NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Mississippi State Rack and Rollin'

Michelle Smith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:00 EST

Filed under: California, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Maryland, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Virginia, WCC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, MWC, Pac-10, Women's Basketball

Two weeks ago, Pat Summitt surveyed the national scene and said this:

"A lot of people don't have Mississippi State on their radar screen and they should."

Never argue with Pat.

Mississippi State is climbing the rankings -- moving from No. 25 to No. 19 in this week's poll -- and the ladder of national recognition, particularly after Sunday's 84-55 win over No. 20 Maryland.

Granted, Maryland is remodeling after the graduation of Kristi Tolliver and Marisa Coleman and the transfer of Marah Strickland, and Brenda Frese's program will likely struggle with change most of the year, but the Bulldogs took it to the Terrapins on their home floor.

Senior guard Alexis Rack -- one of eight seniors on the roster -- broke out for 43 points, including seven 3-pointers in the victory. It was the fourth-best individual scoring performance in school history.

"Sometimes I was just letting it go," Rack (above, right) said after the game.

Mississippi State is flying high at 4-0, and it has enjoyed its home court advantage. It's time to hit the road now ... which leads up to the sun and sand of the Paradise Jam Tournament next week in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This year's eight-team field will feature five ranked teams.

Mississippi State will be there, playing in the "Reef" division along with Rutgers, USC and No. 13 Texas.

The "Island" division includes No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 23 San Diego State and South Carolina.

San Diego State, who broke into the national rankings for the first time in 14 years, feels like there's a little honor in the invitation to play.

"Three years ago, the only way we get there is to hold a fundraiser and go in the spring," Aztecs coach Beth Burns said.

The holiday's other big tournament is the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas. It is a bit more of a second-tier group with four ranked teams in the field including George Washington, No. 25 Michigan State, South Dakota State, Indiana, Minnesota, TCU, No. 18 Kansas, UNC Charlotte, No. 15 Virginia, Marist, Oklahoma State and No. 9 Xavier.

Don't overlook Tennessee

Summitt was handing off credit to Mississippi State, but her own team was building some impressive momentum after beating Virginia, 77-63. Angie Bjorklund, Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson combined for 56 points.

The Lady Vols were even good enough to get their locker room back at Thompson-Boling Arena. The team had been kicked out of it for lackluster play in February and Summitt had said her team would have to "win something" to earn its way back in.

Apparently, beating a Virginia team that beat the Vols by one point in Knoxville last year was good enough to unlock the door.

Tennessee is young and inexperienced right now. But they look very, very good -- good enough to turn Connecticut and Stanford's intimate party as national championship contenders into a legitimate threesome.

Now for the bad news: Freshman center Faith Dupree will be sidelined for the season with a back injury. She played in two games, including 18 minutes against Texas Tech on Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Lady Vols are down to 11 active players for the season and need to keep Kelley Cain healthy to avoid serious depth issues in the post.

A View From the Top

The Huskies and the Cardinal don't look to be moving off their top two rankings any time soon. Here's a look at how the best of the best are stacking up so far.

Tale of the Tape
Category	No. 1 UConn	No. 2 Stanford
Scoring Avg.	91.7	86.2
Reb. Margin	17.0	23.0
Victory Margin	49.4	20.4
Next Five Games	vs. Hofstra vs. Richmond vs. Vermont vs. Hartford vs. Iona	vs. Utah vs. Gonzaga vs. DePaul vs. Duke vs. Tennessee

The Week Ahead

The most intriguing non-tournament matchups of the coming week:

UCLA at Tennessee: Former Vols assistant Nikki Caldwell comes back to Knoxville with an intriguing team that should finish near the top in the Pac-10.

Gonzaga at Stanford: One of the country's top mid-majors has a major-league test at Maples Pavilion against the Cardinal.

Cal vs. Ohio State in the Buckeye Holiday Tournament: Cal has showed its youth with poor shooting performances and the Bears lost to Baylor by 20 at home on Sunday. The No. 3 Buckeyes will be an even bigger challenge.

Randoms...

For a mid-major, Dayton is having a good early season run playing tough against big-conference teams. Dayton threw an opening salvo with a 77-74 win over Michigan State, lost a two-point game to Louisville and then knocked off Purdue 56-53 in the Boilermakers' own tournament ... The top nine teams in this week's AP poll went 19-0 last week with an average victory margin of 27 points ...There are two conferences in which every team has at least a .500 record thus far: the Big East and the Big Ten.

Mississippi State Rack and Rollin' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Some Surprises Aren't Shocking

David Steele — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Syracuse, UCLA, Alabama

The roll call of eye-popping scores began with the start of the college basketball season. And there's a chance they won't slow down soon, for an important reason: this time, the names on the front of the jerseys tell less of a story than the names on the back.

The opening week's finals look like someone's idea of a joke. The opening acts, in exhibition season, should have warned everybody: LeMoyne 82, Syracuse 79, and Georgia Tech 84, Indiana (Pa.) 76 in overtime. Then, when the games counted: Texas-San Antonio 62, Iowa 50. Cornell 71, Alabama 67. Wofford 60, Georgia 57. Rider 88, Mississippi State 74. Cal State-Fullerton 68, UCLA 65 in two overtimes.

None of that includes Kentucky 72, Miami of Ohio 70, in Game Two of the John Calipari Era in Lexington; if not for freshman John Wall's heroics in, literally, the final second, that era would have been a carbon-copy of the start of the now-infamous Billy Gillispie Era (loss at home to Gardner-Webb in his second game).

Calipari, however, waited until Game Three to inadvertently get to the root of the November surprises: they shouldn't really be surprises. After seeing his team follow up its surrender of 15 3-pointers to Miami with 18 more in a win over Sam Houston State Thursday, the coach was steaming. "This may be, at this point, the worst defensive team I have had since 1988 (at Massachusetts),'' he said. "I was so mad a couple of times, my head almost popped off.

"I love my team, and we have a chance to be good, but we also have a chance of being bad if we don't start changing some things.''

