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National Champs Bracket: Down goes Alcindor! UK (fans) overpower UCLA
 
 
Gary Parrish
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

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Congratulations, Kentucky fans.

You have done the impossible -- or at least the improbable -- by figuring out a way to beat a UCLA team featuring Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton, which is about as simple as figuring out a way to out-scandal Alex Rodriguez.

With the Big Blue fans, Tony Delk and Kentucky can win any vote. (Getty Images)  
With the Big Blue fans, Tony Delk and Kentucky can win any vote. (Getty Images)  
It's a tall task. And by tall, I mean 169 inches tall -- otherwise known as the height of Alcindor and Walton stacked on top of each other, which sounds like a strategy John Wooden should've probably tried given how his UCLA Bruins were blown out in the title game of the CBSSports.com National Champions All-Stars Bracket.

(Confused? If so, click this link and catch up).

Indeed, the championship was a blowout.

How much of a blowout?

Consider that Billy Packer said "It's over" early on, and he was correct this time. Kentucky got 73 percent of the vote, leaving UCLA with just 27 percent and another flameout on the national stage. It's almost like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute -- he of the three straight Final Four losses -- was involved. But he wasn't. Instead, the UCLA roster consisted of Alcindor, Walton, Ed O'Bannon, Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard and Sidney Wicks.

That's four former National Players of the Year and an unbeatable team, as far as I'm concerned. But Kentucky fans thought differently (or at least they voted that way) and in the process proved anything is possible when a massive fan base unites behind one cause and votes until they can't vote anymore.

Seriously, I'm not sure there's an online poll Kentucky fans couldn't win. With the proper motivation, they could get Ralph Nader elected this year, and I can't even remember whether the old kook is running. But it doesn't matter. If somebody pinned a Vote for Nader post at the top of the UK message board -- somebody like UK4BEN or BigBlue1121 or UKSmitty27 -- I'm confident Nader would be our next President, which would probably shock the hell out of everybody, Barack Obama included.

Anyway, the whole thing got me thinking. If Kentucky fans are strong enough to help their Wildcats win an online poll against a UCLA team featuring Alcindor and Walton -- two men who combined to go 174-6 in their college careers -- what other online polls could they manipulate in their favor?

I came up with the following list:

(All percentages are reasonable projections)

Best Band

 The Beatles: 44 percent
 UK Basketball: 56 percent

Best Food

 Pizza: 31 percent
 UK Basketball: 69 percent

Best Movie

 The Godfather: 28 percent
 UK Basketball: 72 percent

Best Late night Talk Show Host

 David Letterman: 38 percent
 UK Basketball: 62 percent

So let the record show nothing is impossible for Kentucky when it comes to online polls. I bet Billy Gillispie wishes the NCAA would put DeAndre Liggins' eligibility up for a vote. The heralded incoming freshman would be cleared by noon Friday if that happened. As it stands, everything remains on hold. But while Kentucky fans wait for that news they can take pleasure in the fact they have given their program another national title -- this one thanks to a hands-on-(mouse) approach.

The Bracket
Opening round Semifinals Championship
Voting closed July 15 Voting closed July 22 Voting closed July 29
4 North Carolina63%
5 Duke37%
Complete results
4 North Carolina43%
1 UCLA57%
Complete results
1 UCLA27%
2 Kentucky73%
3 Indiana56%
6 Kansas
44%
Complete results
3 Indiana42%
2 Kentucky58%
Complete results

UCLA Bruins (11 national championships -- 1964-65, 1967-73, 1975, 1995)
Walt Hazzard Gail Goodrich Ed O'Bannon Bill Walton Lew Alcindor Sidney Wicks
Guard
Walt Hazzard
Guard
Gail Goodrich
Forward
Ed O'Bannon
Forward
Bill Walton
Center
Lew Alcindor
Sixth Man
Sidney Wicks
Years 1962-1964 1963-1965 1992-1995 1971-1972 1967-1969 1969-1971
Games 87 89 117 87 88 90
PPG 16.1 19.0 15.5 20.3 26.4 15.8
FG% .432 .476 .513 .651 .639 .511
3PT% N/A N/A .394 N/A N/A N/A
FT% .706 .702 .739 .642 .628 .635
RPG 5.5 4.7 7.0 15.7 15.5 9.9
APG N/A N/A 1.8 3.6 N/A 2.3
SPG N/A N/A 1.2 N/A N/A 1.3
Misc. 1 title (1964); 1964 Tournament MOP 2 titles (1964-65); 2 Final Fours 1 title (1995); 1995 Tournament MOP; 1995 Wooden award winner 2 titles (1972-73); 3 Final Fours; 1972, 1973 Tournament MOP; 1972-74 Naismith award winner 3 titles; 3 Final Fours; 1967-69 Tournament MOP; 1968-69 national POY; 1969 Naismith award winner 3 titles; 3 Final Fours; 1971 POY
Coach: John Wooden, 620-147, 27 seasons, 12 Final Fours, 10 titles (1964-65, 1967-73, 1975)


Kentucky Wildcats (7 national championships -- 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998)
Ralph Beard Tony Delk Jack Givens Alex Groza Bill Spivey Cliff Hagan
Guard
Ralph Beard
Guard
Tony Delk
Forward
Jack Givens
Forward
Alex Groza
Center
Bill Spivey
Sixth Man
Cliff Hagan
Years 1946-1949 1993-1996 1975-1978 1945, 47-49 1950-1951 1951-1952, 54
Games 139 133 132 120 63 77
PPG 10.9 14.2 15.4 14.5 19.3 19.2
FG% N/A .474 .515 N/A .381 .425
3PT% N/A .397 N/A N/A N/A N/A
FT% .624 .709 .798 .678 .669 .700
RPG N/A 3.5 6.0 N/A N/A 13.4
APG N/A 1.6 2.0 N/A N/A N/A
SPG N/A 1.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Misc. 2 titles (1948-49); 2 Final Fours 1 title (1996); 2 Final Fours; 1996 Tournament MOP 1 title (1978); 2 Final Fours; 1978 Tournament MOP 2 titles (1948-49); 2 Final Fours; 1948-49 Tournament MOP 1 title (1951); 1951 Tournament MOP; 1951 POY 1 title (1951)
Coach: Adolph Rupp, 876-190, 41 seasons, 6 Final Fours, 4 titles (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958)

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