4:04 - Joining us today is Stuart Scott, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Jay Bilas. Two thoughts on this…Thank goodness Stephen Annoying Smith isn’t there and Stuart Scott’s glass eye is thoroughly scary in HD.

4:06 - Andy Katz announces that Chicago will draft Derrick Rose with the #1 pick. Talking about ruining the suspense. Why does ESPN always do this? They are like Hermione Granger (the annoying little girl in Harry Potter who always wants to prove that she knows it all). ESPN, you suck. Stop ruining the draft for us.

4:09 - Van Gundy says Beasley is going to come in from jump street and become a Hall of Famer. What??? 21 jump street? what is he talking about? Anyhow, Jeff is not being too conservative here. Hall of Famer???? He couldn’t even get Kansas State past Brian Butch and Wisconsin.

4:16 - Rose is getting interviewed and the tell us hes afraid of needles. Why are so many black people afraid of needles? and water? Someone let me know. On a side note, Rose seems very humble and softspoken. Meanwhile, Stephen A Smith and Beasley have a conversation that is incoherent. Can it get be any more obvious who Chicago should choose?

4:19 - Before the draft starts, let me ramble a few of my pre-draft thoughts: Eric Gordon is the sleeper of the draft, he will be better than Mayo and Bayless and should be the 3rd pick in this draft. As I said before, Kevin Love will average 18 and 10 one day. Beasley will never win a championship and will be celebrating at Scores or Spearmint Rhino tonight. Russell Westbrook will NOT be an effective PG at the next level. Luc will be a 10 year NBA player (that is bold I know). If I were a struggling NBA team, I would load up on picks in this draft. This is the deepest draft in years. A few players in the 10-20 range could easily be top 3-5 picks in other years (Anthony Randolph, Deandre Jordan, Donte Green to name a few). If the Warriors draft Kosta Koufos or the scrub from Rider, I am going to throw up, put it in a bag, and mail it to Chris Mullin (Yes, I am a Warriors fan and am sick of scrubs such as Ike Diogu and Pat Obryant. I am hoping for the upside of Deandre Jordan or Donte Green or Anthony Randolph).

4:38 - #1 - Derrick Rose - Bulls - deadly combination of size and strength, the most athletic point guard in the NBA. If you don’t believe me, ask Darren Collison what he thinks about that comment. Great court vision, great teammate. Only weakness is his outside shot, but lacking an outside shot is the LEAST concerning element of a player going into the NBA. Think Deron Williams and Baron Davis morphed into one guy.

4:42 - #2 - Michael Beasley - Heat - The dude can play. Very athletic and can score in ALL ways. He has no weakness on offense. Can spot up, post, and his ability to take it to the hoop is underrated. They don’t call him Michael Beastly for nothing. He is going to be a top 10 scorer in the NBA and will be the latest to never win a ring. He will also be the most successful albino in the history of Earth. Think Derrick Coleman but lighter.

Now it gets interesting….

4:49 - #3 - OJ Mayo- Timberwolves - Only Gordon and Mayo deserve to be in this spot. But how does he fit in with the Twolves? Mccants, Foye, Brewer? Who is going to play pg - Marko Jaric??? Misunderstood guard can create his own shot, very athletic, and great defensively. But, he will not be an effective point guard in the NBA. Mark my words. His feel for the game is overrated and he forces too many shots. Think Ricky Davis on steroids.

4:53 - #4 - Russell The Animal Westbrook - Sonics - Great kid. Great athleticism. Great teammate. Great defender. He can create his own shot although he didnt show it much in Howland’s system. Great intangibles, does the little things. However, he CANT play point guard in the next level. He cant change speeds and does not have a good feel for the position. Picked a bit too high for my taste, I would have gone with Eric Gordon if they were going with a 2 guard. Think a more athletic but less smooth Monta Ellis.

5:03 - #5 - Kevin Love - Grizzlies - Great passer. Great rebounder. Mature kid. The big fundamental. Solid post moves, not to mention the best outlet passer in the past 20 years. Jay Bilas says he runs the court funny, and that is an understatement. Runs like a flatfooted hippo. Underrated athleticism, BUT will struggle against taller players, but will outsmart 90% of his defenders. 18 pts , 10 reb. You’ll see. Think Tim Duncan but whiter, shorter, but with the same facial hair.

5:06 - #6 - Danilo Gannilari - Knicks - I am not going to pretend that I know this guy cause Ive never seen him. But I do know that he plucks his eyebrows. He is getting booed by the Knicks fans in the audience but I dont think he should care because he will be boning a lot of ladies in NYC. The latest in metrosexual Euros. If Pau Gasol gets a lot of guys in West Hollywood and Marko Jaric can get Adriana Lima, this guy is going to do some damage.

