No. 1 overall seed UCLA eager to begin its quest for a storybook ending to this historic season
LOS ANGELES — Although UCLA's season already has been a spectacular story by multiple measures, the Bruins are determined to write the proper ending.
Lauren Betts and her teammates won a school-record 30 games and lost only twice while spending 13 weeks at No. 1. They're still smiling at the memory of the confetti-strewn celebration of their revenge victory over crosstown rival USC in Indianapolis to win their first Big Ten championship.
'That was really fun,' Betts said. 'But we want to do it again.'
As the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins have a golden opportunity to do something even bigger.
UCLA will host Southern (21-14) at Pauley Pavilion as the Bruins begin the final stages of their quest for UCLA's first Final Four appearance.
The Spokane 1 Regional appears to set up nicely for the Bruins' strengths, and they'll begin at home before an expected sellout crowd. Everything is in place for the Bruins to continue to make history — and to star guard Kiki Rice, that sounds like fun, not pressure.
'I mean, obviously we're expected to do well, (but) I think that comes from within us and this group,' Rice said. 'We have really high expectations of each other. We know the work we do on a daily basis and how well we are prepared. Most of that kind of stuff is internal expectations. That's really what we're focused on. I do think we'll play with a lightness, like joy, like Coach Cori (Close) said the other day.'
The Bruins' first obstacle is the Jaguars, who beat UC San Diego in the First Four for their school's first NCAA Tournament victory.
Eighth-seeded Richmond (27-6) faces ninth-seeded Georgia Tech (22-10) in an intriguing first-round matchup before the Bruins take the court in Westwood.
The All-American
Betts became the first UCLA player to make the AP All-America first team. The honor was an appropriate reward for a spectacular season in which the dominant center led the Bruins in scoring (19.6), rebounding (9.7) and blocked shots (2.9).
Close said Betts had tears in her eyes when told of the honor, but her teammates all know it was deserved. Betts also described her selection as a team honor recognizing the Bruins' ability to complement her dominance in the low post on offense and at the center of a stifling defense.
With Betts in top form and her teammates coming off a series of elite performances, the Bruins are ready to go to work.
'I feel like this team has really taken a step in the right direction in terms of how we're leading ourselves, and just the energy we're bringing and our focus,' Rice said. 'We're feeling our best at the most important time of the year.'
East goes West
Richmond and Georgia Tech are embracing the excitement and the responsibility of this cross-country road trip for an opening-round game of uncommon importance to both programs.
Coach Nell Fortner's Yellow Jackets have won only two NCAA Tournament games — both in 2021 — in the past decade. The Spiders have never won on the big stage, going 0-4 in the program's previous trips.
That includes last season, when Richmond lost to Duke in the opening round. The Spiders got another lesson in big-game pressure this season when they played blue-blood programs Texas, Tennessee and Alabama in consecutive games shortly before Christmas.
Although Richmond lost all three, the games accomplished coach Aaron Roussell's goal of boosting his team's schedule strength while teaching it about big-time pressure. Right after the new year, the Spiders reeled off 17 straight wins.
'After that week, it weirdly gave us some confidence,' Roussell said. 'Those are things, as much as it hurts because you knew that would be a valuable win for you, for the program, I think it did give us some confidence (and) springboarded us to start conference play.'
Richmond rolled through its Atlantic 10 schedule before taking a heartbreaking one-point loss to St. Joseph's in the conference tournament semifinals, falling on a shot at the buzzer.
'I think the loss definitely hit a little harder because of what it was,' said Maggie Doogan, the Atlantic 10 player of the year. 'But I think having the 17-game win streak in the back of our minds gives us the confidence that we've played really good teams and we've beaten really good teams, so we can do the same while we're here.'
Georgia Tech started the season 21-5 before losing five of its last six games, including a one-point loss to top-seeded NC State in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The defeat particularly stung because the Yellow Jackets couldn't get off a shot before the buzzer on their final possession.
Despite their skid, the Jackets feel confident in their ability to contend on opening weekend.