Calipari, of course, had dropped broad hints since the start of practice that his freshman-laden, fourth-ranked team has a lot of learning to do, and that the win total might not match what Kentucky followers take for granted. The early upsets and narrow escapes by the big-name teams in the major conferences indicate that Calipari is far from alone. At a lot of programs, reputations precede accomplishments, even potential.

Take two of Kentucky's Southeastern Conference brethren who took early beatings -- both, realistically, should have been expected. Both Georgia and Alabama made well-documented coaching changes in midseason last year, brought in new head men this season, have gutted rosters, and are consensus picks to be among the worst in the conference this season. Losing to, respectively, Wofford and Cornell is par for the course.

"Honestly, I think we caught them at a good time, while Coach (Anthony) Grant is still trying to get his stuff in,'' Cornell coach Steve Donahue admitted after the win in Tuscaloosa. The two leading scorers that night, Ryan Wittman and Jeff Foote, were both seniors combining for 40 of the Big Red's 71 points.

Wofford, meanwhile, had five starters returning from a 16-win team last season; Georgia's roster features eight freshmen and sophomores, and one of the few seniors expected to lead, forward Albert Jackson, injured his left wrist in preseason practice and played only three minutes against the Terriers.

The examples abound. UCLA had suffered heavy talent losses the last two seasons, since the end of its run of three straight Final Fours. Iowa, meanwhile, has had a talent drain since head coach Steve Alford departed to New Mexico, and Todd Lickliter, the hot name from Butler at the time he was hired in 2007, is 0-2 after falling to Duquesne. Iowa, with nine freshmen and sophomores, next faces No. 3 Texas in a now much-less stellar matchup in the CBE Classic in Kansas City Monday.

Of course, the table was set for this kind of start to the season by the exhibition shocker heard 'cross the country, LeMoyne's victory in the Carrier Dome. And the pattern holds there, too: Syracuse lost four key players, including NBA draftee Jonny Flynn, and is importing a ton of newcomers. The Orange apparently learned fast, heading into Friday's Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic championship game against No. 6 North Carolina with three regular-season wins by an average of 31.3 points -- including Thursday's throttling of 13th-ranked Cal, whose coach, Mike Montgomery, had said going into the game, "I don't think any of us are as good as we are going to be later on.''

Syracuse's opponent Friday is in the same boat, and like Calipari, Roy Williams has gone past preaching patience and into pleading for it. As the games in Madison Square Garden approached, he wondered when he'd discover a go-to player down the stretch to replace the NBA-ticketed quartet of last season: "It'll be interesting to see who will do it when they're geared to stop you when the game's on the line.''

And no one can explain what happened to defending SEC tournament champion Mississippi State, all its returning talent (some of it which dipped a toe into the NBA Draft waters last offseason) and its lofty preseason ranking. Rider does have four starters back from a team that won 19 games and played postseason ball (the CBI, for what that's worth). The Bulldogs have five starters returning.

Bulldog forward Kodi Augustus spoke for the entire college basketball nation when he said: "This is Rider. (We're) preseason ranked No. 18 in the country. We're not supposed to lose our first game, home opener. Wow. It's crazy."

That one, yes, is crazy. The others that seem so crazy at first glance ... not so much. If those scores surface two or three months for now, though, crazy would fit.

Of course, that's assuming another surprise evolves Saturday ... when Rider plays at Kentucky.

Why Some Surprises Aren't Shocking originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA Basketball's New Faces

Elie Seckbach — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Recruiting

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

UCLA's basketball team is always among the best college teams in the nation, but this year's team will have many new faces. In this FanHouse exclusive we talk to some of the new recruits and also hear from the Wizard of Westwood, former Bruins head coach John Wooden.

Check out the video after the jump.

UCLA Basketball's New Faces originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA's Gordon Injures Knee

Gary Washburn — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:28:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Pac-10, Injuries

Drew Gordon, expected to play a major role for the UCLA basketball team this season, suffered a partially torn patellar tendon at the 2009 USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Gordon, a sophomore from San Jose, Calif., is expected to return to Los Angeles for further examination to determine the extent of the tear. Gordon could miss up to six months, meaning he likely wouldn't return to the Bruins until Pac-10 play begins. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 3.6 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman.

Given the graduation of Josh Shipp, Darren Collison and Alfred Aboya and the early departure of Jrue Holiday, the Bruins were depending on Gordon to play a significant role next season.

"It is an unfortunate event, but Drew is a resilient kid and he'll get through it," UCLA coach Ben Howland said on the school's website. "We have a good Athletic Training staff and we will be here to support him."

UCLA's Gordon Injures Knee originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites

Gary Washburn — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, NBA Prospects, Oregon State

The upheaval at USC and constant defections at UCLA may have sent conference supremacy north.

The NBA draft's early entries have one month to return to school (June 15), but it doesn't appear any of the Pac-10 entries are coming back. Six underclassmen -- USC's DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, the Arizona duo of Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger and Arizona State's James Harden -- will participate in the draft combine beginning May 28 in Chicago, and none are likely to return to their schools. Even Holiday, a projected late first-rounder, is reportedly close to hiring an agent and remaining in the draft.

UCLA also loses All-America point guard Darren Collison and key scorer Josh Shipp, leaving the Bruins young, raw and virtually unproven. The Trojans, meanwhile, who made an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-10 tournament, could be gutted with Daniel Hackett likely headed for Italy, top recruit Renardo Sidney bolting for Mississippi State and the program under major scrutiny regarding allegations of payments to representatives for former guard O.J. Mayo. Coach Tim Floyd, if he remains at USC, will be in another major rebuilding mode in Los Angeles.

Such ruin in Southern California and major defections with the Arizona schools leaves the two most stable programs in Washington and California. The Huskies lose all-time rebounder Jon Brockman and solid guard Justin Dentmon, but coach Lorenzo Romar will depend on freshman talent along with Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Isaiah Thomas, improving Quincy Pondexter, who sparkled toward season's end, and defensive ace Venoy Overton.

Romar, always a master recruiter, was able to get Tacoma, Wash., guard Abdul Gabby, who is expected to join Thomas in the backcourt. Bruising juco forward Charles Garcia and freshman Clarence Trent will make the Huskies perhaps the deepest team on the West Coast.