5:12 - #7 - Eric Gordon - Clippers - This guy can flat out ball. Can make it rain like it does in Seattle. All day, all night. Very explosive and athletic. Can hit midrange or can hit from half court. Great pick by the Clip joint. Wins the award for ugliest suit in the draft. White jacket with black pinstriped shirt. Looks like a penguin. Think less athletic but better shooting J-Rich.

5:18 - #8 - Joe Alexander - Bucks - Good thing they took him because i dont want him for the Warriors. He’s white and a lottery pick, which gives his chance to be an All-Star at a whopping 0.0000000000000%. However, he was raised in Taiwan so he could be better than JJ Redick. I dont really get this pick since the Bucks just got Richard Jefferson. They have like 7 small forwards. Stephen A is interviewing him and the guy sounds really intense and looks pissed off. Lighten up buddy, you are the #8 pick in the draft. Think of a quicker Tom Gugliotta.

5:24 - #9 - DJ Augustine - Bobcats - WTF. MJ is the dumbest NBA exec since Isiah Thomas. Bobcats already have Felton. Augustine can play, but limited in size. Augustine is quick and can shoot, but I feel he has no star potential. Think of a quick Jameer Nelson.

5:30 - #10 - Brook Lopez - Nets - Safe pick, smart pick. At #10, he has some value here. You cant teach height. Limited in upside, hes a bit stiff and goofy, but should average 14 and 9 soon. Think Mexican Rick Smits.

5:33 - whoa whoa. Hearing Brook Lopez talk gives you a really weird feeling. Kinda sounds like Lenny from Of Mice and Men, or Cameron Diaz’s brother from “Something about Mary”.

5:35 - #11 - Jerryd Bayless - Pacers - 6th Pac 10 player to go in the first 11 picks. Woot Woot. Athletic and quick guard who can make it rain. Has a weird body type, has very short arms for his height. Is listed at 6′ 3″, his arms are that of a guy who is 5′ 5″. Short legs. His handle could be better but he is the 3rd purest scorer in the draft behind Gordon and Beasley. Has a better chance to make it at PG than Westbrook. Think Tony Parker but less quick.

5:42 - #12 - Jason Thompson - boooooooooring. Has no upside whatsoever. No athleticism whatsover. Think Mikki Moore/washed up Shareef Abdur Rahim. Oh wait, the Kings already have both of that. Thank you Sacramento for guaranteeing the Warriors Jordan or Randolph. Oh wait, Mullin is a moron and is going to take the Greek stiff. I forgot.

5:47 - #13 - Brandon Rush - Blazers - Can play right away. Smooth. Good shooter. Limited upside. Does not want to take over. Good character guy. Think …i cant think, Warriors are on the clock sorry. Travis Outlaw comes to mind.

5:49 - Please please please please please dont take the Greek Stiff. Randolph, Green, Jordan. Just no Koufos.

5:53 - #14 - Anthony Randolph!!!- Warriors - Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! - Dude weighs less than me (and I am 5′ 8″) but hey, better than the Greek Stiff. Huge upside. Now lets just get rid of Baron and let the Monta era begin. Think Chris Bosh.

5:56 - #15 - Robin Lopez - Suns - Wow. I actually kinda like this pick for the Suns. Good role playing big who hustles and does all the dirty work. I think he actually could be more effective than his brother eventually. How freaking tall is Mr. Daddy Lopez??!!! I live in LA and I sure dont see too many Mexicans over 5′ 6″. Think Anderson Varejao.

6:03 - #16 - Maurice Speights - Sixers - Big, black, and beastly. Works for me.

6:09 - #17- Roy Hibbert - Raptors - Big, black, and goofy. Doesn’t work for me. I would have taken Jordan. I am telling you, that guy has all the talent in the world.

6:12 - They just showed clips of Brook Lopez in the green room and they had a microphone. Definitely sounds like Lenny from Of Mice and Men.

6:13 - #18 - Javale McGee - Wiz - his mom played in the WNBA. Good to know.

6:16 - Trade - Pacers trade Diogu and Bayless to Blazers for Rush and Jarrett jack. This unites Kareem with Brandon. Maybe Jaron and his 11 kids can move to Indianapolis. Meanwhile, is there a smarter team in the NBA than Portland?? They pile up assets overseas and get rid of their garbage. Bayless, Fernandez, Roy, Oden, Aldridge, Outlaw, etc. Watch out for the Blazers, they just got a guy that could go in the top 5 and based on talent, should have gone in the top 5.

6:20 - #19 - JJ Hickson - Cavs - Lebron is probably calling Jay-Z right now to discuss his contract to the Brooklyn Nets.

6:24 - with Deandre Jordan, Donte Green, and Darrell Arthur etc on the board still, this is the reason I would have stocked up on picks this year. These 3 guys all could have been top 10 picks next year.

