The Front Row: Crucial match-ups

One down, one to go.

Last night, the Arizona Wildcats squared off against the O.J. Mayo-led USC Trojans — a tough enough task for one road trip.

But things won’t get any easier for Kevin O’Neill’s squad when they battle the Trojans’ cross-town rivals — the No. 5 UCLA Bruins at 7 p.m. on ESPN tomorrow night.

Look for these match-ups to ultimately decide the outcome for what will prove to be a vitally important game for both teams.

IN THE MIDDLE: By now, everybody knows about UCLA’s outstanding freshman center, Kevin Love.

Not only is he in the pole position for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors, Love might be the man to beat for the conference’s Most Outstanding Player award.

Arizona’s Jordan Hill might be enjoying a terrific sophomore season, but he will need to play his best game to match Love’s production.

“I’m not scared of anybody,” Hill said during a Monday afternoon press conference. “Kevin is a big boy, but I’m not going to back down.”

AT THE POINT: The equation for Arizona’s success is simple: A healthy Jerryd Bayless equals a formidable Wildcats squad.

Since returning to the lineup Jan. 12 after sitting out four games with a knee sprain, Bayless has led Arizona to a 4-1 record, with only a damaged shoe at Stanford slowing him down.

In those four wins, Bayless has averaged 26.5 points and 6.5 assists.

Now, it will be up to Bayless to match points with UCLA’s lightning-quick guard combination of Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook (combined averages: 26.3 points, 8.9 assists).

Both Bruins are likely first-round NBA draft picks when they decide to enter the professional realm.

ON THE BENCH: UCLA coach Ben Howland has firmly established himself as one of the nation’s elite coaches and has restored the Bruins as the premier West Coast college hoops program.

O’Neill has filled in admirably for Hall-of-Famer Lute Olson, instilling a defensive intensity and work ethic that had been missing from previous Arizona squads.

While the two teams have comparable talent in their starting fives, UCLA owns a major depth advantage.

A Wildcat victory isn’t impossible by any stretch, but they will need to replicate their phenomenal performance from the last homestand to hang with the Bruins.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747