Phugly In Phoenix

If WKU learned anything in the west regional Thursday night, it's that you can't spot a number-freaking-ONE seed 21 points and expect to win. Not while they've got Kevin Love. Not when they outrebound you 49-33. Not when you shoot 18% in the first half (and an anemic 34% for the game). Second half? Now those looked more like the true Toppers. So much so they made Love describe his team's overall effort as "Unacceptable, unacceptable, unacceptable" afterwards. And he's probably right. Western outscored UCLA 58-47 in the second half, and even made star guard Darren Collison foul out for the first time all season. Instead of adding on and blowing out their seemingly-overmatched opponents, the Bruins came frightfully close to a collapse of epic proportions. Xavier probably won't be rattled by those four letters on the uniforms the way WKU was initially. And as good as UCLA's defense truly is, the X-men won't shoot 18% in the first half. A word of caution to Westwoodians: The potholes on the road to San Antone are much more treacherous than they appear.