Having Rush back gives UCLA a much needed boost on and off the court. There has been a cloud of negativity hanging over the UCLA program this season, due to the Rush suspension and the criticism of the program by local writers, radio jocks and overly sensitive boosters. Here's the deal: Rush was mistreated by the NCAA, and Steve Lavin is a good coach who has faced some tough obstacles this season.

	Michael McDonald gets the ball where his Stanford teammates want it.

With Rush in the lineup, the Bruins would easily have more than 20 wins and talk of the NIT would be laughable. I believe that most UCLA critics doubt Lavin simply because of the circumstances under which he got the head coaching job. The objective truth? Lavin has done a good job, and he deserves to be able to do his job without constant heckling from those who criticize generally, not specifically.

That being said, the Bruins still have their hands full with a Stanford team continuing to roll. The Cardinal have won 12 straight by double digits by an average margin of 24 points -- and that was before they drilled USC by 43 points on Thursday. Stanford is a great team that does not get near the credit it deserves because the Cardinal players are not spectacular athletically, and because Stanford plays on the West Coast while the East Coast dozes off to sleep.

Well, if you are caught napping for any period of time against Stanford, you will get your rear end handed to you, because the Cardinal are outstanding at every phase of the game.

Stanford will impact this game defensively, because the Cardinal is the nation's most sound defensive team. Stanford does not gamble or force turnovers with great pressure, they just guard the pants off you from the 3-point line to the basket. There will be no tricky double-teams or complicated switches; rather, they will get down in a stance and make it tough for UCLA to get an unchallenged shot. Then they'll rebound the miss, take it down, and force UCLA to guard them. This is a great team, and one that should be remembered in Palo Alto for a long time.

When UCLA has the ball
UCLA is a team of talented starters and decent depth, with some good athletes who can make plays. The Bruins are streaky on the perimeter, and have been inconsistent inside. When the Bruins put it together, they can beat almost anyone.

The Bruins like to push the ball, and their big guys can run the floor and finish. Jerome Moiso and Dan Gadzuric are exceptional athletes who have played well when challenged by other good big men, and they will be challenged against Stanford's imposing frontline.

UCLA runs some 3-out, 2-in motion and has several set playcalls, including a 1-4 set that can get them a lob to Earl Watson. The Bruins also look to work a high-low game between Moiso and Gadzuric. With Rush back, UCLA will have a slasher who will crash the glass at every opportunity, and who will throw his body right into the middle of every play. Rush has been practicing with the Bruins all season, except for road trips, and will rejoin the team with full eligibility on Friday after Thursday's game at California.

Steve Lavin feels that Rush can make the transition back to playing fairly easily, because he is almost a "freak of nature" as an athlete, and has stayed in amazing condition. Clearly, he will have some timing adjustments to make, and having to adjust against the nation's best team is no easy task.

Moiso is a key in this game, and if he can get some offensive board opportunities early, could play well. He has decent post moves, but sometimes disappears when things do not go his way. A lefty, Moiso loves to turn over his right shoulder and rise up for a turnaround jumper or a jump hook. Gadzuric is a powerful big man who can dominate down low, but needs the ball close in to be truly effective. If Stanford can push him off the blocks, he is much less effective. Gadzuric also loves to crash the offensive glass, with almost half of his rebounds coming on the offensive end.

Jason Kapono is the Bruins' best player. He's a very smart player who is looking to score or make a scoring play every time down. If Stanford does not find him on the break, Kapono will be found by whoever's leading the break and hit open 3-pointers. He and Casey Jacobsen are the best freshmen in the league (outside of Tucson, that is...Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas are beyond being lumped in with anyone else).

Earl Watson has been playing very well of late, and is a capable point guard. He's strong, smart and a good guard rebounder who can get out and guard people. Stanford has to keep Watson off of the free throw line.

The key for UCLA is protecting the ball. The Bruins have had problems hanging onto the pill, and have been getting stripped too easily. When UCLA coughs it up, Stanford will get easy hoops without having to play against UCLA's halfcourt defense.

When Stanford has the ball
Mike Montgomery has built a powerhouse in Palo Alto, and there is no end in sight. While everyone seems to focus on the showdown with Arizona on March 9, all Montgomery is talking about is the game against UCLA. He wants his team to be worried about each possession of each game, and everything else will come out in the wash. Montgomery has a group of hard workers who are unselfish and fun to coach. He also has a team that could easily cut the nets down in Indianapolis. He should get a coach of the year award, but it will be a close race with Lute Olsen.

Stanford is a disciplined offensive team that runs some very good offensive sets, including a lot of flairs, crosses, flex action, high-low and double stacks. Montgomery has taught this group how to play, not just how to run sets, and the Cardinal are very hard to defend. Not only does Stanford have Mark Madsen inside, but the outside game is very strong.

Madsen is back to his old "Mad Dog" ways, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds over his last five games. Madsen loves contact, blocks out hard on both ends and is one great position player. When the ball moves side to side, Madsen moves as the ball moves and locks down his defender with a great seal. He has perhaps the best understanding of positioning of any big man in America. Add in his huge hands, and when Madsen goes after the ball (with both hands and not just one), he'll usually get it.

Madsen is flanked by Jarron Collins, who has some exceptional face-up skills, and Jason Collins, a huge load in the paint. Jason Collins is a prototype 7-footer who plays a mental game as well as a physical game. Stanford's big guys block shots, block out, and block the sun. They do not allow second shots, and they are excellent help defenders.

Undervalued by most observers, Stanford's outside game is in capable hands. Michael McDonald has been solid all season, doing a great job running the team. He's very quick, has good defensive ability and makes very good decisions. Every pass with him is not a scoring pass, he just gets the ball to where it needs to be so others can make decisions with it. In other words, McDonald is a true leader who does not need credit and doesn't need to dominate the ball to feel like a point guard. Maybe its his genes: McDonald's dad, Glenn, was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1974, and he is now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.

David Moseley is an outstanding shooter who can also put the ball on the floor. He plays well in big games, and is capable of getting 30 any given night. Jacobsen is the Cardinal's leading scorer as a freshman, and is wise beyond his years in the ways of scoring. He has a jumpshot with a pure release point, great range and pull-up ability.