California returns four of the five starters that stunned the conference by winning 22 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Gifted but enigmatic swingman Patrick Christopher decided to return to school for his senior season while speedy guard Jerome Randle and redshirt senior Theo Robertson give the Bears a chance to compete for the conference title.

And there will be some noise heard from the Oregon schools with Ernie Kent's job essentially at stake this season and the Ducks coming off an awful 2-16 conference record. Craig Robinson brought home a CBI title -- College Basketball Invitational for those non-diehards -- to Oregon State in his first season and the Beavers return their top four scorers.

After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will New Pauley Keep Students Close?

Matt Snyder — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Pac-10

Monday, UCLA officials revealed their plans to refurbish the storied Pauley Pavilion. There will be 1,000 more seats, a new floor, a high-definition video scoreboard and upgrades to every facility in the building. As for the aesthetic beauty of the outside? It's gonna be something, if it ends up anything close to the art they've produced.

Aside from the hefty price tag, one thing many people in the area may find a bit troublesome, though, is the fallout when it comes to seating. Considering the massive fund-raising effort being done to foot the bill, long-time season tickets holders and students may be seated behind donors of the renovated arena.

The UCLA athletic department has decided to hold off on revealing the seating plan, so they can review everything within the next few weeks, though reports indicate they are looking for an equitable balance between long-time season ticket holders and new donors.

For the sake of the true, loyal fans of the Bruins, let's hope that balance actually is equitable. One thing I loathe, but still understand, is how the corporate makeup of the sports world pushes the truly fanatical spectators further away from the action. College basketball seems to be the last great hotbed to avoid the movement, for the most part, with places like Michigan State and Duke having hundreds -- or even thousands -- of students right on top of the action.

If UCLA's seating plan comes out and the majority of the closest section to the floor are handed to rich "Johnny-come-lately" donors, it will be a real shame.

Will New Pauley Keep Students Close? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 12 May 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10

Gary Washburn — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Coaches, Oregon State

Stanford has ruled the Pac-10 Women's basketball landscape for the past 20 years, and California and Arizona State have recently emerged to make the conference a three-team scramble for supremacy. But two recent hires by Oregon and USC have made it apparent that women's basketball is indeed becoming a higher priority on the West Coast.

Oregon shocked the women's basketball community by hiring former NBA championship coach Paul Westhead to replace the fired Bev Smith. Westhead was fired along with P.J. Carlesimo from the Oklahoma City Thunder in December, but he comes to Eugene, Ore., with a WNBA title from the Phoenix Mercury.

While Oregon has been a fruitful recruiting base for Stanford and other national powers, the Ducks have advanced to just one NCAA tournament since 2001. Westhead's fast-paced style should attract recruits and some much-needed attention to the program. Meanwhile, USC athletic director Mike Garrett nabbed five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper to lead the Trojans, who haven't been a national power since the days of Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper.

"He has coached and played at the highest level and with the greatest players in the world," Garrett said after the announcement. "He'll be an excellent in-game coach, he'll do a great job preparing his teams and he'll wow the recruits. And I'll say this: we'll be a strong team defensively."

Cooper won two WNBA titles with the Los Angeles Sparks and will coach the Sparks this summer and take over the USC program in the fall. The hiring of Cooper away from the WNBA is a serious indication that Garrett wants the women's program to snatch some of the attention given to Stanford, which has reached two consecutive Final Fours and won at least a share of the past nine Pac-10 titles.

Women's basketball is getting increasing national attention and prestige but West Coast schools have ignored this trend. Stanford is the lone Pac-10 program to consistently compete with the powers -- UConn, Tennessee, Rutgers -- on the East. But if Cooper and Westhead have any say, that will change quickly.

Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-10 Roundup: Arizona Teams Struggle, LA Teams Roll

Shane Bacon — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:48:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Pac-10, Oregon State

On a night when the University of Arizona honored famed coach Lute Olson during halftime, something became very clear as the ceremonial speeches ended and the basketball began. If the Wildcats want to continue their NCAA streak of 25 consecutive tournament appearances, they would need more than an uplifting video (it got dusty in my apartment) and the memory of a coach that has been through a lot the last two years. The Wildcats need a W.

It wasn't happening, as Jerome Randle absolutely murdered the 'Cats in the second half, helping California (22-8, 11-6) improve to third in the Pac-10 with the 83-77 win and put the Wildcats in another uncomfortable position similar to last season -- leaving their March Madness dreams up to chance.

Arizona's Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill did all they could do to keep their team in the game, combining for 52 fo the Wildcat's 77 points, but Randle was absolutely molten from outside, hitting 8-of-11 threes, all coming when the momentum looked to be shifting.

Now, the Wildcats (18-12, 8-9) have to beat Stanford on Saturday and possibly win their first Pac-10 Tournament game to have a chance at making the NCAA Tournament. That task probably seemed a lot more likely before Arizona went on a four-game losing streak, and Stanford didn't show themselves to be capable of taking down a talented Arizona State team on the road as they did on Thursday, 74-64.

In Tempe on Thursday, the Sun Devils were abysmal, going 0-for-6 to start the game and scoring their first basket with 11:50 left in the first half. This was the third-straight loss for an ASU team that looked to be securing a solid spot in the postseason picture before the trip last week to Washington. Now, the Sun Devils have California on Sunday to try and get some positive momentum going before they head to Los Angeles for the Pac-10s.

UCLA and USC both rolled over Oregon State and Oregon, respectively, on Thursday. The No. 17 Bruins are doing the opposite dance of the Arizona teams, carding their third-straight win and improving their tournament resume as the days roll by. The win also kept them in the hunt for a split of the Pac-10 crown, needing a win on Saturday against Oregon and a loss by Washington to Washington State.

Josh Shipp had a career-high 27 points for the Bruins, and DeMar DeRozan of Southern California had 19 in the Trojans' rout of the Ducks.

Pac-10 Roundup: Arizona Teams Struggle, LA Teams Roll originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bracketology Busters: Beware the Bruins

Jacob Wheatley-Schaller — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Pac-10, March Madness

Each week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the NCAA tournament field if the season ended today. While he's good at this, Lunardi only focuses on past performance, and wins and losses. Bracketology Busters looks at which teams should be expected to perform significantly better or worse than their projected seeds.

