A quick look at Kent State and UCLA in the NCAA Tournament

By AP
Published

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) No. 14 seed Kent State (22-13) vs. No. 3 seed UCLA (25-4)

First round, South Region; Sacramento, California, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Led by freshman point guard Lonzo Ball, UCLA has been one of the top teams in the country all season. For the Golden Flashes to have any chance, they'll have to find a way to stop the Bruins, the nation's highest-scoring team.

BALL IS BALLIN': Ball had a superb first - and potentially last - season with the Bruins, leading the nation with 7.7 assists while becoming a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith awards. He has been projected as the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft.

ANIVERSARY TEAM: Kent State beat the top three seeds in the Mid-American Tournament to make its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2008, but this year also marks the 15th anniversary of the 2002 team that reached the Elite Eight. That team beat Oklahoma State, Alabama and Pittsburgh before losing to Indiana.

ALFORD FINALE: This year's tournament marks the end of Bryce Alford's storied career at UCLA. The coach's son is the Bruins' all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 320 and his 1,887 points are fifth on the school's all-time list.

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