WILDCATS HEADING TO HOLLYWOOD

The Los Angeles road trip can make or break a Pac-10 team’s season.

Success in the conference’s glitzy, glamorous capital sometimes sets the tone for what may turn out to be a special year.

However, failure to escape L.A. with at least one victory often foreshadows potential pitfalls that might derail a team’s season.

Last year’s Arizona Wildcats traveled to Los Angeles on Jan. 18, ranked No. 12 in the nation with a 13-3 record.

By the time Jan. 21 rolled around, Arizona had dropped a pair of crucial conference games and slid seven spots in the rankings.

Even more problematic, the two losses — 80-73 to USC and 73-69 to UCLA — exposed many of that squad’s flaws, capping a 1-4 stretch from which the Wildcats would never recover.

How does this year’s team plan to avoid another disastrous Southern California swing?

It’s a simple three-word phrase that has been repeated endlessly from the most rudimentary levels of basketball.

In theory, this three-word phrase seems blatantly obvious, but it has a tendency to fall out of favor with some of today’s “me first” athletes.

However, interim head coach Kevin O’Neill has his Wildcats (14-6, 4-3 Pac-10) buying into this three-word phrase and believing in its wisdom.

What is it, exactly? Let’s have Arizona’s three leading scorers explain it.

Star freshman Jerryd Bayless: “We’re at our best when we’re making the extra pass and getting open looks.”

Wooden Award Midseason Top-30 nominee Chase Budinger: “We have a lot of unselfish guys on this team — guys who are willing to make the extra pass.”

Emerging post presence Jordan Hill: “In that Washington State game, they were double-teaming me, so it was up to me to make the extra pass and have our guys knock down shots.”

The extra pass; simple in theory, but tougher to execute.

However, these Wildcats have taken the idea to heart, riding it to a key sweep over the Washington schools this past weekend.

On Thursday, Arizona shredded the vaunted Washington State defense to the tune of 76 points on 55 percent shooting — including a 12-21 performance from 3-point range.

Prior to that game, the Cougars held opponents to under 40 percent shooting, but the Wildcats patiently ran their offense, often resulting in a wide-open jump shot.

Saturday’s 84-69 win over Washington was more of the same, with Arizona converting on a blistering 62 percent of its shot attempts.

“It’s really not that complicated,” O’Neill said. “It’s a lot easier to shoot the ball without a hand in your face, and you can only do that if you share the basketball.”

Of course, sharing the basketball doesn’t do much good unless you have players who can connect on those open jumpers.

Lately, that hasn’t been a problem.

Bayless, in particular, has owned a marksman’s eye, averaging 24.3 points in the three contests since his embarrassing shoe incident at Stanford on Jan. 17. He is shooting 58 percent from the floor — 54.5 percent on threes — and has missed only once in 20 free-throw attempts.

Budinger has also seen his scoring efficiency dramatically increase over this three-game stretch. He has averaged 22.7 points per game, pushing his season average to 17.7. His 51.2 percent shooting is nearly seven points higher than his season average.

Would any of these sharp increases be possible without a willingness to make the extra pass? Bayless doubts it.

“I get more joy making a good pass and watching someone score than I do when I score myself,” Bayless said. “When you can get your teammates involved, it can only mean good things. We’re all in this together for one goal, and that’s to win.”

The Wildcats look to maintain that all-for-one, one-for-all mentality when they square off against the USC Trojans tomorrow night.

Last year, the Trojans defeated the Wildcats twice and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

This year, any mention of the USC basketball program doesn’t last long without a follow-up remark about its highly touted freshman, O.J. Mayo, who leads his team with 19.9 points per game.

Bayless and Mayo have battled in the same AAU and All-Star tournaments since they were middle-schoolers, and Bayless said Mayo is among the most competitive players he has ever faced.

“O.J. has a bad rap of being a selfish player, but I don’t really buy that,” Bayless said. “He is a special player, and he plays hard every minute he’s out there.”

Of course, the Wildcats will have to worry about much more than Mayo tomorrow night. Fellow freshman Davon Jefferson is a slashing forward with big-play ability, and guard Daniel Hackett is perhaps USC’s most versatile player and best defender. Taj Gibson holds down the fort inside.

Head coach Tim Floyd’s squads have a reputation of being tenacious, yet unconventional defensively, which makes it difficult for their opponents to formulate a strategy.

“USC has a lot of guys back from that great run they had last year, and they have a lot of talent around them,” O’Neill said. “It’s going to be a battle, that’s for sure.”

Look for the Wildcats to continue making that extra pass throughout the Los Angeles road trip and beyond, not only because it has proven successful, but because that is the only way O’Neill’s players will earn playing time.

“There are only two reasons why I’ll pull a guy,” O’Neill said. “One is if he shows a total lack of effort, and two is if he’s selfish. Thankfully, we don’t have any selfish guys on this team.”

Tomorrow night’s tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports Net.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747