Sports Illustrated covered Lute Olsen's press meeting, which apparently didn't clear up all that much re events behind the scene.  He did, however, inform reporters that Kevin O'Neill will not be back and that the Wildcats will return to showtime mode....

From SI.com:

Olson said he had assured athletic director Jim Livengood he was fit to return to the rigors of big-time coaching.

"Mr. Livengood said, 'Are you sure that you're ready to face this job and this stress?' And I said, 'Absolutely,' " Olson said.

O'Neill's status with the program has also been cloudy in recent weeks.

"When he said he's coming back, or that he's going to fulfill the terms of his contract, he won't be on the staff," Olson said.

O'Neill stressed defense last season. Olson said he had assured players that they would return to an up-tempo style.

"I apologize for what they had to go through this year in terms of the change," Olson said. "They came here to play a wide-open game, and they didn't. That's no one's fault, because that's not coach O'Neill's belief on the offensive end. It was his team once I left. But I said we're going to play Arizona basketball and we're going to have fun doing it."

Olson built a powerhouse in the desert after arriving from Iowa in 1983. But Arizona is no longer among the national elite.

Arizona went 19-15 last season and drew its 24th straight NCAA tournament appearance, extending the nation's longest active streak. The Wildcats were eliminated by West Virginia in the first round.

The Wildcats finished seventh in the Pac-10 -- their worst showing since 1982-83, the year before Olson arrived from Iowa -- and were swept by Arizona State for the first time since 1995.

"You know what, maybe the fans needed to realize that this program doesn't just operate -- we don't go into the gas station and fill the kids up with fuel and turn the key on," Olson said.

I wonder if last year was the beginning of the end.  Have fun out there, guys.

I am sure that Bruinhoo will once again educate us on UCLA's next opponent, but I thought I would corral some information on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.  First, I was sad to see USD not advance - that would have been a random adn fun west coast game, and by sight alone I liked our chances better againt the Toreros. So it goes.

Kenpom has Western Kentucky rated at #63 (for comparisons, Davidson is #33, Villanova is #47, West Virginia is #19.  Their RPI is higher at #39

Notable wins are few - they beat Michigan on November 24 up in cold Alaska, and Nebraska at home on December 5th.  Competition during the regular season included a lot of low low rated teams.  Losses early in the season included Gonzaga, Tenenesee, and Southern Illinois.  

They have only lost once since Dec. 29 (South Alabama) and won all three games of their tourney before beating Drake and USD.

Their star player is Courtney Lee, who will likely get a lot of press before the game.  Here's one read about him.  http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Courtney-Lee-471/

I leave to others to compare the teams.  I only say now based on the tourney that they have a star  player and they are battle tested, having played in two close games.  Go Bruins!