UCLA BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: PLANTING THE SEED OF STAYING NEAR HOME.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN

Staff Writer

UCLA coach Ben Howland gathered his team Monday, and gave what junior guard Arron Afflalo described as a motivational speech.

The message was simple: The postseason is nearing, so it is time to go from serious to ultra-serious to get in position for a lengthy NCAA Tournament stay.

Fourth-ranked UCLA has four regular-season games remaining, and then comes the one-and-done practice round of the Pacific-10 Conference tournament before the one-and- done NCAAs begin.

The Bruins are in control for a No. 1 seed in the West Region, which means a path to the Final Foul in Atlanta would run through Sacramento and San Jose.

"We feel it. We feel that same vibe we did in the last NCAA Tournament, which is good," UCLA point guard Darren Collison said.

"It's more serious, and more aware of losing, because in the tournament you only have one (loss) and you're done. All these games coming down to the tournament, you want to prepare yourself for that."

UCLA (23-3, 12-2) used Pac-10 regular-season and tournament titles to push to a No. 2 seed last season, and used venues in San Diego and Oakland as de facto home courts to fuel a run to the Final Four.

With an RPI rating of No. 1 and a top-five ranking most of the season, the first-place Bruins likely would secure a No. 1 seed by winning the Pac-10 regular-season title, and the players know that.

"(Howland said) this is the most important time," Afflalo said, "when our focus must be at our highest, when our intensity and our practice habits -- we must do everything to the fullest of our potential to ensure we go as far as possible once again this year."

How important is playing in front of home fans for UCLA?

Afflalo pointed to the Bruins' 14-0 home record, 4-0 mark on neutral floors and 5-3 record on the road as a reason to push for the West's top seed.

"That's pretty much what it's about, that support system," Afflalo said. "We're just a much better team when you have your support system nearby. We're just like everybody else. We're capable of staying here in California, where it's mostly UCLA fans. Why not strive for that?"

That means no slip-ups at home this weekend -- when UCLA plays host to injury-riddled California on Thursday, and Stanford on Saturday. The Bruins then visit second-place Washington State on March 1 and Washington two days later to end the regular season.

"I'm not sure if sometimes you're not better off being a lower seed, where you have the chance to play the 12 (seed) rather than the 8-9 (winner) because those 5-12 games seem to go the 12 way so often," Howland said. "At the end of the day, you have to show up at the NCAA Tournament and win. Every game is difficult. The first round all the way through.

"Would I rather play in Sacramento and San Jose rather than going farther away? Absolutely. It's better for our fans, it's better for our team, it's better for the parents of the players to not have to travel across the country."

This week's motivation: Although Cal (14-12, 6-8) is tied for seventh in the Pac-10 and is without centers DeVon Hardin (foot) and Jordan Wilkes (knee), and guard Nikola Knezevic, Howland came up with a way to inspire the Bruins.

"They've beaten us here the last two years in a row," Howland said.

"Josh (Shipp) and Arron and Lorenzo (Mata) have never beaten Cal- Berkeley at Pauley Pavilion. Those three are 0 for 2 here.

"They've beaten us twoyears in a row, so they're not coming in here intimidated by playing in Pauley Pavilion."

The Bruins beat Cal 62-46 last month in Berkeley.

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