Elitist attitude

PHOENIX -- Shortly after the stars from the west side of Los Angeles had escaped the squirts from the western hills of Kentucky, Lorenzo Mata-Real smiled.

He is the lone UCLA senior. He understands the Bruins better than anyone. His mantra is their mantra. His belief is their belief.

And, yeah, after they blew a 21-point lead to beat Western Kentucky by only 10 points in an NCAA West Regional semifinal Thursday, he still smiled.

“After all we’ve been through in the last few years, we believe we can overcome anything,” he said confidently. “No matter what happens, we think we can never lose.”

He paused. He looked up.

“Don’t you?”

No.

I believe that if the Bruins keep playing this way, they can lose.

I believe if the Bruins don’t find their heads and remember their history, they will lose.

I believe if they don’t match their talent with previous teams’ hearts, they will have lost by the time some of you have finished reading this.

If the Bruins remain unfocused and unfazed in today’s regional final, Xavier will bully them, baffle them and beat them.

Based on their overall play in their two previous tournament games -- the opener against high-school-equivalent Mississippi Valley State doesn’t count -- the Bruins have been the worst No. 1-seeded team in the tournament.

Based on their inconsistent effort, they are the worst of the last three Ben Howland tournament teams.

They trailed rumbling Texas A&M; by 10 points in the second half, and were tied in the final minute.

They were outscored 37-20 by sprinting Western Kentucky during one stretch of the second half.

They beat A&M; with two fall-away jumpers by their center. They beat Western Kentucky with a double-double from a scrub.

You know how North Carolina has won easily by adapting to two different opponent styles? The Bruins have nearly lost by faltering to two different opponent styles.

The Bruins are living on the edge, and they need to step off. The Bruins are playing with fire, and they need to put it down.

Because eventually that edge will collapse and those flames will burn.

Because eventually that Aggie grabs a defensive rebound, or that Hilltopper makes a three-pointer.

Then you get sent home, your two best players turn pro and you essentially start over again.

The clock is ticking with each Howland wince. If the Bruins don’t maximize their potential this year, it could be several years before they return to this stage.

Only one starter seems to understand this. Surprisingly, he is their only freshman starter.

Kevin Love is supposed to be learning, but he has been the one teaching.

He was the one who pulled Darren Collison aside in the locker room Thursday night after Collison nearly cost the Bruins the game when he committed his fifth foul on a silly slap of a Hilltopper attempting a three-pointer.

“I told him, ‘Unacceptable,’ ” Love said.

Realizing that his move to the NBA this summer will decimate the team’s heart, Love has also been talking in the locker room about a sense of urgency.

“I hope these guys have that sense,” he said. “Every year is another year off their time clock. I hope they get that.”

Do they?

It seems as if the Bruins are playing as if the clock doesn’t start until they reach San Antonio.

They are behaving as if two consecutive Final Four appearances make it their birthright.

They said they lost focus against Western Kentucky. How does anyone lose focus in a Sweet 16 game? Talk about March Madness.

“This is mentally draining,” Love said. “I don’t want to publicly call out my teammates, but we have to be smarter.”

Russell Westbrook has to play more patiently on offense. Josh Shipp needs to be more active.

As for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, well, perhaps he needs to be more honest with his coaches. He showed up Friday wearing an ankle boot, yet claimed his foot felt fine. But he hasn’t played like it.

Two games, 10 turnovers, nine points. He’s clearly not himself.

Put in more James Keefe smoothness? Add more Alfred Aboya energy? The Bruins need more something.

The close calls are draining.

“All those comebacks are taking a toll on me,” Love said.

The escapes are exhausting.

“I think everyone around here has aged in the last couple of weeks,” Love said.

And now, here comes Xavier, quick, physical, smart, with the sort of attitude that marked Howland teams of the past.

The Musketeers can pound you -- they held bruising Kansas State star Michael Beasley to one basket.

The Musketeers can buzz you -- they held Indiana star guard Eric Gordon to four baskets, and Tennessee star Chris Lofton to three baskets.

They outrebounded one of the tourney’s best rebounding teams, West Virginia, by three.

Yet they won the game from the perimeter, outscoring West Virginia by 30 points from beyond the three-point line.

“To get to the Final Flour, you have to bring it,” Xavier guard Stanley Burrell said.

Xavier will bring two senior guards and a senior big man who play hard and understand how to win.

And just what will UCLA bring?

A comfortable sense of destiny? Or a determined sense of desperation?

The only thing certain for Bruins fans is, they shouldn’t have to ask.

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com.

To read previous columns by Plaschke, go to latimes.com/plaschke.

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At a glance

FRIDAY’S SWEET 16

South Regional at Houston

* No. 2 Texas: 82

No. 3 Stanford: 62

* No. 1 Memphis: 92

No. 5 Michigan State: 74

Midwest Regional at Detroit

* No. 10 Davidson: 73

No. 3 Wisconsin: 56

* No. 1 Kansas: 72

No. 12 Villanova: 57

ELITE EIGHT

Today’s West at Phoenix

* No. 1 UCLA vs.

No. 3 Xavier, 3:40 p.m.

Tonight’s East at Charlotte, N.C.

* No. 3 Louisville vs.

No. 1 North Carolina, 6 p.m. PDT

Sunday’s South at Houston

* No. 1 Memphis vs.

No. 2 Texas, 11:20 a.m. PDT

Sunday’s Midwest at Detroit

* No. 1 Kansas vs.

No. 10 Davidson, 2:05 p.m. PDT

All games on Channel 2; *Time approximate. The West and South winners and Midwest and East winners meet in the Final Four (April 5 in San Antonio).