Final Score: UW-71 UCLA-69
Just like that, the Huskies control first place in the Pac-12 and their destiny lies in their hands and not the success (or failures) of others. This game represented some impressive milestones. UW has now won 4 straight against UCLA, something that hasn't ever happened in Husky History, and the Dawgs have now won 8 straight at home against UCLA. Two hours after UW escaped with an emotional win, Arizona knocked off Cal with an early 33-10 run that put Arizona ahead for good.
The Huskies played a a sloppy game that didn't polish up until the final 10 minutes. This was highlighted early with UW up 6-4. UCLA picked up two offensive boards and finally got the put-back to fall in, despite several Huskies near the hoop. Often times, the Dawgs were getting beat on easy boards and gave up far too many turnovers (16 total, 10 in the first half). The first half turnovers were just plain ugly. It wasn't so much that the Bruins were playing tough defense, the Husky guards were just throwing the ball away to players who weren't looking for passes. Regardless, the Dawgs somehow went into halftime with a 1-point game.
Things got worse after half when the Dawg defense shut down and allowed three straight 3-pointers, all by Lazeric Jones who had been silent all game. Suddenly, the Huskies found themselves down 10 with time running off the clock. Something awakened in the team and the crowd, which translated into Terrence Ross taking things to the next level.
The Huskies struggled to contain Josh Smith who scored a career high 24 points. Smith did damage the whole game with 14 points during the first half. While Aziz N'Diaye tried his best to contain Smith, the two early fouls limited his minutes resulting in Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Shawn Kemp rotating through to try and prevent Smith from scoring. The Huskies experienced their best success by playing a zone defense to prevent entry passes to the post and allowed the Dawgs to double team Smith, forcing turnovers. Smith did not score in the final minute of the game (well, technically he scored with 56 seconds on the clock, but I'll excuse it), which was integral in deciding the outcome of the game. N'Diaye was also able to secure the final rebound over Smith as the clock ran out.
The two biggest possessions of the game came in the final minutes when the Bruins committed offensive fouls and allowed UW to extend their small lead to a two possession difference. The Bruins kept fighting back and the missed free throws by UW allowed the Bruins to get back within 2 points during the final 20 seconds. UW played solid defense and forced a young, in experienced Bruin to take a contested shot, which ended up rattling out and tipped around until N'Diaye could finally corral the ball.
The crowd played a big part of UW's success in the final 10 minutes of the game. Once the Dawg Pack started going and Ross starting being a superstar, the rest of the stadium really perked up, stood up, and got into UCLA's collective head. The offense wasn't able to execute properly as no one could hear what was going on. After the game, Coach Chillious raised the roof at the Dawg Pack, Darnell Gant beat his chest, pointed, and yelled, and Romar came over, pointed at the score board, pointed at us, and said that was your win, you helped us do that. I invest a lot of my time, energy, and emotion into this team and into leading the Dawg Pack and it felt really good to see everyone finally getting involved in the game and having the type of effect on the game that we had between '04 and '09. It felt even better to see our efforts get recognized and appreciated by the coach and team.
N'Diaye played a pretty good game, despite the defensive struggles against Smith. No one could defend Smith, who pushed people around with his gut, so it is hard to discredit N'Diaye for failing the same as everyone else who tried to match-up with Smith. N'Diaye was a solid 3-4 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds. N'Diaye could have had a double-double, but finished with 7 after hitting only 1 of his 4 free throw attempts. N'Diaye needs to get some better coaching about his foul shot because he is shooting under 40% on the year, which is not only miserable, it hurts our team. N'Diaye gets to the line 2 to 4 times a night and generally misses at least half those shots. That is a lot of points and opportunities being squandered away. "Hack the Shaq" is a very viable option for teams in close games and that scares me more than anything. N'Diaye delivered a nice pass and assist to tony Wroten who was cutting across the baseline. It was almost a perfect reverse of the usual Wroten to N'Diaye plays. The only big negative for me, outside of the usual free throw issues, was the accidental tip-in by N'Diaye on our own hoop. Rather than getting up and putting two hands on the ball, N'Diaye tried to tip the ball out to a teammate, but it went rogue and N'Diaye scored against us.
Speaking of Wroten, Tony had himself a wild game. Wroten took a knee to the thigh that caused him pain throughout the game and may cause Wroten to play limited, if any, minutes during the USC game tomorrow. Wroten was only 4 of 11 from the field. Wroten grabbed up 5 rebounds, 2 offensive, and dished out 2 assists. His 5 turnovers were very reminiscent of his earlier games, but the 5-5 free throw shooting shows the type of improvement Wroten has made to his game. The other "improvement" I saw from Wroten was an attempt at a right-handed lay-in, something I don't think he had done yet. Sadly, the ball rolled out of the rim, but it was good to see Wroten finally use that second hand of his to take a shot.
Darnell Gant became a true senior tonight. He scored 10 points in the first half, including a very much needed 3-pointer early in the game, deep into the shot clock. Gant finished with only 14 points, but his defense on the Wear twins and other perimeter players was just as valuable as his emotional play and the leadership he displayed. Tonight I saw Gant beating his chest, coaching his teammates, yelling at the crowd to get up and get loud. The passion was evident and Gant was quoted after the game saying he nearly cried following the win. He wanted this game badly and it showed. Let's hope he can continue to be the type of leader this team has been sorely missing.
Abdul Gaddy played another silent game, but did a much better job of attacking the hoop than in previous weeks. Gaddy was 2-5 from the field, 3-4 from the line, and delivered 5 assists. His 4 turnovers marred an otherwise solid outing. I don't know what it is going to take to get Gaddy to go back to the level of play he displayed in the first half of conference lasts season. Maybe he'll never quite get back to that after his ACL tear. Either way, he needs to adjust his game by either getting back in the lane or starting to develop a reliable outside shot that will force defenders to step out, opening the lanes for his teammates.
