Bruins and Gators meet in rematch of last year's national title game
March 31st, 2007
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - The defending national champion Florida Gators have reached the Final Four for the fourth time in school history and the second time in as many years, as they face off against the UCLA Bruins in the Georgia Dome this evening.
The Gators, who topped the Bruins in last year's championship game, have tied a school record for most wins in a season, coming into this matchup with an impressive 33-5 ledger. Billy Donovan's team is currently riding an eight games win streak, including running the table in the SEC Tournament and then posting four victories in this event. The Gators opened tournament play with a 112-69 rout of Jackson State, followed by a 74-67 victory over Purdue, a 65-57 triumph over Butler and finally an 85-77 win over Oregon in the Elite Eight last week.
Ben Howland's Bruins are also in their second straight Final Four, as they made it to the championship game last year, only to fall to these same Gators by a score of 73-57. This season, UCLA navigated the tournament field with victories over Weber State (70-42), Indiana (54-49), Pittsburgh (64-55) and Kansas (68-55). One of the winningest programs in NCAA Tournament history, UCLA is making its 17th Final Four appearance. UCLA has a record 11 national championships to its credit. The team has a 94-33 tournament record, trailing only Kentucky (100) in terms of tourney wins. The team's .740 winning percentage ranks second all-time behind only Duke (.752).
Last season's championship game marked the first-ever meeting between these two programs. The winner of this game will take on either Ohio State or Georgetown for the national title on Monday.
The Bruins certainly have some dangerous offensive weapons, but it has been the team's ability to play shutdown defense which has it on the verge of a 12th national title. The tournament field has felt the sting of the Bruins' stingy play at the defensive end, as both Kansas and Pittsburgh were held to just 55 points, while Weber State and Indiana both failed to crack the 50- point plateau. The yearly statistics have been equally impressive, as opponents have been held to just 59.5 ppg (16th nationally), on a mediocre .425 shooting percentage. In addition, UCLA is forcing 15.6 turnovers per game. Offensively, the team looks to junior guard Arron Afflalo to lead the way. Afflalo has the ability to take over a game offensively and comes into this contest averaging a team-high 16.9 ppg. Joining Afflalo in the scoring column are sophomores Josh Shipp (13.1 ppg) and Darren Collison (12.8 ppg). Much more than just a scorer, Collison is one of the Pac-10's top distributors, doling out 5.7 assists per outing. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (8.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and Lorenzo Mata (6.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg) complete the starting five. In the win over Kansas in the Elite Eight, it was Afflalo once again pacing the team, as he netted 24 points, including 15 in the second half. Collison added 14 points in the victory, as UCLA shot a solid .533 from the floor in the game, including a sizzling .588 in the second half (10-of-17). At the other end, the Bruins held the usually potent Jayhawks to just .411 shooting, while forcing Kansas into an unforgiving 21 turnovers.
As one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, Florida will certainly present a challenge for UCLA tonight. On the season, the Gators are netting almost 80 points per game (79.8), while leading the nation in field- goal percentage (.527) and ranking among the top-10 in terms of three-point accuracy (.405). The starting five is exactly the same as last season's national title winning team and the quintet rivals any in the country. All five players are averaging double digits, starting with point guard Taurean Green, who paces the team in both scoring (13.3 ppg) and assists (138). He is joined in the backcourt by Lee Humphrey (10.1 ppg), who is the team's top three-point shooter (105-of-231, .455). The frontcourt is as good as it gets, with center Al Horford (13.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 68 blocks) and forwards Corey Brewer (13.1 ppg) and Joakim Noah (12.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 68 blocks). Defensively, the Gators are not bad either, holding opponents to just 62.2 ppg, on .406 shooting. In the Elite Eight victory over Oregon, it was Humphrey who led four players in double figures, pouring in 23 points, while hitting a career-high tying seven three-pointers. Green hit four treys and finished with 21 points, while Brewer and Noah each pitched in with 14 points. Noah was instrumental on the glass as well, hauling in 14 caroms to complete the double-double. In all, Florida was able to offset 18 turnovers by shooting .479 from the floor, including .458 from behind the arc.