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If the hype is to be believed going into the Final Four, then UCLA will be pitted against a couple of superheroes when it plays Louisiana State University on Saturday. One can leap tall buildings in a single bound, not to mention dunk any basketball within five feet of the rim. That would be Tiger freshman Tyrus Thomas. The other will test the theory of whether an irresistible force - the Bruins' defense - can stop an immovable object. That would be 6-foot-9, 310-pound LSU center Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Together, they arguably represent the best frontcourt remaining in the NCAA Tournament, and a potential matchup nightmare for the No. 2 seed Bruins. "They've got a really nice frontline," UCLA freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute said. "They're athletic, they're long, and they're strong. It's something we've seen before though." Not according to UCLA coach Ben Howland. Prior to the Bruins' game against Memphis in the Elite Eight, Howland said Memphis was probably the most athletic team in the nation. After watching some videotape of LSU's "Big Baby" and Thomas, his opinion changed. "I said last week that Memphis is the most athletic team in the country with the possible exception of LSU," Howland said. "Now that I've watched more tape of LSU, I retract that statement. LSU is the most athletic team in the country. "Tyrus Thomas affects everything (on the court). He has great explosiveness and great quickness. Glen Davis is a great athlete, and he's very skilled." Both were instrumental in LSU's victory over Texas in the Elite Eight to get to the Final Four. Against the Longhorns, who are thought to also possess a strong frontline, "Big Baby" and Thomas combined to make 21 of 33 shots, score 47 points, snatch 22 rebounds, and register four blocks. And not all of their damage came in the paint. Thomas repeatedly torched Texas with baseline jumpers, while Davis nailed a crushing 3-pointer late in the game to send the Tigers to the Final Four. While defending the duo presents a formidable task, the Bruins have enjoyed relative success in containing the opposing team's big man. UCLA held California's Leon Powe, the best interior player in the Pac-10, to only 14 points per game in the teams' three meetings, well below Powe's season average. If the Bruins choose to double-team Davis in the paint, that could leave LSU's guards open beyond the 3-point line - which might not be a bad thing. During the regular season, the Tigers were 224th in Division I in 3-point shooting, making only 33.7 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. That bad shooting has carried over to the NCAA Tournament, where LSU is 57th of the 65 teams to make the Big Dance in 3-point shooting. Yet when asked if there will be a new defensive strategy tailored to stop Davis and Thomas, Mbah a Moute was noncommittal. "We just have to do what we do," Mbah a Moute said.

ROUGH ROAD AT INDY: The RCA Dome in Indianapolis hasn't exactly provided UCLA with pleasant NCAA Tournament memories. Two of the Bruins' most infamous flops in the tournament have come at the RCA Dome. Coming off its national championship in 1995, UCLA lost 43-41 to 13-seed Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 1996. Then in 1999, the 5th-seeded Bruins again lost at the RCA Dome, to 12-seed Detroit Mercy 56-53.

DRIBBLERS: UCLA will make its 10th appearance in the annual John R. Wooden Classic on Dec. 9 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. In 2005, the Bruins defeated Nevada at the four-team tournament. Joining UCLA as participants in 2006 are cross-town rival USC, George Washington and a team to be determined. ... The Bruins have won the last three games decided by five points or less and are 7-4 in such games this season. LSU has been in 14 games decided by five points or less, amassing an 8-6 record. ... In 16 previous Final Four appearances, UCLA has won the national title 11 times.