6:28 - #20 - Alexis Ajinca - Bobcats - Michael Jordan - best player ever, worst GM ever. Mikael Peitrus. Boris Diaw. Alexis Ajinca. See if you can see the trend.

6:33 - #21 - Ryan Anderson - Nets - very skilled big. good feel for the game. Can rain from all over the court. Think a Steve Novak with a better midrange game. Stu Scott mentions that 1/3 of the picks so far have come from the PAC 10. The ACC , Big 12, SEC can suck a nut. Ryan Anderson just went higher than Darrell Arthur. Let me put that into context. Ryan Anderson, The 7th player from the Pac 10, the 3rd white guy from the Pac 10, and the guy looks like the mute brother in Little Miss Sunshine , just got picked over the number 1 big man in the SEC and the best big on the national championship team.

6:38 - #22 - Courtney Lee - Magic - Wow. I was hoping for the Magic to draft the poor man’s Dwight Howard (Jordan). Think OJ Mayo. They play similarly, with OJ being more athletic.

6:40 - Darrell Arthur is still in the waiting area. I am starting to feel bad for them. Ok, not really, he has a championship ring.

6:41 - The Nets have obtained Yi Jianlian, Ryan Anderson, and Brook Lopez today. Add that to Vince Carter, and you have a team that are softer than the Los Angeles Sparks.

6:42 - #23 - Kosta Koufos - Jazz - Whats that you hear? Every black player still available in the draft just gave a sigh of relief. The Mormons were hoping for Ryan Anderson, but at least they got the Greek Stiff, who actually is a good pick this late in the draft by the way.

6:48 - #24 - Serge Ibaka - Sonics - He has 17 siblings. Wow. Maybe the Sonics should have drafted Serge Ibaka Sr. He sounds like a potent offensive player who can perform well at any age. Think Ron Jeremy. (I have no idea who Serge Ibaka Jr. is similar to).

6:54 - #25 - Nicolas Batum - Rockets - After drafting Landry last year, I am not going to doubt the Rockets. Very athletic and raw, he will give the Rockets must needed athleticism. Think Thabo Sefolosha.

7:01 - #26 - George Hill - Spurs - When George Hill from IUPIUOIUEUI gets drafted ahead of you, you know things are bad for DeAndre Jordan, Darrell Arthur , and Donte Green.

7:03 - Portland is my new 2nd favorite team. They used Paul Allen’s cash (which is unlimited) to buy the Hornets 27th pick and now they can get a would be 2009 lottery pick. Amazing. Watch them pick up Green, Jordan or Arthur….

7:07 - #27 - Darrell Arthur - amazing. Go Arthur and go Blazers. A steal at #27. I am going to sell my car and hop on the Blazers Bandwagon right now before everyone else. For Rush, jarrett Jack, and cash, the Blazers got Darrell Arthur, Jerryd Bayless, and Ike Diogu. The Blazers have are like a hot slot machine in Vegas. Put in 3 quarters, and boom, you get 100!

7:13 - #28 - Donte Green - Grizzlies - Rashard Lewis clone is a steal this late in the draft. Smooth wing and athletic ability. Donte Green and Kevin Love - similar to the nice chocolate, crunchy cookie with the solid white filling of an oreo cookie. Nice tasty combo.

7:22 - #29 - DJ White - Pistons - limited post player in the Tractor Trailor mold. He gonna put on some weight. Let’s hope Joe Dumars can keep him away from the Hometown Buffets.

7:27 - #30 - JR Giddens - Celtics - Athletic wing reminds me of Vince Carter.

2nd round will be exciting with DeAndre Jordan, Chalmers, and CDR still on the board. Also, the dream of Luc going to the Warriors in the 2nd round is still alive…….

What is Howland’s style? The man has to have his bottled water at the same place during every game. He watches more videotape than any coach in the country. He is consumed with his job. He has about 1,429 set plays on offense. He is intense (how many coaches get in a defensive stance when their teams are on defense? Howland plays more defense on the sideline than Chase Budinger has in his career.) . By some accounts (players, parents of players, etc) that I have heard, he can be a prick. However, all these things do not bother me one bit. Does this remind you of someone else? In a previous post, I compared Howland to Bill Belicek, and even his own assistant, Scott Duncan, made that comparison. Howland is a guy you WANT on your side. He is going to outwork the other guy, and most of his players will too. He is a winner. UCLA basketball would be nothing if it weren’t for him. The previous 2 years with Farmar, Afflalo, and company - UCLA overachieved. Plain and simple. They won with hard work and preparation, and yes, Howland’s system and style of play. However, I believe critics have a right to question if CBH will ever win the big one, but it is not the system or style of play itself.

