oc nissan
SEC: Special_Broadsheet
DT: 03-18-2013
ZN: 1
ED: 1
PG #: 11
PG: PageJ_J
BY: chickey
TI: 03-17-2013
20:31
CLR: C K Y M
20 1 3 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Orange County Register
Monday, March 18, 2013
11 1
Irvine Valley transfer Fulton strives to keep dream alive
UCLA not thrilled with Austin ticket The Bruins are a No. 6 seed but will play away from their fans.
The Pacific forward gets his chance to dance Friday against Miami. B Y J O E Y K AU F M A N
LOS ANGELES ● After miss-
ing the Big Dance last season, UCLA will return to the NCAA Tournament as a sixth seed in the South Regional. But contrary to their best hopes, the RYAN Bruins KARTJE won’t REGISTER match up WRITER with their first-round opponent, Minnesota, in their home state of California on Friday. With dreams of playing in San Jose as a No. 5 seed, which would’ve likely attracted the most fans of any other tournament site, UCLA will play its first- and potentially second-round matchups in Austin, Texas, much to the chagrin of players and coaches. “We hoped we were going to San Jose,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “Two other Pac-12 teams (Cal and Oregon) got to go to San Jose, and Arizona was put into Salt Lake, so that was closest for them. So congratulations to them. They have the opportunity for their fans to get to their games a lot easier than ours. “Honestly, I’d rather be Cal right now, playing in San Jose. I’d rather be a 12 seed right now playing San Jose.” That sentiment was echoed throughout the Morgan Center on Sunday afternoon, as UCLA players — only one of whom (Larry Drew II) has played in the NCAA Tour-
nament — felt that freshman Jordan Adams’ injury in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals potentially dropped them down a line. “It’s a good seeding for us, but going to Austin wasn’t really what we wanted to do,” freshman Shabazz Muhammad said. “But you know how it is, politics in sports, so they do whatever they want.” Those politics were certainly in question when the rest of the seedings in the Pac-12 were released, especially in the case of Oregon, which beat UCLA on Saturday to win the conference tournament, yet was only given a 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament — tied for the worst seed among Pac-12 teams. The Ducks also were handed, arguably, the toughest matchup of any conference team — against Oklahoma State in San Jose. As for UCLA’s opponent, Minnesota could be the Bruins’ worst nightmare in the tournament’s first round, given the Golden Gophers’ prowess on the glass. In the country’s most physical conference, Minnesota ranks 17th in the nation in rebounding and eighth in rebounding margin, and boasts one of the country’s most athletic frontcourts, anchored by Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams. “Everybody’s rebounding concerns me,” said Howland, whose team hasn’t won a rebound battle since Jan. 24.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ANAHEIM He stepped in front of the basket. Slightly weary after being on the floor for 31 minutes, Travis Fulton, Pacific’s 6-foot-6 forward, still scraped and scratched past a defender, positioning himself under the rim. When guard Lorenzo McCloud’s shot missed long, he was ready. In a split moment, with seconds ticking away, he grabbed the rebound in midair and flipped it in before falling to the ground as time expired. That was enough. With Fulton’s basket, Pacific won, 55-53, advancing past Cal Poly SLO on Friday and into the Big West Tournament final. “Travis will have a shot that he will remember for the rest of his life,” Pacific coach Bob Thomason said. He kept the dream alive. The Tigers survived. They advanced. And a day later, with nearly 50 family and friends in attendance at Honda Center, the former Irvine Valley College forward and the second-seeded, 22-victory Tigers punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a nine-point victory over UC Irvine to secure the conference’s automatic bid. The Tigers, the 15th seed in the East Regional, take on Miami in their opener Friday. “It’s what I’ve always wanted: to go dancing,” said Fulton, who was born in Anaheim and raised in Corona. “Now, it’s come true. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just so happy.” Fulton stood outside the ●
REED SA XON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pacific’s Travis Fulton shoots as Cal Poly SLO forward Chris Eversley defends Friday night at Honda Center.
