West regional: Red-hot UCLA the cream of this crop
Once again, for what seems like the 49th time in the last 50 years, the West Regional might as well be called the UCLA Invitational. But there's no question the Bruins earned the No. 1 seed, and they even get to start the tournament in Anaheim, 45 miles from Westwood.
The Pac-10 has steeled the UCLA Bruins well, and there are no clear roadblocks in their path to the West final in Phoenix, though Drake and Connecticut could be aggravating.
Coach Ben Howland has guided UCLA to the last two Final Fours as a No. 2 seed. Now he gets to start at the top with the Bruins' first No. 1 seed since 1995.
Second-seeded Duke has a rougher path, and assuming it gets past Belmont in the opener, a second-round game against West Virginia or Arizona won't be a snap.
Purdue paid for the Big Ten's weakness and its loss to Illinois in the Big Ten quarterfinals with a No. 6 seed. The Boilermakers' first-round game against Baylor is intriguing for fans in northwest Indiana. Former Valparaiso coach Scott Drew has done an amazing job rebuilding the Bears.
Who's hot: UCLA rolled through the nation's toughest conference, won the league tournament and has won 10 in a row and 15 of 16. Not much to argue with there. Drake won the Missouri Valley regular season title and then swept through the conference tournament, including a 30-point rout of Illinois State in the title game that sent the Redbirds to the NIT.
Who's not: Arizona is stumbling into the tournament, having lost eight of its last 12. Freshman Jerryd Bayless is a 20-point scorer, so the potential is there. Kevin O'Neill's season subbing for Lute Olson has been tough. Connecticut, after beating DePaul for its 10th straight win, limped home with a 3-3 record.
Cinderellas fellas: You have to love Georgia, which won three games in the last two days to win the Southeastern Conference tournament and make the field at 17-16. But the Bulldogs could be emotionally spent by the time they open against No. 3 seed Xavier.
Projected regional champion: It should come down to UCLA vs. Duke in the finals, and the matchup favors the Bruins. Center Kevin Love has had a huge freshman season, and the Blue Devils lack a big man to stand up to him. Duke's hope is that its balance can overcome that. But that's all it is—a hope.
First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 20 and 22, 2008
Honda Center
Anaheim, California
Host: Big West Conference
Ticket Price: $153
Phone: 714/704-2500
Web site: www.hondacenter.com
Regionals: Thursday and Saturday, March 27 and 29, 2008
West Regional
US Airways Center
Phoenix, Arizona
Host: Arizona State University
Ticket Info: SOLD OUT
Ticket Price: $122
Phone: 480/727-0000
Web site: http://www.phoenixregional.org/
Official Packages: www.ncaa.com/regionals
Final Four: April 5 and 7, 2008
Alamodome
San Antonio, Texas
Host: University of Texas-San Antonio
Ticket Price: $220/$190/$170/$140
Final Four Tickets Info: SOLD OUT
Official Packages: www.ncaa.com/hospitality
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