The real cause for concern is that Howland’s personality and coaching philosophy (getting hard nosed, skilled and coachable players) does not mix well with recruiting the top, elite basketball athletes in the country. No, I am not talking about highly ranked guys on rivals.com or scout.com. I am not talking about the Wear twins or James Keefe or even Chase Stanback - guys that are solid players with good skill-sets who are good in high school and are very coachable and by all accounts, very nice guys. I am talking about the elite athletes with certain character or fit issues that Howland usually avoids. Yes, I want to take a dip in the bad side of town for once. I want a couple guys with a lot of tattoos. I want a guy with at least 2 children from at least 2 different women. I want a beast that does not want to jump stop in the paint, but wants to facialize the Tyler Hansbroughs of the world. I want to see some bling around their necks and on their ears. I want a guy who you would never let your daughter date (C’mon dad’s, would YOU let your daughter date Joey Dorsey??? Didn’t think so.) Obviously, the past few sentences are quite the hyperbole, but I think you get my point: That there is an inherent contradiction with Howland’s system/philosophy and the ability to get the elite talent that UCLA needs to win it all. (For all of you who can’t handle the truth and are going to bitch and moan about what I just said, here is my disclaimer: yes there are exceptions to the rule - Jrue Holiday, The Animal Westbrook come to mind.). The system did not make us lose in the Final Four to Memphis. Dorsey’s strength, Dozier and Douglas-Robert’s length, and D-Rose’s strength and quickness did. The talent discrepancy did.

- Memphis outclassed us. CDR did his damage, but the difference was really Derrick Rose. We’ve had guys go off on us this year, but not 2 guys. Rose is truly an elite talent and it felt that Darren had no chance. DC actually played pretty GOOD defense, but was just physically inferior. Rose should be the top pick in the draft. If Beasley is taken, the team that passes on Rose will regret it.

- The Animal is Gone. The Animal Westbrook proved to the country that he is an elite talent. Just purely from an eye test, it was obvious that The Animal was the only one who could compare to Memphis’s athleticism. I would take him if I was in the lottery and I believe he should go between the first 8-12 picks. His ballhandling is suspect and I question if he will ever become an NBA point guard, but his athleticism is off the charts and he attacks the rim like he absolutely hates it. He wants to destroy the rim like very few players in the world, and that alone is worth a lot.

- DC was exposed. Im not even going to hate on DC. No haterade for him here. He was abused by the #1 pick in the NBA draft. Yes, DC looked like Chris Paul when he went against Mitch Johnson, and then the hype started to build. But cmon, going from Mitch Johnson to Derrick Rose is like someone dating LC from “the Hills” to dating Gisele Bunchen. It is called a step up in class and very few guards would have been able to handle it.

- Howland did make some mistakes. Hindsight is 20/20 but Luc played very solid D againt CDR and the Animal Westbrook did play good D against Rose.

- Shipp Sucks. The 2 early 3’s turned out to be a bad turn of events for UCLA. DC didn’t look for his shot (if you notice this year, when Shipp is good, DC sucks and vice versa - nobody talks about this but we got your back). Then Shipp thought he was Jason Kapono and shot with no hesitation. The only thing is, Shipp sucks. Thus, his early hot streak was fool’s gold.

- The Big White Beast needed more touches. I don’t care about the double team. Give him the damn ball. Give it him on the perimeter. Give it to him and let the double team come. Give it to him at the high post. Just give him the ball! As I said earlier this season, NOTHING bad can happen when KLove touches the ball. This is why he should be a top 10 pick.

- We partied with the Bruins. At 10:30 pm on Saturday, we decided to treat ourselves to some Texas beef, so we went to a steakhouse to cheers to a great season. So we went to Texas Land and Cattle Steakhouse, and low and behold, the entire Bruin team was there with their families and friends. Here are some notes from that night:

1. Howland wasn’t there.

2. The Animal Westbrook wasn’t there either. Understandable, since he was probably interviewing agents and deciding what color Bentley he should pick after he becomes a lottery pick. I’d say blood red Russell, you are The Animal and you attack the rim like it is Osama Bin Laden. Definitely Red.

3. The Big White Beast seems like a really nice guy. Love is so good with the media that you wonder if he is too seasoned or if it is genuine. We took pictures with him and spoke to him briefly and I think he is legit.

4. Disappointed but not sad. We spoke to Luc for a bit and he told us that the team felt that this was the year (to win it all). Overall, the mood was pretty upbeat. You could tell the players were disappointed but at the same time, there wasn’t a sense of overall despair. I think they knew the better team won that day. Family and friends and players seemed to be having a nice final meal together to celebrate a great season.

5. Long Live King Moute!! Met Luc’s Dad, who was very gracious and polite and wearing traditional African clothing, followed up with this exchange. I said, “wow you are the king!” . Luc’s Dad with a smile on his face, “Yes , I am the King.” Must be nice.

