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UCLA Bruins win 2006 Pac-10 regular season men's basketball title
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For the first time since 1997, the UCLA Bruin men’s basketball team at the top of the regular season standings with a record of 14-4 in the conference. The Pac-10 is one of the few major conferences left that still play home and home round robin games. UCLA has lost to Washington twice, and Cal and USC once. Last year’s champion, Washington, is in second place with a 13-5 record. The last time UCLA won the conference with a 14-4 record was the 1986-1987 season in which Washington was also the previous conference champion, and had defeated UCLA twice in the regular season. UCLA went on to beat the Huskies in the championship of the inaugural Pac-10 basketball tournament held at Pauley Pavilion.
Arizona Wildcats coach Lute Olson has long been an outspoken opponent of the conference tournament. He says it makes his players too tired for the NCAA tournament. The Pac-10 has not done many great things in the NCAA basketball championship since the year 2000, outside of a few sweet sixteen appearances, and one final four appearance by Arizona in 2001. This year bodes the same, as UCLA will probably get a 2 seed if they win out, meaning that they are granted a likely chance to reach the regional finals.
Washington is expected to get an NCAA tournament bid no matter what, as they have been ranked, and have defeated “Cinderella” Gonzaga. Arizona has a high RPI, and 18 wins, and will likely get a bid. Cal is on the right side of the bubble; Stanford and USC are on the wrong side. The Cardinal must win, and the Trojans must appear in the Championship to gain entry to the NCAA tournament. Here is the schedule for the Pac-10 tournament. Wed., Mar. 8 Game 1: No. 8 Arizona State (11-16, 5-13) vs. No. 9 Oregon State (12-17, 5-13), 6:12 p.m. PT Game 2: No. 7 Oregon (13-17, 7-11) vs. No. 10 Washington State (11-16, 4-14), 8:42 p.m. PT Thur., Mar. 9 Game 3: No. 4 Arizona (18-11, 11-7) vs. No. 5 Stanford (15-12, 11-7), 12:20 p.m. PT Game 4: No. 1 UCLA (24-6, 14-4) vs. Winner 8/9, 2:50 p.m. PT Game 5: No. 3 California (18-9, 12-6) vs. No. 6 USC (17-12, 8-10), 6:20 p.m. PT Game 6: No. 2 Washington (24-5, 13-5) vs. Winner 7/10, 8:50 p.m. PT Fri., Mar. 10 Semifinal 1 (Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4), 6:20 p.m. PT Semifinal 2 (Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6), 8:50 p.m. PT Sat., Mar. 11 Pacific Life Pac-10 Tournament Championship, 3:15 p.m. PT Past Pac-10 basketball tournament champions 1987 UCLA (def Washington) 1988 ARIZONA (def Oregon State) 1989 ARIZONA (def Stanford) 1990 ARIZONA (def UCLA) (The tournament was ended after 1990, but revived for 2002) 2002 ARIZONA (def USC) 2003 OREGON (def USC) 2004 STANFORD (def Washington) 2005 WASHINGTON (def Arizona)
The 2006 championship is expected to be UCLA vs Washington, but stranger things have happened in the tournament. The Pac-10 has always known that they could not leave the money on the table for a tournament. They have gathered a fair attendance at the Staples center in Los Angeles. |
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Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 @ 11:44:09 UTC by BB
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UCLA Bruins win 2006 Pac-10 basketball tournament (Score: 1)
by BB on Monday, March 13, 2006 @ 06:35:36 UTC
(User Info ) http://www.group29.com | The Bruins blasted through Oregon State, Arizona, and California. Although, the Arizona Wildcats were without their leading scorer, Hassan Adams. Adams was suspended for the tournament by coach Lute Olson after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving the previous weekend. It will be a whole different Wildcat team in the NCAA tournament, as Arizona will meet Wisconsin in the 8/9 game for the Minneapolis regional.
California had to play the Bruins in the tournament championship after being extended to double overtime against Oregon in the late semi final game. Although no player used that as an excuse, it certainly could have been a factor. UCLA stifled Super Sophmore Leon Powe and held him to 6-15 from the field. In fact, the whole Cal team shot .396 from the field. That kind of defense will take you far. Cal also landed in the NCAA tournament as a number 7 seed facing North Carolina State as a 10 seed. NC State was ranked #25, but lost four games in a row, including the final regular season game against Wake Forest and the ACC tournament opener again to Wake Forest.
The UCLA Bruins will open as a #2 seed in the Oakland regional. They will be in San Diego to face the #15 seed Belmont Bruins in their first NCAA tournament appearance. Belmont is located near downtown Nashville and has been playing Division I basketball since the 1997 season. Belmont was tied for first in the Atlantic Sun conference and defeated Lipscombe in the Atlantic Sun tournament championship. At least a Bruin victory is assured in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This is a HUGE opportunity for Belmont, in that being the top Bruin in basketball, even for just one year would place their program in everyone's mind.
The Washington Huskies got the fourth bid for the Pac-10. They are the #5 seed in the Washington D.C. bracket and will face #12 seed Utah State. |
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CBS High Definition tournament broadcasts (Score: 1)
by BB on Monday, March 13, 2006 @ 07:00:18 UTC
(User Info ) http://www.group29.com | The HDTV broadcasts of the Big Ten and Pac-10 tournaments seemed to go well for CBS. There were only a few glitches, such as during commercial breaks and going to the studio. Dick Enberg, who got his start on KMPC AM in Los Angeles doing the play by play of UCLA basketball, called the UCLA - Cal game.
I do not understand why the half time report does not have wide screen yet. I imagine that this year, all NCAA games will be in High def. I will not be able to stream the March Madness on Demand, since that web site is blocked at my office. |
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2005 Pre-season NIT notes (Score: 1)
by BB on Monday, March 13, 2006 @ 08:41:53 UTC
(User Info ) http://www.group29.com | 2006 NCAA #1 seed Duke barely defeated #1 seed Memphis in the Pre-Season NIT championship game. This particular game set the tone for the rankings for the rest of the season.
Memphis beat UCLA in the semi finals. The other final participant, Drexel, had major problems down the stretch against Hoftsra, George Mason, and UNC Wilmington.
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UCLA Bruins crack top 10 in final season basketball poll rankings. (Score: 1)
by BB on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 @ 10:33:45 UTC
(User Info ) http://www.group29.com | | The UCLA Bruins took a huge leap in the final basketball polls of the season. They have ended at #7 in the Associated Press (AP) sportswriters poll and #8 in the USA Today/ESPN (former UPI) coaches poll. This is the highest they have been all season as they mostly rattled around between 13 and 19. Who says that the conference tournament championship is not worth anything? The Pac-10 tournament wins REALLY boosted the Bruins in the estimation of the rest of the country. Many reporters are talking final four. |
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