Which UCLA team will show up to face 16th-ranked Alabama today at the Wooden Classic?

Will it be the one that played down to the level of its competition and lost games to Cal State Northridge, Pepperdine -- and Georgia Tech in last year's Classic? Or will it be the one that always seemed to bounce back from a string of demoralizing performances last season, beating No. 1-ranked Stanford, Arizona in overtime and somehow advanced to the Sweet 16?

Alabama coach Mark Gottfried, a friend of Coach Steve Lavin and former fellow UCLA assistant under Jim Harrick, has no idea.

"We're preparing for them to play their best game," Gottfried said. "If they do, they're as good as anybody in the country."

Today's game at The Pond should provide the best measuring stick for UCLA so far. Because the Bruins managed to avoid ranked Kansas and Duke in the Maui Invitational, Alabama is UCLA's first Top 25 opponent.

The quickness of the Crimson Tide (6-1) will present the same matchup problems the Bruins (3-2) had against Ball State and Pepperdine. Alabama relies on a freshman at point guard, but while UCLA's Cedric Bozeman (knee) has struggled and will watch the game in street clothes, fellow McDonald's All-American Mo Williams has flourished.

Williams is one of four Crimson Tide players scoring in double figures. Junior guard Rod Grizzard leads the way with 16 points per game. Junior forward Erwin Dudley leads in rebounding (7.9).

The Bruins' advantage will be their size -- 6-foot-9 center Kenny Walker is as tall as Alabama gets -- but UCLA's post players have made patchy appearances thus far.

Either UCLA will be able to compete, as its preseason No. 5 ranking would suggest, or Lavin will be facing a December slide to rival last year's.

This time, however, the Bruins don't have the luxury of a winter break to gather themselves for Pacific-10 Conference play. They open at Washington in less than two weeks.

"It should be a real challenge," Lavin said.

Close ties

Gottfried and Lavin recently renewed their friendship, strained by the acrimonious firing of Harrick in 1996. Lavin even went to Alabama with the UCLA football team in September for a visit.

Gottfried also still keeps in touch with Hall of Fame coach John Wooden.

"It's only five minutes from my house to our arena, but I've called him on the way to a game when my guts are in a knot," Gottfried said of Wooden. "He's so wise and generous with his time."

Lavin's mentor, Purdue coach Gene Keady, also is taking part in the Wooden Classic this year. Keady's Boilermakers (5-2) face Arizona (4-1) in today's first game at 1:30 p.m.