DON'T FORGET USC TROJANS ARE TOP 20, BUT UCLA IS STORY.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

Poor USC. No matter what the Trojans do - on or off the court - they can't seem to steal the spotlight from the UCLA basketball team.

Win 12 of 14 games and earn a No. 19 national ranking? Bench three starters for missing a bed check? Watch their most dynamic player get suspended for an improper trip to Las Vegas and return to the team only after a shotgun wedding in which the NCAA has its finger on the trigger?

UCLA reduced all those story angles to sidebars Tuesday when athletic director Pete Dalis acknowledged he'd had discussions in recent weeks with former Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino.

And with that, all eyes, cameras and notepads will be focused on UCLA and head coach (as of today) Steve Lavin when the Bruins play the Trojans tonight at 7:30 at Pauley Pavilion.

Lavin, who learned of Dalis' talks with Pitino from reporters, received a call from Pitino on Wednesday telling him he wasn't interested in his job, according to a UCLA spokesman. Lavin, unavailable for comment Wednesday, had called Pitino ``an opportunist'' on Tuesday.

While Dalis said Tuesday that he and Pitino had not discussed the UCLA job, a college basketball source said Wednesday there has been ``viable contact'' between representatives of Pitino and someone close to UCLA.

``There's interest by both parties,'' the source said.

Meanwhile, Pitino told the Boston Globe in today's edition that he is interested in the opening at UNLV, which fired head coach Bill Bayno last month. Pitino also acknowledged his conversation with Dalis.

``(Dalis) told me he keeps a list of names and that people out there spoke highly of me and if I thought there might be a time in the future where I would coach again in college,'' Pitino told The Globe. ``I told him I wasn't sure what I was going to do. He wished me luck and that was the end of the conversation.''

Lavin is in the second year of a six-year, $578,000 contract that includes a rollover clause that can be exercised by Lavin between April 1 and April 30.

If Lavin is fired before the clause is exercised, he would be owed the base salary ($153,000) for the remaining five years, a total of $765,000. If he's fired after the rollover clause is exercised, Lavin would be owed six years ($918,000). However, the school does not have to pay Lavin a lump sum. It has the option to pay him in installments of $153,000 per year.

How UCLA, tied with USC and Stanford for first place in the Pac-10 at 2-0, reacts to the events of the last few days will be interesting.

The Bruins (7-4), who have won three in a row and five of six, have a history of responding to adverse circumstances under Lavin.

Last year, the Bruins were 4-8 in conference play amid speculation surrounding Lavin's job. But they finished the regular season by winning six in a row, including a victory at No. 1 Stanford, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

``The only positive is that this team responds to controversy,'' said senior captain Earl Watson. ``Walking around campus, people say, `Did you see what's on TV?'

``There's so much going on. It's been a roller-coaster week with all the speculation about the head coach. I think it serves as motivation for the rest of the year. We're going to use it as motivation and inspiration.''

The Trojans, meanwhile, have motivation of their own. It is the first time in 39 years they've gone into a game ranked against an unranked UCLA team. USC has played only two road games - one a loss to Northwestern, the other a win at the buzzer against UC Santa Barbara.

And they've had distractions of their own in the last week.

If it wasn't the benching of Brian Scalabrine, Brandon Granville and Sam Clancy, who missed their bed check by five minutes because they were playing cards, it was the wedding of Jeff Trepagnier.

SC vs. UCLA

--When: 7:30 tonigt

--TV: FSN2

USC vs. UCLA

Tipoff: Pauley Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net 2; 1150-AM, 690-AM.

UCLA (7-4, 2-0) update: The Bruins have led by an average of 22 points at halftime in winning three in a row. Center Dan Gadzuric has 43 points, 38 rebounds, nine blocks and has made 19 of 23 shots in that span. Also playing well has been reserve Billy Knight, who has made 9 of 13 shots - including 4 of 7 3-pointers - during the streak. Knight will be facing former Westchester High teammate Brandon Granville.

USC (12-2, 2-0) update: This opens a tough three-game road stretch for the Trojans, who play at UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State. USC split its games with UCLA last season, but has not won at Pauley Pavilion since 1993. Although USC is ranked in the Top 25 and has a better record, Trojans coach Henry Bibby thinks his team should be the underdog tonight. ``UCLA has been unbelievable the past three games,'' he said. ``I think UCLA will be favored.'' The Trojans can match last year's 3-0 Pacific-10 start with a victory.

- Billy Witz

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: Tonight's USC-UCLA game at Pauley Pavilion has become secondary to swirling rumors regarding former Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino being courted by the Bruins.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Box: USC vs. UCLA (see text)