6. A good bunch of guys. Overall, you can tell this team was a family. The 2007-2008 UCLA Bruins seemed to be all friends and a close knit bunch. They joked around with each other, they seemed to genuinely like each other. It’s been quite a run the past 3 years and it made me proud to see these Bruins in perhaps their final dinner as a unit - High character guys who were the true essence of a TEAM.

- Great BBQ here in San Antonio and the beef jerky is excellent. Not much else though.

- I would like to write about more, but there isn’t a whole lot here. The Final Four atmosphere is great, and you can feel the anticipation in the air.

On to the prediction……Most experts and most of the country are picking Memphis to win it, with the main reason being their recent demolishing of MSU and Texas. Combine that with UCLA’s close victories and style of play, and it’s pretty understandable. However, there are a few important factors that are in UCLA’s favor:

- UCLA is NOT happy to be here. Kansas, UNC, and Memphis are. All 3 teams lost in the Elite 8 last year and they wanted to get over the hump and into the Final Four. In college basketball, making the Final Four is a huge deal. In other sports, winning the championship is the main goal, but if you notice, coaches and players will state their main goal before the season is to reach the Final Four. These teams are just happy to be here. The Bruins feel no satisfaction at this point. Motivation edge - UCLA.

- The Memphis hype can’t get any higher. They have blown out fools. If the Tigers are behind in the game, they could panic.

- Memphis played with a chip on their shoulder in the previous round. Slimeball Calipari used this as leverage to motivate his players. The media and experts picked them to be the most likely #1 seed to be upset, and they played pissed off and dominated. This Dorito is no longer there now that they are here (that was pretty lame I know).

- UCLA is very, very athletic. Everyone yaps about how athletic and long Memphis is. And this is true. But, i will say it again and again….UCLA is a very athletic team. It’s not as evident because of the system that Howland employs, but Memphis will be very surprised. UCLA will show the country tonight.

- UCLA defense. Memphis is not used to being punched in the face. They will be punched tonight. I am not sure if they are mentally strong enough to handle it. We shall see.

- My rule of thumb - the team with the most NBA talent wins. UCLA, NOT Memphis, has the most NBA talent. Factor that in with the fact that UCLA is much more mentally tough, and you have this outcome that nobody is predicting.

BRUINS MOVE ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME in a not so close game

UCLA - 73

Memphis - 61

1. Shipp can’t defend. He plays horrible defense. Shipp is the laziest guy on the team on defense. He is the one guy who defense’s can attack on a consistent basis.

2. Shipp can’t pass. He makes lazy passes. Passes to the post to the Big White Beast (Love) are few and far between. He also has had numerous bad passes in the past month.

3. Shipp can’t drive. When he dribble drives, it is without any purpose.

4. SHIPP CANT SHOOT. As I just mentioned, he can’t do anything else, so you would think that he could provide the #1 supposed strength to his game - shooting 3’s. He was anointed as the team’s shooter (the fact that he has shot so many tells you this). Howland gives him the green light and during the first half of the season, when most of the games were meaningless, he was en fuego. Automatic. BUT, he has simply collapsed in the past 2 months. There is no other way to say it. This could be one of the BIGGEST SHOOTING SLUMPS in Bruin history. Take into account the importance of these games and the visibility of this UCLA team, this could be THE BIGGEST COLLAPSE in Bruin history. And, Shipp’s slump could very well be the reason why UCLA does not win a national championship. Here are Shipp’s 3 pt statistics:

- NCAA Tournament total - 2 / 14 = 14.3%

- NCAA Tournament - 1st 2 rds - 0 / 7 = 0.0%

- Pac 10 Tournament total - 5 / 15 = 33.3%

- Pac 10 Championship Game - 0 / 3 = 0.0%

- 6 game conference stretch (Az-Or) - 0 / 20= 0.0% (over 6 games!!!)

- Last 13 games in pac 10 play - 15 /67= 22.4%

Now, take out 2 games during that stretch against ASU who plays a matchup zone that none of the Final Four teams employ in which he went 9/16 on 3’s…..

- Last 11 games in pac 10 minus ASU - 6 / 51 = 11.76% !!!!!!!

- Total of the last 20 games - 20/96 = 20.8%

Seriously, these stats are incredible. How come nobody has looked at these numbers ? It is very sad to think that the Bruins would have a better chance to win if B-Mo (Brian Morrison) was starting instead of Shipp. Obviously, I am pulling for him to get out of it as we will need some big shots to have a shot at winning the title, but the bottom line is - Shipp Sucks. I really hope for his sake that he breaks out of it as well, or else he could be forever known as one of the biggest chokers in Bruin history. Please Josh, stop sucking.

- There are really hot girls in Arizona. Slim, tan, and smokin. Aside from our dance team, UCLA cannot hang.

