Why UCLA will win
Florida starts the same lineup it did when it beat UCLA in last year’s final by 16 points.
Missing from that UCLA lineup are center Ryan Hollins and swingman Cedric Bozeman, who were seniors, and point guard Jordan Farmar, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. They combined for 37 of the Bruins’ 57 points.
That’s one reason UCLA will win Saturday. The Gators have seen the Bruins and know they can beat the Bruins. This is how complacency sets in.
And the Gators haven’t played the Bruins lately.
This UCLA team is a year older, a year stronger, a year smarter.
With Darren Collison running the point, they are quicker. Collison has turned into a dynamic floor leader who can push the break, run the halfcourt offense and hit daggers in the clutch with the shot clock winding down.
Ask Kansas.
Junior Arron Afflalo has to make shots for the Bruins to win two more games and though he has struggled in big games before, this is his time.
He’s a first-team All-American, and he played like it against Kansas, torching Jayhawks star Brandon Rush in the second half and finishing with 24 points.
He will hit some big shots Saturday.
The Bruins have more scoring talent than a year ago, considering swingman Josh Shipp, who missed last year’s tournament recovering from hip surgery, is the Bruins’ second-leading scorer.
UCLA goes into a lot of games with a supposed disadvantage inside, but center Lorenzo Mata is a stronger defender this season. He’s healthy, unlike last season, when he battled many injuries.
Plus, the Bruins have become better at quick traps in the low post, taking big men out of their game.
The Bruins must rotate quickly to get to the open man, and they do. One minute, the Florida guards might think they have an open 3. The next minute, somebody’s contesting the shot.
Forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, though he seems less springy this season, still has quick hands and is a savvy rebounder and defender. He and Mata might not seem a match for Florida’s Joakim Noah and Al Horford.
With help, they are.