MEMPHIS, Tenn. - UCLA distinguished itself as the most exciting team in the country this season.
The four-month frenzy over a team likely constituted of five future NBA players and a pair of rare college seniors was certainly a thrill ride. In the end, it didn’t possess the substance to match hype not seen in Westwood since the mid-1990s.
The Bruins tied a program record with 28 regular season wins and spent nearly half the season in the top five of the AP poll, rising as high as No. 2.
Their only losing streak of the season - back-to-back losses to Arizona and USC - triggered a defensive turnaround that seemed to steel UCLA for a deep postseason run.