GeauxTo
04-01-2006, 03:39 PM
UCLA / LSU
It's time to play.
http://xostech.cache.streamos.com/pics19/400/XP/XPAWSFLAOOTXYSW.20060331000332.jpg (javascript:ViewPhoto('202800','290','400','400',' 202800'))
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- It's time to play.
That seemed to be the theme both on and off the court of the four teams in the NCAA Final Four as they went through their final 50-minute workouts before a large crowd at the RCA Dome and visited with an international media contingent Friday as the clock continued to tick down to tip-off.
Florida and George Mason meet in the first game of the day at 5:07 p.m. CST before LSU and UCLA meet in the second national semifinal at approximately 7:47 p.m. CST. CBS Sports will televise the game with the radio broadcast in Louisiana available on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and in the "Geaux Zone powered by USAgencies" and Westwood One/CBS Radio Network will have the national radio broadcast.
"Even though we feel good about being here, our team is fortunate to be here in a way," said LSU Coach John Brady (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174090). "I think our players feel like there are some other things left to accomplish. That's good. That's a good thing. We've had two or three good days of practice. Our preparation has gone well. Our team has continued to approach it in a serious manner, but with a relaxed sense about itself. I think we are ready to play. If we don't play well, it will surprise me, it really will, because of what our team has gone through to get here and how they feel about themselves right now."
The Tigers appeared loose in their 50-minute session at the RCA Dome and in their visits with the medium, not showing any problems with the Final Four distractions.
"You stay within your team and don't worry about all the outside stuff," said LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=185993). "It's good to have fans out there to help you stay within the game, but you're the one who has to play. You just need to play within yourself and think about your team and the coaching staff. You have to take it one game at a time, but sometimes I'll think about it. You can't get complacent."
LSU is 27-8 and trying to equal the second most wins in school history set by the 2000 NCAA Sweet 16 team. The Tigers are making their fourth NCAA Final Four appearance, joining 1953, 1981 and 1986. Each time previously LSU failed to make the national championship game, losing to the eventual national champion.
UCLA comes into the game with a record of 31-6 as the No. 2 seed in the Oakland Regional after winning both the regular season and the tournament titles in the Pac-10. Of course, the Bruins are one of the all-time teams when it comes to the NCAA Tournament with an all-time tournament record of 89-32 with 11 national championships, the last in 1995. Ben Howland is in his third year as the head coach at UCLA with a record of 60-34. He also served head coaching stunts at Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona before taking the UCLA job.
Howland in his press conference had to start with an injury report.
"(Friday) in practice, Ryan Hollins suffered a contusion to I believe his right knee, right about the kneecap. That was about 20 minutes into practice, maybe 25. We started to ice it, did not practice the rest of the time. Has swelling there. When we are done with our media obligations, we go out to shoot at 3:10 p.m. Then we'll see how he feels (Friday night). I would expect it to take a lot to keep him out of that game," Howland said.
"Lorenzo Mata who broke his nose on practice on Wednesday when we arrived did get the CAT scan done. Our trainer did a good job of snapping it right back into place. He did not practice (Thursday), but did practice (Friday) with his mask on. Hopefully he can stay healthy here the rest of the way."
Hollins is a 7-0 senior who averaged 6.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game, while Mata averaged 3.6 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per contest.
LSU will go with the lineup it returned to last week in the regional in Atlanta with Darrel Mitchell (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174831) (17.0 ppg, 4.6 apg) and Garrett Temple (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174836) (5.2 ppg, 2.8 apg) at guards with Tasmin Mitchell (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=185993) (11.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Tyrus Thomas (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174844) (12.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.1 bpg) and Glen Davis (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174845) (18.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg) at forwards.
"I watched the UCLA team on tape," said Brady. "Ben Howland has done a wonderful job with his team. They know what they're supposed to do on both ends of the floor, particularly defensively. Their best players shoot the majority of their balls. Their guards are extremely talented and smart. Defensively they're as sound as any team we're going to play. They understand rotation. They understand help-side defense. They rebound the ball well. We have stressed to our team that we're going to have to execute against their defense in order to have an opportunity to win the game."
UCLA guards Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo are the top two scorers and both are sophomores for the Bruins. Farmar averaged 13.4 points per game and Afflalo puts in 16.2 points a game.
UCLA leads the overall series, 7-0. The last meeting was at LSU on Dec. 17, 1994, while UCLA winning, 92-72. The Bruins would go on to win the 1995 NCAA title that season.
LSU has won their last four games since a lost to Florida in the SEC semifinals and 11 -f their last 12 while UCLA has an 11-game winning streak that is presently the longest in the nation.
For the winner, there is a chance to play the final game of the college season for a national championship and hopefully be a part of "One Shining Moment." For the loser, a wonderful season comes to an end one game too soon.
