Kris Wilkes Unconcerned About Alford’s Future at UCLA
By JACOB POLACHECK CHICAGO -- Kris Wilkes, the
By JACOB POLACHECK CHICAGO -- Kris Wilkes, the
Steve Alford says he’s not going anywhere.
“I am absolutely 100 percent not going to Indiana,” he told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman following UCLA’s 86-75 loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 in Memphis thanks to a career-high 39 points from Kentucky freshman point guard De’Aaron Fox. “Staying at UCLA. I am happy. Love it here. Have a great class coming in, and brand-new practice facility. Obviously, I love my alma mater.
“Committed to UCLA. I am not going to talk to Indiana. I am staying a Bruin.”
If Alford is truly out of the picture, other potential candidates for Indiana include Dayton’s Archie Miller, Xavier’s Chris Mack, whose team is in the Elite Eight, Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall and Butler’s Chris Holtmann, whose team lost to North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
Alford has been heavily linked to his alma mater Indiana, which has all but said it wants to replace Tom Crean with someone with ties to Indiana and the Bob Knight Era.
INDIANAPOLIS -- UCLA's win over Cincinnati sent
Following UCLA’s 97-80 win over Kent State on Friday night, UCLA freshman point guard Lonzo Ball was asked about his mother’s health while on the podium.
Here’s the interaction:
Q. Lonzo, there was a report that your mom suffered a stroke. I just want to know if that was the case and how you’re holding up if that’s the case?
LONZO BALL: I got no comment on that, man. It’s a family thing.
The question apparently stemmed from a report from the site armchairallamericans.com which quoted an anonymous member of the Ball family as saying Tina Ball had suffered a stroke.
A Pac-12 team hasn’t advanced to the Final Four since UCLA in 2008, but this year three teams from that league could make a deep run.
Arizona, which won the Pac-12 Tournament championship over Oregon, is the No. 2 seed in the West, UCLA is the 3 in the South and Oregon the 3 in the Midwest.
“I’ve been impressed with all three of those teams,” Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley said on The 4 Quarters Podcast. “I think any one of those three can make a deep run, a Final Four run. If I had to choose one, I’d probably choose Arizona just because of how they defend and the balance that they have on their team.
Odds to win the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship via Bovada.lv:
3/1/17 Current Odds (3/6/17)
North Carolina 6/1 6/1
UCLA 6/1 6/1
Kansas 7/1 13/2
Gonzaga 8/1 9/1
Villanova 10/1 10/1
Duke 11/1 11/1
Kentucky 12/1 12/1
Oregon 14/1 12/1
