West Regional

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WEST REGIONAL

1. UCLA

LOCATION -- Los Angeles.

HOW THEY GOT HERE -- Won Pacific-10 Conference tournament.

RECORD, RPI -- 31-3, 4th.

NCAA HISTORY -- This is 41st appearance and third consecutive.

KEY PLAYERS -- C Kevin Love (6-10/Fr., 17.4 ppg, 10.9 rpg); G Darren Collison (6-0/Jr., 14.6 ppg, 4 apg); G Russell Westbrook (6-3/Soph., 12.8 ppg, 4.4 apg).

THE BUZZ -- Ben Howland has taken the Bruins to the Final Four two years in a row, losing to Florida in the 2006 national title game and again to the Gators in the 2007 semifinals.

2. Duke

LOCATION -- Durham, N.C.

HOW THEY GOT HERE -- At-large berth from Atlantic Coast Conference.

RECORD, RPI -- 27-5, 6th.

NCAA HISTORY -- This is 32nd appearance and 13th consecutive.

KEY PLAYERS -- G DeMarcus Nelson (6-4/Sr., 15.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg); G Greg Paulus (6-1/Jr., 3.4 apg); F Kyle Singler (6-8/Fr., 14.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg).

THE BUZZ -- This isn't a vintage dominant Duke team of the late 1990s and earlier part of this decade, but the Blue Devils are still plenty dangerous, especially if their three-pointers are falling.

3. Xavier

LOCATION -- Cincinnati.

HOW THEY GOT HERE -- At-large berth from Atlantic 10 Conference.

RECORD, RPi -- 27-6, 9th.

NCAA HISTORY -- This is 19th appearance and third consecutive.

KEY PLAYERS -- F Josh Duncan (6-9/Sr., 11.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg); G Drew Lavender (5-7/Sr., 10.8 ppg; 4.4 apg).

THE BUZZ -- The Musketeers fought through one of the most hotly contested conference seasons in Atlantic 10 history to earn No. 1 conference seed for second consecutive year.

4. Connecticut

LOCATION -- Storrs, Conn.

HOW THEY GOT HERE -- At large-berth from Big East Conference.

RECORD, RPI -- 24-8, 18th.

NCAA HISTORY -- This is 27th appearance and first since 2006.

KEY PLAYERS -- F Jeff Adrian (6-7/Jr., 14.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg); G A.J. Price (6-2/Jr., 14.7 ppg, 6.0 apg); C Hasheem Thabeet (7-3/Soph., 10.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg).

THE BUZZ -- The Huskies are tough on the offensive boards, and Price makes the offense go.

5. Drake

LOCATION -- Des Moines, Iowa.

HOW THEY GOT HERE -- Won Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

RECORD, RPI -- 28-4, 10th.

NCAA HISTORY -- This is fourth appearance, and first since 1971.

KEY PLAYERS -- G Josh Young (6-1/Soph., 15.8 ppg, 44.6 percent from 3-pt); G Leonard Houston (6-3/Sr., 14 ppg, 4.4 rpg); F Jonathan Cox (6-8/Jr., 11.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg); PG Adam Emmenecker (6-1/Sr., 8.5 ppg. 6.2 apg).