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Pregame omens for UCLA?

By David Wharton
Staff WriterFollow

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PHILADELPHIA -- It’s half an hour before tipoff for the UCLA-Villanova game at the Wachovia Center, and already there are reasons to suspect the Bruins face a big challenge today.

The first sign? A preponderance of people filing into the arena in Villanova shirts. The Wildcats’ campus is less than a 30-minute drive away, so this second round NCAA tournament matchup amounts to a home game.

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Second, as the UCLA band walked across the court to their seats, the tuba player took a fall, her instrument landing with a crash. The musician, the tuba and the hardwood floor appeared to emerge with no major damage.

-- David Wharton

Sports Now
David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

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