UCLA Impresses Weber State
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Although every single player on Weber State’s roster was not even born at the time, the Wildcats’ program had a little revenge in mind.
And it was 35 years in the making.
In 1972, the UCLA Bruins defeated Weber State in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament by a rather convincing 90-58 score. On Thursday night at ARCO Arena, the Bruins won again convincingly again. This time 70-42.
“They’re good,” Weber State coach Randy Rahe said. “I knew from a personnel standpoint they were extremely talented. That team is so well-coached… They’re obviously good.”
The Big Sky and UCLA are not complete strangers however. Thirty years ago Saturday will be the anniversary in which Idaho State defeated UCLA in the NCAA tournament.
That game was prior to the NCAA expanding the tournament to 64 teams and seeding the teams. If that were the case, it would be the biggest upset in history.
All-time, UCLA is 9-2 against the Big Sky Conference. The other loss was to Northern Arizona in 2002 when UCLA was coached by now ESPN college basketball analyst Steve Lavin.
But the 2007 Weber State (20-12 overall) Wildcats had a pretty good idea how good the 2007 UCLA (27-5) Bruins were. The Wildcats had last year’s national championship game to watch.
“Defensively, rebounding-wise; offensively, disciplined, they take good shots,” Rahe said. “It’s easy to see why this team was in the national championship game last year.
“I think this team, and the way they play, how well-coached they are, is built for tournament success.”
UCLA’s Arron Afflalo led the way with a game-high 22 points. Darren Collison, who was playing Thursday after hurting his ankle in practice Tuesday, scored 14 points, and Josh Shipp scored 12 points.
Weber State was led by Dezmon Harris’ 10 points.
But in addition to UCLA’s star power, which is hard to ignore if you’re from a small town like Ogden, Utah, which is where Weber State is located, the Bruins are talented, too.
Not to mention the tradition speaks for itself.
Eleven national championships and numerous alumni who have gone on to successful NBA careers, many of whom later became Hall of Famers. Players such as Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are graduates of UCLA.
“They were good,” Weber State’s David Patten said. “They didn’t disappoint as far as their athleticism, their tenacity. They’re a very well-coached team.”
Weber State’s Dan Henry added that UCLA was bigger than they imagined.
On Wednesday during the opening round practice press conferences, Patten and Henry both fielded questions about the awe factor. Both said it was about playing five guys and not five shirts. But as they look back, they will probably realize how star-struck they might have been.
Outside of the having that notable name in college basketball history, UCLA is really, really good. The Bruins’ defense shut down Patten, who was the Big Sky player of the year this season.
Who knows, though, if it will be another 35 years before another rematch? Oh wait. Yes we do.
Rahe said after the game Thursday that the Wildcats and Bruins will play each other in the first round of the CBE Classic, which UCLA will host in Los Angeles.
But given what happened on the ARCO Arena hardwood Thursday night, Rahe is kicking himself.
“I’m not very bright,” he said. “I actually requested to play UCLA in the first round, because I think it’s good for our kids to have them play them on their court. After watching them (Thursday), I’m not very bright.”
