March 19--WHO -- No. 11 UCLA (20-13) vs. No. 6 Southern Methodist (27-6).
WHAT: NCAA South Regional second-round game, Thursday, noon
WHERE: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky. TV: truTV; Radio: 980, 1150.
UPDATE: UCLA made the 68-team tournament field largely on the strength of its schedule. The Bruins have more impressive wins than Southern Methodist, including decisions over Utah and Oregon. The Mustangs have three wins over tournament teams, but all were automatic qualifiers seeded 12th or lower. UCLA Coach Steve Alford has compared SMU to Pac-12 Conference champion Arizona, which beat UCLA twice this season. The Mustangs focus on defense. Their 59.8 points-allowed-per-game average is 25th-best in the nation, though their defensive efficiency, adjusted for competition level, is just 42nd, according to Kenpom.com. SMU has a tough, undersized point guard, Nic Moore, who averages 14.2 points and 5.3 assists per game. They have a formidable frontcourt, a dangerous transition game and work hard on the boards. They have outrebounded opponents by almost seven per game. Off the bench, Markus Kennedy is a difference maker. And Coach Larry Brown, who guided UCLA from 1979 to 1981, has decades of experience.
Starters
SMU; Ht.; Wt.; PPG; Pos.; UCLA; Ht.; Wt.; PPG
Nic Moore; 5-9; 170; 14.2; G; Bryce Alford; 6-3; 180; 15.1
Ryan Manuel; 6-4; 185; 6.6; G; Isaac Hamilton; 6-4; 185; 10.7
Sterling Brown; 6-6; 200; 5.3; G; Norman Powell; 6-4; 215; 16.4
Cannen Cunningham; 6-10; 225; 6.3; F; Kevon Looney; 6-9; 220; 11.8
Yanick Moreira; 6-11; 220; 11.2; C; Tony Parker; 6-9; 260; 11.1
Reserves
SMU; Ht.; Wt.; PPG; Pos.; UCLA; Ht.; Wt.; PPG
Ben Emelogu; 6-6; 205; 2.8; G; Noah Allen; 6-6; 215; 1.5
Markus Kennedy; 6-9; 245; 11.7; F; Thomas Welsh; 7-0; 245; 3.9
Ben Moore; 6-8; 205; 7.3; F; Gyorgy Goloman; 6-10; 215; 1.4
