We are replacing the NFL Preview with NCAA college basketball analysis until the season begins. At this time, we will provide analysis and selections for the top NFL matchups each week during the regular season. The selections, articles, and fantasy football advice are top notch and informative. Do you remember the matchup for the 2006 NCAA Men's College Championship game? It was UCLA losing versus Florida . The rematch takes place, in a relative home game for the Gators, at Tampa 's St Pete Times Forum this afternoon.
The winner of this game plays either Gonzo or BYU in the Sweet 16. The Bruins almost choked away a 20+-point lead against the Michigan State Spartans in the first round. The Gators on the other hand dominated their opponent from start to finish behind SEC Player of the Year Chandler Parsons. They made 11 of 15 shots to start the game and jumped out to a big early lead. Florida enters this year's tournament with 26 wins for the fifth time in school history. The last four times this happened they advanced to the final four. The Gators are a good tournament team traditionally, recording a 53 30 ATS since 1997.
The last time these teams met, the Gators won by a final score of 76 66. UCLA shot 39.1% from the field and got out rebounded 42 to 25. No team can win with those statistics. The Bruins are 2 3 SU and ATS on a neutral court this season. They score 75.6 points and allow opponents 80.4 for a losing margin -4.6 points. UCLA is 3 2 SU and 4 1 ATS in the last five games. They score 65.8 points and allow opponents 65 for a win margin of +0.8 points.
The Bruins are holding teams to 29.6 points by halftime and 39.4% shooting from the field. UCLA is 9 2 SATS when playing a team with a winning record after 15+ games this season. The Gators are shooting the ball at a 49.5% rate over their last five games and holding teams to under 30 rebounds a game. The Bruins are one of two teams to beat the Big Ten and come out of an undefeated first round for the Pac 10 conference. You're only as good as your competition.
