UCLA fans figure to be in the minority

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The Villanova campus is just a short drive from downtown Philadelphia, so the Wachovia Center figures to be fairly lively when the Wildcats take the court against American in the first-round of the NCAA tournament’s East Region this evening.

But not so loud for UCLA in the game that follows.

The Bruins sold their allotment of 350 tickets and an additional 110 made available by the NCAA, a team spokesman said. Many of those seats were purchased by members of regional booster clubs in Philadelphia and New York.

In all, the UCLA contingent doesn’t figure to make much of a dent in an arena of about 20,000 capacity.

‘We’d rather be in the West region just because the travel is easier for family of players and friends,’ coach Ben Howland said.

-- David Wharton