'We definitely took a lot of things from that experience,' Georgia Tech's Tonie Morgan said. 'I wouldn't say it was something we needed, but we definitely gained something from it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mwenentanda eager for opportunity with Vanderbilt
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda is a former Washington high school standout, who just made a run to the Final Four with Texas. Now, she's on the move to another SEC School. Ndjakalenga played three season with the Texas Longhorns, appearing in 37 games this past year as a junior. She started in 15 games, including the Final Four contest against South Carolina. 'I love Texas and I got what I needed out of Texas. I got my degree,' Mwenentanda said. 'I just wanted something different.' Mwenentanda entered the transfer portal following her junior season. 35 teams reached out to her, but she had to picky, knowing she has just one year of eligibility left. 'Being a part of some rebuilding process wouldn't have allowed me enough time. I had to look at the options that were the best fit for me, as far as teams that were a little bit more established,' Mwenentanda said. Another factor in Ndjakalenga's decision was the ability to help fill her goals, which include playing basketball beyond college. 'The goal is to play pro basketball and that's why I entered to portal, to see where I can best take that stepping stone to achieve my goal of playing basketball,' Mwenentanda said. Her decision brought her to the Music City of Nashville, becoming the newest player for Vanderbilt. 'There are a lot of girls on the team that want to go pro. I know, being in a final four atmosphere, you've got to have everybody that really wants it,' Mwenentanda said. 'Those who are willing to sacrifice and put time towards the same goal.' While Ndjakalenga is taking her talents to Vandy, her heart will always be in South Dakota, a state providing plenty of support for the Sioux Falls native. 'I grew up in Sioux Falls and I've still got friends I keep in touch with. I keep in touch with Parish over at Washington as well,' Mwenentanda said. 'I think Sioux Falls definitely has a permanent place in my heart, because of what it has provided me.' Mwenentanda will make some trips back and forth to Nashville throughout the summer as she gets ready for the basketball season later this year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
David Greenwood, former UCLA and Verbum Dei star who won an NBA title, dies
David Greenwood adored basketball so much in middle school that he would play for three different teams in three different parks on the same day, multiple times a week. His brother, Al, would be in the car driving around with him between games while David traded in his sweaty uniform for a fresh one, repeating the process over and over. Advertisement 'He was relentless,' Al said, 'because he loved the game.' At home, David would get tossed around in driveway games by the cement contractor father who was twice his size, only to keep getting back up for more contact. In practices, he shot blindfolded to perfect his form, his brother having to let him know when he was close to going out of bounds so that he could get his bearings. UCLA's David Greenwood (34) shoots a basketball during a game against San Francisco at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on March 15, 1979 (Peter Read Miller / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) Greenwood, the determined Compton kid who went from a star high school player at Verbum Dei to one of the top scorers in UCLA history to an NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, died Sunday night at a Riverside hospital from cancer. He was 68. Advertisement True to the nature of someone who played through debilitating foot injuries throughout his career, Greenwood did not inform family of his illness until the end of his life. 'Everything happened so quickly,' said Bronson Greenwood, David's nephew. 'It was kind of a shock.' One of the all-time great high school players in Southern California, Greenwood and teammate Roy Hamilton were among the final players recruited by legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. They were shocked when Wooden retired shortly after their senior season of high school and was replaced by Gene Bartow. But they decided to stick with their commitments, lured in part by the pitch of a coach they would never play for in college. Advertisement 'He told me if I went to USC or UNLV or Notre Dame, I'd be an All-American,' Greenwood once told The Times of Wooden's proposal. 