Desmond Simmons seems to have hit the freshman wall as of late. He played only 11 minutes despite starting, grabbed only 2 rebounds, and missed both shot attempts including an ugly airball. Not much to say about his game due to his limited play time.
C.J. Wilcox looked rusty tonight. Maybe the lack of practices are finally catching up a bit. Wilcox was only 1 of 4 from the field, but drilled all 4 of his free throws, which were immensely important to the Husky win. While I understand and appreciate the need for Wilcox to rest during the week for the games, the fact Wilcox is limited to only 50 jump shots per practice seems a bit absurd to me. Let him take 75 or 100, I highly doubt that will have a huge effect on his injury. Hopefully the Huskies can get things done in a big way against USC (who lost to WSU by only 3, mildly concerning) and both him and Wroten can get their rest and let others gain some valuable play time.
Shawn Kemp played some very strong minutes and had one of his better games. All 4 points came off of dunks, including a very impressive trail play leading to a powerful jam, a small reminder of his father who is one of the best dunkers in the history of the game. ASJ played only 5 minutes and picked up 2 fouls.
Terrence Ross. My man. Please play all 40 minutes like you do the final 10. If you do, you will score 30 points a game, each and every night. Heck, I'll settle for Ross playing two solid halves of basketball versus one half of pure athleticism and skill. Ross played another amazing second half to rally the Dawgs. He caught alley-oops for sweet jams, he drained shots from 25 feet, checking his heat and finding himself on fire, he even pulled off a Top 10 worthy (though he was snubbed somehow) lay-in that shouldn't even be physically possible. After spinning off his defender, Ross was fouled and knocked to the ground, but still managed to get a shot off and it banked home for the AND-1, which put the Dawgs on top. Speaking of banks, Ross drained a ridiculous bank shot at the end of the first half to give the Huskies the 1 point lead. Ross also pulled off a crazy double cross over move that was worthy of some recognition. Ross had 4 rebounds on top of 22 points, 1 steal, two nice blocks, and 3 turnovers. If Ross can put together another impressive game against USC, he will likely win Player of the Week.
What Needed Improvement:
Terrence Ross-First Half:
I would like to see a game where Ross scores 8-10 in the first half. I'm not sure how many games this season Ross has had 4 or less points going into the break, but it is far too many. It needs to change. Not sure what the difference is for Ross, but I guarantee the heart of it is mental.
Ball Control:
The Huskies committed 10 turnovers in the first half and finished the game with 16. Not good by any stretch of the imagination. Too many times the Dawgs would throw the ball out of bounds. UCLA was credited with 10 steals, but I don't recall that many occurring. The Husky guards have been really sloppy as of late and that won't win us any games. The Dawgs also managed only 10 assists, far below the goals and abilities of this team. Got to get this righted for the final half of the year.
What was Good:
Terrence Ross-Second Half:
He is a true closer and is everything in the second half that LeBron James isn't. The kid has a will to win and once the shots start dropping, he can't be stopped. Ross went 9-12 from the field and a perfect 2-2 from deep and dominated the second half. Ross didn't miss in the second half until there were only 25 seconds on the clock.
Gant's Leadership:
His words helped organize the team, his fire pumped up the crowd, and his first half helped the Dawgs take an early lead despite their short comings. Loved the game Gant played today. If Wroten is hurt on Saturday and does not start, I would like to see the Dawgs bust out a 3 forward line-up with Gant back in the starting 5 along side N'Diaye and Simmons.
The Crowd:
The crowd is finally getting into this team again and it is showing up on the home court. The turning point was the WSU come back game. It got loud and people had fun. Now that they have tasted what a truly great college atmosphere is like, they want more and are getting it by creating it themselves. This team is young, and young players thrive on the emotion of the crowd.
Final Thoughts:
This game could have been a blow out if the Dawgs didn't try to throw it away in the first half. The Huskies pulled off another impressive come back and fought off an improving UCLA team. Terrence Ross was a catalyst once more and Gant continued to improve his game and attitude. Thank you, Arizona, for knocking off Cal on their home court and giving us sole possession of first place. With an injured USC team on the horizon, the Huskies can maintain their lead and should ASU pull off a surprising come back, the Dawgs can increase their lead. The Dawgs have one last home-stand after this weekend against the Arizona schools as well as road trips to Oregon, WSU, and the LA schools. The toughest games will likely come against UCLA, WSU, and Oregon as all 3 tend to be superb on their home courts. The Huskies can ill afford more than 2 losses the remainder of the regular season, but with the way this team has been performing, I am confident they can pull out some more grinding, dirty wins away from Hec-Ed. Let's get it done boys and bring home that banner.
Go Dawgs!
Showing posts with label University of California Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of California Los Angeles. Show all posts
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
University of California: Los Angeles Game Preview
Just a quick note about tomorrow's game before I get into the preview. If you are attending the game, the athletic department is planning a 70's night theme. So bring your best 70's gear and rock out. It was originally planned as a Lorenzo Romar throwback night, okay-ed by the coach himself, but then someone (who's name I was not informed of) got their panties in a bunch about some dumb issue, which resulting in changing the theme to 70's night to preserve the core of their game day plans. On to the preview!
This is how UCLA's year has gone.
After looking like the powerhouse of the Pac-12, UCLA suffered some humiliating losses in the early non-con and have had to drag their way out of the basement, back into some semblance of a competitive team. The Bruins have stumbled to a 12-9 (5-4 in conference) record, leaving them tied for 5th place alongside Stanford and Arizona. Their record includes two very ugly home losses to Loyola Marymount 69-58 and a humongous 20 point loss 86-66 to Middle Tennessee.
