SAN JOSE “”mdash; Throughout Pac-10 play and the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament, UCLA has played a plethora of “grind-it-out” teams ¬”“ the kind of teams that like to slow down the tempo and impose a half-court style of game.
That’s why when sophomore point guard Darren Collison was asked whether he was excited about Kansas’ up-tempo fashion after about 30 minutes of answering routine questions, he flashed a big smile.
“Definitely,” Collison said. “It feels good just to play a team that can run. That’s something we’ve been wanting all year.
“There’s a lot of teams that try to play us in a half-court set where we have to slow the game down. “¦ Now to play a team that gets up and down is going to be great. It’s going to be a fun game, and I don’t see why we can’t be successful at it. We’ve got the players to do it.”
No. 2 seed UCLA (29-5) will take on the athletic and talented No. 1 seed Kansas (33-4) on Saturday at 4 p.m. with a trip to the Final Four in Atlanta on the line. UCLA-Kansas is the matchup that many following the West Regional have anticipated with glee since the brackets came out.
“It’s the reason kids go to UCLA; it’s the reason kids come to Kansas ““ to play in this game,” said Kansas coach Bill Self.
History seems to be on the side of the Bruins heading into the contest. UCLA is 9-4 against Kansas all time and has not lost in four NCAA Tournament games against the Jayhawks. The Bruins also sport a 16-3 record in Elite Eight games.
UCLA, despite being the under-seeded team in the matchup, also expects to enjoy somewhat of a home-court advantage with the game being played in California.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” sophomore guard Brandon Rush said. “This is going to be like another away game, so we’re going to have our backs against the wall.”
But history and a home-court advantage are a minimal source of comfort for the Bruins.
Kansas is a team loaded with weapons and is playing its best basketball of the season. The Jayhawks come into the game brimming with confidence, riding the heels of a 14-game winning streak, a conference tournament championship and three NCAA Tournament victories.
It’s a Kansas team full of athletes at every position on the floor. From sophomore forward Julian Wright, to Rush, to sophomore guard Mario Chalmers, to pretty much anyone who sees time off the bench, the Jayhawks are simply loaded with talent.
Collison said Kansas has probably the most athletic backcourt he’s ever had to face
“They (have) a lot of guards that can put in on the bounce; they can jump over the rim real well, so we definitely feel like they’re the most athletic team,” Collison said. “But we also feel like we’re athletic ourselves. This game isn’t going to be about who is the most athletic, or who has the better players, it’s going to be about playing team basketball.”
While UCLA has built its foundation on defense under coach Ben Howland, there is the idea floating around that the Bruins are a slow-it-down team themselves, which prefers to keep games low scoring. That’s something that didn’t occur to Self in his analysis of the Bruin team.
“(UCLA) has looked to run all the time this year when I’ve watched tape,” Self said. “They may not run off made baskets, but they get it and push it.”
As the Bruins have proved throughout the season and as junior guard Arron Afflalo has pointed out all along, the reality is the Bruins can adjust their game to match the style of any team they play. They’ve scored at least 88 points in a game five times this season, in addition to the many low-scoring contests they’ve had.
“I think we’re fine,” Afflalo said of UCLA’s offensive chances against Kansas. “I think our best offensive game is when we create turnovers and get transition baskets off of that.”
While UCLA is looking to get to the Final Four for the second consecutive year, Kansas’ Self will overcome a huge roadblock if the Jayhawks are able to beat the Bruins. Self has lost all three Elite Eight games he has coached ““ one with Tulsa, one with Illinois and one with Kansas back in 2004. The Jayhawks were upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament twice in a row in the two seasons prior to this season under Self.
But all of the shortcomings can be outdone with a victory over UCLA.
“I just know there’s a fine line between moving on and not,” Self said. “Every possession matters. That’s why coaches stress it from Oct. 15 or whatever ““ that one missed block-out, one missed assignment, one not carrying out a screen, setting up your man one time, difference between winning and losing.”
For UCLA, this game is about getting back to the Final Four and earning a chance to avenge its loss in the national title game last season. With the combined motivation and talent of both teams, it’s a matchup that is truly shaping up to be one for the ages.
“Personally, nothing really concerns me at all, because we’ve seen everything,” Collison said of the matchup.
“We’ve seen the best perimeter player, and we’ve seen one of the best post players. We can only beat ourselves, because I feel like we are the best team. We have to go out there and prove it.”