INDIANAPOLIS -- A big guy did indeed take over the LSU-UCLA
game.
No, not that one.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 17 points and nine rebounds while
dominating Glen "Big Baby" Davis in UCLA's 59-45 semifinal
victory over LSU on Saturday night, keeping the Bruins in
contention for a record 12th NCAA title.
"I don't know how much better I can be in 48 hours," Mbah a
Moute said. "All I know is every time I step on the court, I give
my best."
UCLA will play Florida on Monday night for a chance to hang the
only kind of banner the school allows in Pauley Pavilion -- a
national championship. That hasn't happened since 1995, the last
time the Bruins reached the title game.
"It's a lot of expectations," fifth-year senior Cedric Bozeman
said. "But that's why you come to UCLA, to play for that prestige.
Hopefully, we'll get a chance to etch our name into that history."
The prince from Cameroon with the hard-to-pronounce name stunned
the Tigers with back-to-back monster dunks to open the second half,
extending UCLA's lead to 43-24. Mbah a Moute finished 5-of-9 from
the floor and was 7-of-8 from the line.
"I told him in the beginning of the year how good he was going
to be," point guard Jordan Farmar said. "He doesn't even know
that. That's the scary part. He has no clue. Anytime you focus on
trying your best and not worrying about the result or thinking of
failure, good things happen."
Mbah a Moute's 7-foot wingspan affected shots and his defense
disrupted Davis, who spent much of the game gasping for air against
the speedier Bruins.
"He's relentless on the boards and he has a high level of
potential," Davis said.
At times, Mbah a Moute helped Lorenzo Mata and Ryan Hollins in
defending Davis, the 6-foot-9, 310-pound behemoth who finished with
14 points -- most after the game got out of hand.
"My back hurts right now," Mbah a Moute said, referring to
Davis' girth. "My teammates did a great job helping me down in the
post, whether it was just rotating for a steal or pressuring the
ball so he wouldn't get catches and stuff."
Mbah a Moute was a steady presence in UCLA's game-opening 20-8
run, dunking on a fast break off a teammate's steal.
Alfred Aboya, Mbah a Moute's countryman and fellow freshman,
asserted himself early, too, swatting Darrel Mitchell's shot into
the stands as Mitchell fell down.
"They came out and just punched us," Davis said. "We were
kind of shocked. We just couldn't get up."
UCLA's band waved mini versions of Cameroon's green, yellow and
red flag whenever Mbah a Moute stepped to the line. His father is a
chief of a rural village near the capital of Yaounde, which makes
Mbah a Moute and his siblings royal princes and princesses.
"It's good to have support like that," Aboya said. "Knowing
you're far from home, it's good to have people cheering for you."
Mbah a Moute has turned the NCAAs into his personal coming-out
party. He had 14 points and 10 rebounds in UCLA's surprising
comeback win against Gonzaga. He made a tough catch on a lob pass
in traffic and scored the go-ahead layup with 9 seconds left and
then scrambled for a loose ball to give UCLA possession with 4
seconds to go.
Such theatrics weren't necessary against LSU's anemic offense.
Mbah a Moute (pronounced Luke Ree-SHARD Umbah-a-MOO-teh) grew up
passionate about soccer. Five years ago, he traded a white ball for
an orange one and quickly developed the rebounding ability that has
made him one of the nation's top freshmen on the boards.
He leads the Bruins in rebounding and steals during the NCAA
tournament. His scoring wasn't a surprise, either, because Mbah a
Moute came into the game shooting 59 percent in the Bruins' first
four tournament wins.
"He go gets extra shooting in the gym. That's hard work,"
Aboya said. "When you're a hard worker, the chips fall."
Back in Cameroon, Mbah a Moute's parents have yet to see their
son play for UCLA and he says they don't grasp the magnitude of the
uniquely American phenomenon known as March Madness.
Maybe they will if the Bruins win another national title.