ESPN penned a nice article a while back, which I sadly cannot find again, about the Wear twins and how they are holding UCLA back. Essentially, the article argues that the Wear twins are the same player, so playing both on the court at the same time is wasteful and severely reduces game planning ability. If someone happens upon the link, please add it in the comment section.
UCLA has yet to tally a quality win, much like the rest of the Pac-12, the big difference has been bad losses to non-tournament teams. Their team has played better as of late, especially with Reeves Nelson no longer part of the team. The Bruins come into this game with two straight wins over newcomers Colorado and Utah after getting swept on the road by the Oregon schools. This has been the Bruins' story throughout conference play, solid games at home, weak performances on the road. This should be huge and with the Bruins historically playing bad basketball at Hec-Ed, the Dawgs should definitely be considered the favorites coming into the match.
The Bruins are a forward heavy team, lacking in solid guard play, which has certainly been the core of their problems. Lazeric Jones has had to really step up his play for UCLA to find any type of success and has been doing a very reasonable job of playing above his past levels. Jones is currently first on the team in both scoring and assists with 13.4 and 4.6 per game respectively. He is also first in turnovers per game with 2.5, something the Dawgs should be looking to heavily exploit. Personally, I would like to see Tony Wroten guard Jones as Wroten is a much better defender than Gaddy (2 steals per game versus .7 indicates more stringent defense, though Wroten has been known to miss assignments on occasion). Jones is just one of several respectable shooters on the team, hitting 37% of his shots behind the arc and 44% from the field. Jones is a respectable free throw shooter with a 75% average on the season. Keeping Jones in check will be critical for the Husky defense as the UCLA offense runs primarily through Jones.
The Wear twins each average at least 10 points per game (Travis is averaging 12 per game) and 5 rebounds (David is picking up 6 per game). Both are solid post players with a great inside shot and show decent mobility on the wings, though David is the better shooter of the pair with 9 makes on 15 attempts to Travis' 3 makes on 6 attempts. Travis is the better foul shooter. At 6-10 225lb, the twins are tall enough to do shoot over their defenders, but thin enough to move past them as well. Aziz N'Diaye should have the muscle to take either of them to the rack without too much difficulty and should be able to keep the twins out of the paint as well. Austin Serferian-Jenkins may be undersized compared to the twins, but is much stronger and likely much faster than either, which will be important if they begin to rove around the perimeter.
Josh Smith. The kid could be an athlete, a dominate one at that, but his weight issues continue to hold him back. Smith averages only 17 minutes per game, but is solidly over 300lbs. Smith often uses his girth to push others out of his way, but as I said with the Wear twins, our post players have distinct strength advantages. Smith scores an average of 9.7 points and 5 boards per game. Smith is not a great shooter outside the paint and is almost as bad of a free throw shooter as N'Diaye, hitting only 53 of 93 attempts from the foul line. Smith also averages 2 turnovers per game. If the Dawgs can play tight defense, they can cause real havoc due to the poor ball handling UCLA often displays.
Tyler Lamb and Jermine Anderson may be the most dynamic and potentially explosive players for the Bruins. They each average around 9 points, 3 rebounds, as well as 3-4 assists per game. Both commit nearly 2 turnovers per game. Their shooting percentages are nearly identical and have made 25 and 23 3-pointers respectively. Lamb scored a season high 26 against California, while Anderson had 20 against Chaminade, a DII school, in the Maui Invitational.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
UCLA:
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb
Jermaine Anderson 6-2 183lb
Tyler Lamb 6-5 200lb
Travis Wear 6-10 220lb
David Wear 6-10 225lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 225lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Offensive boards were the number 1 reason the Huskies won their game against the Wildcats last Saturday. Rebounds will continue to be the biggest key to success. The Husky offense has been slumping lately from deep, due mainly to the absence of C.J. Wilcox from the line-up. Speaking of Wilcox, he will not practice the remainder of the season and will be day-to-day for games, much like B-Roy his junior season. Our players have superior strength and size, despite UCLA's depth in the frontcourt, and must utilize this to box their men out and clear house on the glass.
Backcourt Defense:
The Husky backcourt defense is definitely the strong point of our team and where UCLA's offense is weakest in terms of ball handling. If the Dawgs can abuse this and get into transition, they stand a very good chance of blowing UCLA out of the water. The UCLA big men are not good in transition, especially Smith, and getting numbers in our favor will be much easier this way.
Free Throws:
I really don't know what to say that I haven't already said a thousand times. Free throws win ball games and with some home cooking hopefully heading our way, the Dawgs need to capitalize or risk keeping UCLA in the game. The best way for our team to get and score free throws is by having Wilcox and Ross attack the lanes. They are great foul shooters and are extremely capable in the paint.
Final Thoughts:
This is a very winnable game for the Dawgs and one has to think that with the Arizona win still in the back of their minds, the Huskies are feeling strong and capable. Hopefully this means a big time win and an impressive home showing, something that hasn't truly happened since the opening tournament. I would really like to see this squad control the game from the opening tip, keeping their foot on the Bruins' necks until the final minute. Too often, the Huskies slow their game down in the waning minutes and allows the opposition to close the gap. I'm all for getting our bench players in, but at this point in the season and our current weak standing, in terms of a tournament resume, we need all the big time wins we can get. This means going hard the full 40 minutes versus killing the clock.
Final Score Prediction: UW-88 UCLA-74
This is how UCLA's year has gone.
After looking like the powerhouse of the Pac-12, UCLA suffered some humiliating losses in the early non-con and have had to drag their way out of the basement, back into some semblance of a competitive team. The Bruins have stumbled to a 12-9 (5-4 in conference) record, leaving them tied for 5th place alongside Stanford and Arizona. Their record includes two very ugly home losses to Loyola Marymount 69-58 and a humongous 20 point loss 86-66 to Middle Tennessee.
