LOUISVILLE, Ky. — So here sits UCLA, in a place many didn’t expect the Bruins to be, preparing to play a game most don’t expect them to win. The surprise of the Bruins’ selection into the tournament has worn off – both for the team and those outside the UCLA locker room. The initial outrage […]
Category Archives: Men’s Basketball
Men’s basketball scouting report: SMU
After Friday’s near-upset of Arizona in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals, UCLA lamented its small mistakes in the game, surely wanting another crack at its conference rival. The Bruins won’t get that this year, but they’ll get the next best thing. In coach Steve Alford’s eyes, the Bruins will be playing the Wildcats’ twin – Southern […]
UCLA announcer Chris Roberts to leave storied legacy behind the mic
Chris Roberts is in an unusual place. After 23 years behind the mic, the longtime UCLA football and men’s basketball radio play-by-play man stands front and center at half-court preparing to address the Pauley Pavilion crowd. His electric blue eyes scan the arena, and for a moment, the man whose voice filled the UCLA airwaves […]
Q&A: Statistics analyst talks prestige bias in March Madness
The story of Scotland Leman’s March Madness study begins in a Blacksburg, Va., bar. That’s where the Virginia Tech statistics professor and a few colleagues went to watch then-coach Seth Greenberg’s press conference shortly after the Hokies (22-12, 9-7 Atlantic Coast Conference in 2010) had been snubbed of an at-large NCAA tournament bid. Greenberg openly […]
Kevon Looney’s NBA draft stock rises as his game flies under the radar
For the casual observer, it can be easy to miss what makes freshman forward Kevon Looney arguably UCLA’s best player – one that is a lock to be a lottery pick in the 2015 NBA draft, should he declare. You won’t see him go coast to coast, weaving through traffic and mashing a SportsCenter Top […]
Bo Knows: UCLA is worthy of NCAA tournament bid at No. 11 seed
The Bruins had no doubts about whether they deserved an NCAA tournament bid following their loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12 tournament semifinal. “I don’t think there’s any question,” said coach Steve Alford. Freshman forward Kevon Looney echoed his coach’s sentiment. “The second half of the season, since the conference started, we’ve been […]
UCLA braced to face SMU in NCAA tournament despite bid controversy
Forgive UCLA if it forgot to laugh. Scream, shout, hoot and holler: The Bruins are stunningly, shockingly and somehow in the NCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed in the South region – much to the delight of UCLA and the dismay of others. “UCLA safely in is a joke to me. It makes no […]