LOS ANGELES - It's certainly not a make-or-break game.

And the Wyoming Cowboys wouldn't even call it a benchmark.

But just another game?

"It's another game with different uniforms," senior guard Brandon Ewing said.

Except those uniforms have been worn by basketball greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Reggie Miller, to name a few.

And those uniforms once won seven consecutive national championships and have currently been to three straight Final Fours.

And those uniforms are currently being worn by a team ranked 13th in the country, which makes the matchup with the UCLA Bruins, by far, the toughest UW has had this season.

"You don't get any better than UCLA," UW coach Heath Schroyer said. "This team has (been) to the Final Four three (consecutive) times. I know our guys are excited (about) playing a perennial Final Four team and we're obviously going to have to be at our best to compete with a UCLA."

It's the first meeting between the Pokes and Bruins in 21 years, and while UCLA's roster looks quite a bit different than their Final Four teams, the talent level surely hasn't dropped off.

The Bruins bring back Darren Collison, one of the best guards in the country, who is complemented by one of the best freshman classes in the nation, led by guard Jrue Holiday.

"We're going to go down there and have the best gameplan possible," Schroyer said. "But make no mistake, when you look at our schedule, there isn't a team in our league that has played anybody that's been to the Final Four in the last couple years, let alone three."

But the Cowboys are doing their best to prepare just like they would for every other game.

"The focus has gotta be there and we gotta, obviously get better," Ewing said. "But other than that, we don't gotta put no monkey on our back."

And according to at least one coach who has had to face both Ewing and Collison this year, UW's senior leader shouldn't need to feel any added pressure.

The Pokes won't likely get much love in the game nationwide, but Prairie View A&M coach Byron Rimm II - who lost to both teams - expects a heated battle.

"I think that UCLA might have the advantage to one standpoint, but it's going to be a great basketball (game)," Rimm said after UW beat Prairie View on Nov. 19. "Comparing Collison to pretty much anybody in the country (he) has an advantage, but I think Brandon's going to hold his own. It's not like Collison is going to go off on him or anything like that.

"But all the way from 1 through 7 on the UCLA team, six of them are pros and one's probably an overseas pro, so it's going to be a good battle."

Even a hard-fought loss would help the Cowboys - who enter tonight 9-1 but haven't received a single vote in the national polls - earn some respect.

But a game in December is never the end-all of be-all game for any team.

"It's foolish to sit here and say that going to Pauley Pavilion and playing UCLA is just another game," Schroyer said. "But at the end of the day, it's still going to be a game and we're going to have to move on no matter what happens."

Whatever the result, the game - against a team different uniforms that just happen to be perhaps the most historic in college basketball history - will finally provide a measuring stick as to just how good this UW team might be.

Contact sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at (307) 266-0578 or eric.schmoldt@trib.com.

COWBOYS TRACKER

TONIGHT: Wyoming at No. 13 UCLA, Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles

RECORDS: Cowboys (9-1); Bruins (8-2)

FOLLOW IT: TV: FSN Prime Ticket (Contact your local provider for more information). Radio: Cowboy Sports Network.

MEASURING STICK: The Pokes will face by far their stiffest competition and a big-time win might help the Pokes finally earn some votes in the national polls.

HE SAID IT: "At the end of the day, it's still going to be a game and we're going to have to move on no matter what happens." - UW coach Heath Schroyer

GIMME FIVE

Wyoming Cowboys

1. PROBABLE STARTERS: Sr. G Brandon Ewing; Sr. G Sean Ogirri; Sr. F Tyson Johnson; Fr. F Afam Muojeke; Fr. C Adam Waddell.

2. 60 MINUTES: After struggling to find his stroke, Ogirri has scored 48 points in his last three halves combined and was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on Monday.

3. L.A. CONNECTION: Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss grew up in Kemmerer, graduated from Wyoming and is expected to be at the game tonight.

4. VITALS: The Pokes are 1-1 on the road this year and are 0-3 when playing at UCLA, but did win the last meeting between the two teams during the 1987 NCAA Tournament.

5. HE SAID IT: "I know our guys are excited (about) playing a perennial Final Four team and we're obviously going to have to be at our best to compete with a UCLA." - UW coach Heath Schroyer

UCLA Bruins

1. PROBABLE STARTERS: Sr. G Darren Collison; Fr. G Jrue Holiday; Jr. F James Keefe; Jr. F Michael Roll; Sr. C Alfred Aboya.

2. ROUGHED UP: Senior wing Josh Shipp didn't play in the Bruins' last game and is doubtful tonight after spraining his ulnar collateral ligament of his left thumb during a practice.

3. WYO CONNECTION: UW women's basketball assistant coach Gerald Mattinson played his college ball with UCLA coach Ben Howland at Utah State.

4. VITALS: UCLA leads the all-time series 5-1 dating back to 1946 and the Bruins are 601-89 all-time at Pauley Pavilion, including 34 straight victories against unranked opponents.

5. HE SAID IT: "We're 9-1, we approach every game like we're playing a top-25 team, we're trying to win every game. Win or lose this game, it's not going to dictate our season." - Ewing