Will UCLA return to Final Four?
UCLA returned to the Final Four last year for the first time since winning its record 11th national championship in 1995. Can the Bruins return to this year’s event at the Georgia Dome?
Things certainly look good early. On Wednesday, UCLA won the prestigious Maui Invitational by defeating Georgia Tech. The Bruins defeated two quality opponents on consecutive nights to win the crown. The Yellowjackets are ranked 19th and UCLA beat No. 20 Kentucky in the semifinals.
Darren Collison was named the tournament MVP after scoring 15 points and handing out seven assists in the Bruins’ 88-73 win in the championship game. Aaron Afflalo, a returning starter from last year’s squad, scored 19 points in the final.
UCLA returned to national prominence a year ago under coach Ben Howland, reaching the NCAA championship game where the Bruins fell to Florida. However, unlike UCLA’s previous championship teams, which pushed the tempo and outran opponents - a trademark of legendary coach John Wooden - last year’s squad slowed games down.
The common denominator was defense. Wooden’s teams were legendary for their full-court defensive pressure and Howland’s teams use defense to squeeze the life out of their opposition.
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November a Time to Feast for Some D-1 Programs
The month of November means a change in weather, Thanksgiving Holiday, an extra 10 lbs. and for some major D-1 programs, cupcakes. When it comes to scheduling in November, many universities associate the term feast with their early season competition.
Scheduling nine or ten home games before conference and playing teams from conferences better associated with their marching bands can generate excitement around a program and have fans searching NCAA Final Four tickets in November. And while this strategy assures a team of a winning pre-conference record, it may prove damaging once conference play arrives and winning on the road could mean the difference between an NCAA Tournament invitation or settling for an NIT berth.
Jim Boeheim and his Syracuse Orangemen are perennial offenders; the ‘Cuse play 14 pre-conference games this year, with 12 such games played at the spacious Carrier Dome. Jimmy B and his boys won’t play a game outside the State of New York until they travel to Marquette on January 7. And while the ‘Cuse is always competitive in the Big East and NCAA Tournament, you have to wonder how much better they would be if they were road-tested early in the year.
Schools that pack their bags and hit the road in November and December may enter conference play void of a sterling record, but they are always the teams no one wants to play come tournament time. Why? Because they’ve been on the road, in the hostile environments; learning how to win when the fans are screaming at you and the refs aren’t giving you any love. Teams that win on the road are teams that win National Championships.
The Final Four is college athletics’ answer to the Olympics; a spectators sport like no other. You’ve always said you’d like to go to the Final Four; now is your chance. Go to StubHub, where you’ll find the largest selection of Final Four tickets on the Internet.