UCLA NOTEBOOK: REUNION FOR HOWLAND.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN

Staff Writer

SAN JOSE -- Levon Kendall, Pittsburgh's fifth-year senior power forward, said he was hoping to meet up with UCLA coach Ben Howland this week to catch up old times.

When it happens, it will be the first time Kendall has had a chance to speak with his former Pittsburgh coach since Howland left following the 2002-03 season to take the UCLA job.

No. 2 seed UCLA and No. 3 Pittsburgh play today in the West Regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament at HP Pavilion, so a face-to-face meeting is inevitable.

"Having not actually seen Howland in person since he left, it's going to be interesting to see him," Kendall said. "I was shocked, a little surprised (when Howland left). Everyone around here wasn't really expecting it, and you could tell he wasn't really expecting it. He was hoping to be staying (at Pittsburgh) for a while, and the job offer came along and it was pretty hard to pass up."

After Howland accepted the UCLA job, he did not address his Pittsburgh team in person.

"I don't have any hard feelings against him," Kendall said. "I think he's a great coach. I think it's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it."

Kendall, a starter averaging 5.9 points per game, said he was one of many players who went to Pittsburgh's administration to lobby on behalf of former Howland and Panthers assistant Jamie Dixon to take over the program.

Kendall said there is a difference in the personality of the twocoaches.

"The biggest thing to me is their personalities," Kendall said. "I think Coach Howland is a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more loud, maybe not on the court, but just in practice and stuff like that. Coach Dixon is maybe a little more laid back, the West Coast personality, not to say that he doesn't yell, but I think their personalities are the biggest thing."

Keating a hot commodity: With a multitude of job openings, UCLA assistant coach Kerry Keating's name will be linked with many. The latest schools to be interested in Keating are Santa Clara, San Diego and Long Beach State.

Today's San Jose Mercury News reported Keating is near the top of Santa Clara's wish list.

French connection: Bruins sophomores and countrymen Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who are from Cameroon, often converse freely about strategy within games without fear of the opponent knowing what is going on -- because they do it in French.

UCLA director of basketball operations Chris Carlson warned the duo not to do so today since Kendall, Pittsburgh's starting power forward, is fluent in French. Kendall said he took classes to learn the language.

Of course, Aboya said Kendall's knowledge of French won't be a deterrent.

"But it's different. We speak French different," Aboya said. "It'll still go on."

Cook ready: Pittsburgh starting guard Mike Cook was limited to 22 minutes in the Panthers' second-round overtime win over Virginia Commonwealth because a sore left knee, but he said was able to practice Wednesday.

"It was slowing me down a little bit, but I'll be ready to go," Cook said. "Right now, I feel good."