NCAA Tournament: Much to Love About UCLA

I've already made my upset pick. Now onto who I think will win it all.

The Bruins of UCLA have been the most consistent team over the past three years, winning over 90 games since the 2005 season. In both '05 and '06, UCLA reached the Final Four and the Championship game, only to lose to Florida both times.

Those two years, UCLA was the No. 2 seed, but this year they have been awarded with the top seed in the West and the easiest path to the championship game in San Antonio.

Lucky seeding breaks aside, UCLA has an extremely strong team right now. Led by guards Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook, these Bruins are very young. There are only two seniors on the entire roster: Lorenzo Mata-Real and Matt Lee. 

UCLA may be young, but they will be ravaged by the draft. Both Collison and Westbrook are projected to go in the first round, as well as other key players who may opt for the NBA.

This year, however, the Bruins are on a mission to win the Big Dance.

Guard Darren Collison is the undisputed leader of this team, with Russell Westbrook also sharing the point guard role. Both Collison and Westbrook are ranked in the top of the conference in steals and assists.

Collison averages 14 points per game, but is an incredible shooter. He shoots 90 percent from the free-throw line, and 48 percent from three-point land.

Westbrook, on the other hand, is an incredible defensive player. He is extremely physical on both sides of the court, and is known around YouTube for his smashing dunks. Westbrook averages 12 points a game, and shoots nearly 50 percent from the field.

Then there is Kevin Love, the phenom freshman from Oregon. Love is the most versatile player on this Bruin's team. He can accurately shoot the long ball (37 percent), scores 17.2 points and grabs 10.6 rebounds a game.

Love also shoots 58 percent from the field, and is respected around the league.  Arizona power forward Fendi Onobun said, "Kevin Love is a big dude. It was tough having to play behind him the whole game." 

And, a rival Pac-10 scout said, "I've seen him in person or on film maybe a dozen times this season and not once have I seen him moved when posting up. Not once."

Love doesn't seem to have a weakness. If he chooses to enter the NBA Draft this year, he would most likely be a top-eight pick.

If not for the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007, we might be predicting a UCLA three-peat. This 2008 UCLA team is better than that of the last two years, but doesn't have as deep a roster. Foul trouble should be a major problem that the Bruin's face, but it isn't.

Neither Love nor Collison have fouled out this season. 

While there is no real favorite to win The Big Dance this year, both UCLA and UNC seem to be a step ahead of the rest.

This UCLA team is more than capable of winning it all.