Gamethread for Wake Forest v. UCLA

The more things change the more they remain the same. So far the Alford rules are:

1. It's not that Alford's teams can't beat the best teams, it's that they can't compete with them. (Proven right again last night.)

2. Steve Alford's teams don't lose at home to teams that are worse than UCLA. (Happen this year for the first time against Monmouth.)

3. Steve Alford does take advantage of lucky breaks in tournaments.

On number 3, the last two years to get to the Sweet 16 UCLA beat surprise lower seeds that were only there because they pulled off upsets in the round of 64. Last year UCLA had the incredible good fortune to play against not only a lower seed but a non-conference team they had previously beaten in the tourney. Will UCLA's luck continue tonight? By the odds UCLA should be playing a ranked Indiana team right now. A game that would have a surreal aspect for Steve Alford. (And if UCLA had missed a few more free throws in the first round to UNLV, they would be playing them today in the fifth place game .) But Indiana was upset by an unranked Wake Forest.

Will UCLA again take advantage of a lucky break? Or is this the year where the Alford rules don't apply because this is the worst Steve Alford UCLA team?

Go Bruins!