This week we'll look at a team that's seen their perception drop after a great three-year stretch, but is primed to make yet another late season run.

UCLA | Current Seed: 5 | Status: Underrated

One of the great things about the NCAA tournament is that what you did in past years is completely irrelevant. Despite three consecutive Final Four berths, the Bruins find themselves on just the fifth line of Joe Lunardi's current bracket. UCLA is second in the Pac-10 standings, but at 11-5 is two games behind Washington. That, along with the weak non-conference resume, explains the relatively low seed.

Despite what the standings may suggest, the Bruins have actually been the best team in the conference thus far. They have a slight lead on the Huskies in scoring margin, and they've played the most difficult schedule possible in the Pac- 10. They host Oregon State and Oregon, the two worst teams in the conference, in their final two regular season games. That means they're a near lock to both finish an entirely respectable 13-5 in the league, and lead the league in scoring margin, a much better predictor of future success than won-lost record.

UCLA's latest loss, and the one that seemed to cause most people to lose faith, was at home to Washington State last Saturday. But really, that's not a particularly bad loss; it was only by one point, and the Cougars went on to sweep the Arizona schools this past weekend. The Bruins bounced back from that loss pretty well themselves, beating Stanford and Cal on the road. They would've taken 2-1 over that three-game stretch any day of the week.

The smart guys in Las Vegas certainly haven't lost confidence in Ben Howland's crew. Even after the loss to Wazzu, they were favored by five against the Cardinal, and then 2.5 against the then 21-7 Bears. Those numbers square up almost perfectly with the predictions derived from Ken Pomeroy's ratings, and he has them as the ninth best team in the entire country.

Latest College Basketball Images

Northwestern guard Craig Moore, left, makes a pass around Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Wednesday, March 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Northwestern center Kyle Rowley shoots between Purdue's Lewis Jackson (23) and JaJuan Johnson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Wednesday, March 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson, right, comes from behind to block the shot of Northwestern forward John Shurna in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Wednesday, March 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Northwestern guard Craig Moore, left, shoots in front of Purdue forward Robbie Hummel in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Wednesday, March 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Washington forward Jon Brockman (40) goes between Seattle forwards Austin Powers, right, and Michael Wright, left, to make a shot in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at Hec-Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington guard Isaiah Thomas (2) drives past Seattle guard Chris Gweth in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at Hec-Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. Washington beat Seattle 87-60. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar talks to guard Elston Turner in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Seattle Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at Hec-Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. Washington beat Seattle 87-60. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle head coach Joe Callero watches game action against Washington in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at Hec-Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington forward Jon Brockman smiles from the bench in the final minutes of Washington's 87-60 win over Seattle in a NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at Hec-Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle forward Mike Boxley looks on at left, as Washington's Jon Brockman, center left, and Quincy Pondexter, center right, battle for a loose ball with Seattle's Michael Wright, center lower left, and Shaun Burl, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at Hec-Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

With two games they should win to end the regular season, followed by the Pac-10 tournament near home at the Staples Center, the Bruins have a chance to enter the Big Dance with a seven-game winning streak for the third time in four years. But while they hope the results are the same, UCLA has certainly gotten things done differently this year.

In each of their three Final Four years, Howland's Bruins have finished in the top three in the nation in adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Bruins had a reputation for stifing D, and it was very much deserved. But this season they've dropped to 47th in the country; losing Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and block machine Lorenzo Mata-Real will have that effect.

Fortunately, the offense has stepped it up, ascending all the way to third in the nation in offensive efficiency. Darren Collison has had an absurdly good season, shooting 92 percent, 58 percent, and 42 percent on free throws, twos, and threes, respectively. Fellow senior Josh Shipp has improved his three-point stroke, up to 42 percent from last year's 32 percent, and freshman Jrue Holiday has been very effective from inside the arc.

No, UCLA isn't quite as good as in years past. They've seen too much talent depart for that to be realistic. But they're still one of the top-10 teams in the country, and are certainly going to be a tougher out than fellow projected No. 5 seeds LSU, Marquette, and Xavier.

Bracketology Busters: Beware the Bruins originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digger Phelps Bumps, Grinds and Jives

Will Brinson — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: California, UCLA, Pac-10, Campus, Fans, Media Watch, Video

Digger Phelps is one of ESPN's most colorful characters. I mean that literally, too. The guy matches his highlighters to his ties. Which, all ridiculousness aside, seems like it would be really difficult to manage in terms of a long-term dress code. Well, Digger only added to his colorful notoriety Saturday night, when he got down with some Cal cheerleaders during a timeout. On the bright side, at least he wasn't talking about Notre Dame. Via Bruins Nation.

Digger Phelps Bumps, Grinds and Jives originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Howland Sending Holiday to NBA

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:52:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Pac-10

Ben Howland has sent a lot of players into the NBA and he's going to do it this year too. Howland is going to send freshman Jrue Holiday to the Association, but not in the manner that he likely expected.

Howland had Kevin Love last season as a one-and-done freshman. Holiday could be looking for similar results, but he's taking an entirely different path. Love left school after leading the Bruins to a third consecutive Final Four appearance. Holiday might do it as a cheerleader.

Holiday spent the second-half of Saturday's loss to Washington State on the bench. And Howland told the Los Angeles Times that Holiday should get pretty comfortable as Malcolm Lee will likely see increased playing time. Howland even called Lee the team's best defensive wing right now.

Holiday has to be considered a major disappointment for the Bruins. He came to school saying all of the right things, but has rarely lived up to his potential, especially on the defensive end.

There have been flashes. Holiday shutdown USC's Demar DeRozan in a recent contest, but those performances have seemed to be the exception. Not the rule. Now he finds himself looking at a decrease in playing time. In fact, he played only 16 minutes after watching Klay Thompson score at will in the first half of the Cougar's win. And that's the thing. Howland has loosened up the offense, but he certainly doesn't want to sacrifice defense. If you want to play on Howland's team, you have to be committed to the defensive end.

