArthur Court.

A game that could reshape the Pac-10 race. A Ducks win makes them instant title contenders. A Cardinal loss gives Arizona a two-game advantage. How will Stanford's guards react to the bedlam of McArthur Court?

STAT OF THE WEEK

Arizona State guard Eddie House tied Lew Alcindor's conference scoring record with 61 points last weekend against Cal. Here are the league's top-five performances: Alcindor, House, Oregon State's Gary Payton (58 points), Alcindor (56), Stanford's Hank Luisetti (50).

SELECTION THURSDAY

If the NCAA Tournament started today, here's how the top-16 seeds might look.

--EAST: 1. Duke, 2. UConn, 3. Florida, 4. Tulsa. Two road wins last week (Maryland, Virginia) make Blue Devils No. 1. Tulsa is scorching.

--SOUTH: 1. Auburn, 2. Stanford, 3. Indiana, 4. Oklahoma State. Three well-coached teams and Auburn.

--MIDWEST: 1. Cincinnati, 2. Michigan State, 3. Syracuse, 4. Kentucky. Possible MSU-Kentucky rematch of Wildcats' fabulous win last month.

--WEST: 1. Arizona, 2. Kansas, 3. North Carolina, 4. Tennessee. Vols seem overrated, but they're hotter than Texas, Utah and Ohio State.

- Jon Wilner

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: ASU's Eddie House made 18 of 30 from the floor and 7 of 10 3-pointers in his 61-point game.

Associated Press

Box: HOOP NOTES (see text)