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INDIANAPOLIS -- UCLA coach Ben Howland gestured with his left hand to the five starters who sat alongside him at Sunday's news conference and spoke with pride - not concern - about their possible NBA talent. "A good problem is having players that are leaving early for the NBA," Howland said the day before his team fell, 73-57, to Florida in the national championship game. "The more NBA players - we've got a number of them sitting right up here to my left - they're going to be future NBA players, without question, without a doubt.

Indianapolis -- With four sophomores and one junior in their starting lineup, the Florida Gators were said to be too young to make a run in the Southeastern Conference this season, let alone accomplish a victory the magnitude of a national championship. In fact, Florida began the season unranked - picked by some to finish fifth in the SEC. What mattered most last night, though, was where Florida's season ended - on college basketball's grandest stage, piled on top of one another in a center-court celebration after a performance that raised the Gators above all the rest.

INDIANAPOLIS -- UCLA coach Ben Howland, whose mantra has always been defense, pulled his glasses down his nose yesterday while he scanned Florida's shooting statistics. "I'm just amazed as I look at his numbers," Howland said of Florida junior guard Lee Humphrey, who made six three-pointers in Saturday's 73-58 win over George Mason in the Final Four. "They have a great offensive team. It really is going to be a big challenge for us to be able to try to defend such skilled players, good passers.

INDIANAPOLIS -- There was no shortage of questions yesterday directed to players from both Florida and UCLA about the Bruins' storied basketball program and its championship tradition, but for Florida center Joakim Noah, there was a different kind of connection to the California school. Noah traced his family's athletic success back to UCLA grad and tennis legend Arthur Ashe. When Noah's father, Yannick Noah, was a 12-year-old tennis prodigy in Africa, Ashe discovered him during an African tour in 1971.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Californians are still Indiana dreaming. UCLA became the other survivor late last night, eclipsing a young LSU team handily, 59-45, to move into the NCAA tournament final for the first time since 1995, when the school won the last of its record 11 championships. In their 15th Final Four, the Bruins (32-6) easily handled the Tigers (27-9) to advance to tomorrow night's championship game against Florida (32-6). The Bruins quickly drained the suspense out of a game that many felt they wouldn't win. Building leads of 18-8 and 27-6 before hitting the locker room at halftime with a 39-24 advantage, the Bruins wasted no time laying to rest any notion of an LSU comeback at the beginning of the second half and led by 23 points with 13 minutes to go. In an NCAA tournament that has been notable for amazingly tight finishes, with overtimes common and last-minute or last-second winning shots, the semifinals proved anti-climactic.

INDIANAPOLIS -- In the early fall, UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland hosted a barbecue at his home. He invited his current team and about 80 former players and coaches - including legendary coach John Wooden. Over enchiladas, this year's team learned a UCLA history lesson. "I really try to help our players be encouraged to understand how lucky they are to be a part of the fraternity they're in, which is to be a UCLA basketball player," Howland said. "That's a very special fraternity. "What's special about that is that nowhere else in the country does anyone have the tradition and history that UCLA has in college basketball," he said.

Los Angeles -- Scene I: Tired of Adam Morrison's act, of his bumping and grabbing and trash-talking during an NCAA tournament game last week, a UCLA player, his arms locked with the Gonzaga star, disdainfully yanks himself free with such force that he sends the All-America forward crashing to the floor. Scene II: Saddened by the sight of Morrison, again on the floor, this time in tears and anguish after his team had been shocked by the Bruins, 73-71, a UCLA player leaves his wildly celebrating teammates to bend down and console him. Vastly different scenes.

ATLANTA -- Glen "Big Baby" Davis pounded his chest, screamed to the heavens and saluted LSU's fans. In turn, they'll be talking about Davis and Tyrus Thomas for years. They carried LSU back to the Final Four. LSU's extra-large and extra-thin inside duo combined for 47 points, 22 rebounds and four blocked shots yesterday, and Davis' unlikely three-pointer in overtime sealed a 70-60 triumph over Texas in the Atlanta Regional final. The Tigers, a No. 4 seed, advanced to the Final Four for the first time in 20 years.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jordan Farmar and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute provided a shocking ending to Adam Morrison's amazing season. After Farmar stole the ball from J.P. Batista with about 14 seconds left, he quickly passed to Mbah a Moute, who scored from underneath with 10 seconds remaining to knock out Morrison and third-seeded Gonzaga, 73-71, last night to advance to the regional final. Morrison, Gonzaga's shaggy-haired star, made two free throws with 3:26 to go, giving him 24 for the night and the Bulldogs (29-4)