UCLA may have to hit the road in March

It might be time to get out those frequent flier miles.

The Bruins squandered away any opportunity over the weekend for an elite road-win and ““ gasp! ““ might have to spend March traveling to an alien time zone.

In their reign over the Pac-10 since 2006, UCLA has emerged as the champion of the West Regional each year, supported by partisan crowds in nearby Phoenix, San Jose and Oakland. Heck, last year’s second weekend in Phoenix was the first time during these Final Four runs that they played a non-Final Four NCAA Tournament game outside of the state of California.

It won’t be so cozy this year.

Yes, UCLA can still secure a first-round ticket to Boise, Idaho or Portland, Oregon (the closest pods to Los Angeles), thanks to a lack of quality teams west of the Rockies. Only Gonzaga, California and Washington can realistically bump UCLA for regional preferences.

But if the Bruins, who are looking at a moderate seeding (probably a No. 5 or No. 6 if The Dance started today) want to stay in the West again and travel to Glendale, then they must finish strong and probably win the Pac-10 Tournament. As it stands, it seems unlikely that UCLA can secure a top seed and its accompanying placement in the West Regional in Arizona.

Of course, after this weekend they might want to wait until next year to return to the desert. Ben Howland’s club walked into a buzzsaw last weekend, playing well but ultimately falling short to two teams who simply played better.

Like UCLA did in its four-game home stand, both Arizona schools fed off the energy of their crowds and shot well in the confines of their respective buildings. That, and the Bruins simply had no answer for the NBA-level players they encountered.

Thursday night, Arizona State shot 60 percent in edging the Bruins 74-67. On Saturday morning, Arizona shot 50 percent en route to an 84-72 thumping. They launched an espresso-charged attack and dropped 49 points on UCLA in the first half.

Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger ““ both projected lottery picks ““ terrorized Ben Howland’s defense all day. Hill threw in 22 points and ripped eight offensive rebounds. Budinger finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Arizona has looked like the best team in the conference since Houston guard Aubrey Coleman stepped on Budinger’s face.

Apparently, a good stomping can wake up a sleep-walking team.

On Thursday, it was deja vu for UCLA as James Harden, once again, systematically dissected the Bruins for 15 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Jrue Holiday, who in January called Harden the “strongest player I’ve played against,” was overwhelmed and outmatched by the future NBAer.

Still, UCLA had a chance to snag a resume-defining road victory.

But after seizing a 67-66 lead with 2:32 left, the Bruins simply stalled. Their ensuing possession ended with a shot clock violation. The trip after that, ASU stymied any attempt for the Bruins to drive and UCLA’s senior leader Darren Collison was called for a “charge” as the clock ticked down. Alfred Aboya’s zeal got the best of him, and his technical foul for hitting the ball before it was inbounded sealed the defeat.

So without a strong schedule remaining, UCLA might be placed at the whim of the selection committee. If they take care of business, they should be visiting Idaho or Oregon for the first round.

If they make it past the opening weekend, it could mean traveling to any of the regional sites: Boston, Indianapolis and Memphis.

That’s when those frequent flier miles will sure come in handy.

If you’re ready to travel thousands of miles this March, contact Taylor at btaylor@media.ucla.edu.

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