Saturday, March 25, 2006
The Tigers (33-3) are the No. 1 seed in the regional and UCLA (30-6) is No. 2.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was a nervous freshman playing his first college game away from Pauley Pavilion. John Calipari's crew had yet to discover its chemistry.
Even though Memphis and UCLA met once already this season, it was so long ago there's not much either side can glean from that November game as they prepare to play again today with a trip to the Final Four at stake.
"I watched the tape last night," Calipari said Friday. "They're way better and we're way better. We shot 3s like fumbled balls. I really chuckled. I laughed at the tape. I'm sure Ben [Howland] did the same thing. ... I'll be honest, I did not draw a whole lot from it. But I watched it to say I watched it."
First meeting
The Tigers (33-3) won that first meeting 88-80 behind 26 points from Shawne Williams in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT before a big crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden. The 88 points are the most UCLA's stifling defense has allowed this season and Williams' 26 the highest individual performance against the Bruins.
Now, Memphis is the No. 1 seed in the Oakland Regional and UCLA (30-6) is seeded second after advancing with a thrilling 73-71 comeback victory over third-seeded Gonzaga on Thursday night. Memphis handily beat upstart Bradley.
"Personally, I really don't try to look back on games too much," UCLA guard Arron Afflalo said of the first meeting with Memphis. "That's the worst thing to do, to get caught up in the way things went last game. I mean, for one, you can't look back on it and learn from that experience."
UCLA has won 10 straight games, including the triumph Thursday already considered one of the best comebacks in tournament history. Memphis, featuring four freshmen and three sophomores playing regularly, is riding a seven-game winning streak and has 22 victories in its last 23 games.
Momentum may help
Howland hopes UCLA can ride its latest emotional win further, gaining momentum much the way the 1995 UCLA championship team did from Tyus Edney's game-winning, full-court drive and layin against Missouri in the second round of the '95 tournament that lifted the Bruins to a 75-74 victory.
"This gives us the opportunity to feed off this," Howland said. "That's my expectation, that we're going to feed off this win and it's going to make us better going into tomorrow. We're going to need to be better, a lot better, to have a chance to beat Memphis."
The Bruins haven't faced another team as athletic as Memphis, which loves to run and spread the floor for leading scorer Rodney Carney. The 6-foot-7 forward and likely NBA lottery pick scored 23 against Bradley with several powerful dunks in transition.
Guards Andre Allen and Darius Washington Jr. will be pressuring the ball at every opportunity to create turnovers and easy opportunities on the other end. The Tigers took Bradley right out of its preferred half-court offense and forced 14 first-half turnovers.
Similar opponent
That doesn't mean much now. UCLA, in its first regional final since losing to Minnesota in 1997, also is quick and athletic like Memphis.
"Both of us, you know, we came from a long way throughout the season and now we're both great teams," said Carney, who wants the chance to end his stellar collegiate career in his hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four.
The Bruins haven't been back to the Final Four since that '95 run.