Have you filled out your bracket yet? I just started mine (I run the office pool here, forcing me to get a jump on this) and at first blush here are my final four: Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina, which seems a little ACC heavy but they seem to have the best teams and best paths through. I’ll take the Tar Heels to win it all. I also really like UConn, but I can’t see them beating North Carolina in the Elite Eight. I’d like to see Gonzaga beat Wake Forest, but I can’t pick that either. And is Washington really a #1 seed?
As for UCLA, um… the fact they made it should be a victory in itself. Using the best college hoops stat sight around (offensive and defensive efficiency stats at your fingertips), Bobby Knight’s Red Raiders are 25th in the nation in defense (UCLA is 56th) and they are 50th in offense (the Bruins are 68th). So the other team has better offense and defense, well, in just one game anything can happen.
When your filling out your bracket and trying to figure out if Niagara is any good, log on to kenpom.com’s college stats page — click on a team and it will give you similar teams. For UCLA those teams are Mississippi State and Buffalo. Also, check out the Yoco College Hoops Blog, which will give you more information.
Not that all this is going to save your bracket, or mine.