Definitely possible. The equivalent of a "strong maybe" is where Pac-10 Player of the Year Kevin Love set his chances of playing his sophomore season at UCLA.

Love is, for now, entered in the NBA draft process but not signing with an agent. By doing so, he is eligible to return to the Bruins by backing out of the draft by June 16.

"If you have a chance, you take it," Love said, announcing his intentions to turn pro but saying he wouldn't sign with an agent.

The news, coupled with the expected announcement that Russell Westbrook would enter the NBA draft on the same straight-to-the-deep-end fashion without retaining an agent puts a bit of a dent in UCLA's chances to get back to a fourth straight Final Four.

The Bruins are still awaiting a verdict from Darren Collison, who has reportedly decided he'll enter the NBA draft as well. Coach Ben Howland refuted the published claim and said Collison is "not in a hurry."

All of it comes on the heels of the Bruins disappointing loss to Memphis in the Final Four. Going in, partly because of Love, the Bruins were confident the third trip in a row was going to be different.

It wasn't.

UCLA showed up at the Final Four for the third straight season, and for the third time went home without its 12th national championship.

Florida bounced the Bruins in 2006 and 2007. This time it was a Memphis team that seemed a cut above in talent, confidence and execution. The Tigers smothered Love with wall-to-wall double-team tactics and overpowered Collison with longer, stronger defenders on the way to a 78-63 victory in the national semifinals.

"I had to keep my emotions in check," Love said, "because we had such a special year."

But not a special ending.

Pac-10 Conference fans watched all season as UCLA took apart teams in what was considered the league's best season, well, maybe ever. The Bruins seemed to have an answer for anything an opponent could throw at them, and even coach Ben Howland acknowledged this was his best UCLA team.

But Memphis, which won a NCAA-record 38th game, was bigger and faster.

"They were jumping over us. Lot of dunking and stuff," said Westbrook, the only UCLA player who excelled, scoring 22 points.

Junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, starting in the Final Four for a third straight season, did his best to dissect the game from an objective point of view.

"They did a good job of defending us," he said. "They did a good job of exposing our mismatches and every time we made a mistake they turned it into an opportunity. They did a good job of denying us the ball, they did a good job of double-teaming Kevin.

"At the end of the day," he concluded, "they were the better team."

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