ESPN penned a nice article a while back, which I sadly cannot find again, about the Wear twins and how they are holding UCLA back. Essentially, the article argues that the Wear twins are the same player, so playing both on the court at the same time is wasteful and severely reduces game planning ability. If someone happens upon the link, please add it in the comment section.
UCLA has yet to tally a quality win, much like the rest of the Pac-12, the big difference has been bad losses to non-tournament teams. Their team has played better as of late, especially with Reeves Nelson no longer part of the team. The Bruins come into this game with two straight wins over newcomers Colorado and Utah after getting swept on the road by the Oregon schools. This has been the Bruins' story throughout conference play, solid games at home, weak performances on the road. This should be huge and with the Bruins historically playing bad basketball at Hec-Ed, the Dawgs should definitely be considered the favorites coming into the match.
The Bruins are a forward heavy team, lacking in solid guard play, which has certainly been the core of their problems. Lazeric Jones has had to really step up his play for UCLA to find any type of success and has been doing a very reasonable job of playing above his past levels. Jones is currently first on the team in both scoring and assists with 13.4 and 4.6 per game respectively. He is also first in turnovers per game with 2.5, something the Dawgs should be looking to heavily exploit. Personally, I would like to see Tony Wroten guard Jones as Wroten is a much better defender than Gaddy (2 steals per game versus .7 indicates more stringent defense, though Wroten has been known to miss assignments on occasion). Jones is just one of several respectable shooters on the team, hitting 37% of his shots behind the arc and 44% from the field. Jones is a respectable free throw shooter with a 75% average on the season. Keeping Jones in check will be critical for the Husky defense as the UCLA offense runs primarily through Jones.
The Wear twins each average at least 10 points per game (Travis is averaging 12 per game) and 5 rebounds (David is picking up 6 per game). Both are solid post players with a great inside shot and show decent mobility on the wings, though David is the better shooter of the pair with 9 makes on 15 attempts to Travis' 3 makes on 6 attempts. Travis is the better foul shooter. At 6-10 225lb, the twins are tall enough to do shoot over their defenders, but thin enough to move past them as well. Aziz N'Diaye should have the muscle to take either of them to the rack without too much difficulty and should be able to keep the twins out of the paint as well. Austin Serferian-Jenkins may be undersized compared to the twins, but is much stronger and likely much faster than either, which will be important if they begin to rove around the perimeter.
Josh Smith. The kid could be an athlete, a dominate one at that, but his weight issues continue to hold him back. Smith averages only 17 minutes per game, but is solidly over 300lbs. Smith often uses his girth to push others out of his way, but as I said with the Wear twins, our post players have distinct strength advantages. Smith scores an average of 9.7 points and 5 boards per game. Smith is not a great shooter outside the paint and is almost as bad of a free throw shooter as N'Diaye, hitting only 53 of 93 attempts from the foul line. Smith also averages 2 turnovers per game. If the Dawgs can play tight defense, they can cause real havoc due to the poor ball handling UCLA often displays.
Tyler Lamb and Jermine Anderson may be the most dynamic and potentially explosive players for the Bruins. They each average around 9 points, 3 rebounds, as well as 3-4 assists per game. Both commit nearly 2 turnovers per game. Their shooting percentages are nearly identical and have made 25 and 23 3-pointers respectively. Lamb scored a season high 26 against California, while Anderson had 20 against Chaminade, a DII school, in the Maui Invitational.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
UCLA:
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb
Jermaine Anderson 6-2 183lb
Tyler Lamb 6-5 200lb
Travis Wear 6-10 220lb
David Wear 6-10 225lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 225lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Offensive boards were the number 1 reason the Huskies won their game against the Wildcats last Saturday. Rebounds will continue to be the biggest key to success. The Husky offense has been slumping lately from deep, due mainly to the absence of C.J. Wilcox from the line-up. Speaking of Wilcox, he will not practice the remainder of the season and will be day-to-day for games, much like B-Roy his junior season. Our players have superior strength and size, despite UCLA's depth in the frontcourt, and must utilize this to box their men out and clear house on the glass.
Backcourt Defense:
The Husky backcourt defense is definitely the strong point of our team and where UCLA's offense is weakest in terms of ball handling. If the Dawgs can abuse this and get into transition, they stand a very good chance of blowing UCLA out of the water. The UCLA big men are not good in transition, especially Smith, and getting numbers in our favor will be much easier this way.
Free Throws:
I really don't know what to say that I haven't already said a thousand times. Free throws win ball games and with some home cooking hopefully heading our way, the Dawgs need to capitalize or risk keeping UCLA in the game. The best way for our team to get and score free throws is by having Wilcox and Ross attack the lanes. They are great foul shooters and are extremely capable in the paint.
Final Thoughts:
This is a very winnable game for the Dawgs and one has to think that with the Arizona win still in the back of their minds, the Huskies are feeling strong and capable. Hopefully this means a big time win and an impressive home showing, something that hasn't truly happened since the opening tournament. I would really like to see this squad control the game from the opening tip, keeping their foot on the Bruins' necks until the final minute. Too often, the Huskies slow their game down in the waning minutes and allows the opposition to close the gap. I'm all for getting our bench players in, but at this point in the season and our current weak standing, in terms of a tournament resume, we need all the big time wins we can get. This means going hard the full 40 minutes versus killing the clock.
Final Score Prediction: UW-88 UCLA-74
Sunday, October 30, 2011
University of California: Los Angelas 2011-2012 Preview
UCLA finished second in the conference last season with a 13-5 record and 24-11 overall. The Bruins will be a scary team this season. With 6 returning seniors, Josh Smith, and the Wear Twins, UCLA will have a lot of talent especially in the front court. They will be tall, strong, and skilled. A very dangerous combination that makes them the clear front runner in the Pac-12 and likely a top 20 to top 15 team. Their guard play may be slightly weaker than in previous seasons with the early departure of Malcolm Lee (he went in the second round to the Chicago Bulls and then was traded to Minnesota) and Tyler Honeycutt (picked in the second round by Sacramento).