'But if I went to UCLA, I'd be able to test myself against 12 other high school All-Americans every single day. ... It was kind of like, 'Come here and test your mettle.' ' Greenwood's work ethic continued to push him as a Bruin. His practices with the team were followed by an hour in another gym, his brother feeding him passes. Along the way, he never shortchanged himself or teammates. College athletes selected in the NBA draft pose with NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien, center, at New York's Plaza Hotel on June 25, 1979. The players are, from left: Calvin Natt, Northeast Louisiana, drafted by New Jersey; Sidney Moncrief, Arkansas, drafted by Milwaukee; Bill Garthright, San Francisco, drafted by New York; O'Brien; Earvin Johnson, Michigan State, drafted by Los Angeles; Greg Kelser, Michigan State, drafted by Detroit; and David Greenwood, UCLA, drafted by Chicago. (Associated Press) 'If he said he was going to shoot 100 free throws,' Al said, 'it wasn't 50, it wasn't 65, it was 100 — and he didn't stop until he got to 100.' Advertisement Having been dubbed 'Batman and Robin' in high school, Greenwood and Hamilton remained close at UCLA, rooming together and biking to campus from where they lived in the Fairfax District. Hamilton remembered Greenwood as a remarkable rebounder who whipped outlet passes to him to get fast breaks started. 'We would always know how to motivate each other,' Hamilton said, 'and connect with each other on the floor.' Becoming a star by his sophomore season, Greenwood averaged a double-double in points and rebounds as a junior and a senior, finishing each season as an All-American. The 6-foot-9 forward's go-to move was starting with his back about 10 to 12 feet from the basket before faking one way and unleashing a spin-around jumper. One of his favorite memories as a Bruin, according to his brother, was a comeback against Washington State toward the end of his career in which the Bruins wiped out a late double-digit deficit, winning on Greenwood's putback dunk only seconds before the buzzer. The Bulls' David Greenwood shoots over the Bullets' Elvin Hayes during a game in 1981 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Greenwood played for the Bulls from 1979-85. (Focus On Sport / Getty Images) UCLA never recaptured the Wooden glory during Greenwood's four seasons, reaching the Final Four his freshman year and a regional final his senior year. But Greenwood remains No. 15 on the school's all-time scoring list, having tallied 1,721 points. Advertisement After the Lakers selected Magic Johnson with the first pick of the 1979 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls took Greenwood second as part of their massive rebuilding efforts. (Hamilton was also a lottery pick, going 10th to the Pistons.) 'He wasn't exciting, he was steady,' Al Greenwood said of his brother. 'You knew you were going to get a double-double every night out of him regardless of what the score was.' Greenwood started every game in his first NBA season, averaging 16.3 points and 9.4 rebounds while making the all-rookie team. The Bulls went 30-52, their loss total more than triple the 17 losses that Greenwood's teams had absorbed in four seasons as a Bruin. But he persevered through the losing and a series of foot injuries caused by a running style in which his heels would hit the ground before his toes. Al remembered his brother coming back to Los Angeles to play the Lakers and taking his shoes off at home, saying it felt as if they were full of broken glass. Advertisement 'That was how his feet felt a lot of the time, but he just played even when he shouldn't have,' Al said. 'I always called him The Thoroughbred.' Former UCLA standout David Greenwood talks about his career during a National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction event on Nov. 21, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (Colin E. Braley / Associated Press) Greenwood would undergo one Achilles' surgery on one foot and two on the other, never missing a full season in the process. In October 1985, before the widespread use of cell phones, Greenwood learned he had been traded to San Antonio for future Hall of Famer George Gervin while listening to the radio. Late in his 12-year NBA career, he was a surprise playoff contributor for the Detroit Pistons when they won the 1990 NBA championship. Hamilton worked for CBS Sports as part of the production team broadcasting the Finals that year. Advertisement 'Having my best friend in the world on the team and winning a title,' Hamilton said, 'that was a joy for me.' Greenwood went on to own several Blockbuster video stores and coached at his alma mater, guiding Verbum Dei to state championships in 1998 and 1999. His nephew recalled a soft side, his uncle picking him up and giving him a good tickle. Greenwood is survived by his brother, Al; sister, Laverne; son, Jemil; and daughter, Tiffany, along with his former wife, Joyce. Services are pending. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
David Greenwood, former UCLA and Verbum Dei star who won an NBA title, dies