If fact, you might ask what took so long?

Now you have to wonder if this will push Holiday to greater things, or if it will push him out the door. I certainly don't know the guy and can't tell you what he is thinking. But realize that if Holiday does go to the NBA, he will be paid to sit the bench and not play defense. That looks like a win-win.

But for his sake, and the Bruins, you hope that this lesson will resonate and he will start to play up to his potential. Because he's shown it before, just not often enough.

Howland Sending Holiday to NBA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA's Fast-Paced Offense Outpaced

Chas Rich — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:22:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Washington State, Pac-10

There is no team in the major conferences that plays a slower tempo than Washington State. Heck, there is only one team nationally that plays a slower tempo than the Cougars. UCLA has been experimenting with playing faster, despite coach Ben Howland's general tendencies, and up until recently it had been effective.

As much as anything, though, the speed advantage isn't everything; the UCLA defense still had to do enough. That came to a crashing thud against Washington State. UCLA did force the Cougars to play at a much faster tempo than they are comfortable, but Washington State came away with a 82-81 win at Pauley Pavilion.

Washington State senior guard Taylor Rochestie, a native of Santa Barbara, killed the Bruins with a career high 33 points. He and his teammates just picked apart the UCLA defense with 30-for-51 shooting, including just over 50 percent from the perimeter.

This was a big setback to UCLA after knocking off Washington on Thursday night. It keeps the Bruins at least a game back of the Huskies. It also has UCLA losing three of four late in the season. UCLA has been letting its defense lapse in the last week while it has accelerated its tempo. Given Ben Howland's preference for defense-first teams, this has to be galling. Expect UCLA to be slowing things down until the team starts playing defense.

For Washington State, aside from getting a nice win and showing that they are still dangerous, it puts the Cougars over .500 with three games left. While not easy with games against Arizona and Arizona State before finishing at Washington, it gives Washington State at finishing the season with a winning record and a chance to at least go to the NIT in a rebuilding year.

UCLA's Fast-Paced Offense Outpaced originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruins Beat a Ranked Team ... Finally

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:28:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, USC, Washington, Pac-10

UCLA finally did something that it hadn't done all season: beat a ranked opponent. Doesn't seem right, does it? It's not like the Bruins play a Utah State-like schedule, dodging powerhouses and choosing to beat some of the Weak Sisters of the Poor. And Cal Poly.

Yet, here in late February, the Bruins finally notched that elusive win over a Top-25 foe, beating Washington, 85-76. UCLA was able to avenge an earlier loss in Seattle, when the Huskies made a conga line to the charity stripe -- something reminiscent of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, only not as funny.

The free throws, this time, were evenly distributed as the Bruins held off a late second-half surge by the Huskies.

UCLA also remains in the hunt for a fourth consecutive Pac-10 title, though somebody might want to let Ben Howland know they don't hang conference championship banners in Westwood. The Bruins have much larger goals.

And they needed this win.

Beating a ranked opponent finally got that monkey off the Bruins' backs. They certainly didn't want to go into the NCAA tournament with that "Haven't beaten a Top-25 team" graphic shoved down our throats. Not that CBS would ever do something so underhanded during its tournament broadcast.

The Bruins needed to prove to themselves that they are capable of beating one of the big boys. UCLA had proven its meddle against lesser teams such as USC and Notre Dame, and that's fine if the Bruins were angling for an NIT title. But if another run to the Final Four is going to be possible, UCLA needed to make that first step by beating a ranked opponent -- especially one that has give them fits over the years.

I'm actually kind of curious to what this does to the Bruins. We've seen stretches of brilliance sandwiched by utter ineptitude; just when we've all thought that UCLA has turned a corner, it falls off the wagon. So I'm going to keep the hyperbole to a minimum here. This was an important victory, yes, but the Bruins haven't shown the ability to take these season-changing, marquee wins and turn it into something special.

We've all learned that the wait-and-see approach is best with this team.

Meanwhile, on the recruiting front, it looks like UCLA is out of the running for Renardo Sidney. The 6-foot-11 prospect could be heading across town to USC, which is good for the Trojans, who should enjoy reeling in these kind of prospects before probation eventually hits.

Bruins Beat a Ranked Team ... Finally originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are Bruins Run-and-Done?

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Washington, Pac-10

Sometimes, old ball coaches do learn new tricks. Heck, even Giants coach Tom Coughlin loosened up enough last season to win a Super Bowl. So it came as no surprise when UCLA's coach Ben Howland met with team leaders and let the offense run-and-gun a little on their suggestion, leading to the high point of the Bruins' roller coaster season.

Life was good.

UCLA went on a winning streak, and crushed USC and Notre Dame. But then came the desert debacle, as the Arizona schools swept the Bruins. Suddenly, run-and-gun or not, a Pac-10 title that seemed inevitable is, well, wholly evitable. So will Howland rein in the Bruins after this two-game stumble?

Good coaches are control freaks and that certainly applies to Howland. Scrapping the run-and-gun seems like a knee-jerk reaction after two tough losses. But Howland has been known to blow all of his timeouts before the 12-minute mark (or so it seems), so he does do knee-jerk.

Not this time, though. UCLA can't stand and swing with Washington, whom it faces on Thursday night. The Bruins tried to battle the Huskies in their previous matchup, but just weren't tough enough. Washington out-shot UCLA 43-15 from the free-throw line as the Huskies cruised to a win.

The Bruins need to come out aggressively and push the ball; Howland has to see this. His first instinct might be to control the tempo, but he's smart enough to know that he will have to push the ball to be effective. Besides, UCLA has yet to beat a ranked opponent this season, so the Bruins have to try something, right?

Of course, if UCLA loses this game -- which would be their first three-game losing streak since 2005 -- who knows how Howland will react.

