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UCLA
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
A 4-4 start. A home loss to Cal State Northridge.Unimpressive wins against UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. It was only two days before Christmas and already most had buried the Bruins for this season and re-visited the rumors about coach Steve Lavin's job status. Athletic director Peter Dallis would re-visit them in midseason to the point of calling then-Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino about the job.But the Bruins traveled across country on Dec. 30 and gutted out an 87-82 win against Purdue, the start of a stretch that saw them win 14 of their next 16 games and position themselves for a strong NCAA run. The key victory came at Stanford on Feb. 3, two days after Cal ripped UCLA by 29. Lavin's team could either respond with a great effort or roll over for the nation's No. 1 team. It responded, all right. Beat the Cardinal 79-73. UCLA also avenged a loss at Arizona by beating the Wildcats 79-77 in overtime on Feb. 15 in Pauley Pavilion, yet another step in proving the team that began the season was a far cry from the one that would end it. And that season is still going strong after the Bruins held off a pesky Hofstra team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, setting up a meeting with the Cinderella Utah State Aggies. Player to Watch Earl Watson, the point guard who never really was one, will likely decide how far UCLA advances in the NCAA Tournament. He is the team's emotional edge and its driving force, a senior who can still shoot you in and out of games. Bad habits (see turnovers) resurfaced some near season's end, but Watson is a pass-first, team-first guy who has the respect of teammates and coaches. UCLA is no longer a selfish team, and much of that has to do with Watson's influence during the bad times. Numbers don't make him happy. Winning does. With the Ball When everything is going well, UCLA's high-low game dominates the inside and second shots come in bunches. It is a much more versatile attack now than earlier this season, especially on nights when center Dan Gadzuric is healthy and playing within the scheme. Jason Kapono remains one of the league's best shooters and the sophomore's range on three-pointers opens up more inside. Perhaps no team in the Pac-10 feeds more offensively off its defense, counting on pressure at one end to mean baskets at the other. Defending the Ball It began in the second half against North Carolina as a way to rally the Bruins from a large deficit. UCLA lost to the Tar Heels 80-70 in late December, but the stifling full-court press was born. Since then, Steve Lavin's team has attacked defensively for 40 minutes each game, turning countless turnovers into points. The key to the press working well is junior forward Matt Barnes, who also helps center Dan Gadzuric on the boards. The lapses come when defending in the half-court, when teams break the press and slow tempo and make the Bruins move their feet and help on the weakside and contest shots and extend for much of a 35-second clock. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing To Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE 0.886 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding). Bracketology Report1985-2000: UCLA's Jekyll and Hyde tournament history is no secret, and the numbers reflect that. In 13 NCAA visits since the field expanded in 1985, the Bruins have played to their seed only twice. They have exceeded their seed six times and fallen short an even higher seven times. What does it mean? It says here to expect the unexpected with the Bruins in NCAA play. Geography doesn't seem to matter for them. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Steve Lavin and UCLA were rewarded with a fourth seed in the East Regional.
Earl Watson looks ahead to UCLA's matchup with top-seeded Duke (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
