For most schools, simply getting to the Final Four is a great accomplishment. A banner would go up in the gym, alumni would pour in the donations, and a ticker tape parade around campus would probably ensue.
As you may have noticed, there was no parade yesterday.
At this school, expectations are high. And I’m not talking about academics. Basketball is a year-round obsession, and to come so far only to fall in the Final Four is considered a disappointment. Forget the rest of the season; if that last column on that last game doesn’t show a “W,” it was all for nothing.
Here, Final Fours are stepping stones to championships, not final destinations. Here, only championship banners line the rafters of Pauley Pavilion. Here, we make champions, not second runners-up.
This isn’t madness. This is UCLA.
There’s only one problem with all of this ““ after one loss to a great team (as much as it hurts to say) on Saturday, the rest of the season can get tossed aside like a used rag. Don’t let that happen.
Sure, Saturday was disappointing. Sure, I thought we were going to take down Florida and the national championship. And sure, this loss stings with the worst of them. But those things don’t take away from what these guys accomplished all season.
A Pac-10 title. Undefeated at home. Another Final Four. This was a great season.
I’m not saying everyone should be satisfied with this year’s result because, like Arron Afflalo said, nobody plays just to make it to the Final Four. But that certainly does not mean this season was a failure.
If someone had told me at the beginning of the year that UCLA would earn its second consecutive trip to the Final Four, I would have been ecstatic. I would have rioted in my half of my room, which probably would have resulted in the charring of my bed and desk.
However, if someone had told me the Bruins were going to face Florida in the Final Four, I would have started to get a little bit nervous (see the Feb. 6 Daily Bruin Sports section).
As much as I hated to admit it then and as much as I hate to admit it now, Florida is by far the best team in the country (see Monday night’s game). A team with just the sharp-shooting Lee Humphrey, athletic swingman Corey Brewer and lightning-in-a-bottle point guard Taurean Green would have been a formidable opponent, but add in Joakim Noah and Al Horford and you’ve got serious problems.
On Saturday, all of Florida’s talent came to fruition. In the first half, with their inside game struggling, the Gators turned to their outside shooters, who bailed them out. After the break, Florida took over the game using timely 3-point shooting to stretch the lead and offensive boards and put-backs to keep it.
For only the second time since I’ve been at this school, the Bruins looked out-talented.
However, this is not a time to second guess what happened on Saturday. You can gripe about the refs, Florida’s home-court advantage or any number of things, but the Gators were the better team. Just leave it at that.
This is a time to acknowledge what a great run the Bruins made carrying expectations that were as high as they’ve been in the past decade.
This season will be remembered for a long time; just make sure it’s for all the right reasons.
E-mail Feder at jfeder@media.ucla.edu if you think the third time’s a charm.