- In my last post, I mentioned that the Bruins had yet to peak. I believe the Xavier game is a great sign. Great balance. The team came to play. Everyone is talking about how UCLA keeps things close, that we are not very good, etc etc. Aside from the Texas AM 1st half, and the Western Kentucky 2nd half, we have been crushing fools.

- The Prince was the MVP. Luc got us the lead with his hustle and offensive rebounding. But most impressive was his defense. We had pretty good seats and you really can’t appreciate his defense unless you are that close.

- The Animal is getting more comfortable. People forget that the Animal Westbrook is only a sophomore, and got less that 10 min per game last year as a freshman. He is still new to this NCAA Tourney thing, and the first few games he was sped up. Since he is an absolute animal, it is natural for him to go to fast, but at least now he seems comfortable on the court. People are talking about Memphis’s length and athleticism…….the whole country is about to learn about the Animal Westbrook. (On a side note, someone needs to tell him the most lethal part of his game is the pull up J. He is only shooting 3’s or taking it to the rack now. Please Animal, remember the mid range, its what makes you special).

- James Keefe came back to Earth. It was a great matchup for Keefe against West Kentucky, but it will be rare for him to put up those numbers against a team with a strong interior game.

- Everything in Phoenix is $10. Literally. Nice restaurant entree - $10. Pizza - $10. Drink at a nice bar - $10. Lap dances - $10. Next time, just go to the bank and change all your money to $10 bills. It will make life much easier.

- There are a lot of old people in Scottsdale. A lot.

- My friends and I played frisbee golf in a park across from our hotel. A pretty interesting phenomenon, which could only pop up in an area where there is a lot of land and not a whole lot to do.

- Inside scoop - James Keefe is dating our super hot hapa lead dance team member Katie. I am not making this up, I have my sources. My respect level for James Keefe skyrocketed in Phoenix, and it has nothing to do with the Western Kentucky game. UCLA Bruins, champions on and OFF the court!!

- Drew Lavender and Duncan have odd mustaches. It makes them look like they are 35 years old.

- The UCLA Defense is a huge shock for most non Pac 10 opponents. This is an underrated fact - the in your face, aggressive defense is like jumping into a cold pool. It’s not fun and it takes getting used to. This is why there were a lot of close Pac 10 games. This is also why UCLA is underrated going into the Final Four. Aside from some points off loose balls that went their way and a few dunks, they had NOTHING. Then, when they had open looks in their offense, they missed because they rushed their shots.

- UCLA may be overrated according to many pundits, OR this team may just turn things up a notch when they have to. I am starting to believe in the latter.

- Josh Shipp - WHERE ARE YOU???!!! The defense is absolutely atrocious. The shooting slump is getting ridiculous. Seriously, if you stuck one of those guys that take part in those halftime shooting games to win free textbooks or whatever, wouldn’t they have a higher 3 pt % than Josh Shipp????? I’ve tried everything. I try being positive but now I give up. I concede. If the Bruins win it all, they will be the greatest team in history because they have to win every game playing 4 on 5.

- Did I mention girls in Arizona are hot hot hot?

- Off to San Antonio………….

- Darren Collison was rattled. DC usually has ice water in his veins, but he bought into the hype. After the Pac 10 and Texas AM games, the media hyped him up to be the best pg in the country, etc, etc. Even in pregame interviews, he even sounded a bit too confident. Anytime you think you can’t lose, you will. Perhaps this is a wake up call. He made dumb decisions on defense and got owned by the WKU press.

- The Animal Westbrook was exposed. There have been experts projecting him as a top 10 pick as a PG. Now the experts know what most UCLA fans know - the Animal Westbrook CANNOT play PG right now. His biggest weakness is an uncontrolled jitteriness to his game. He is all fast twitch does not have many speeds, only the super fast one. This leads to bad decisions, over penetrating, and turnovers. Maybe he comes back now. A few experts have compared him to Monta Ellis, and that is where the difference is. The Animal has similar athleticism, but if you watch Monta, he is always under control, even though he’s going full speed. The one thing that the Animal needs to do that noone has talked about is this: THE ANIMAL NEEDS TO GO BACK TO HIS PULL UP JUMPER!!! That is what made him so special, he could get off his own shot at anytime. But recently, he has been so determined to get to the rim, in part due to his recent frustrations. A lot has been made of UCLA’s lack of outside shooting, but I think what is more problematic is UCLA’s lack of MID-range shooting.

- James Keefe - MVP. A heroic effort and the crowd realized it, constantly giving him standing ovations from the UCLA sections. WKU simply did not have an inside game, so it made things easy for the big White Beast and Keefe. Things won’t be as easy against Xavier.

