Hoop Day at UCLA

College basketball fans have nothing to worry about--there’s no chance of a strike here. In fact, you can come out and meet both the UCLA men’s and women’s teams at the annual Basketball Family Day on Sunday at 1 p.m. Coaches Kathy Olivier and Jim Harrick will introduce their teams in a day of slam-dunk contests, team drills and super-shot challenges. Some members of the audience will get a shot at winning prizes.

The first 3,000 into Pauley Pavilion will get freebies from corporate sponsors (including Haagen Dazs, Gatorade, PowerBars, Joico and others). Players will stick around to sign autographs after the exhibition.

“This is a great family event,” says Bill Bennett, UCLA sports information director. The event, he notes, is patterned after the “Midnight Madness” some schools hold the day when college practice can legally begin for the season--but those late-night events mostly attract college students. “We feel we get everybody,” Bennett says. “The college students, the moms and dads and the kids. It’s just a fun event for the whole family.”

The Varsity band and UCLA Spirit Squad will also join in. The event is free (tickets for regular season games average about $20). Pauley Pavilion, west end of UCLA campus, Westwood. (310) 206-4458.