MORRISON IS NOW UCLA'S PROBLEM.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

OAKLAND - He is coming at UCLA now, and it doesn't matter what the Bruins think or where they've been, they have not seen his likes before.

In truth, Adam Morrison would probably be offended if called typical, in style or substance.

He enjoys a good debate and is ready to argue Malcolm X, Karl Marx or Che Guevara.

He is tall and lanky, pale Northwest white, with long floppy hair and an infamous wisp of a mustache.

He is melodramatic, talks trash, a role model for juvenile diabetes and an absolutely fierce competitor.

Also, he may be the best college basketball player in the country.

``The bigger the game, the bigger the moment, the better he is,'' said Gonzaga coach Mark Few. ``Always has been, always and probably forever will be.''

That means real trouble for UCLA, because Morrison has never played in a game as significant as today's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 battle against the Bruins.

``This is the biggest game of our careers,'' Morrison said.

Morrison enters today's game as the leading scorer in the country. Something will have to give. Morrison is averaging 28.2 points a game and UCLA hasn't allowed any individual to score 28 all season (Memphis' Shawne Williams scored 26 against the Bruins in the Preseason NIT in November). The Bruins have held their last nine opponents to 60 points or fewer.

UCLA is expected to start Aaron Afflalo on Morrison. Afflalo is superb individual defender, but will be giving up three inches to the quick- release Morrison, who shoots from high overhead.

``They'll try everyone,'' Few said. ``Everybody puts everybody on him. There's no secret with it.

``If he doesn't score, I don't think it will be because somebody has figured out the Holy Grail.''

Morrison has scored 34 or more points 12 times this year, and five times has scored over 40. That's an entire team's output for some UCLA opponents.

``Teams in general haven't been scoring 60 points (against us),'' said UCLA guard Jordan Farmar. ``For one man to go for 40 would be an extraordinary performance. At this stage in the game, so much on the line for us ... we're not going to let that happen.''

Gonzaga, however, showed it was more than a one-man gang in its 90-80 second-round victory last Saturday over Indiana. The Bulldogs won easily, despite Morrison scoring only 14 points.

Indiana is the exception, however. Morrison has become the team's focal point this season, for opponents and teammates.

His game has been most commonly compared to Larry Bird, though not always favorably. Students at Santa Clara this season held up a picture of a mustached Bird with a sign that read: ``Half the 'stache, Half the player.''

The hair is more Pete Maravich, though, and there have comparisons to Scooby's pal, Shaggy. He is termed a ``throw-back'' player more for his play, however, than appearance.

``I guess throw-back means I don't run down the lane and dunk over people,'' Morrison said. ``Maybe because I have a mid-range game.

``I think it's cool. You know, people have to realize I'm not trying to be Larry Bird and I never will be Larry Bird. He was a three-time NBA champion, a three-time MVP. I'm a college player.

``I'm just trying to win games for Gonzaga. Just because I like him doesn't mean I'm going to be the next Larry Bird. The expectations are a little high. I try to model my game after him. Maybe that's why I'm a little old school or a throw-back.''

He is not the next coming of Bird, though close enough at the moment to give opposing teams anxiety attacks.

Opponents have used every conceivable defense and approach against Morrison, all pretty much ending with the same result: Morrison scores again.

``I've seen the triangle-and-two, box-and-one, face guard, beat the crap out of me,'' he said. ``I've seen everything. Nothing really surprises me any more.''

Afflalo may start on Morrison, but 6-6 Cedric Bozeman and 6-7 Luc Mbah a Moute figure to see a lot of him, too. Afflalo on Morrison, however, offers the most intriguing and likely significant matchup of the Sweet 16.

``He's a great player,'' UCLA coach Ben Howland said of Morrison. ``He can score from (3-point range), he can score off the bounce, he can score in the post. He rebounds his own shot as well as anybody.

``He runs the floor ... can create for others. It's a real challenge for us.''

If the Bruins can just keep him reasonably contained, their defense will keep them in the game. Then the bigger question becomes, can Gonzaga defend UCLA?

The Bruins should know this: Morrison will come at them hard. He will yell at teammates, opponents, officials. He will pound his head over a bad play. He will do whatever he can, and that is plenty, to make a difference and attempt to break UCLA's will.

He is demonstrative, a tad quirky and completely driven. Unique in style and play, the Bruins are about to undergo a true learning experience. And how they respond will determine if they move on to the next challenge.