Bruins Bully Bayou Bengals 59 – 45
The NCAA Men’s basketball Final Four has produced some of the most magical and memorable games in basketball history. That was definitely not the case in Saturday’s UCLA – LSU regional semifinal game in Indianapolis. The Oakland region representative, number two ranked UCLA Bruins seemingly channeled the mojo of John Wooden, Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, and Reggie Miller while pounding the LSU Tigers for 40 straight minutes. A game what many said to be an instant classic was quickly turned into non-competitive rout with UCLA defeating LSU 59 to 45. The UCLA Bruins, who even went under my radar this season, came out and overmatched and outplayed a widely heralded Tigers team. LSU, sporting two future NBA lottery picks in Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Tyrus Thomas, looked fatigued and bamboozled against the Bruin defensive tenacity.
Big Baby PACified
LSU Sophomore forward, 6 foot 9 inch, 310 pound Glen “Big Baby” Davis came into Saturday’s game averaging 18.5 points per game on the season and 20.8 in the tourney. But the defensive brigade of UCLA’s Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Ryan Hollins, and Lorenzo Mata held the big man to 14 points on 5 of 17 shooting with only 7 rebounds before he fouled out of the game late in the second half. Davis, who also finished the regular season as the SEC player of the year, came into this game having had his way with opposing big men, yet he seemingly met his match by struggling against the length, athleticism and number of Bruin big men. UCLA head coach Ben Howland formulated a flawless defensive scheme to frustrate and tire the LSU star underclassman.
East Meets West
UCLA, a program that has produced such offensive juggernauts as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Walton, Reggie Miller, and Baron Davis, this year is known for its defensive prowess. The Bruins won Saturday’s Final Four game with high intensity defense and a barrage of timely shots. That mainly can be attributed to the defensive methods of their head coach Ben Howland. Howland, in his third year with the Bruins, brought the “rough & tough” style of play from the Big East to the more flashy PAC-10 conference. The Bruins came into the game having held three of its last four tournament opponents to under 60 points and less than 45% shooting. The Bruins stayed true to their new form by shutting down the LSU Tigers and holding the big two of Davis and Thomas to 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Bruins held the Tigers to scoring droughts of 3:46 and 6:09, making it hard for the Tigers to mount any kind of comeback. Now with the defensive tactician that is Ben Howland at the helm, this Bruin team is now rewriting the lore of UCLA past with a gritty, grind it out style of play.
Bruins Battle Equally Athletic Gators
With their win against the LSU Tigers, the UCLA Bruins battle the University of Florida Gators on Monday night in Indianapolis. This game will match two clubs that have thrived in this year’s tournament with lock down defense and power play on the inside. Florida’s head coach Billy Donovan makes a return to the championship game after losing to Michigan St. in 2001. The Bruins will be making their first appearance back to the big game since 1995, which should make for a tremendous championship game.