TWO GOOD TO SIT WAVES TREATING BUSY RESERVES JUST LIKE STARTERS.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

To distinguish the first team from reserves on the Pepperdine basketball team, the starting players wear different-colored jerseys during practice.

All seven of them.

No, the Waves haven't figured a way to get two more players in the starting lineup. They use five just like everyone else. However, Pepperdine coach Jan van Breda Kolff doesn't consider bench players Craig Lewis and David Lalazarian as normal reserves.

So van Breda Kolff treats Lalazarian and Lewis as he does the other starters. In practice, they shuttle in and out of drills with the starting five. During games, they play only slightly fewer minutes, both averaging about 20 per game. Depending on the opponent and the rhythm of the game, there are times when they play more than the starters.

``We say this so much around here that I'm sure it sounds like a broken record,'' van Breda Kolff said. ``But the fact is, with David and Craig, we feel we have seven starters.''

For a couple of guys coming off the bench, van Breda Kolff's treatment is a welcome touch.

``It just gives you a little more confidence,'' Lewis said. ``It's like a mental boost, and it lets you know that he knows you can get the job done.''

Lalazarian, a 6-foot-7 junior transfer from Notre Dame, is averaging 8.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, one of seven Pepperdine players who average between seven and 14 points.

A versatile forward, Lalazarian can step out to hit the outside shot but is quick enough to get past defenders that play up on him. When other teams go small, he can post up, using his speed and strength around the basket to score. And when the Waves (22-7) are in transition, Lalazarian and Brandon Armstrong are the best finishers on the team.

He's more competent than flashy, but his contributions helped Pepperdine win its first West Coast Conference championship since 1993. The Waves start play in the WCC tournament today in Santa Clara against Loyola Marymount at 2 p.m.

``Dave is the type of guy that respects the game of basketball so much, maybe more then anyone on the team,'' van Breda Kolff said. ``In terms of knowing about the opponent, what their strengths and weaknesses are, what that particular game means and where he fits into it all. He thinks the game of basketball.''

Lalazarian has flourished in van Breda Kolff's uptempo system after an unspectacular year last season under Lorenzo Romar, who preferred a slow-down, grind-it-out attack. Lalazarian, who averaged 6.7 points after redshirting in 1997-98, was inconsistent and never seemed comfortable offensively.

This year, he has showed the skills he had at Tustin High (23 ppg as a senior) and as a key freshman reserve at Notre Dame in 1996-97. Lalazarian left Notre Dame after one season because he missed California.

``He lets you play,'' Lalazarian said. ``And in this system, we run the court and we press, and guys enjoy playing like that.''

So much that Lalazarian doesn't mind coming off the bench.

``It's not always about starting anyway,'' Lalazarian said. ``The important thing is how many minutes you get.''

Lewis, a 6-3 sophomore from Oregon, is a unique player. He's easily the most versatile guard on the team, and maybe the most intelligent. He's averaging 7.3 points and 2.1 assists per game.

``He's such a cerebral player, which I don't think people are aware of,'' van Breda Kolff said. ``I think people see Craig as a smooth, easy-going kid out on the floor, but after the game you look at the box score and he put together a nice line. He does so much that gets overlooked or doesn't show up in the box score. But he does a lot of important things for us.''

Lewis uses his time wisely while watching from the bench, continually processing information like an opponent's press rotation, its offensive sets and defensive matchups. When he enters the game, his first goal is to disrupt the other team's flow, then help the Waves any way he can.

``You try to be a spark, just give the team a boost,'' Lewis said. ``On some teams a guy comes off the bench basically to give the starter a break. When we come in we want to take things up a notch and contribute as much as possible.''

PEPPERDINE vs. LMU

Tipoff: 2 p.m. at Toso Pavilion, Santa Clara University

TV/Radio: None

Pepperdine (22-7) update: The top-seeded Waves are seeking their first West Coast Conference Tournament championship since 1994, starting today against longtime rival Loyola Marymount. Pepperdine was the WCC regular-season champion, its 11th title in school history. The Waves got it done with an opportunistic defense and a balanced offense in which seven players average between seven and 14 points per game.

- Vincent Bonsignore

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Reserve David Lalazarian, getting instruction from Pepperdine coach Jan van Breda Kolff, averages 8.4 points a game.

(2) Reserve Craig Lewis, a 6-3 sophomore, might be Pepperdine's most intelligent player.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box: Pepperdine vs. LMU (see text)