Ben Bolch: For this scribe, UCLA's run was a Big Dance marathon, and the memory of a lifetime
LOS ANGELES — There are 128 miles to go from Chicago, I've got a full tank of gas, half a Coke Zero, it's getting dark and I'm wearing all black.
Hit it!
It was the start of an epic journey covering UCLA that could have ended on that first frigid night in what felt like the middle of nowhere. The Bruins had lost four consecutive games and were one of the last teams selected for the NCAA Tournament, exiled to West Lafayette, Ind., for a dreaded First Four game against Michigan State.
My coworkers were covering the tournament from home, keeping their remote controls handy. But there I was, in my black Toyota C-HR rental car with a Florida license plate, careening over a ridiculously potholed Chicago Skyway while making the two-hour drive to Purdue's Mackey Arena.
Starting with the season opener in San Diego, I had made every sensible — and not-so-sensible — effort to see the Bruins in person. Being there lent an authenticity to the coverage, even amid a sea of fake fans. It meant hearing
