On the day in which he was named as Lute Olson's successor at Arizona, Kevin O'Neill also said that he wouldn't trade Jerryd Bayless for any freshman in the country.

"He's big-time and I'm not surprised at all at how well he's played lately," O'Neill said of Bayless. "He's make some real strides."

Bayless leads the team in scoring at 20 points per game and is also averaging 4.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.

"He's a tough, hard-nosed competitor, a great guy to coach and a great worker. I wouldn't trade him for any of those other freshmen that people are talking about."

O'Neill also said that sophomore big man Jordan Hill, who has also come on lately, may not play tomorrow night against UNLV due to a hip injury.

"I think he will, but he hasn't practiced the last two days," O'Neill said. "I've seen a lot of improvement from Jordan in the last few games. He's staying focused and just playing harder."

One of the most underrated players on the team has been Jawann McClellan, the former McDonald's All-American who hasn't quite lived up to expectations due to injuries, academics and personal problems.

McClellan is only averaging 8.9 points per game, but O'Neill praised the wing for his defense and leadership.

"He's really been the glue guy for our team," McClellan said. "As a leader, he's been fantastic."

UCLA TO REDSHIRT KEEFE

UCLA coach Ben Howland said he intends to redshirt forward James Keefe, who missed all of the preseason and the early part of the year with a shoulder injury.

RANDOM NOTES: Gonzaga freshman shooting guard Steven Gray, arguably the team's top perimeter threat, returned and scored 12 points in the 'Zags win over Northern Colorado on Monday night. Gray broke his wrist in an exhibition game and missed the first 10 games. He was 2-of-4 from long distance. ... Oregon State coach Jay John said that Kansas transfer C.J. Giles is still out of shape and that's the primary reason the big man has fouled out of his first two games in limited minutes. "His timing and rhythm are off right now."