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SACRAMENTO — Indiana's basketball team is in the same place as UCLA was two years ago.
Then the Bruins had a mix of Steve Lavin leftovers and Ben Howland newcomers, and fans were just happy that Lavin was gone and weren't distraught when UCLA lost to Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament because it really was just good to get back.
When the second-seeded Bruins (27-5) play the seventh-seeded Hoosiers (21-10) today in the second round of the West Regional, it will be a meeting between two programs of grand history, high expectations and a newfound appreciation of how tough it is to be really good.
Both UCLA Coach Ben Howland and Indiana Coach Kelvin Sampson understand how difficult it can be to embrace the traditions of two programs that have combined to win 16 national championships (11 for UCLA) and who have been led by larger-than-life coaches -- John Wooden and Bob Knight.
Howland must explain to recruits that it is the championship banners that matter inside creaky Pauley Pavilion and Sampson must explain that not having names on jerseys is a matter of team pride. Sampson, though, really doesn't have a speech concerning the striped warm up pants that probably should have gone away with bell-bottoms and chin-length side burns.
"I kind of like those pants," UCLA center Lorenzo Mata said. "Maybe we can do them in blue and gold."
Mata also said he was recovered from an upset stomach that caused him to vomit during UCLA's 70-42 win over Weber State on Thursday night.
UCLA's other wounded starter, Darren Collison, said his sprained left ankle felt fine after Friday's practice.
Collison said when UCLA plays tradition-rich teams such as Kentucky and Indiana, he sees a bump in national interest but as a sophomore in 2007 he says he does not think about Knight or how Indiana had an undefeated season in 1975-76.
"With all respect," Collison said, "all we think about is this is another game we need to advance in the NCAA tournament."
Said Indiana center D.J. White: "Traditions at schools always mean something. It shows what past players have done for the school on a national level." His teammate A.J. Ratliff added, "The tradition I want is to go to the national championship like UCLA did last year."
