UCLA Bruins vs LSU Tigers will be a Final Four battle of defensive-minded teams
Long known as an offensive power, the UCLA Bruins (31-6) take a defensive-minded approach into their national semifinal matchup with LSU Tigers (27-8) on Saturday at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
UCLA won 10 national championships under John Wooden, relying heavily on overpowering offense. Even when the Bruins last advanced to the Final Four in 1995, winning the national title, they did it on the strength of their scoring.
With coach Ben Howland in charge, that mindset has been reversed. Howland brought a reputation for taking opponents out of their offensive rhythm when he arrived from Pittsburgh three years ago, and the changes have become evident this season. The Bruins are 10th nationally in team defense, allowing only 58.7 points per game. During its 11-game winning streak, UCLA has allowed one opponent, Gonzaga, to score more than 60 points.
UCLA is anchored by sophomore guards Afflalo and Jordan Farmar - both honorable mention All-Americans - and emerging freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. The second-seeded Bruins escaped past Alabama in the second round, needed a miracle comeback against Gonzaga in the regional semifinals and then beat Memphis in the lowest-scoring regional final since the shot clock was implemented for the tournament in 1986.
At UCLA, though, just getting to the Final Four isn’t enough. The Bruins have won 11 national championships in 15 previous appearances and their 16th trip this season ties North Carolina for the most ever.
LSU enters this Final Four in a different role - as a potential favorite. In three previous appearances, in 1953, 1981 and 1986, the Tigers were the underdog, losing to the eventual national champion in the semifinals. The Tigers were seeded 11th in 1986, the lowest seed to advance to the Final Four until George Mason this season. The Tigers rely on a core of players who grew up near the team’s campus. Four players are from Baton Rouge, while two others are from towns nearby.
Davis and freshman Tyrus Thomas are the keys to a team that relies heavily on frontcourt scoring. Davis, a 6-foot-9, 310-pound sophomore, had 26 points and nine rebounds in the win over Texas and is surprisingly agile for a player his size. Thomas is a 6-foot-9, 215-pound athletic leaper capable of playing above the rim and blocking anything that comes near it.
Thomas was named the most outstanding player of the Atlanta Regional after scoring 21 points to go along with 13 rebounds and three blocks against the Longhorns. He had 13 boards and five blocks as the Tigers knocked off top-seeded Duke in the regional semifinals.
LSU needs the production of Davis and Thomas because the team hasn’t shot 3-pointers particularly well. The Tigers were 3-for-18 against Texas and are shooting 25.5 percent (12-for-47) from 3-point range in the tournament. UCLA leads the series with LSU 7-0, but the teams haven’t met since 1994.
The winner will play Florida or George Mason in the national championship game Monday night.
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PREDICTION: UCLA to beat LSU to advance to the Championship game against Florida.