UCLA brings in 3 new freshmen as well as gaining the eligibility of the Wear twins to pump up their roster. They have 6 players standing 6-8 or taller, including 4 players at 6-10. No one is shorter than 6-0 on the team.
Key Losses:
Malcolm Lee 6-5 200lb
Lee was a great PG and SG talent for the Bruins. He was second in scoring behind Reeves Nelson at 13 points per game as well as dishing out 2 assists per outing. His outside shot was a little suspect at only 30%, but he had a dangerous slashing drive attack that gave him a lot of opportunities in the key. Lee had great ball handling and defensive skills that made a huge mismatch for opposing point guards. He had the height to shoot over smaller guards and the speed to move around stronger opponents. Big loss for the Bruins. Lazeric Jones and Jermine Anderson will have to step up their games to fill the gap.
Tyler Honeycutt 6-8 188lb
Honeycutt was third in scoring for the Bruins at nearly 13 points per game. He was second in rebounding behind Reeves Nelson and ahead of Josh Smith. In my mind, Honeycutt could have used another year to develop his game, but he and the NBA decided he was ready and it probably has a lot to do with his height. Honeycutt did struggle at times against solid defenders and against UW he had trouble getting open shots (he went 4-12 and 0-6 from the field in two games against UW). Honeycutt is very similar to UW's Terrance Ross in that he has a wide skill set from outside shooting to driving the lane and crashing the boards. Brendan Lane and Tyler Lamb will likely try to fill the hole left by Honeycutt.
Incoming Freshmen:
Khalid McCaskill 6-6 190lb
A new walk-on for the Bruins, replacing Alex Schrempf who has transferred to UW but will not play this season. McCaskill is known for his driving abilities, but also possesses a decent jump shot. I suspect McCaskill will redshirt or see very little if any play time. Even with a lack of talented depth in the backcourt, McCaskill is a ways back in the line-up.
Norman Powell 6-3 200lb
Powell is a slash and drive guard first and foremost. His mid-range and 3 point shot are still in development, but with his speed and athleticism he can create opportunities for himself and other in the open court. Powell will play the 2 as his ball handling skills are rough when going to his left, something that a 1 guard needs to be able to do. Give Powell a year or two to fine tune his game and he'll be a much better guard for the Bruins.
Returning Players:
Kenny Jones 6-0 190lb
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb
Tyler Trapani 6-0 190lb
Nick Kazemi 6-0 175lb
Jermine Anderson 6-2 183lb
Larry Drew II 6-2 190lb
Matt DeMarcus 6-3 203lb
David Brown 6-3 185lb
Tyler Lamb 6-5 200lb
De'End Parker 6-6 215lb
Reeves Nelson 6-8 235lb
Brendan Lane 6-9 223lb
Anthony Stover 6-10 235lb
David Wear 6-10 225lb
Travis Wear 6-10 220lb
Josh Smith 6-10 305lb
Parker is a JC transfer who averaged about 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. A solid prospect with two remaining years of eligibility, Parker should contribute almost immediately at the 3 position. Smith still remains to be overweight and out of shape, which greatly limits his ability to contribute in transition plays and often led to sloppy fouls when defending outside the post. Between Nelson and the Wear twins, the Bruins have the strongest 4 and 5 possibly in the nation. A lot of rebounding and post scoring ability to be sure. Nelson is a work horse who is the returning leading scorer for UCLA at nearly 14 per game and a team high 9 rebounds. Nelson will likely average a double double next season much like former UW star Jon Brockman. I like Nelson for a possible Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate.
Predicted Starting Line-Up
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb
Jermine Anderson 6-2 183lb (After his two game suspension for theft)
Tyler Lamb 6-5 200lb
Reeves Nelson 6-8 235lb
Josh Smith 6-10 305lb
What to Expect:
Smith and Nelson will be the leading scorers and rebounders this season without a doubt. Smith uses his weight to make up for his lack of agility in the post to score against defenders. Aziz N'Diaye will need to keep his foul situation under control against UCLA to prevent Smith from dominating inside. UCLA has a tough tournament ahead in Maui (which UW participated in last year). UCLA's success will largely depend on how well the backcourt can move the ball around to feed it inside where their true strength lies. Expect UCLA to dominate a lot of smaller teams and even in conference they should find a few teams they can push around at will. Teams can beat UCLA by excellent guard play and defense, preventing the ball from moving inside. UW should be able to compete, but I expect a series split this season with each team winning at their home court. I can't see UCLA losing to many games in conference and should finish no lower than third, though finishing lower than second in conference should be considered disappointing considering the talent on the team.
UCLA brings in 3 new freshmen as well as gaining the eligibility of the Wear twins to pump up their roster. They have 6 players standing 6-8 or taller, including 4 players at 6-10. No one is shorter than 6-0 on the team.
Key Losses:
Malcolm Lee 6-5 200lb
Lee was a great PG and SG talent for the Bruins. He was second in scoring behind Reeves Nelson at 13 points per game as well as dishing out 2 assists per outing. His outside shot was a little suspect at only 30%, but he had a dangerous slashing drive attack that gave him a lot of opportunities in the key. Lee had great ball handling and defensive skills that made a huge mismatch for opposing point guards. He had the height to shoot over smaller guards and the speed to move around stronger opponents. Big loss for the Bruins. Lazeric Jones and Jermine Anderson will have to step up their games to fill the gap.
