Men's Final Four | Kevin Love enjoying "ride of my life" in NCAAs

SAN ANTONIO — A whole lotta Love has taken UCLA a long way this season.

Expectations were already outsized when Kevin Love walked onto the Westwood campus as the greatest high-school player in Oregon history. The 6-foot-10 freshman was the coveted big man the Bruins had been lacking since Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar starred on John Wooden's teams in the late 1960s and early '70s.

"I've heard the comparisons. Those are unfair, because they are probably the two best college players of all time," Love said. "Those are the hardest footsteps ever to follow in college basketball."

But he's trying.

Love chose UCLA ahead of North Carolina and quickly won over the Bruins' demanding fans, dazzling them with old-school outlet passes, three-point scoring and low-post moves.

He's kept his cool all the way to the Final Four, where Love wants to give the Bruins a record 12th national championship before likely heading off to the NBA draft.

"It's been the ride of my life," he said.

Love thrives on playing the biggest games under the hottest spotlight, which makes Saturday's national semifinal against Memphis his ideal situation.

He's averaging 21.8 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 61 percent from the field and 77 percent from three-point range in the NCAA tournament. He's blocked 17 shots, including seven in a thrilling two-point win over Texas A&M in the second round.

"He came in with so much expectation and hype," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "To have all that on your shoulders and not only reach all the expectations and exceed them, he's been incredible."

Unlike most of the team, Love has been injury-free throughout the season, except for tweaking his back in the Pac-10 tournament.

Walton sidelined

Walton won't be in his usual seat at this weekend's Final Four cheering on his beloved UCLA Bruins. The former center has been laid up for more than a month because of a pinched nerve in his back and an aching hip.

"His back is all jacked up. He's going through a tough time right now," said his son, Luke Walton of the L.A. Lakers. "He can't go into the arenas and sit in those chairs. He definitely can't get on a plane. He said that's the most painful thing. He can barely get into a car right now. But he said he's getting better. Slowly getting better."