Big Country Challenge for UCLA

SEATTLE What is little-heralded Oklahoma State doing in the FinalFour facing top-ranked UCLA today?

Bryant "Big Country" Reeves let doubters know Friday in thefree-to-the-public practice at the Kingdome.

The 7-foot, 292-pound center brought a halt to the rigid NCAAprotocol schedule by breaking a backboard on "a routine littlepractice dunk."

"I don't know what happened," the amiable giant said aftercausing a delay in the day's dictated lineup. "It's just a littledrill we do every day in practice where the coach passes the ballinside. I guess it was just the way I grabbed the rim. The rest ishistory."

Reeves' mini-drama made NCAA history - the first-ever shatteringin a Final Four practice.

The Cowboys (27-9) have defied history so far in the NCAATournament, but coach Eddie Sutton knows today's first game is adifferent chapter.

"We beat two very good teams in Wake Forest and Massachusetts (topseeds in the East Regional), but I think we'll have to play evenbetter against UCLA because I think they're the No. 1 team in thecountry," Sutton said.

"They have outstanding athletes and we'll be severely tested."

The test will come not as much under the basket, where behemothsReeves and UCLA's 7-foot, 250-pound Czech George Zidek will collide,but on the open floor where UCLA excels - and accelerates.

Tempo will be the key, Sutton and UCLA coach Jim Harrick agree.

"We can't get in a Ping-Pong, horse race type of game with them,"Sutton said. "They're the best transition team I've seen all year."

The style, ignited by UCLA's speedy 5-10 point guard TyusEdney and flamed by All-America forward Ed O'Bannon, has fueled theBruins' (29-2) 17-game winning streak and favored status in today'smeeting.

"I think we can do it defensively by pressing them and trying toget the game moving as much as possible," Edney said of dictating thegame's pace. "We have to tempo up as much as possible."

Cowboys junior point guard Andre Owens, with the unenviabledefensive assignment against Edney, will look for help in brakingUCLA's fast break.

"He pushes the ball well in transition and that's the firstthing we're going to do - try not to allow him to push the ball,"Owens said. "And then we'll have to get back on transition defense.The rest will have to fall into place."

For Harrick, who has survived years of criticism for his teams'so-called underachievements, Reeves and Rutherford pose as big aproblem as the pressure of being the last surviving and favored No. 1seed.

"Big Country is probably the best center in the country,"Harrick said. "This guy is a man and a great talent. And between heand (6-3 Cowboys three-point specialist) Randy Rutherford, peopledon't understand they have a very athletic team.

"They don't play real slow, they play medium," Harrick said ofSutton's team. "I think the team that gets ahead controls tempo moreanyway."

Getting an early edge in the post - and the tone of playdictated by the officials - could be as critical for the Bruins, whowill try to do what others have failed to do in stopping Reeves.

"I think I'm just going to try to push him out and get into ashoving match with him and then try to run the floor a little bit totry to get him tired," Zidek said.

"For sure I'm going to need to put my body on him and keep himas far from the basket as I can."

The battle could decide which team comes closest to a nationalchampionship try on Monday.