Tyler Honeycutt 6-8 188lb
Honeycutt was third in scoring for the Bruins at nearly 13 points per game. He was second in rebounding behind Reeves Nelson and ahead of Josh Smith. In my mind, Honeycutt could have used another year to develop his game, but he and the NBA decided he was ready and it probably has a lot to do with his height. Honeycutt did struggle at times against solid defenders and against UW he had trouble getting open shots (he went 4-12 and 0-6 from the field in two games against UW). Honeycutt is very similar to UW's Terrance Ross in that he has a wide skill set from outside shooting to driving the lane and crashing the boards. Brendan Lane and Tyler Lamb will likely try to fill the hole left by Honeycutt.
Incoming Freshmen:
Khalid McCaskill 6-6 190lb
A new walk-on for the Bruins, replacing Alex Schrempf who has transferred to UW but will not play this season. McCaskill is known for his driving abilities, but also possesses a decent jump shot. I suspect McCaskill will redshirt or see very little if any play time. Even with a lack of talented depth in the backcourt, McCaskill is a ways back in the line-up.
Norman Powell 6-3 200lb
Powell is a slash and drive guard first and foremost. His mid-range and 3 point shot are still in development, but with his speed and athleticism he can create opportunities for himself and other in the open court. Powell will play the 2 as his ball handling skills are rough when going to his left, something that a 1 guard needs to be able to do. Give Powell a year or two to fine tune his game and he'll be a much better guard for the Bruins.
Returning Players:
Kenny Jones 6-0 190lb
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb
Tyler Trapani 6-0 190lb
Nick Kazemi 6-0 175lb
Jermine Anderson 6-2 183lb
Larry Drew II 6-2 190lb
Matt DeMarcus 6-3 203lb
David Brown 6-3 185lb
Tyler Lamb 6-5 200lb
De'End Parker 6-6 215lb
Reeves Nelson 6-8 235lb
Brendan Lane 6-9 223lb
Anthony Stover 6-10 235lb
David Wear 6-10 225lb
Travis Wear 6-10 220lb
Josh Smith 6-10 305lb
Parker is a JC transfer who averaged about 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. A solid prospect with two remaining years of eligibility, Parker should contribute almost immediately at the 3 position. Smith still remains to be overweight and out of shape, which greatly limits his ability to contribute in transition plays and often led to sloppy fouls when defending outside the post. Between Nelson and the Wear twins, the Bruins have the strongest 4 and 5 possibly in the nation. A lot of rebounding and post scoring ability to be sure. Nelson is a work horse who is the returning leading scorer for UCLA at nearly 14 per game and a team high 9 rebounds. Nelson will likely average a double double next season much like former UW star Jon Brockman. I like Nelson for a possible Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate.
Predicted Starting Line-Up
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb
Jermine Anderson 6-2 183lb (After his two game suspension for theft)
Tyler Lamb 6-5 200lb
Reeves Nelson 6-8 235lb
Josh Smith 6-10 305lb
What to Expect:
Smith and Nelson will be the leading scorers and rebounders this season without a doubt. Smith uses his weight to make up for his lack of agility in the post to score against defenders. Aziz N'Diaye will need to keep his foul situation under control against UCLA to prevent Smith from dominating inside. UCLA has a tough tournament ahead in Maui (which UW participated in last year). UCLA's success will largely depend on how well the backcourt can move the ball around to feed it inside where their true strength lies. Expect UCLA to dominate a lot of smaller teams and even in conference they should find a few teams they can push around at will. Teams can beat UCLA by excellent guard play and defense, preventing the ball from moving inside. UW should be able to compete, but I expect a series split this season with each team winning at their home court. I can't see UCLA losing to many games in conference and should finish no lower than third, though finishing lower than second in conference should be considered disappointing considering the talent on the team.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Final ESPN/Coaches Poll
UConn garnered 30 of 31 1st place votes (Ohio State stole one out of their hands somehow) and finished top of the poll.
Arizona came in at 9.
UW finished at 23 on the year.
UCLA picked up a few votes as well, but didn't make the top 25.
Arizona came in at 9.
UW finished at 23 on the year.
UCLA picked up a few votes as well, but didn't make the top 25.
Friday, December 31, 2010
University of California Los Angeles Review
Final Score UW-74 UCLA-63
Not as high scoring as I expected. Another game in which our outside shooting was poor, but we found success on the inside. The foul differential was closer (23-17 in favor of UCLA), but the FT differential is huge. UCLA attempted 36 free throws, while UW only attempted 15. UCLA made 25 and UW hit 12 for 80% shooting on the night including 5-6 by Matthew Bryan-Amaning and 6-7 by Isaiah Thomas. UW only had 3 attempts in the first half versus 19 for UCLA.
MBA finished with another double double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Aziz N'Diaye fouled out for the second game in a row going 3-3 from the field and grabbing 6 boards in his limited court time. Isaiah Thomas finished with 17 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. Justin Holiday added 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 1 turnover. Both Gaddy and Overton were quiet tonight. C.J. Wilcox showed up for a few minutes and missed his lone three point attempt, but made a nice lay-in.
Ross looked good during his time on the court using his vicious cross over to open up some nice shots. Suggs made some nice assists including a beautiful pass from the baseline to Holiday who drained a 3 point shot. After the shot he looked at the UCLA bench and was called for a technical. Not sure what happened, but I didn't see him do anything wrong. The refs were just looking for fouls to call it seems like.
Reeves Nelson was tough as ever and with our bigs picking up so many fouls (Aziz-5, MBA-4, Gant-4) he was able to score at will for a majority of the game. He finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Smith fouled out with 9 points and 7 boards. Tyler Honeycutt was shut down well in the first half with only 5 points going into break. He finished with 12 points and 2 rebounds.
Speaking of rebounds, UW nudged out UCLA on the glass with 34-33.
