AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX - After reaching the Final Four for the third straight time, UCLA coach Ben Howland called these Bruins "by far the best" of the three.

The other two didn't have freshman Kevin Love, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the top-seeded Bruins blitzed Xavier 76-57 Saturday to earn their record 18th overall trip to the Final Four.

Love was picked as the most outstanding player of the West Regional.

"Obviously, it's unbelievable," Howland said after taking the last few snips of the net. "That's really a credit to how good the players are and how well we performed under pressure the last three years."

It's the Bruins' longest string of Final Four appearances since they closed the John Wooden era with nine straight trips and added a 10th consecutive trip in 1976 under his successor, Gene Bartow.

At times on Saturday, Howland's Bruins looked every bit as dominant as Wooden's finer squads, annihilating a proud Xavier team that had set a school record for victories.