UCLA BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: HOWLAND PRAISES GONZAGA.Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer One of UCLA's six losses came to Memphis in the NIT Season Tip-off The NIT Season Tip-Off is an annual college basketball tournament that takes place in November of each year, around the beginning of the season. The first two rounds are held at campus sites and the semifinals and the finals are held at Madison Square Garden. , a game the Bruins trailed by 20 points in the second half before making a late run in an eight-point loss. Yes, the same Memphis seeded No. 1 in the Oakland Regional. And the same Memphis - which plays No. 13 seed Bradley on Thursday - could be waiting to play the winner of No. 2 seed UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX (29-6) and third-seeded Gonzaga (29-3) for a trip to the Final Four. But Bruins coach Ben Howland Ben Howland (born May 28, 1957 in Lebanon, Oregon) is an American college head coach of men's basketball. He has been the head coach of the University of California, Los Angeles since 2003, and recently signed a contract extension through 2013. made no qualms about what he thinks of Gonzaga. ``This is best team we've played all year,'' Ben Howland said Monday. ``That's not, in my mind, a question. We've played some good ones. I think West Virginia West Virginia, E central state of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland (N), Virginia (E and S), and Kentucky and, across the Ohio R., Ohio (W). Facts and Figures Area, 24,181 sq mi (62,629 sq km). Pop. , I think Washington, I think there's some very good teams, Memphis. ... ``But I think they're the best team we've seen as I watch them on tape. We're going to have to play our best game of the year to give ourselves a chance.'' Gonzaga is led by Adam Morrison  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled. , who is tops in the nation at scoring at 28.2 points per game, but he has some help. Center J.P. Batista is averaging 19.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. ``This is what (Gonzaga) makes me think of,'' Howland said. ``I graduated from college in 1979, and that was the same year Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7,1956) is a retired American NBA basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, and one of the best clutch performers in the history of sports. led his (Indiana State) team to an undefeated season, until they lost in the championship to Michigan State. ``And that is a very good analogy analogy, in biology, the similarities in function, but differences in evolutionary origin, of body structures in different organisms. For example, the wing of a bird is analogous to the wing of an insect, since both are used for flight. of Adam Morrison. He's very much Bird-esque. The only difference is Gonzaga has a lot better players surrounding Adam Morrison than did Larry Bird on that Indiana State team.'' Howland went on to praise Bulldogs point guard Derek Raivio, forwards David Pendergraft and Sean Mallon and just about every other Gonzaga player. ``This is a team that, no question, can win the national championship,'' Howland said. ``They have as good a shot as anybody winning the national championship.'' --Michael not Roll-ing: UCLA freshman wing Michael Roll shot teams out of zone defenses this season, but he barely got the chance against Alabama's 2-3 zone during a forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget weekend. After scoring three points in 15 minutes in the opening round against Belmont, Roll played four minutes against Alabama, went 0 for 2 from the field and didn't score. Even worse, his first shot, a 3-pointer, against Alabama was an air ball. The 3-point specialist was 1 for 8 from the field in two games. ``I think he was probably a little nervous,'' Howland said. ``Right before the first game, I probably didn't help him, because he came into the arena that day with his video camera on. I was like, `Go ahead, Mike, act like you've been there, even though you haven't. We're not (videotaping) anything. I'll send you one at the end of the season.' '' --Odds and ends: It is finals week at UCLA, which unlike most schools, operates on the quarter system, and some players will take proctored exams while in the Bay Area. ``Alfred Aboya, his biggest stress right now is his English. Basketball is truly second to him,'' Howland said. ... The Bruins will practice on campus today and take a charter flight to Oakland afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here , Howland said. Brian Dohn, (818) 713-3607 brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Ben Howland praised many of Gonzaga's players, including guard Derek Raivio, pictured. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images |
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