UW returned to its excellent passing ways, picking up 17 assists on 29 makes (50% shooting and 59% assist rate). They also managed to keep their turnovers from reaching double digits, finishing with 9. Their shooting is still far from where it started. UW went 4-15 from range with no player making more than one long ball. Darnell Gant, Justin Holiday, Isaiah Thomas, and Terrence Ross all hit one a piece. UW went 3-12 in the first half and 1-3 in the second.
The zone defense was utilized a few times in the first half and it was again effective. It was also used almost exclusively in the last 6 minutes after Aziz fouled out. It found great success and this bodes well should we find ourselves in similar situations again. It is also nice to see it worked well with smaller bodies on the court.
C.J. Wilcox, Terrence Ross, and Scott Suggs combined for 19 minutes and 9 points. Ross had 7 on 3-6 shooting.
What was Good
Post Presence
MBA definitely showed up to play today. He did well on the glass, pretty well on his shots (8-15), and defensively he was fairly solid as well. Nelson and Smith are tough, and strong (or in Smith's case, fat) who are/were able to muscle around defenders fairly easily. MBA was able to force them to pass out along with Aziz and Gant helping down low. Aziz played a good game offensively tonight, showing some good moves and was solid on the put backs. He grabbed 6 boards in 19 minutes. Not his best night, but he did well considering the foul situation. He picked up several of his fouls on defensive rebounds that resulted in over the back calls. Gant played good help defense especially tonight. Several times Smith or Nelson were open underneath and got passes, but Gant rolled over to get his hands up and help force either turnovers or passes back out to the perimeter. When Gant covered Nelson to start the second half, UW went on a 10-0 run. When he came out, Nelson went on a Roll and UCLA was able to get within 4.
Passing
Much better ball handling tonight and passing was excellent, especially by Isaiah who finished with a season high 9. He could have had several more if not for some misses on short jumpers. Gaddy had 2 assists and Overton had 1. Isaiah found many of his assists on great dump offs to MBA on drives. His drive and dish was excellent tonight. He was a tad greedy at times, putting up somewhat wild shots on the drive that, thankfully, drew foul calls.
Free Throw Shooting
I forgot to mention this in my preview, but free throws were going to be huge tonight. Much like the USC game, our free throw opportunities were limited. UW did a great job of capitalizing on their limited opportunity, missing only 3 attempts on the night and no one player missed more than one. Gant went 1-2. MBA was beautiful hitting 5-6, and Isaiah's new technique is working wonders, going 6-7 from the charity stripe. It's great to see IT continuing his success and MBA stepping up and starting to nail his attempts as well. Aziz, though he shot no free throws tonight or Wednesday against USC, has also done well on fixing his free throw problems that were oh so prominent in the opener against McNeese State. He has gone 12-19 since the 3-15 opener.
Zone Defense
Our normal man to man worked pretty well for most of the game, but at times we used a 2-3 zone defense that was extremely effective against UCLA's post. It also held their outside shot to 2-11 and overall UCLA went 18-51 (35.3%) from the field.
Toughness and Grit
We didn't need it as much this game as on Wednesday, but UW withstood a strong run from UCLA that reduced UW's17 point lead down to 4. With our three bigs again in serious foul trouble, they had to be calm and careful on defense to avoid fouling out. Once Aziz picked up his fifth on a screen it was back to the zone. MBA and Gant avoided picking up their fifths during the final 6 minutes. If MBA or Gant had fouled out I would imagine Ross would have entered the game and UW would have continued its 2-3 zone with the smaller line up.
Senior Leadership
Between MBA, Holiday, and IT, yes he is a junior and no I don't care, the Huskies were able to hold off a strong UCLA run as well as creating their own to start the second half. The Huskies have been notorious this year for starting the second half slowly. This time they came out with some fire and extended a 7 point half time lead to 17 that ended with a nice put back by Aziz N'Diaye. MBA scored and rebounded extremely well. Holiday played stellar defense on Honeycutt. Isaiah scored, found players, and created opportunities.
What Needed Improvement
Outside Shooting
I don't know what has happened, but the last 4 games have been poor shooting nights for the Huskies from range. I am not expecting 12+ three's a night, but after several games of high percentage outside shooting I would imagine we could hit 5 or 6 per game when we put up 15 attempts. With C.J. still limited in play, only 4 minutes against UCLA, we don't quite have the same presence from range. Once C.J. gets healthy again I expect our shooting to perk back up. With him on the court our other shooters are able to find open shots as well. This means more opportunities around.
Fouling
Once more we found ourselves suffering from a thin frontcourt and lots of fouls. Our big men need to learn better control to avoid foul trouble. It is not good to have MBA, Aziz, as well as Gant in foul trouble with one or more per game fouling out. This is something that needs to change. Keep in mind the Huskies picked up 50 fouls in two games and 85 minutes of play. That is extremely high and at home the foul numbers tend to be better for the home team. On the road we need to find a way to avoid the silly fouls for our bigs. By silly I mean over the back, offensive screening fouls, and the like. Our guards, especially Overton have done really well to avoid picking up reach in fouls.
Player by Player Reviews
Venoy Overton
A quiet night for Overton. He was good on defense and had limited offensive opportunities, but he flourished when he did shoot. He received a nice pass for an open and athletic lay-in. He also had a beautiful drive for a finger tip roll shot that dropped right in. He only managed 1 assist, but had no turnovers in his 19 minutes. He does a great job of running the team and that is something you don't always see in the stats. Can't expect him to play like an MVP game in and game out. Not a bad night, just not great.
