With its eyes set on the NCAA Tournament, the UCLA women’s
basketball team will most likely decline an invitation, if
presented, to play in the NIT. Holding a record of 16-12, the
Bruins are on the tournament bubble and are hoping that the
selection committee takes into account the injury to sophomore
standout Noelle Quinn when making its decision this week. The field
of 64 teams will be announced this Sunday. Though UCLA coach Kathy
Olivier continues to hold out hope for the NCAA Tournament, she
believes her team needed a better finish to its season to solidify
a tournament berth. She also doesn’t envision a scenario in
which the Bruins will play in the NIT. “I’m an
optimist,” Olivier said. “The committee did say they
hope we’re practicing. They want to know about Noelle, if
she’s healthy or not. “We’re still going to
really focus on the NCAA’s. UCLA has always been a school
that goes to the upper level, and that’s the NCAAs. You
don’t go for a national championship in the NIT.” If
the Bruins’ name is not called on Selection Sunday, Olivier
will look to the last three weeks of her team’s season as the
reason why UCLA was unable to earn a tournament bid. Of the
Bruins’ last six games, UCLA lost five of them, including
three defeats by three points or less. “The hardest thing for
me is that our losses have been by so few points,” Olivier
said. “Arizona we lose at the buzzer. USC we lose at the
buzzer. ASU we lose at the buzzer. It’s really hard to
stomach,” she said. “Those were all tournament
teams.”
WATER POLO: Former Bruin Albert Garcia and current redshirt
sophomore Matt Jacobs were named last week to the U.S. men’s
Senior National Team. “Matt has probably improved more as a
player more than anyone else on the team over the course of six
months,” UCLA men’s water polo coach Adam Krikorian
said. “He’s a kid that’s worked very hard; he has
tremendous upside and potential. He lacks a little experience and
confidence. Hopefully this will help him in both those
areas.” Seventh-ranked Team USA will head to Hamm, Germany
for a three-day tournament where first-year men’s National
Team coach Guy Baker, a former UCLA men’s and women’s
water polo head coach and coach of the 2004 U.S. women’s
Olympic team, will get his first shot at representing the
men’s national team. Brett Ormsby, a member of UCLA’s
2004 National Championship team, is in the pool again after having
shoulder surgery on his right arm in early February. The NCAA
Tournament’s Most Valuable Player and member of the 2004
Olympic Team, Ormsby is expected to return in time for the World
Championships in July.
SOFTBALL: After throwing a pair of no hitters at the Bulldog
Classic this past weekend, UCLA freshman pitcher Anjelica Selden
was named Co-USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week.
In striking out 23 batters against Mississippi, she set a new
Pac-10 record for strikeouts in a game. She allowed just one walk
while striking out 70 of the 120 batters faced over the weekend.
The impressive performance also earned Pac-10’s Pitcher of
the Week honors on Tuesday.
Compiled by Bryan Chu and Seth Fast Glass, Bruin Sports
senior staff.