The Pac-10 won't be sad to see him leave, either; Watson is the fourth player in the league's history to crack its top 10 in career assists and steals. And he now spits out a mean sentence or two, if not paragraphs.

He has laid into his own fans, and their raucous response in Pauley Pavilion provided the inspiration for a big victory over Arizona. He has questioned athletic director Pete Dalis' loyalty to coach Steve Lavin in the wake of the Rick Pitino fiasco.

UCLA point guard Earl Watson isn't flashy, he just gets the job done.(AP)

Dalis admitted having talked with Pitino twice in December, and Dalis told everyone but his own coach that he had spoken with Pitino. Watson was infuriated when Dalis talked to the team after the impressive victory over the Wildcats, suggesting that certain people love to ride the gravy train during good times.

"I'm different in every aspect of life and every aspect of being a basketball player," Watson said. "Just my whole outlook on life and my experiences have changed me a lot. L.A. has changed me. These experiences made me more outgoing.

"Being around so many players who talk so much, like Baron (Davis). You just learn how to deal with a lot of different things. It kinds of rubs off on you, because he'll talk forever. There's no telling what he's going to talk about, either."

Fittingly, Watson made those statements with a few stitches in his freshly cut chin, courtesy of an elbow from one of Stanford's Collins twins. That didn't make him cry, however. He did that before his final game on Pauley's fabled court, when he and his parents were introduced on Senior Day.

It had been a long time since Estella Watson had seen tears in her son's eyes, and they confirmed his love of the place. Then it was game time, time for another opponent to discover that Earl Watson's jaw is as sturdy as his spine.

That none of his many injuries has kept Watson from starting a game is perhaps the best evidence of his fortitude. If the Bruins reach the Final Four, Watson will set a school record by playing in his 131st game for UCLA.

"It's all about determination and realizing basketball is a game," Watson said. "I don't really believe in size. I believe in heart, and the heart is the most important thing. You might have the strongest man on the court, but he might not know how to shoot or dribble or play the game at all."

UCLA in the Final Four? To anyone who thinks that's a stretch, the Earl of Westwood has you right where he wants you. Discount him and his abilities, or his team's, and watch his mercury rise.

Any Maryland fan rues the sight of Watson, who torched the Terrapins for 17 points, 16 assists and no turnovers in 26 minutes a year ago in the Bruins' 24-point, second-round victory in the NCAA Tournament.

"His Don Larsen game," Lavin said.

It wasn't such a perfecto, though, for Watson, who suffered a left-eye injury that required four stitches and laser surgery to heal. Five days later, Watson was on the court when the Bruins lost a Sweet 16 game to Iowa State.

To Watson, it wasn't so much about his eyes.

"The heart," he said. "To me, that's the most important thing."

Weathering controversy is another Watson attribute. Before he even set foot on UCLA's campus, he experienced turbulence when the coach to whom he had given an oral commitment, Jim Harrick, was fired by Dalis for expense-account indiscretions.

Watson then helped Lavin land Davis, and Watson played shooting guard for two years while Davis ran the team. When Davis left early for the pros, plenty of outsiders questioned Watson's ability at the point. Lavin didn't.

Suspensions abounded for other Bruins -- Jelani McCoy and Kris Johnson, and McCoy finally left the team -- during Watson's career, and Davis suffered a knee injury three NCAA Tournaments ago, making Watson the point man in a Sweet 16 loss to eventual national champion Kentucky.

Speculation has at times run rampant about Lavin's job security during most of Watson's career. The player said the coach's positive attitude and outlook, even during the worst of those times, has always been reassuring to the team.

"Nothing has happened the last couple of weeks, so I'm just waiting to see what's going to happen next," Watson said. "There's no telling what's going to happen. Anything can happen. It's amazing. Every day, I wake up and can't wait to hear what's next. It's L.A."

Watson hasn't spared his teammates with his wrath, either. During the loss to Stanford, Watson tore into other Bruins for having their own agendas. Of all games, they did not play as a unit on Senior Day, his day.

He was, however, happy with the fans.

"That means a lot to me," Watson said. "It's like a part of the whole tradition. People don't understand, I'm from Kansas, 20 minutes from the University of Kansas. Students sleep out for exhibitions. That's just how it is. Every game is full of energy.

"I hope it continues (at UCLA) next year. When you reflect on college basketball, even dream about it as a little kid, it's about the fans. Winning championships is always good, but you always see the fans. That's what you like. You can't wait to experience the fans."

For UCLA fans, the Earl Watson Experience has been a thrill.