team’s Stockton-bound bus late Saturday night more than an hour after the final buzzer sounded and kept smiling. With a piece of the net tucked away behind his right ear, he realized he had made it. This was it. “This was a night to remember,” he added. It marked an especially surreal moment for the senior. After all, just four years ago, the college basketball dreams for Fulton, now an all-conference, second-team selection and the Tigers’ leading rebounder, stood in serious jeopardy. Division I scholarship offers were hardly landing at
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his doorstep. Measuring at 6-foot-6 and barely 180 pounds, he was an undersized forward to say the least. Few schools were interested, save for Division II Hawaii Pacific and a handful of NAIA programs such as Cal Baptist. “What I always wanted was to go DI and get the tournament,” Fulton said. It was disheartening, though not a deterrent. He looked toward junior college, following the advice of Southern Californiabased basketball scout Dave Nahabedian (known among most players as “Naha”), who insisted he could
play at the Division I level. As a result, he ended up at Irvine Valley, becoming the team’s leading scorer and rebounder by his second season, causing Pacific to take notice. “He was a quiet guy, but bringing toughness,” said Pacific assistant Adam Jacobsen, who served as Fulton’s primary recruiter at IVC. “From talking to his parents and his coach, you could tell he was going to bring something to this level.” He’s certainly brought something, especially as of late, to Pacific, which has won seven consecutive games and nine of its past 11. Over the team’s three Big West Tournament games, he totaled 30 points and 15 rebounds, including Friday’s winning bucket. And in a 64-55 victory at Cal State Fullerton that sparked the team’s current seven-game winning streak, the 220-pound Fulton finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Now, the hard-nosed Fulton gets his chance to play on in March. Though growing up in the Orange County area, he often rooted for Cinderella-darling Creighton in the NCAA Tournament because of extended family based in Omaha, Neb. He remembers the Bluejays’ runs in 1999 and 2002 when they upset seventhseeded Louisville and fifthseeded Florida in the opening round. And now he’ll get his own chance with Pacific, tournament-bound for the first time in eight years and hoping to make its own similar Cinderella run
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DT: 03-18-2013
ZN: 1
ED: 1
PG #: 11
PG: PageJ_J
BY: chickey
TI: 03-17-2013
20:31
CLR: C K Y M
20 1 3 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Orange County Register
Monday, March 18, 2013
11 1
Irvine Valley transfer Fulton strives to keep dream alive
UCLA not thrilled with Austin ticket The Bruins are a No. 6 seed but will play away from their fans.
The Pacific forward gets his chance to dance Friday against Miami. B Y J O E Y K AU F M A N
LOS ANGELES ● After miss-
ing the Big Dance last season, UCLA will return to the NCAA Tournament as a sixth seed in the South Regional. But contrary to their best hopes, the RYAN Bruins KARTJE won’t REGISTER match up WRITER with their first-round opponent, Minnesota, in their home state of California on Friday. With dreams of playing in San Jose as a No. 5 seed, which would’ve likely attracted the most fans of any other tournament site, UCLA will play its first- and potentially second-round matchups in Austin, Texas, much to the chagrin of players and coaches. “We hoped we were going to San Jose,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “Two other Pac-12 teams (Cal and Oregon) got to go to San Jose, and Arizona was put into Salt Lake, so that was closest for them. So congratulations to them. They have the opportunity for their fans to get to their games a lot easier than ours. “Honestly, I’d rather be Cal right now, playing in San Jose. I’d rather be a 12 seed right now playing San Jose.” That sentiment was echoed throughout the Morgan Center on Sunday afternoon, as UCLA players — only one of whom (Larry Drew II) has played in the NCAA Tour-
nament — felt that freshman Jordan Adams’ injury in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals potentially dropped them down a line. “It’s a good seeding for us, but going to Austin wasn’t really what we wanted to do,” freshman Shabazz Muhammad said. “But you know how it is, politics in sports, so they do whatever they want.” Those politics were certainly in question when the rest of the seedings in the Pac-12 were released, especially in the case of Oregon, which beat UCLA on Saturday to win the conference tournament, yet was only given a 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament — tied for the worst seed among Pac-12 teams. The Ducks also were handed, arguably, the toughest matchup of any conference team — against Oklahoma State in San Jose. As for UCLA’s opponent, Minnesota could be the Bruins’ worst nightmare in the tournament’s first round, given the Golden Gophers’ prowess on the glass. In the country’s most physical conference, Minnesota ranks 17th in the nation in rebounding and eighth in rebounding margin, and boasts one of the country’s most athletic frontcourts, anchored by Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams. “Everybody’s rebounding concerns me,” said Howland, whose team hasn’t won a rebound battle since Jan. 24.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ANAHEIM He stepped in front of the basket. Slightly weary after being on the floor for 31 minutes, Travis Fulton, Pacific’s 6-foot-6 forward, still scraped and scratched past a defender, positioning himself under the rim. When guard Lorenzo McCloud’s shot missed long, he was ready. In a split moment, with seconds ticking away, he grabbed the rebound in midair and flipped it in before falling to the ground as time expired. That was enough. With Fulton’s basket, Pacific won, 55-53, advancing past Cal Poly SLO on Friday and into the Big West Tournament final. “Travis will have a shot that he will remember for the rest of his life,” Pacific coach Bob Thomason said. He kept the dream alive. The Tigers survived. They advanced. And a day later, with nearly 50 family and friends in attendance at Honda Center, the former Irvine Valley College forward and the second-seeded, 22-victory Tigers punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a nine-point victory over UC Irvine to secure the conference’s automatic bid. The Tigers, the 15th seed in the East Regional, take on Miami in their opener Friday. “It’s what I’ve always wanted: to go dancing,” said Fulton, who was born in Anaheim and raised in Corona. “Now, it’s come true. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just so happy.” Fulton stood outside the ●
REED SA XON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pacific’s Travis Fulton shoots as Cal Poly SLO forward Chris Eversley defends Friday night at Honda Center.