Latest College Basketball Photos

Wyoming guard Brandon Ewing is guarded by UNLV guard Tre'Von Willis during an NCAA college basketball game in Laramie, Wyo. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Laramie Boomerang, Ben Woloszyn)

Wyoming guard A.J. Davis drives to the basket past UNLV guard Kendall Wallace during an NCAA college basketball game in Laramie, Wyo. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Laramie Boomerang, Ben Woloszyn)

Nebraska coach Doc Sadler calls to his players in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Colorado, in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler is seen past Colorado's Jermyl Jackson-Wilson, who was preparing to take a free throw against Nebraska in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik instructs his players in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Nebraska, in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Colorado's Nate Tomlinson (1) drives around Nebraska's Ryan Anderson (44) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Colorado's Nate Tomlinson (1) struggles for the ball against Nebraska's Toney McCray, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey talks to his team during the final seconds of an NCAA college basketball game against LSU in Fayetteville, Ark., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. LSU won 72-69. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

Colorado's Cory Higgins (11) drives past Nebraska's Sek Henry in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

LAWRENCE, KS - FEBRUARY 18: A Kansas Jayhawks cheerleader performs prior to the start of the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse February 18, 2009 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Are Bruins Run-and-Done? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1*

Will Brinson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Butler, Connecticut, Duke, LSU, Oklahoma, UCLA, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics when the polls come out.

Headlining: The beauty of a Tuesday column, at least this season, is that whoever ends up No. 1 can do so with an asterisk based on Monday's games. (*In case you didn't know already, Pittsburgh beat Connecticut.) And it appears that next week, we'll likely have a new No. 1 team in the nation. That will likely be Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners. Which is fitting, considering Griffin dropped a rediculous 40-point, 23-rebound Valentine's Day stat line on Texas Tech Saturday night.

But for now, at least, UConn is still your No. 1 based on this week's rankings. And it's not like they don't deserve it either; yes, Hasheem Thabeet was outmanned by DeJuan Blair down low (from the start, no less), and yes, the Huskies missed Jerome Dyson, but they're still a top-five squad despite losing on their home court Monday.

Freefallin': Duke (20-5). "Freefall" might be a stretch considering Duke is "only" at ninth overall. But they've lost four of six overall and the only two wins were over Virginia (unimpressive) and Miami (a textbook squeaker). The Blue Devils have serious issues right now, particularly with their point guard and post play, and unfortunately, those are two pretty important aspects of basketball. The home stretch, featuring North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Florida State, isn't pretty either. Butler (22-3). Here's a hint, mid-majors: Don't lose. The Bulldogs, a very talented and dangerous, albeit young, team, coughed up a single game to Loyola-Chicago and nearly got booted from the top 25. Presuming Stephen Curry can play this Saturday, they'll have a chance for redemption at Davidson. Matt Howard, by the way, is very much for real. UCLA (19-6). It's a pretty simple formula, really. Lose twice in a week after having your value inflated (sixth in the Coaches' Poll!) and you'll hurt yourself moving down the poll the next week.

You Gotta Rise Up: Arizona State (20-5). Just another 20-game winner plus a trip to the NCAA for Herb Sendek, eh? The Sun Devils rode a four-game winning streak, including a home victory over UCLA for a season sweep of the Bruins, all the way up to 11th in the coaches' Poll (14th in the AP). LSU (21-4). Clearly, the Tigers felt that the SEC was under performing and needed someone to rep the conference in the polls. That, and they ripped off six straight wins (and nine of their last 10); granted, every single one of those wins is in-conference, so the whole "grain of salt" thing applies, but that doesn't make a tiny taste of cream rising above sour milk any less impressive. Back-to-backs against Florida and at Kentucky might even come after they've locked up an SEC West title and an NCA tourney bid.

Hyped: Duke, clearly, right? The Devils aren't "bad" per se, but right now, I'm extremely confident that they are not the ninth best team in the nation. Sure, college basketball is rife with parity and the ACC is most likely the best conference in the nation (the Big East, obviously, would disagree) but if you're a top-10 team in the nation, you're not coughing up four of six games. The Clemson game -- an absolute embarrassment -- stands out more than anything.

Bunked: Arizona, despite winning seven straight games -- in-conference no less! -- isn't pulling much love from the pollsters. And sure, maybe they aren't a legit top-25 team (sorry, Bacon) at this exact moment, if we're going to reward Syracuse for losing seven games, I see no reason why the Wildcats can't get some love with eight. Missouri is ranked 11th in the AP poll, and while that might seem generous even following a huge come from behind win over Kansas and a throttling of Nebraska, I think they're better than that. Certainly better than Duke and Wake Forest, no?

WTF? Why are there only 500 some names on the Pollspeak petition to force all college voting polls into the public? There should be five million. Do your country a favor and sign that sucker electronically so we can make sure the integrity of our college athletics aren't being compromised. Or, "more compromised than they already are by the BCS."

People Who Vote Are Smart (Brought to You by Pollspeak.com): Michael Vega was the pretty clear winner in "insane voter of the week" for the past seven days. While I don't necessarily disagree with all of the points he appears to be making with his ballot, there are still some, ahem, irregularities. For instance, Duke is 25th. Even I won't agree with that. Additionally, Butler is sixth. Not doable following a loss to Loyola. He has Dayton at seventh, while Louisville clocks in at a lowly 17. Additionally, Arizona State is unranked. LSU sits at 13. And even Connecticut was number two (regardless if that turned out to be correct, it's indicative). All told, six of his teams are higher in the polls than anyone else, with another six checking in lower than anyone else. It's like someone handed Jeff Goldblum (the Jurassic Park version) a ballot and some sort of chaos theory erupted, only with less non-pertinent lines of thinking.

Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1* originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arizona Sweeps LA Schools, Brings Excitement Back to Tucson

Shane Bacon — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, UCLA, Pac-10

One thing has always haunted the Wildcats -- their inability to finish games.

On Thursday night against Southern California and Saturday against UCLA, the Wildcats again let both teams back in the game before doing something that is very un-Tucson like ... they stepped on some throats.

The win over the Bruins was about streaks, and Arizona continued one while putting the other to rest. UCLA had taken down the Wildcats in eight straight games before Russ Pennell's crew kept it together, winning 84-72 to take their current winning streak to seven.

