The ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll was released today with UCLA at #2, barely edged out by North Carolina, and barely edging out Memphis.  UCLA received the most first-place votes (12).  There are 6 Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 25 (#2 UCLA, #10 WSU, #13 Oregon, #17 Arizona, #18 USC, and #21 Stanford), and there are 2 other opponents of UCLA in the top 25 (#16 Texas on Dec. 2, and #8 Michigan St in the CBE Classic, assuming both UCLA and Michigan St advance):

1. North Carolina (10) 0-0 739
   
2. UCLA (12) 0-0 734
   
3. Memphis (8) 0-0 731
   
4. Kansas (1) 0-0 669
   
5. Georgetown 0-0 625
   
6. Louisville 0-0 620
   
7. Tennessee 0-0 598
   
8. Michigan State 0-0 503
   
9. Indiana 0-0 479
   
10. Washington State 0-0 464
    
11. Duke 0-0 390
    
12. Marquette 0-0 381
    
13. Oregon 0-0 360
    
14. Gonzaga 0-0 252
    
14. Texas A&M 0-0 252
    
16. Texas 0-0 216
    
17. Arizona 0-0 205
    
18. USC 0-0 189
    
19. Arkansas 0-0 173
    
20. Pittsburgh 0-0 160
    
21. Stanford 0-0 158
    
22. Kentucky 0-0 155
    
23. Southern Illinois 0-0 137
    
24. North Carolina State 0-0 119
    
25. Villanova 0-0 111

Others Recieving Votes:
Kansas State 94, Syracuse 69, Ohio State 65, Clemson 56, Connecticut 55, Butler 42, Davidson 39, Xavier 38, Alabama 31, Mississippi State 30, Florida 26, Wisconsin 21, Illinois 16, Washington 12, Brigham Young 12, Nevada 8, Bradley 7, Virginia 7, Virginia Commonwealth 5, Utah 4, Baylor 3, Old Dominion 3, Saint Joseph's 3, Fresno State 2, George Mason 2, Utah State 2, Notre Dame 1, California 1, Maryland 1.

Apologies if this has been posted before.

According to the Oddsmakers' Top 30, UCLA is ranked #6.  This comes even after last week's win over BYU (which is still in their top 30, so maybe they are a decent team?).  Apparently, they think we are underrated (as well as ASU).  Interesting that UCLA is ranked above teams like Florida and Cal.  It also seems that Vegas doesn't have a high opinion of the Big T(elev)en, with Wisconsin and Ohio St considered overrated and no team in that conference above #12.  It also shows Nebraska as underrated, which if the oddsmakers are correct (and they probably wouldn't be oddsmakers if they weren't), means it will be a very good game against U$C.

(AP rank in parentheses)

1. Southern Cal (1)
   
2. LSU (2)
   
3. Oklahoma (3)
   
4. Texas (6)
   
5. West Virginia (4)
   
6. UCLA (11)
   
7. Nebraska (14)
   
8. Louisville (9)
   
8. Florida (5)
   
10. California (8)
    
11. Georgia Tech (15)
    
12. Penn State (12)
    
13. Ohio State (10)
    
14. Wisconsin (7)
    
15. South Carolina (17)
    
16. Oregon (19)
    
17. Arizona State (31)
    
18. Arkansas (16)
    
19. Rutgers (13)
    
20. Missouri (27)
    
21. Boston College (21)
    
22. Virginia Tech (18)
    
23. Florida State (35)
    
24. Tennessee (22)
    
24. Texas Christian (30)
    
26. Miami (zero votes)
    
27. BYU (zero votes)
    
27. Hawaii (24)
    
27. Georgia (23)
    
30. Alabama (28)

I figure that there are a fair number of people on this site who are golf enthusiasts, so they may know more about this than I do.  Why is the passing of Tiger Woods' father such a big deal?  I don't mean any offense to the Woods family, but it is more a question of why media outlets don't make bigger stories of the passing of other star athletes' parents.  Anyone know why this story is so much more important than, say, Pat Riley's mother dying recently, or Bobby Bonds, or any of the other athletes/coaches who lost siblings/parents?  Is it just because of Tiger Woods' stature in the sports world, or is it something more specific about Earl Woods?  