- The Big White Beast - Kevin love is just too good, and now the whole country knows. Hello NBA, I am the big white beast. He could have dropped 50, and it made me angry that we stopped giving him the ball. We would rather have Shipp shoot or Luc driving? Really???

- The whole comeback thing that WKU did really made me feel like I was at the Gonzaga/UCLA game again. Except I was a Gonzaga fan. I felt sick. All the Bruin fans felt sick. You could feel it in the arena.

- Ben Howland is deserving of blame. Howland is a great coach, but he is a bit anal and meticulous. There is an overall conservatism in our style of play. Our beasts are not unleashed. He doesn’t let them play, but instead, our players have to play within a certain structure. I said this last week - when UCLA gets a lead, the reason why we dont blow people out is because we play a PREVENT OFFENSE. We try and milk clock and no longer attack. We then play hot potato with about 5 seconds left in the shot clock and prays that DC makes a play. So many times we had a 2-1 against their press and instead we brought it back out. There is a lack of aggression in our players, and this is due to Ben Howland. Believe it or not, it has permeated throughout the PAC 10. UCLA is the standard for the Pac 10 now, so the other coaches and teams have adjusted. If you watch Stanford, Wazzu, and even SC and Arizona, they often don’t take the first good look they have. This is the Ben Howland effect. And this is why the Pac 10 is struggling. Not because of a lack of talent, because noone can argue that our conference has the MOST talent in the country. It is because of the style of play. The teams are used to playing this style throughout the league season, but when they face other styles and teams in the NCAA, the Pac 10 hasnt fared well. Other teams, you can tell, play with more freedom. And this can be traced back to Ben Howland. And this is why we almost blew the lead against WKU. And this is why we don’t blow people out. And this is why we get criticism. BUT this is why UCLA wins also. We’ll see how this plays out.

- Let’s end this bad boy on a positive note….In college basketball, at any time, a team can get hot. UCLA is not hot (I know I am going out on a limb). But yet we still keep on winning. The parts are there - We have a post presence(the big white beast), we have a slasher (the Animal Westbrook), we have a great pg, and we have an outside shooter (I cant believe I said that, and you know who i am talking about). This team has proven earlier in the year to be very well balanced, and right now it’s been a few guys stepping up here and there. Xavier is going to be tough and most of the country believe we are shaky. And its true, the Bruins ARE shaky right now. I agree. They ARENT playing well. But, all it takes is one game to get hot, to get balanced. Most teams, when they are playing poorly lose and they dont get a chance to redeem themselves. And that is the difference with this team, UCLA keeps winning and surviving. Little signs of hope are there - Shipp making some shots, Love, Keefe, DC (before the WKU game), etc….we are really, really close now Bruin fans. Let the Xavier fans and the rest of the country talk and just know this…… if this Bruin team can just click on all cylinders, watch out. NOONE in the country can beat us.

- The single reason why TAM was winning is because of dribble penetration. Donald Sloan was unstoppable. It’s been proven that dribble penetration is the way to beat this Bruin team - Augustine and Texas, Dentmon and UW, Davon and SC. With all the positives that big white beast (Kevin Love), the one thing he lacks is lateral footwork, which equals slower rotations. Thus, if there is dribble penetration, there will be an open man somewhere if the opponent can find him.

- UCLA played 2 on 5 and still won.

- JOSH SHIPP, WHERE ARE YOU? We were sitting front row, and with 5 minutes left, a buddy of mind shouted very loudly, “Keep shooting Josh Shipp!”(Please note that he was extremely intoxicated at the time). And the rest of us cringed and yelled at him. That is not a good sign for UCLA and Josh Shipp.

- I said a week ago that the big white beast (my new nickname for KLOVE) would average 18-10 reb in the NBA. A lot of people questioned it……do you believe me now? He is truly a very unique player with an overall skillset that is different from anyone in our generation. I do think he will be exposed by face up bigs in the NBA, but his passing is off the charts and his basketball IQ is insanely high. And his vertical, I am telling you, is pretty high. He could easily almost average almost 1.5-2 blocks in the NBA. Perhaps the best compliment for the Big White Beast - Everything that Darko Milicic isn’t, Kevin Love is.

- DC is clutch. He single handedly kept us in the game in the 1st half, and then won the game with those floaters. We had a great view of the 2nd one, and he actually just threw it up. UCLA got a very, very lucky bounce.

