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Oakland notebook: Regional Final has his attention

By Michael Arkush, Special to Yahoo! Sports

More notebooks: Atlanta | Oakland | Washington, D.C. | Minneapolis

Regular-season highlights: Memphis UCLA

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Hanging around: UCLA senior Cedric Bozeman has overcome one injury after another to play a key role in the resurgence of the Bruins under Coach Ben Howland. Bozeman, a point guard his first three years, has been a steadying influence.

Growing pains: Memphis Coach John Calipari has learned a great deal since his first time in the spotlight, when he was coach at the University of Massachuseets.

Long time ago: UCLA freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has come a long way since the first time the Bruins played Memphis, way back in November.

OAKLAND, Calif. – Gene Bartow is not coming to the game, choosing to stay back in Memphis. His grandson, seven-year-old Carter, is coming for a visit.

But Bartow, 74, will be watching Saturday's West Regional Final between Memphis and UCLA. Bartow coached the Memphis Tigers (1970-74), when they were known as Memphis State, and the UCLA Bruins (1975-77).

So who will he be rooting for?

"I'm probably more of a Tiger fan than a Bruin fan, living in Memphis," said Bartow, who works as a senior adviser for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. "But I won't lose any sleep whichever team wins."

Bartow belongs to that special club of coaches and managers in sports who have attempted, often without much success, to follow a legend. Replacing John Wooden immediately after he captured his last – and the school's 10th – national championship in 1975, Bartow knows all about the high expectations in Westwood.

"I never regret going in there," said Bartow, who compiled a 52-9 record in his two seasons, including a trip to the Final Four in 1976, "but I never regret walking away. It just wasn't a fun job."

Yet, he believes, it is not the same burden for the current coach under the microscope, Ben Howland. It is one thing to follow John Wooden; it is quite another to follow Steve Lavin. Even though Lavin was able to lead UCLA to almost routine appearances in the Sweet 16, "there was a perception," Bartow added, "that he really wasn't doing enough. After 30 years (since Wooden retired), it's a little better than it used to be."

At the same time, the expectations have not gone away. If UCLA were to lose Saturday, Bartow said there will still be a contingent of fans who will argue that the team did not achieve enough this season. "What it takes is to win national championships," he said. "At UCLA, if you're really going to satisfy basketball fans and there are a lot of them, you need to win a national championship."

The game will match the two teams that squared off in the 1973 championship game, which UCLA won, 87-66, when Bill Walton converted 21 of his 22 field-goal attempts, scoring 44 points. Memphis State was tied with the Bruins at the half, 39-39.

"We really thought we had a great chance to beat them," he said. "We had foul trouble, one thing led to another, Bill Walton made everything, and it got away from us."

After leaving UCLA, Bartow went on to coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. In 17 seasons, he went 365-204 with 12 NCAA tournament appearances.

NOT LOSING SLEEP II

Have the Bruins come down to earth yet after that amazing rally Thursday night against Gonzaga? The answer: Yes, and it really didn't take too long.

"I just went to bed," said guard Jordan Farmar. "I was exhausted. It was an exhausting game."

Of course, for Howland, the sleep pattern was a little different.

"I went back to the hotel, took a quick shower, got a quick bite, then we were watching film till a little after four this morning," Howland said.

Howland knows UCLA will have to execute a lot better than it did when the teams squared off in New York last November, the Tigers prevailing, 88-80.

"They crushed us," he said. "They had us down 20 at the half. I was watching that game this morning. We've got to do a better job of trying to get back in transition because if they score 88 points tomorrow, they're going to win."

No worry there, coach.

"Both teams are way better, more organized, better defensively," said Coach John Calipari, referring to the November matchup. "I don't think we're getting 88 on them tomorrow."

BACK AMONG THE ELITE

For Calipari, who took the University of Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996, the years away perhaps have given him some perspective.

"I was nervous as heck with that Elite Eight game in Massachusetts," Calipari said. "I'm nervous now. I know how good UCLA is. But it's not going to change my life. At [Massachusetts], it was going to change my life, and it didNow that's not the case. But I will say this. It could change every one of these guys' lives."

Michael Arkush, a freelance writer and author of eight books based in Virginia, is covering the Oakland regional exclusively for Yahoo! Sports