As many commentators point out, tournament experience is often a very big factor.

This current UCLA team has a heck of a lot of Big Dance experience under their collective belt, and although I haven't run the numbers, I'd be willing to assert that this team has more experience than all the other teams in the tourney this year.

Check these numbers
++Luc Richard M.A.M.:--- 11 games (9-2 record), 311 minutes played
++Darren Collison:------ 11 games (9-2), 292 minutes
++Lorenzo Mata-R.:------ 12 games (9-3), 200 minutes
++Josh Shipp:------------ 6 games (4-2), 196 minutes
++Alfred Aboya:--------- 11 games (9-2), 166 minutes
++Mike Roll***:--------- 11 games (9-2), 119 minutes
++James Keefe:----------- 5 games (4-1), 38 minutes
++Russell Westbrook:------5 games (4-1), 30 minutes
++Nic Dragovic:-----------1 game (1-0), 4 minutesUpdate [2008-3-20 9:34:33 by rich87]:

Totals:
-73 NCAA tourney games played
-1,356 tourney minutes played
-58 wins that this group of guys has experienced  

***Mike Roll obviously won't be playing in this tourney, but he will presumably be on the bench, in the meetings and in the locker room with the guys to lend support (moral and otherwise), thus his experience is noted and accounted for.