Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
UCLA's basketball team is always among the best college teams in the nation, but this year's team will have many new faces. In this FanHouse exclusive we talk to some of the new recruits and also hear from the Wizard of Westwood, former Bruins head coach John Wooden.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
During the NBA season, without anyone taking notice, Lakers point guard Jordan Farmar hosted kids hospitalized at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA at Lakers home games. In this FanHouse exclusive, we hang out with Farmar and his friends as they enjoyed a reunion. One of Farmar's buddies, a little angel named John-Paul, challenged the Lakers star to a game of hoops -- and you'll be surprised by the end result. No tape has been confiscated in the making of this video.
On a night when the University of Arizona honored famed coach Lute Olson during halftime, something became very clear as the ceremonial speeches ended and the basketball began. If the Wildcats want to continue their NCAA streak of 25 consecutive tournament appearances, they would need more than an uplifting video (it got dusty in my apartment) and the memory of a coach that has been through a lot the last two years. The Wildcats need a W.
It wasn't happening, as Jerome Randle absolutely murdered the 'Cats in the second half, helping California (22-8, 11-6) improve to third in the Pac-10 with the 83-77 win and put the Wildcats in another uncomfortable position similar to last season -- leaving their March Madness dreams up to chance.
Each week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the NCAA tournament field if the season ended today. While he's good at this, Lunardi only focuses on past performance, and wins and losses. Bracketology Busters looks at which teams should be expected to perform significantly better or worse than their projected seeds.
This week we'll look at a team that's seen their perception drop after a great three-year stretch, but is primed to make yet another late season run.
This week, FanHouse is taking a look at the top teams heading into 2008 with a BlogPoll decided on by our college hoops bloggers. To help with the team capsules, we've brought in some of the top fan bloggers around the internets to give us insights on their teams.
We could have gone for one of the pretentious UCLA blogs out there, but instead we went to a real fan, Insomniac, of the appropriately named Insomniac's Lounge. Hey, anybody who took the time to make this post must be a great fan.
UCLA coach Ben Howland has found the road map to the Final Four, having now guided his Bruins basketball team to play games in football stadiums (RCA Dome, Georgia Dome, Alamodome) in three consecutive years. While this is certainly a remarkable achievement in its own right, at UCLA success is ultimately only measured by national championships, and that is where Howland has been hitting a dead end. With a restocked lineup, Bruins fans have reason to hope that this is the season their team finally breaks through with a title. But this year, the journey will be missing the contributions of three players (Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute) who left early for the NBA.
Since I last talked to you, Western Kentucky has made a run on UCLA. After trailing by 21 at the half, the Hilltoppers have outscored the Bruins 29-15 in the second half to trail (as I write this) by nine. There is under 9:00 left in the game.
How did they do this? Get UCLA in foul trouble.
Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison and Josh Shipp have all got four fouls apiece. Because those guys have to sit, Western Kentucky has decided to press UCLA full court. That has forced 17 UCLA turnovers and some easy baskets for WKU.
Tyrone Brazelton is leading the charge with 18 points (including three makes from behind the arc).
Oh, since I've written this ... UCLA's lead is down to four points.
UPDATE: With less than six minutes left, Collison fouled Courtney Lee on a three point shot. Collison has fouled out and the lead is still four.
Using a 28-7 run to end the first half, the UCLA Bruins are cruising against Western Kentucky. At the break, they lead their Sweet 16 game with the Hilltoppers, 41-20.
It's the classic matchup between a #1 seed and a #12: the bigger and faster team is taking care of business.
UCLA's offense and defense are just so efficient. Offensively, the Bruins are shooting 51%. They are dominating the paint with Kevin Love and James Keefe and pretty much getting whatever shot they want.
Defensively, the Bruins are holding WKU to just 19% shooting (an ugly 6-of-32). The Hilltoppers' star, Courtney Lee, has scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting. Nearly every attempt by Western Kentucky is challenged and UCLA is constantly pressing in the half court.
Better news for UCLA fans: Josh Shipp has found his stroke. After scoring just six total points in the Bruins first two tournament games, Shipp has eight at the break ... including a three point shot.
UCLA's basketball team is always among the best college teams in the nation, but this year's team will have many new faces. In this FanHouse exclusive we talk to some of the new recruits and also hear from the Wizard of Westwood, former Bruins head coach John Wooden. 
During the NBA season, without anyone taking notice, Lakers point guard 
On a night when the University of Arizona honored famed coach 
This week, FanHouse is taking a look at the top teams heading into 2008 with a BlogPoll decided on by our college hoops bloggers. To help with the team capsules, we've brought in some of the top fan bloggers around the internets to give us insights on their teams.
Since 
Using a 28-7 run to end the first half, the UCLA Bruins are cruising against Western Kentucky. At the break, they lead their Sweet 16 game with the Hilltoppers, 41-20.
