IT COULD BE BAD KNIGHT FOR BRUINS.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

OK, kids, gather round. This wasn't on the class syllabus. Not originally scheduled as part of your first-year indoctrination.

You have to adjust in this college basketball world, and not that your first year at UCLA hasn't had its challenges, but now there's this:

First NCAA tournament game and you get to go up against ... Bobby Knight!

Is this a hoot or what?

Mad Man Knight. Darth Knight. Evil on the sideline.

Knight is either the greatest coach of his time or the man who never met an anger management course he couldn't avoid - or both.

We're talking eyes popping, veins bulging, voice rising, spit spewing, steam generating. Chairs and chancellors tremble at his coming.

Knight is one of the most famous college coaches ever. Also the most infamous.

He's 64 and still has that, er, old-time passion. He doesn't just coach on the sideline, he boils. Intensity that cannot be contained by mere mortal pores.

They made a movie about this guy. Written books and streams of magazine and newspaper articles. And fired him.

People can adore and fear him in the same halted breath. Sing his praises and despise him, fight worshipping him.

So just when you three freshmen were thinking all those minutes had graduated you to hardened sophomores, along comes this unexpected treat.

Not that this NCAA Tournament isn't an exciting new adventure anyway, but now you get the white-haired demigod of coaching.

``That doesn't really matter,'' said UCLA freshman guard Jordan Farmar. ``We're going up against Texas Tech as a whole, as a program.

``It doesn't matter who the coach is. We'll be focused and ready to play.''

Ah, youth, ain't it grand?

Knight is hardly just about his moments of rage, but about winning basketball. He's 28 victories shy of passing Dean Smith's NCAA Division I record of 879.

It's one thing to win at hoop-crazed Indiana, and quite another to pull it off in dusty Lubbock, Texas.

Taking Texas Tech from complete basketball obscurity to a nationally competitive program may just be his greatest accomplishment yet. The Red Raiders knew more about losing than tumbleweeds before Knight was given a second chance after losing his stranglehold on the Indiana job.

Now three times in his four years at Texas Tech, he has manufactured an NCAA Tournament team with markedly less talent than he ever had while directing the Hoosiers.

And when not hanging out at the local supermarket salad bar, he's been on relatively good behavior while at Dust Bowl U.

Which is not to say he's suddenly morphed into this mellow, senior-citizen coach.

Sunday during a loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference Tournament final, he became irate over an official's call and launched a chair with a kick that would make Cobi Jones proud.

Take comfort that most of his sideline venom is intended to intimidate the officials or his players. Opponents are normally spared, but assistant coaches best be on alert.

``It's definitely going to be interesting running down court and seeing him on the sideline,'' said UCLA center Michael Fey. ``Just growing up watching him play and always seeing him on TV and seeing the movie.''

And now the real, live deal, right there, trying to beat the snot out of you.

UCLA's players weren't even alive for half of Knight's career, but have to be aware of his legend.

``I played against Lute Olson and coaches who recruited me like (Oregon's) Ernie Kent and Tom Izzo at Michigan State,'' Farmar said. ``When you're in the game, you're focused on your task at hand and all that other stuff gets blocked out. That won't be a factor for me at least.''

UCLA will know it is playing well Thursday night if Knight starts trying to make scrap out of some innocent folding chair, or on special occasion, enters the international chair-tossing event.

``That's what he's famous for,'' Fey said. ``I won't be surprised to hear him yelling as we go down the court. We'll see what happens.''

What you can bet will happen is that the Red Raiders will play hard and smart. They will be patient. They will maximize their abilities.

If not, it's out to the verbal tool shed.

A first tournament game, and just look how much fun you get to have.

You'll commit to memory this NCAA Tournament debut for more than just the game. You get to dance with the devil your very first time out.

Hide the vases, put away the whips and cover the children's ears, it promises to be a night to remember.