But what the hell do I know?  I should just put a sock in it, or I'll be outta here like shit through a goose.

As of the time I am posting this, SI has awarded LSU with the victory over UCLA.  If you look at the records of each before and after the LSU game, you will see that LSU is actually credited with the win.  I'm sure they are all celebrating in Baton Rouge tonight!

From the diaries. Just one more add. Coach Wooden coached at an athletic chapel shrined with NCAA championships, the Chevy Salesman coaches at an athletic institution that has turned into USC of the East (a thug school). GO BRUINS -Nestor

I know many people have seen the asinine story comparing Coach Krackheadski's run of Sweet 16s to that of Coach Wooden's championships, and today in the LA Times, Chris Dufresne writes about how people (east of the Rockies, that is) tend to forget and understate Coach Wooden's achievements.  

Among other things, he talks about people comparing Duke to Wooden's UCLA teams:

Last year, before Michigan State played Duke in the Austin Regional, Spartan Coach Tom Izzo was asked to compare Wooden's 12-year run to Krzyzewski's success.

"UCLA was awfully good," Izzo said at the time. "When you look at this modern-day era with the parity being so much better, it is more incredible what Mike has done there."

More incredible.

Wooden's record in the Final Four was 21-3.

Krzyzewski is 10-7.

Dean Smith was 8-11.

Wooden was 10-0 in title games; Krzyzewski is 3-4.

Let's get a grip.

It's a pretty good read, and still leaves me awestruck to read about all of this, even though I have heard it all so many times before.

ESPN is reporting that sources say Kelvin Sampson is leaving OU to coach at Indiana.  

Thoughts?

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From the diaries. -N

Sure, it's an exhibition game, but if you want to catch a glimpse of future Bruin James Keefe, he will be playing in the McDonald's All-American High School Game.  You'll also get to see the poor fools who chose other schools instead (like Arizona's Chase Budinger, who will probably see a non-senile coach for the last time during this game).

The game is on Wednesday, March 29, at 10pm Eastern on ESPN.

for the Hate-o-rade?

I LOVE UCLA.  And I know everyone else here on this site does too.  But I feel like a lot of posting up here is all about how this sportswriter is dumb, and that coach is dumb, and this TV network, or newspaper columnist, or whoever else says bad things about us deserves to be strung up by their giggleberries.  

There are so many great stories going on in college basketball (not just at UCLA, but at other schools like GMU), but it seems like the negative sentiments outweigh the positive ones by about 20-to-1.  

I think it is awesome that everyone here is so passionate about UCLA sports (and damn well they should be!), but I feel like we should take an example from classy coaches like John Wooden and Ben Howland, who would have challenged all these dumbass media types by WINNING, and not by saying how stupid they are, or how biased they are.  I think we are well aware of the world we live in and the way that many sportswriters and people in the MSM look at West Coast basketball, but if we truly are the classy students, alumni, and friends of the UCLA program that we are supposed to be, shouldn't we be above the jealousy or stupidity that they exude, instead of stooping to their levels and complaining about it?  I fear that non-Bruins visiting this site may think we are just a bunch of whiners, when in fact we are just people who love UCLA and want people to be aware that we not only have a great sports program but an amazing University with the world's best students and alumni.

I'll admit that there have been times that reading what these sportswriters have said and listening to some of the talking heads has annoyed me.  I may have even posted a comment or 2 about it.  But it seems like there are some people who just like to post about all the bad things other people say about us.

Don't ever lose the passion that you guys have for UCLA sports.  I would rather hear a bunch of bitching than a bunch of apathy.  I'm not saying that every post should be some happy lovefest.  I just think it can be done without so much complaining.

As if we needed MORE reason to believe that Afflalo is a badass:

Before the season began, I remember watching an interview with Arron Afflalo on TV where he said that this team was "talented enough to make the Final Four," even though he conceded that most people wouldn't believe it.  Watching that at home, I thought to myself, "I'm glad he thinks that way, but I'll be happy with a Sweet 16 this year."  Well, here he is, one of the few who KNEW from the beginning that they would get this far.  I may have to consult him for stock advice later on...

Just in case people want to post here about that game...

By the way, since when did Florida allow WNBA players to play center for them?