2008 Woodie Awards
UCLA cuts down nets in San Antonio
Ryan Ferguson
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Sports
Some people believe it started when Tennessee knocked off then-No. 1 Memphis. Many think it began with the conference tournaments last week. Despite all of that, everyone will know what March Madness is all about Thursday at 11:20 a.m. in Washington, D.C.
That is the time and place where third-seeded Xavier tips off against 14th-seeded Georgia to open the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. From that point on, college basketball fans get to witness 32 games on Thursday and Friday and 16 more over the weekend.
FINAL FOUR
West - UCLA has been to the Final Four the last three years, and it will be the same story this season. The Bruins won both the Pac 10 regular season and conference tournament championships. Oh, by the way - the Pac 10 has six teams in the field of 65.
Guard Luc Richard Mbah a Moute enters the tournament with a nagging ankle injury that kept him out of the Pac 10 Championship, which UCLA won anyway. After resting him against Mississippi Valley State, however, Mbah a Moute should be healthy enough for the second round and beyond.
Beyond him, the Bruins have one of the best 1-2 punches at the guard position: Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook, and don't forget about Kevin Love, one of the premier big men in the country.
South - Memphis lost only one game this season, but the Tigers do not have to worry about making travel arrangements to San Antonio. Stanford will.
Stanford was runner-up to UCLA in the Pac 10 regular-season standings and fell to the Bruins again in the conference championship, 67-64. Still, any team that has twin 7-footers has a shot to take a bite out of March Madness.
The Cardinal has fallen four times since the middle of January, which seems like a lot. Of those four losses, all were on the road, three were in overtime and two were to UCLA.
Memphis' downfall will be free throws. The Tigers shot less than 60 percent on the season, compared to Stanford's 70 percent.
Keep in mind, no team has won a National Championship while shooting less than 62 percent from the free-throw line since 1985.
That is the time and place where third-seeded Xavier tips off against 14th-seeded Georgia to open the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. From that point on, college basketball fans get to witness 32 games on Thursday and Friday and 16 more over the weekend.
FINAL FOUR
West - UCLA has been to the Final Four the last three years, and it will be the same story this season. The Bruins won both the Pac 10 regular season and conference tournament championships. Oh, by the way - the Pac 10 has six teams in the field of 65.
Guard Luc Richard Mbah a Moute enters the tournament with a nagging ankle injury that kept him out of the Pac 10 Championship, which UCLA won anyway. After resting him against Mississippi Valley State, however, Mbah a Moute should be healthy enough for the second round and beyond.
Beyond him, the Bruins have one of the best 1-2 punches at the guard position: Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook, and don't forget about Kevin Love, one of the premier big men in the country.
South - Memphis lost only one game this season, but the Tigers do not have to worry about making travel arrangements to San Antonio. Stanford will.
Stanford was runner-up to UCLA in the Pac 10 regular-season standings and fell to the Bruins again in the conference championship, 67-64. Still, any team that has twin 7-footers has a shot to take a bite out of March Madness.
The Cardinal has fallen four times since the middle of January, which seems like a lot. Of those four losses, all were on the road, three were in overtime and two were to UCLA.
Memphis' downfall will be free throws. The Tigers shot less than 60 percent on the season, compared to Stanford's 70 percent.
Keep in mind, no team has won a National Championship while shooting less than 62 percent from the free-throw line since 1985.
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