The win all but assured Arizona will make it to their 25th NCAA Tournament, a record among current universities, and have put themselves on a short list, along with Utah State, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Memphis and North Carolina, as the hottest team in the nation. An argument can be made that they haven't won any big games on the road, but a win against UCLA is reason enough to get fired up if you're a Wildcat fan.

Arizona's defense has been superb, led by shifty Nic Wise and freshman Kyle Fogg, who actually seems to enjoy playing the man with the ball. Adam Papagiorgio made a point after the USC win that Pennell could be playing himself into the head coaching position for good and while I'm not totally sold that the Tucson faithful would be happy with a lesser name guy on the bench, the point has to be considered.

The defense is impressive, their decision making (minus Jamelle Horne, who still seems lost on the court) is there and Jordan Hill is quickly becoming a top-5 pick. On top of all that, Chase Budinger has finally become a "star" on the court and Wise, while a little all over the place, still gets his feet set and nails the open (or contested) jumper.

Now the Wildcats can rest a week before the play again, the in-state rivalry game against Arizona State, who also took care of the Bruins, in Tempe. It will be another game the Wildcats are underdogs and another chance for Chase and the boys to prove otherwise. As the most pessimistic of Arizona fans, join me in saying this (finally) -- it is, once again, fun to be a Wildcat fan.

Arizona Sweeps LA Schools, Brings Excitement Back to Tucson originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA Not Underrated at All

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

This is never why you listen to the stat heads. They will let you down. Just when you start to doubt UCLA, the Bruins go on a huge winning streak with impressive wins. And just when you completely buy in and believe that UCLA has turned the corner, the Bruins lose on the road at Arizona State, 74-67.

Are we ever going to get an accurate read on this team or are we doomed to be on the back end of a trend?

Probably the latter.

Now, let's not sell No. 18 Arizona State short here. It is a very good basketball team (though, its fans should act like it and not rush the court) and already has a win at Pauley Pavilion. So this shouldn't have been a huge surprise, even though it sure feels like one. The Bruins had looked so good recently, I thought this was going to be a blowout. Factor in a home loss to the Sun Devils and this spelled revenge game.

Arizona State was ready. The Sun Devils were a dog at home (tough for a ranked team) and they played like they took that personally. The defense was great, and James Harden relishes playing against his hometown team. The Devils don't need to worry about the bubble any longer.

Now, you have to question UCLA, which still has not beaten a Top 25 opponent. The projected No. 5 seed seems pretty fair right now, and the Bruins don't seem underrated at all. And all of you college basketball fans know too well that No. 5 is the most dreaded seed in the tournament (outside of No. 16, of course). After a remarkable run of Final Four appearances, could UCLA be looking at a first-round knock this season?

Bruins fans had better hope I'm picking that way.

In other Pac-10 action:

Arizona 83, USC 76: The Wildcats are going to end up making it to the tournament. The streak is going to live. But if Arizona goes to the tournament, is that enough to get Russ Pennell the full-time gig? Wildcats fans will say no, but I think he will get the nod.

Washington State 67, Oregon 38: Ducks fans should prepare themselves for taunts of "Hang Time" in the near future. If Oregon hasn't called Reggie Theus yet, what is it waiting for? Theus is the best possible coaching candidate out there. The Ducks should pull the plug on Ernie Kent right now. This is just sad. Look for Oregon to take its name off the jersey again. And who could blame them?

Washington 79, Oregon State 60: The Huskies really needed this state of Oregon sweep. Oh sorry, was that me already giving Washington Saturday's game against Oregon? Well, really, you can hardly blame me.

UCLA Not Underrated at All originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is UCLA Underrated?

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, UCLA, Pac-10

Is UCLA underrated? The words kind of jump off the page. Like the words don't go together. That would be akin to asking, is Alex Rodriguez an honest guy? Does Mike Patrick hate Duke? The words, they just don't match.

The fine gentlemen at Basketball Prospectus (via Mark Whicker's excellent blog on the Orange County Register site) would beg to differ. John Gasaway says that the Bruins are highly underrated and Joe Lunadri's Bracketology is highly laughable.

Oh, really?

If the Bruins want to prove that they are underrated, then they certainly have a great chance to prove it this weekend as they travel to the desert.

First off, and Gasaway admits this, the Bruins are projected a No. 5 seed because a loss to Michigan doesn't look so hot. But he points out that UCLA has one of the best offenses in recent years based on points per possession. The Bruins average 1.16 points per possession this season, which ranks ahead of last year's mark at this time, and is third in the nation.

View that with a critical eye though.

The stat geeks can pour out all of the numbers they like, but wins are what matters right now. Where was this points per possession average when UCLA was gagging an 11-point lead at home to Arizona State last month? Those final possessions at the end of the game and overtime where horrific. Everybody remembers the pass, pass, pass, pass and awkward shot combo during the closing minutes. There were actually no points per possession.

Latest College Basketball Photos

North Carolina State's Dennis Horner, back, pulls in a rebound over Wake Forest's Tony Woods during the first half at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday, Feburary 12, 2009. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

North Carolina State's Tracy Smith goes for two while defended by Wake Forest's Chas McFarland and Tony Woods, right, during the first half at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday, Feburary 12, 2009. Despite the contact, no foul was called on the play. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

Duke guard Nolan Smith (2) tries to get inside the North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough (50) and Ty Lawson (5) during second half action at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, Wednesday, February 11, 2009. UNC defeated Duke, 101-87. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

University of North Carolina fans celebrate in Chapel Hill,N.C., after North Carolina defeated Duke on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009. It was the first of two regular season matchups between the rival schools. (AP Photo/JASON ARTHURS /The News and OIbserver)

University of North Carolina fans celebrate in Chapel Hill, N.C., after North Carolina defeated Duke on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009. It was the first of two regular season matchups between the rival schools.(AP Photo/JASON ARTHURS/News and Observer)

Utah guard Lawrence Borha breaks for the basket past San Diego State forward Kyle Spain during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City. Utah defeated San Diego 67 - 55 (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

San Diego State forward Billy White (32) takes a shot over Utah center Luke Nevill (50) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City. Utah defeated San Diego 67-55. (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

San Diego State forward Kyle Spain, right, drives to the basket past Utah forward Shaun Green during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City. Utah defeated San Diego 67-55. (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

San Diego State forward Ryan Amoroso (43) is fouled by Utah forward Shaun Green (21) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah defeated San Diego 67-55. (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

Duke's Gerald Henderson (15) splits the North Carolina defense of Ty Lawson (5) and Danny Green (14) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, Wednesday, February 11, 2009. UNC defeated Duke, 101-87. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

But this is a different Bruins team right now. UCLA isn't just beating opponents, they're crushing them. Is this a true turnaround for the Bruins? They can prove it tonight against the stingy Sun Devils defense. Arizona State is second in the Pac-10 in points-per-game defense, allowing 58 points per game. (And they're 27th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, for the Pomeroys in the crowd.)

