Alexander: So, what about next season’s roster for the UCLA men’s basketball team?

Alexander: So, what about next season’s roster for the UCLA men’s basketball team?

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In a sense, both the NBA and college basketball are professional pursuits, with players getting paid. The difference: In the NBA, at least there’s some roster certainty. So it’s kind of discomfiting, for both questioner and respondent, but it must be asked of college players when any season ends: Are you coming back next season? Most of those answers figure to be noncommital. In light of UCLA’s 67-58 loss to Tennessee and elimin…

UCLA's Mick Cronin Was Not In The Mood To Discuss Next Season, Dreading Allegiant Airlines Flight Home

LEXINGTON, KY - Following the loss to Tennessee that ended early Sunday morning, UCLA head coach Mick Cronon was rightfully not interested in talking about next season. In what was an honest moment, the Bruins leader was more concerned about the dreaded flight home, and just how uncomfortable it was going to be on their Allegiant Air plane. Turns out, the NCAA reached out on Sunday to say it was actually a ‘Global X’ flight, not Allegiant Air, s…

Here is the latest SEC sports news from The Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Chaz Lanier made four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points as No. 2 seed Tennessee advanced to a program-record third straight Sweet 16, beating seventh-seeded UCLA 67-58 in the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers will play either…

Here is the latest Big Ten Conference sports news from The Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Chaz Lanier made four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points as No. 2 seed Tennessee advanced to a program-record third straight Sweet 16, beating seventh-seeded UCLA 67-58 in the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers will play either…

Alexander: Tennessee proves too much for UCLA in NCAA Tournament

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Maybe this was a microcosm of UCLA’s men’s basketball season. Impressively good at some points, frighteningly bad at others. For around 14½ minutes Saturday night, the Bruins went toe-to-toe with the Tennessee Volunteers, the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Regional slugging it out with No. 2 in what was very much a road game in the heart of Southeastern Conference country. It was 23-21 UCLA, after a 3-pointer by freshman Trent Perry,…

Alexander: What if Tennessee’s Rick Barnes hadn’t turned down UCLA?

LEXINGTON, Ky. — There is this peculiar quirk that is not limited to sports but comes up fairly frequently in such conversations, exemplified by the words, “What if?” What if the ball had bounced one way, instead of the other? What if the official had actually been in the proper position to make the call? Or what if Coach B had taken a particular job, instead of Coach A? We’ll never know the answers, of course, because you only get a first chanc…