team’s Stockton-bound bus late Saturday night more than an hour after the final buzzer sounded and kept smiling. With a piece of the net tucked away behind his right ear, he realized he had made it. This was it. “This was a night to remember,” he added. It marked an especially surreal moment for the senior. After all, just four years ago, the college basketball dreams for Fulton, now an all-conference, second-team selection and the Tigers’ leading rebounder, stood in serious jeopardy. Division I scholarship offers were hardly landing at
OC NISSAN IRVINE
949-207-7590
Attractive Lease and Finance Offers Now Available
his doorstep. Measuring at 6-foot-6 and barely 180 pounds, he was an undersized forward to say the least. Few schools were interested, save for Division II Hawaii Pacific and a handful of NAIA programs such as Cal Baptist. “What I always wanted was to go DI and get the tournament,” Fulton said. It was disheartening, though not a deterrent. He looked toward junior college, following the advice of Southern Californiabased basketball scout Dave Nahabedian (known among most players as “Naha”), who insisted he could
play at the Division I level. As a result, he ended up at Irvine Valley, becoming the team’s leading scorer and rebounder by his second season, causing Pacific to take notice. “He was a quiet guy, but bringing toughness,” said Pacific assistant Adam Jacobsen, who served as Fulton’s primary recruiter at IVC. “From talking to his parents and his coach, you could tell he was going to bring something to this level.” He’s certainly brought something, especially as of late, to Pacific, which has won seven consecutive games and nine of its past 11. Over the team’s three Big West Tournament games, he totaled 30 points and 15 rebounds, including Friday’s winning bucket. And in a 64-55 victory at Cal State Fullerton that sparked the team’s current seven-game winning streak, the 220-pound Fulton finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Now, the hard-nosed Fulton gets his chance to play on in March. Though growing up in the Orange County area, he often rooted for Cinderella-darling Creighton in the NCAA Tournament because of extended family based in Omaha, Neb. He remembers the Bluejays’ runs in 1999 and 2002 when they upset seventhseeded Louisville and fifthseeded Florida in the opening round. And now he’ll get his own chance with Pacific, tournament-bound for the first time in eight years and hoping to make its own similar Cinderella run
“MUCH GLADNESS”!
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NEW 2013 CADILLAC XTS LEASE FOR
499
$
PER MO. + TAX
36 MONTH LEASE. $499 TOTAL DUE OUT OF POCKET. $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT. 10K MILES PER YEAR .25 CENTS PER EXCESS MILE. ON APPROVED CREDIT. 1 AT THIS OFFER (D9207411)
2013 CADILLAC XTS
0
%* APR
$
11,999 1 AT THIS OFFER MODEL #11153 VIN#887439
2013 NISSAN SENTRA SR SEDAN
FOR QUALIFIED BUYERS
714-871-9300
“Family Owned and Operated Since 1953” (91 Freeway, North on Euclid)
Subject to prior sale and credit approval, plus government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer documentation preparation charge, and any emission testing charge. On approved credit. Offer Expires 4/30/13.
renickcadillac.com
ZERO Down
LEASE FOR
$
50
179
PER MO. + TAX
36 MONTH LEASE ON APPROVED CREDIT. $0 DUE AT SIGNING. $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT. 36K MILES PER YEAR .15 CENTS PER EXCESS MILES.
*Length of contract limited. Not available with some other offers. Take delivery 4/30/13. See dealer for details.
1100 S. Euclid St. Fullerton
2013 NISSAN VERSA SEDAN
1 AT THIS OFFER MODEL#12313 VIN#691303
OCNissanIrvine.com
Sales: 949-207-7590 30 Irvine Auto Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618 Service: 949-354-0013 Parts: 949-354-0014 Sales Hours: Mon-Sat: 8:30am - 9:00pm Sun: 9:30am - 8:00pm Service & Parts: Mon-Fri: 7am - 7pm Sat: 8am - 5pm Sun: Closed *All vehicles subject to prior sale, plus government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, any electronic filing charge and any emission testing charge. See us for details. Written dealer limited warranty available for review. *See dealer for complete details. ** On select models & terms. On approved credit. Expires close of business Monday 3/23/13.
