The Washington Post |
T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times told Howland the other day the Bruins are playing "Big East ball," to which Howland, who came over from Pitt, said, "So what? We're winning."
UCLA is nowhere near as fun to watch as Kansas, especially when Rush is exploding and spinning to the basket in the way few college players are capable.
But, as Howland said, so what? They won. Collison was the only UCLA player besides Afflalo to score in double figures, and he had seven turnovers to one assist. These aren't numbers point guard alums Mike Warren or Henry Bibby would be proud of. But they forced Kansas into enough turnovers to make a couple of big runs and seize control of the game.
But the Bruins are on their way to Atlanta for a second straight trip to the Final Four, this time without Farmer, Ryan Hollins and Cedric Bozeman, tough as ever, resourceful as ever. Afflalo, extraordinarily well-spoken and analytical for a college player, might be the marquee player we were all looking for when the tournament began, that player who dominates March the way Joakim Noah did last year or Carmelo Anthony did a few years ago. "We're playing our best ball of the season now," Howland said, making it sound like both a promise and a threat.
Today's UCLA is neither laid-back or stylish in the way that John Wooden's Bruins were, instead relying on a bare-knuckle, bodacious attitude.
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