David Greenwood adored basketball so much in middle school that he would play for three different teams in three different parks on the same day, multiple times a week. His brother, Al, would be in the car driving around with him between games while David traded in his sweaty uniform for a fresh one, repeating the process over and over. 'He was relentless,' Al said, 'because he loved the game.' At home, David would get tossed around in driveway games by the cement contractor father who was twice his size, only to keep getting back up for more contact. In practices, he shot blindfolded to perfect his form, his brother having to let him know when he was close to going out of bounds so that he could get his bearings. Greenwood, the determined Compton kid who went from a star high school player at Verbum Dei to one of the top scorers in UCLA history to an NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, died Sunday night at a Riverside hospital from cancer. He was 68. True to the nature of someone who played through debilitating foot injuries throughout his career, Greenwood did not inform family of his illness until the end of his life. 'Everything happened so quickly,' said Bronson Greenwood, David's nephew. 'It was kind of a shock.' One of the all-time great high school players in Southern California, Greenwood and teammate Roy Hamilton were among the final players recruited by legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. They were shocked when Wooden retired shortly after their senior season of high school and was replaced by Gene Bartow. But they decided to stick with their commitments, lured in part by the pitch of a coach they would never play for in college. 'He told me if I went to USC or UNLV or Notre Dame, I'd be an All-American,' Greenwood once told The Times of Wooden's proposal. 'But if I went to UCLA, I'd be able to test myself against 12 other high school All-Americans every single day. ... It was kind of like, 'Come here and test your mettle.' ' Greenwood's work ethic continued to push him as a Bruin. His practices with the team were followed by an hour in another gym, his brother feeding him passes. Along the way, he never shortchanged himself or teammates. 'If he said he was going to shoot 100 free throws,' Al said, 'it wasn't 50, it wasn't 65, it was 100 — and he didn't stop until he got to 100.' Having been dubbed 'Batman and Robin' in high school, Greenwood and Hamilton remained close at UCLA, rooming together and biking to campus from where they lived in the Fairfax District. Hamilton remembered Greenwood as a remarkable rebounder who whipped outlet passes to him to get fast breaks started. 'We would always know how to motivate each other,' Hamilton said, 'and connect with each other on the floor.' Becoming a star by his sophomore season, Greenwood averaged a double-double in points and rebounds as a junior and a senior, finishing each season as an All-American. The 6-foot-9 forward's go-to move was starting with his back about 10 to 12 feet from the basket before faking one way and unleashing a spin-around jumper. One of his favorite memories as a Bruin, according to his brother, was a comeback against Washington State toward the end of his career in which the Bruins wiped out a late double-digit deficit, winning on Greenwood's putback dunk only seconds before the buzzer. UCLA never recaptured the Wooden glory during Greenwood's four seasons, reaching the Final Four his freshman year and a regional final his senior year. But Greenwood remains No. 15 on the school's all-time scoring list, having tallied 1,721 points. After the Lakers selected Magic Johnson with the first pick of the 1979 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls took Greenwood second as part of their massive rebuilding efforts. (Hamilton was also a lottery pick, going 10th to the Pistons.) 'He wasn't exciting, he was steady,' Al Greenwood said of his brother. 'You knew you were going to get a double-double every night out of him regardless of what the score was.' Greenwood started every game in his first NBA season, averaging 16.3 points and 9.4 rebounds while making the all-rookie team. The Bulls went 30-52, their loss total more than triple the 17 losses that Greenwood's teams had absorbed in four seasons as a Bruin. But he persevered through the losing and a series of foot injuries caused by a running style in which his heels would hit the ground before his toes. Al remembered his brother coming back to Los Angeles to play the Lakers and taking his shoes off at home, saying it felt as if they were full of broken glass. 'That was how his feet felt a lot of the time, but he just played even when he shouldn't have,' Al said. 'I always called him The Thoroughbred.' Greenwood would undergo one Achilles' surgery on one foot and two on the other, never missing a full season in the process. In October 1985, before the widespread use of cell phones, Greenwood learned he had been traded to San Antonio for future Hall of Famer George Gervin while listening to the radio. Late in his 12-year NBA career, he was a surprise playoff contributor for the Detroit Pistons when they won the 1990 NBA championship. Hamilton worked for CBS Sports as part of the production team broadcasting the Finals that year. 'Having my best friend in the world on the team and winning a title,' Hamilton said, 'that was a joy for me.' Greenwood went on to own several Blockbuster video stores and coached at his alma mater, guiding Verbum Dei to state championships in 1998 and 1999. His nephew recalled a soft side, his uncle picking him up and giving him a good tickle. Greenwood is survived by his brother, Al; sister, Laverne; son, Jemil; and daughter, Tiffany, along with his former wife, Joyce. Services are pending.
