D-D-D-Defense wins for UCLA, Howland

It’s time to face reality.

Tonight, our once-beloved head coach Ben Howland will lead his… It’s time to face reality.

Tonight, our once-beloved head coach Ben Howland will lead his UCLA Bruins to their 12th NCAA title.

As the second seed in the Oakland region, UCLA has overcome adversity (see: Josh Shipp) and close calls (see: Gonzaga) to play in their first national championship game since 1995.

Sure, it’s easy to argue that the Bruins shouldn’t even be at this point. If it were not for a JP Batista blunder and an incredibly intuitive play by Jordan Farmer in the closing seconds of their Sweet 16 matchup with the Zags, I would probably be listing the reasons why Memphis would be on their way to their first ever title.

UCLA, however, went on to hold those same high-scoring, uber-athletic Tigers to a meager 45 points in their Elite Eight contest.

In fact, the only team to score more than 60 points against the Bruins this entire tournament was Gonzaga.

Strong defense is and always has been Howland’s trademark. But rarely has a team that is this defensive-minded been so good at scoring. Sophomore guards Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar combine 29.6 points per game. On top of that, Farmar is also averaging 5.2 assists.

UCLA has also gotten a huge boost from freshman forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who has bumped his average up to 11.8 points per game during the tournament, including a season-high 17 points against both first-round opponent Belmont and semifinal adversary LSU.

As if that wasn’t already enough to deal with, Florida – the Bruins’ National Championship contender – should have its hands full with 7-foot center Ryan Hollins, who is averaging nearly a block per game. He should be able to at least subdue red-hot Gator center Joakim Noah and allow his teammates to shut down the rest of the Florida squad.

For what it’s worth, five Florida players are averaging double-digit points on the season. But while the Gators rely mostly on these five stars, UCLA has a deep bench which can provide plenty of scoring while giving their starters a breather.

Of course, you can also expect a significant decline in Florida’s offensive numbers. Just ask Memphis and LSU.

Glen Davis, who a week earlier torched the Texas Longhorns for 26 points and seven rebounds, was held to only 14 points and six rebounds against the feisty Bruins on Saturday.

Before that, UCLA held Memphis’ top scorer, Rodney Carney (17.6 ppg), to an infinitesimal five points.

In fact, the only Tiger to score in double figures on the evening was guard Darius Washington Jr., who had an unspectacular 13 points.

Did I mention Memphis was averaging a team total of 80 points per game on the season?

On top of it all, the Bruins just seem to have that inexplicable knack for having players step up their production in crucial situations.

Hollins, like Mbah a Moute, has significantly raised his scoring output down the closing stretch of the season.

Whether they are shooting lights out or not, it comes down to the age-old adage – defense wins championships. And tonight, the Bruins will prove the validity of that axiom once more.

UCLA 62, Florida 54

E-mail Andrew Chikes at abc10@pitt.edu.