Right now Duke is beating West Virginia and I, like the rest of the country, is rooting for the Mountaineers. I hate Duke. UNC fans hate Duke. ACC fans hate Duke. I’m pretty sure Mississippi Valley State hates Duke. Basically, the whole country hates Duke. The other day I was listening to ESPN radio and the host was wondering why Duke was so hated, and suggested that it was because of jealousy. Not true. Too bad the morons calling in couldn’t think of a good reason why everyone hated them, so i thought about it for a few days. It was pretty fun and I came up with some pretty obvious conclusions……Here are a few of the REAL reasons everyone hates Duke:

1. Duke used to be very, very good in the 90’s and had a good team in 2001…starting with Hurley, Grant Hill, Laettner to the team that won it last with Boozer, Jay Williams, etc. But that was then, this is now. They simply haven’t been very good lately. They haven’t been a legitimate title contender in the past 4 years, losing to VCU, MSU, LSU, etc. The only problem is that Duke fans STILL think they are good. They are in denial and that is annoying.

2. Dick Vitale loves the ACC and Duke. Dick Vitale is one of the most annoying humans on the planet and anything that he likes, the rest of the population will dislike it.

3. Mike Kcyrsuvshesski is a pompous prick. He seems like a manipulator and looks like a very shady version of Splinter (the rat leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). He is a nerdy goober who looks like a computer programmer who has never picked up a basketball in his life, kinda like all of the nerdy Cameron Crazies.

4. THE PLAYERS - this is the single biggest reason why the whole world hates Duke basketball. Is their a tanning salon near the Duke campus? I am watching their game right now and am blinded by their pasty whiteness. Singler, Scheyer, Zoubek, King, Paulus. Seriously fellas, you guys need to get out more and get some vitamin E from the sun.

Speaking of Greg Paulus, he is a perfect example of why everyone hates Duke players. He looks annoying. He acts annoying. He plays ugly. And anyone that knows college basketball knows what I am talking about. America is not blind…it is a superficial country that can’t help care about looks. If something looks good and acts with class, then most people tend to like it. If anyone watches American Idol, that’s why Carly Smithson has no chance at winning. She is a great singer but when you watch her, you can’t help but be distracted by her unpleasant looks. I’m not trying to be mean, but it’s the reality of human nature and of our culture. And Duke has a coach that looks like an anal retentive rat, and players that are white, goofy and annoying. You want evidence? Ok. Bobby Hurley, Christian Laettner, Shavlik Randolph, Cherokee Parks, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Wojo, JJ Redick, Taylor King, Brian Zoubek, Jon Scheyer, Greg Paulus, and much, much, much, more.

The point is….it doesn’t matter how good they are (and we already pointed out they aren’t very good in the past 4-5 years). It has nothing to do with jealousy, but simply, they are just a flat out annoying team.

- Western Kentucky pulled out a very exciting game. But did anyone notice how they almost pulled off one of the biggest blunders in NCAA history?? With 30 seconds left in overtime and the game TIED, the entire team became frantic on defense and intentionally fouled Drake. Drake went to the free throw line for the go ahead points. What??!!!! Idiots. I really hope UCLA plays them because any team as stupid as that will lose to the Bruins. On that note…

- The Dream West Region became insanely dreamier. Remember when Wilson Phillips had a bunch of hits in the early 90’s? They were a good group with good songs, and 2 out of 3 of them were really cute. Most people liked Wilson Phillips. Now imagine then if the big fat one with the mole on her face left the group, you would have liked Wilson Phillips more now right? That is your new West Region bracket now for the Bruins. Wilson Phillips without the chubby girl. UCLA gets either San Diego or Western Kentucky in the Sweet 16. I personally fear San Diego more. Geezus, did I just say that? The path to San Antonio cannot be laid out any better. (and for those of you who are claiming they never listened to Wilson Phillips, dont deny it, you liked “Hold On” and “Release Me”)

- The Pac-10 is looking really bad right now.

- Stephan Curry - Wow. The kid can flat out rain. Watching him move without the ball using subtle jukes is really impressive. Gonzaga tried everything they could to stop him with multiple defenders, switches, etc and he still dropped 40. He is an NBA player and only the Animal Westbrook can stop him.

- On a side note, in the Honda Center on Thursday, every other team’s fans were in awe of the Bruin Dance Team. We didnt bring the full squad but still dominated. Just like in the basketball game. Also, it was fun watching the Mississippi Valley State cheerleaders and the UCLA cheerleaders re-enact a real life scene from Bring It On.

- Anyone seen Josh Shipp lately????? Why does it feel like UCLA is playing 4 on 5 right now? C’mon Shipp, we have faith in you baby! You gonna get hot! (that was my sad attempt to stay positive and keep the good karma going).

- UCLA / Texas AM prediction - The Aggies fear me more after the recent showing of the Big 12. Kansas State, Texas, Kansas all dominated their opponents in the first round. Oklahoma won. Baylor should have never gotten in. The Aggies are capable of beating the Bruins as they have good athletes and can get hot. However, KLove should fare well against Jones inside Carter isnt going against a slow white mormon kid this game, he will be guarded by the Animal Westbrook. Darren Collison is again the key to this game, and has the biggest mismatch on the floor. Bruins win 68-61.