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NCAA tournament first look: UCLA vs. Tulsa

Tulsa forward Rashad Smith drives around North Texas forward Keith Coleman during a game earlier this season.
(Michael Wyke / Associated Press)
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No. 4 UCLA (26-8) vs. No. 13 Tulsa (21-12)

Friday at Viejas Arena in San Diego

How they got here: UCLA finished second in Pac-12 play and won the conference tournament. Tulsa finished in a four-way tie for first place in Conference USA and won the conference tournament.

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Last 10 games: UCLA 7-3, Tulsa 10-0.

Record vs. NCAA tournament teams: UCLA 8-4; Tulsa 0-3.

Best wins/worst losses: UCLA defeated fourth-ranked Arizona in the Pac-12 championship game, 75-71. The Bruins lost to Washington State, 73-55, in the regular-season finale. Tulsa beat Missouri Valley Conference runner-up Indiana State, 63-62, in December. The Golden Hurricane lost to a 9-22 Texas Christian team in December.

Common opponent: None.

UCLA lineup: Starters — F Travis Wear (7.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg), F David Wear (6.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg), G Kyle Anderson (14.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg), G Jordan Adams (17.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg), G Norman Powell (11.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg). Top reserves — C Tony Parker (6.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), G Zach LaVine (10.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg), G Bryce Alford (8.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg).

Tulsa lineup: Starters — F Rashad Smith (12.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg), F D’Andre Wright (7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg), G James Woodard (15.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg), G Shaquille Harrison (9.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg), G Tim Peete (5.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) — G Rashad Ray (4.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg).

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It’s a fact: Both teams have people experienced in winning NCAA championships … the coaches. UCLA first-year Coach Steve Alford won with Indiana in 1987. Danny Manning, Tulsa’s second-year coach, won with Kansas in 1988. You can toss in Tyus Edney, UCLA’s director of basketball operations, who won with the Bruins in 1995. UCLA and Tulsa met just once in NCAA tournament play. The 12th-seeded Golden Hurricane defeated the fifth-seeded Bruins, 112-102, in the first round in 1994.

chris.foster@latimes.com

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