This year's great unknown shed its skin last Saturday, and the same old warts that have defined Steve Lavin's coaching career at UCLA appeared.

Clap if you're surprised.

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Pac-10 DePaul at UCLA (Saturday) Robert Stack couldn't solve the mystery that is No. 17 UCLA, which should still be without JaRon Rush and sophomore forward Matt Barnes (academic suspension) when the Blue Demons arrive. The interesting part will involve DePaul star forward Quentin Richardson. As in, who on the UCLA roster is going to stop him? The Bruins could have an edge at point, where Earl Watson is usually solid and DePaul is hurting now that Rashon Burno is out 3-5 weeks with a sprained knee. The smart thing for UCLA would be to press and trap from the opening tip. But that would involve, of course, playing smart ... Mountain West Oklahoma State at Nevada-Las Vegas (Saturday) The second game of the Las Vegas Shootout (Arizona plays Nebraska in the opener) offers the Rebels their second serious challenge of the young season. They failed the first, losing to North Carolina 102-78. UNLV is good enough to contend for MWC title but must prove it can also compete against the nation's elite. The game features the nation's top two assist leaders in OSU's Doug Gottlieb and UNLV's Mark Dickel, but if the Rebels have any chance, it must hold its own inside against the likes of Alex Webber, Desmond Mason and Brian Montonati. WAC Texas-El Paso at New Mexico (Saturday) UTEP -- coming off a rout of Loyola Marymount -- has the WAC's leading scorer in Brandon Wolfram and beat the Lobos 84-69 on Dec. 1. It has been somewhat of a slow start for the Fran Fraschilla Era in Albuquerque, and a second loss in just a few weeks to UTEP certainly wouldn't sit well with the Pit faithful. Right now, New Mexico has great trouble scoring. Last season, Kenny Thomas was often double- and triple-teamed inside, allowing shooters like Lamont Long and Kevin Henry open looks. This season, those jumpers are being contested more.

Hmmm. So quiet.

The Bruins played their first real game of the season (we refuse to count wins against Fairfield, Iona and Morgan State) and were just as confused, just as inept, just as slow to adapt as the last time we saw them in a big game, when tiny Detroit Mercy knocked UCLA out in round one of the NCAA Tournament.

This time? UCLA had 10 days to prepare for Gonzaga. The Zags were on the final leg of a three-game swing in seven days. They went to Cleveland to play Cincinnati and then returned home. They went to Chicago to play Temple and then returned home. They went to Los Angeles to play UCLA.

In terms of leg strength, UCLA was Zeus and Gonzaga was Gumby.

But there are specific reasons for Gonzaga's 59-43 win and they go far beyond this latest Bruin debacle and even farther beyond the indefinite suspension of sophomore forward JaRon Rush.

UCLA under Lavin has not been a well-coached side. Always athletic, always entertaining, the Bruins of late have lacked basic ball skills that great teams own.

Like, well, an ability to shoot from farther than 10 feet.

It is supposed to be different this year. Really. Shots are being promised to fall from way, way out there. Jason Kapono. Billy Knight. Ray Young. Players with touch apparently exist within Pauley Pavilion's storied walls.

But there was UCLA against the Zags, attacking a zone as if it were a plague -- shooting 26 percent, finishing with six assists and 16 turnovers. The Bruins in recent years have adjusted well to gimmicks about as often as Lavin's dress shirt remains dry during games. Versace Lavin knows all about the importance of a third uniform color. It's those little things like actual game coaching he struggles at.

There is no fire in UCLA's play, no passion. It's as if the Bruins think high school résumés alone are enough to win at this level, as if the term McDonald's means you automatically receive college success with that Big Mac and fries.

They stand around on offense. They switch on some screens and don't on others. Some talk through picks, some don't. They are not as athletic inside as people think. They simply do not play smart basketball.

And much of the blame should be directed at Lavin. Sign the contract, agree to the extension, enjoy the benefits, accept responsibility. It's how the game is played.

It's not to say UCLA won't compete with the Pac-10's best (although can you imagine how easy Stanford will score inside against the Bruins?) and earn its traditional NCAA Tournament bid this year. It will. Rush's return (if it ever happens), too, will improve things.

But shouldn't we expect more from this program, arguably the greatest in the game's history? Has it become acceptable at UCLA to merely make an appearance in March? Have things turned that quickly?

The measuring stick is extended again on Saturday when No. 20 DePaul visits. It's impossible to predict how the Bruins will respond, but if they give another Gonzaga-type effort, the game is over before it begins.

Finally, we leave you with these words from Lavin, shortly after the Gonzaga loss:

"We still, in the second half, got out-competed. We had 10 days off to prepare and played very poorly. I didn't do a good enough job preparing my team."

Stop the record, please.

We've heard this tune before.

In fact, we know it by heart.

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