It's time to play.
http://xostech.cache.streamos.com/pics19/400/XP/XPAWSFLAOOTXYSW.20060331000332.jpg (javascript:ViewPhoto('202800','290','400','400',' 202800'))
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- It's time to play.
That seemed to be the theme both on and off the court of the four teams in the NCAA Final Four as they went through their final 50-minute workouts before a large crowd at the RCA Dome and visited with an international media contingent Friday as the clock continued to tick down to tip-off.
Florida and George Mason meet in the first game of the day at 5:07 p.m. CST before LSU and UCLA meet in the second national semifinal at approximately 7:47 p.m. CST. CBS Sports will televise the game with the radio broadcast in Louisiana available on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and in the "Geaux Zone powered by USAgencies" and Westwood One/CBS Radio Network will have the national radio broadcast.
"Even though we feel good about being here, our team is fortunate to be here in a way," said LSU Coach John Brady (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174090). "I think our players feel like there are some other things left to accomplish. That's good. That's a good thing. We've had two or three good days of practice. Our preparation has gone well. Our team has continued to approach it in a serious manner, but with a relaxed sense about itself. I think we are ready to play. If we don't play well, it will surprise me, it really will, because of what our team has gone through to get here and how they feel about themselves right now."
The Tigers appeared loose in their 50-minute session at the RCA Dome and in their visits with the medium, not showing any problems with the Final Four distractions.
"You stay within your team and don't worry about all the outside stuff," said LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=185993). "It's good to have fans out there to help you stay within the game, but you're the one who has to play. You just need to play within yourself and think about your team and the coaching staff. You have to take it one game at a time, but sometimes I'll think about it. You can't get complacent."
LSU is 27-8 and trying to equal the second most wins in school history set by the 2000 NCAA Sweet 16 team. The Tigers are making their fourth NCAA Final Four appearance, joining 1953, 1981 and 1986. Each time previously LSU failed to make the national championship game, losing to the eventual national champion.
UCLA comes into the game with a record of 31-6 as the No. 2 seed in the Oakland Regional after winning both the regular season and the tournament titles in the Pac-10. Of course, the Bruins are one of the all-time teams when it comes to the NCAA Tournament with an all-time tournament record of 89-32 with 11 national championships, the last in 1995. Ben Howland is in his third year as the head coach at UCLA with a record of 60-34. He also served head coaching stunts at Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona before taking the UCLA job.
Howland in his press conference had to start with an injury report.
"(Friday) in practice, Ryan Hollins suffered a contusion to I believe his right knee, right about the kneecap. That was about 20 minutes into practice, maybe 25. We started to ice it, did not practice the rest of the time. Has swelling there. When we are done with our media obligations, we go out to shoot at 3:10 p.m. Then we'll see how he feels (Friday night). I would expect it to take a lot to keep him out of that game," Howland said.
"Lorenzo Mata who broke his nose on practice on Wednesday when we arrived did get the CAT scan done. Our trainer did a good job of snapping it right back into place. He did not practice (Thursday), but did practice (Friday) with his mask on. Hopefully he can stay healthy here the rest of the way."
Hollins is a 7-0 senior who averaged 6.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game, while Mata averaged 3.6 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per contest.
LSU will go with the lineup it returned to last week in the regional in Atlanta with Darrel Mitchell (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174831) (17.0 ppg, 4.6 apg) and Garrett Temple (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174836) (5.2 ppg, 2.8 apg) at guards with Tasmin Mitchell (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=185993) (11.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Tyrus Thomas (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174844) (12.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.1 bpg) and Glen Davis (http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174845) (18.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg) at forwards.
"I watched the UCLA team on tape," said Brady. "Ben Howland has done a wonderful job with his team. They know what they're supposed to do on both ends of the floor, particularly defensively. Their best players shoot the majority of their balls. Their guards are extremely talented and smart. Defensively they're as sound as any team we're going to play. They understand rotation. They understand help-side defense. They rebound the ball well. We have stressed to our team that we're going to have to execute against their defense in order to have an opportunity to win the game."
UCLA guards Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo are the top two scorers and both are sophomores for the Bruins. Farmar averaged 13.4 points per game and Afflalo puts in 16.2 points a game.
UCLA leads the overall series, 7-0. The last meeting was at LSU on Dec. 17, 1994, while UCLA winning, 92-72. The Bruins would go on to win the 1995 NCAA title that season.
LSU has won their last four games since a lost to Florida in the SEC semifinals and 11 -f their last 12 while UCLA has an 11-game winning streak that is presently the longest in the nation.
For the winner, there is a chance to play the final game of the college season for a national championship and hopefully be a part of "One Shining Moment." For the loser, a wonderful season comes to an end one game too soon.