NCAA | UCLA ready for rematch with tough Texas A&M squad

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Any enjoyment UCLA got from its opening-round 41-point rout of Mississippi Valley State is over. Now, the top-seeded Bruins confront Texas A&M's big frontcourt in a rematch from last season to be played on the same court where the Bruins won by three points.

Fifteen months ago, UCLA was ranked No. 1 and used late-game defensive stops to hold off the Aggies 65-62 in the John R. Wooden Classic at Honda Center.

Today, the Bruins (32-3) and ninth-seeded Aggies (25-10) play in a second-round West Regional game, with the winner advancing to next week's Phoenix regional.

"I think they'll use it [the loss] as motivation for this game," UCLA guard Darren Collison said Friday.

"We played really excellent down the stretch last year. The difference now is we got Kevin [Love], so I think it's going to be a lot easier. It just comes down to us being physical with them."

The 6-foot-10, 260-pound Love expects to add to his collection of scratches and bruises while going up against the Aggies' Joseph Jones (6-9, 255 pounds), Bryan Davis (6-9, 250) and Josh Carter (6-7, 200).

"They're going to throw all those guys at me to bully me around a bit and try and get me disoriented," Love said. "I'm just going to have to keep my mind on the game and not feed into that stuff."

Lopezes a tall order

ANAHEIM, Calif. — When it comes to stopping the Stanford trees, it takes a village.

Marquette center Ousmane Barro will need plenty of help when the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles face No. 3-seeded Stanford and 7-footers Brook and Robin Lopez today in the South Regional's second round. The 6-10 Barro is Marquette's only player taller than 6-9.

At least Barro won't have any trouble telling them apart. Robin Lopez is the one with the mop top.

"We've talked about looking exactly the same on the court," Brook Lopez said. "I don't think either of us would really go for it, though."

Robin Lopez certainly wouldn't.

"We're effective enough right now without risking my hair," Robin Lopez said.

Notes

• The West Coast Conference had three teams in the NCAAs for the first time in its 55 years. It came within a final-seconds jumper of losing all three in the span of a few hours.

Gonzaga lost to Davidson and Saint Mary's lost to Miami, the games ending within 6 minutes of each other.

That left San Diego, the league's tournament champion, to carry the banner against Connecticut. It may have taken the Toreros an extra 5 minutes, but they beat the Huskies 70-69 on a jumper by De'Jon Jackson with 1.2 seconds to play.

• After a year off, the No. 12 seeds are back haunting the No. 5s.

Western Kentucky beat Drake 101-99 in overtime, the 12th time — how appropriate — a 12 seed has beaten a No. 5 in the first round since 2001. Later, No. 12 Villanova took down No. 5 Clemson 75-69.

There had been at least one win by the 12s every year since 2001 until last season. There were four years when it happened more than once, including 2002 when Missouri, Tulsa and Creighton all won as No. 12s.

Notre Dame and Michigan State both won as No. 5 seeds on Thursday.

• John Wooden went home from a rehabilitation center Friday, having regained his strength after the 97-year-old UCLA coaching great broke his left wrist and collarbone in a fall at home.

• Idaho hired Utah State assistant Don Verlin as coach. He replaces George Pfeifer, fired this week after two seasons and a 12-48 record.