Am nervous again!
UCLA maybe drained from the tough fight against the Bulldogs.
Memphis is well rested from their easy win.
In my following of UCLA, the regional finals have been ugly affairs in 2 of 3 cases.
In 1992, UCLA went to regional finals sporting a 28-4 record. They had beaten Indiana in the pre-conference schedule. But on that Saturday in the regional, the Bruins got beaten like a drum. They were down 20 or so and I was hoping for a 2nd half comeback. It didn't happen. I don't recall they ever made much of a dent in the deficit.
In 1995, UCLA won an exciting end-to-end high scoring contest with Connecticut. I saw the game on videotape. I had planned several weeks earlier on visiting a friend who was a student at William and Mary College. Thus, I set the VCR to tape the game while I was away. As I drove home, I heard on the radio that UCLA had won. I watched the tape of the victory well past midnight!
In 1997, UCLA had a brawl for the regional semi-finals against Iowa State. I went to a sports bar to watch and soon fled the bar because the Bruins were down big time and the bar crowd was getting too rowdy for my tastes. I got home and somehow the Bruins came back to force overtime where they final got the narrow victory.
The regional final game was against Minnesota and the Bruins were behind. Not down in blowout proportions but behind and they just couldn't catch them. Minnesota was just too big and strong.
Memphis has top level NBA type players in their line-up.
As of right now, I think UCLA's top two (Farmar and Afflalo) would at best be late first round draft picks.
From this Bruin fan point of view, if Memphis wins in a blowout, it would be no surprise. If UCLA wins it, it will be a close game where somehow, like against Gonzaga, the synergy of the UCLA parts proves to be enough to overcome the more athletic and talented Tiger team from Memphis.
As before, my head says Memphis wins. But my heart is for the Bruins!
Bruins Basketball Blogs:
Bruin Basketball Report
Bruin Hoop Scoop
Bruins Nation
See the highlights from the Gonzaga vs. UCLA game. HT: Nestor16 at Bruins Nation.
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