UCLA NOTEBOOK: ABDUL-JABBAR EYES LAVIN'S JOB.

Byline: Billy Witz and Rich Hammond  Staff Writers

Former UCLA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Tuesday that he would like to be considered for the school's coaching job if, as expected, coach Steve Lavin is fired at the end of the season.

``UCLA is a dream job,'' Abdul-Jabbar said during a conference call introducing him as a college basketball analyst for CBS Sports. ``Anybody who has aspirations to coach college basketball and wants achallenge, that is the job they want. I haven't spoken to anybody at UCLA about the job, but if at the end of the season things change and there is a position open there, I hope they would consider me.''

Abdul-Jabbar, who led UCLA to three national championships as Lew Alcindor, would be a long shot given his lack of head-coaching experience and familiarity with the college game. However, one of his former teammates thinks UCLA's next coach should consider adding him to the staff.

``He'd be a great asset,'' said Mike Warren, who played with Abdul-Jabbar on the 1967 and 1968 teams.`` This guy could help us in so many ways. Working with big guys, recruiting, and he wants to coach.''

--Arizona looms: Viewed in the context of UCLA's season-long drought, it's difficult to determine whether the Bruins' victory over Georgetown on Saturday was just a drop of relief or the beginning of a downpour that could lead the Bruins back to respectability.

The Bruins will have a better idea where they stand Thursday, when they play at top-ranked Arizona, the team that handed UCLA its worst loss in Pauley Pavilion history last month.

``We don't have anything to lose,'' forward Jason Kapono said. ``Nobody expects us to do well. We're already 5-14, so it's not like if we lose, it will be a shock to everybody. We're still confident that we can win our next eight games.''

The Bruins will be trying to extend their ``one-game winning streak,'' as coach Steve Lavin jokingly said before Tuesday's practice, and dull the pain of their 87-52 loss to Arizona on Jan. 18, regarded as the season's low point.

``(Arizona) didn't play all that well,'' said Kapono, who was held to a season-low four points in that game. ``They played average and we played extremely poorly.

The Wildcats barely held off eighth-place Washington on Thursday, but, with a 5-0 record against Top 25 teams, Arizona has shown the ability to get up for big games. UCLA wouldn't be in a top 50 at this point, but Lavin expects the Wildcats to be ready.

--Right mix? Lavin hasn't felt comfortable with a regular rotation of players all season, but only eight Bruins played against Georgetown.

Lavin seems to have settled on Kapono, Cedric Bozeman, Ryan Hollins, Andre Patterson and Dijon Thompson in the starting lineup with T.J. Cummings, Ryan Walcott and Ray Young each playing at least 12 minutes off the bench.