UCLA catching fire in the Big Dance reminds of a couple of Steve Lavin-coached teams that advanced beyond their seed level in the Dance (or, for old timers, Larry Brown’s underrated 1980 edition that made a shock run all of the way to the finale vs. Louisville), though in all of those scenarios the Bruins eventually hit a hurdle they couldn’t clear. Is Alabama that similar challenge?
The Crimson Tide certainly have a Final Four-look about them after early-round work including the destruction of Maryland on Monday after blasting through the SEC and the conference tourney in Nashville.