The Bruins have shown more aggressiveness in recent games, getting to the basket, instead of allowing other teams to dictate tempo. The Bruins shot only eight free throws against the Sun Devils in the first meeting. UCLA went to the line 31 times against USC, and 18 times against Notre Dame (while holding the Irish to only 10 foul shots).

UCLA has certainly turned a corner. And while that statistical mumbo-jumbo freaks me out, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that the Bruins are a much better team than they were a month ago. Don't be surprised to see UCLA win this one going away.

Is UCLA Underrated? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pauley Pavilion Voted One of Toughest Places to Play

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, UNLV, Mid-Majors

Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA was voted one of the toughest college arenas to play, according to a poll on EA Sports. And a spokesman for the company indicated that yes, the poll was serious. EA Sports conducted the poll to use in its upcoming NCAA basketball game.

UCLA made the cut of 15 in the poll made up of college basketball fans who have obviously never been to a game at Pauley Pavilion. Because those of us who have been to there would know that is just not the case. In fact, UCLA might have the most forgiving home courts for a big-time college basketball program. Ever.

That isn't a knock on the UCLA students. Well, maybe a little. But Pauley Pavilion is not designed to give the Bruins a huge home-court advantage. Coach John Wooden didn't want it that way. Wooden didn't believe it was sporting to make the opposing team uncomfortable because of the fans. Call him the anti-Red Auerbach.

Because of this, the end zone seats at Pauley Pavilion are pushed way back. And even then, the student section seems pushed away, too. You can barely see (or hear) them from your television screen.

UCLA's fans have never been known to be rabid or anything like that. They are getting a little better in recent years as it's obvious that the students have been watching a lot of ESPN and are copying other teams. But the UCLA fans have been rather soft for years.

If you wanted to see a motivated, innovative and rabid fan base, you have to take a trip in time to the campus of UC Santa Barbara in the 1980s and early 1990s. Even former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian is talking about those fans all of these years later.

The noisiest place, for sure, was Santa Barbara. The Thunderdome. Danny says that one game at Cal State Fullerton, right before we went to West Virginia in 1983, was the noisiest.

But plenty of players say Santa Barbara. I think so, too. They had all college students there. No big boosters. You couldn't even hear in there. They'd sleep outside overnight and were half-loaded by the time the game started.

All students. Almost no older people. They were crazy. We played there 10 times and they only beat us twice.

They beat us the season we won the national championship. I remember how everyone stormed the court. They were going nuts.

We were 24-4 and had won 10 consecutive games. Then the Gauchos beat us, 78-70.

The only other time they beat us on their own court was in 1988. We lost, 71-66. We were 20-1 before that game.

And for the record, that was a legal court storming, before all of the stupid BCS schools made it uncool.

But the Thunderdome is built for rabid fans. The Thunderdome was nothing more than a high school gym on steroids, with fans practically spilling out on the floor. As somebody who witnessed some of those great games in person, it was probably the most enjoyable college basketball atmosphere -- when your team won because those students were on your team the moment they stepped on the floor for warmups. There was probably no greater home-court advantage.

Or was there? How many NCAA titles did UCLA win compared to UCSB? Maybe Wooden knew what he was doing. Maybe the thing that makes a place tough to play isn't the fans in the stands, but the guys on the court. In that case, maybe EA Sports pollsters got it right.

Pauley Pavilion Voted One of Toughest Places to Play originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While You Were Sleeping, UCLA Crushes Notre Dame by 26

Adam Papagiorgio — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, UCLA, Big East, Pac-10

Many college hoops fans in Southern California woke up delighted today to find that UCLA destroyed Notre Dame in the wee hours of the morning (or mourning for Notre Dame fans). I'm not sure what CBS was trying to do, scheduling a West Coast game for 10 a.m. Was the network trying to get us ready for those early-morning starts of March Madness?

Not that it did any harm to the Bruins. If you were afraid UCLA was going to sleepwalk through this game, those fears were unfounded. Maybe that was CBS' motivation. They wanted to spare viewers the horror of what was the college hoops equivalent of a WWF squash match. This was like Hulk Hogan vs. Barry O. -- only not as entertaining.

Something has clicked with UCLA in recent weeks. The Bruins, as I pointed out a few weeks ago, looked very vulnerable. They were getting pounded inside, the offense look anemic and other teams such as Washington and Arizona State were planning to move into the penthouse.

Then the Bruins swept the Bay Area schools and pounded rival USC. The offense looked quicker, more fluid and that trademark Ben Howland-defense was suffocating.

But there was still a lingering doubt about this team. Maybe they were just fattening up on some overwhelmed conference opponents.

UCLA has struggled at home against big-name opponents on national TV. The Long Horns came into Pauley Pavilion last year and won. West Virginia also got comfortable in Westwood three years ago, scoring a victory. So even though Notre Dame has been struggling in recent weeks, there still had to be some trepidation since they are from the mighty Big East.

Not any more. The Bruins not only won the game, they took the Irish apart. This game was won by 26 points, when the margin could have easily have been 50.

Are the Bruins a Final Four team again? The better question is who is playing better than UCLA right now? USC and Notre Dame have spent time in the Top 25 this season, and UCLA outclassed them in back-to-back games.

Here's some advice for the rest of the teams out there, don't sleep on the Bruins.

While You Were Sleeping, UCLA Crushes Notre Dame by 26 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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