Grade: B-
Justin Holiday
Holiday hit a killer three and got called for a technical. Still unsure what transpired, but from what we saw on TV he looked at the bench after he sunk the shot. Maybe he said something. I am not sure. All I know is last season Reggie Moore flexed at our bench and nothing happened. This is the second technical Holiday has picked up and also the second that was completely absurd to call a technical. He wasn't chesting up against a Bruin. He wasn't being overly vocal. Oh well, he still managed another solid stat line with his 9 points and 8 boards leading the way. He played crushing defense on Honeycutt who picked up 2 fouls early in the first half and was held to 5 points at the break. Solid, solid performance once more. I think his foot was feeling pretty good this weekend.
Grade: A- for defense and rebounding
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MBA wrapped up an already solid 18 and 8 outing against USC with an even better 21 and 10 night against UCLA. Finishing the weekend with a 19.5 ppg and 9 rpg average is fantastic. Those are the types of numbers people have been clamoring for all season long. If he keeps up this type of play he could be a dark horse for Pac-10 player of the year. His performances were also critical as UW struggled to find hot shooters from outside the arc this weekend. Its great to see that MBA was able to step up when his team needed him most. He still has some problems with little bunny shots that keep him from have 25 point nights and IT from having 10+ assist games. All in good time though. I will take 8-15 shooting and 5-6 from the line from MBA any night. He is playing much stronger and much more purposed. I don't know what clicked for him, but I like it. If he can have these types of performances against the two strongest frontcourts in the Pac-10, I can only imagine what he might do this next weekend at home against Oregon and Oregon State. MBA also had a powerful dunk that looked very similar to last season's vicious throw down over Andrew Zimmerman of Stanford, only without a person to teabag.
Grade: A
Brendan Sherrer
Despite the bad foul situation again, Brendan did not play.
Grade: N/A
Scott Suggs
Another slow night for Suggs. He did do a lot of things right while on the court. He only played 6 minutes, but had a fantastic assist to Justin Holiday and a big offensive rebound. He stumbled off a screen, but luckily UCLA missed the shot. His defense is getting better. His work in the paint is some of his most improved talents and is great to see. Not sure why the trio of Ross, Suggs, and Wilcox (Wilcox is still hampered by a Staph infection) played so limited today, but the line up we had on the court seemed to be working. Why fix something if it isn't broken? Just looking at the stat sheet you might assume he had a poor night, but I liked what I saw.
Grade: B
Darnell Gant
Terrific night defensively and not bad offensively. He hit his lone three point shot and went 2-4 from the field. He picked up 2 rebounds as well during his 20 minutes. His most valuable impact in the game was the excellent shut down defense he had on Nelson to start the second half. His three point shot was the nail in the coffin as it put UW up 68-59 with 3:24 remaining. He is still rebounding lower than I would like, but with Aziz playing more minutes, MBA stepping up his game on the glass, and Holiday continuing to excel the Huskies are in pretty good shape when it comes to rebounding. If it is for the team's benefit that he stays more outside so be it.
Grade: B+
Isaiah Thomas
MVP of the night. 17 points on top of 9 assists and 3 boards. Fantastic performance. He forced a few drives and was bailed out with fouls, but IT is known to draw fouls on some of those circus shots. He had some great lay-ins regardless of his sometimes cringe worthy plays. Getting 9 assists to go along with that many points is hard to do. He was one missed shot away from a double double. The biggest miss was a nice dump off to MBA who, instead of dunking it, attempted a lay-in and was fouled, missing the shot. IT created many of the scoring opportunities MBA excelled on. He led the team extremely well and played 36 of the 40 minutes. His leadership is a huge asset to the team. After a somewhat slow game against USC it was refreshing to see him command the court once more. Isaiah also helped foul out Josh Smith by using his speed to force block calls.
Grade: A+
Aziz N'Diaye
The big man just couldn't seem to avoid the fouls this weekend. Sure the refs were a tad whistle happy, but Aziz needs to do more on his part to avoid the over the back calls that led to several whistles against him. He shot very well tonight, going 3-3 with a pair of nice put backs and one great post move. He did well containing Smith, who outweighs Aziz by 40lbs, for the most part. Its hard to give up that much weight, but he managed by using his height and speed advantage. 6 rebounds in 19 minutes and 6 points. Good performance, but not quite where we need him to be.
Grade: B
Abdul Gaddy
The slow streak continues for Gaddy, who again struggled to get in a rhythm offensively. He only managed 2 assists on the night. He did have 2 rebounds and a steal in addition to his 2 points that came off a nice driving bank shot. Not a great night. Isaiah did a much better job running the team tonight than Gaddy, which is a bit unusual.
Grade: C+
Antoine Hosley
Did not play today.
Grade: N/A
C.J. Wilcox
C.J. only played 4 minutes today in a somewhat surprising appearance. He is currently dealing with a Staph infection on his hip and was not expected to play today. He took one long shot, missed, and had a nice lay-in off a great pass. Hard to grade him when he barely played. His defense looked fine for the little time he spent guarding his man.
Grade: B
Terrence Ross
Only 9 minutes tonight after what was an exciting performance against USC. He went 1-4 from range tonight and added in a nice cross over jumper to finish 3-6 on the night. His 7 points led the bench, which was very quiet this game. Romar must have decided we needed our starting 5 plus Gant and Overton to beat UCLA as he left out the three head monster for a large chunk of the game. He wasn't as impressive as he was against 'SC, but still played a solid game.
Grade: B
Final Thoughts
The Huskies had a much easier time against UCLA than they did USC. They played a much better game and made the game work to their tempo despite the foul calls. They passed, they executed, they played great defense. They may not have shown the scoring ability we are so used to, but the Pac-10 teams are much better defenders than most of our opponents this season. This is a great start to the season and goes a long ways towards a successful season. This is likely to be the toughest road trip we will take until tournament time. Arizona and Wazzu will be tough games, but our post players, especially MBA, have shown they can play big against tough frontcourts. If our guards and forwards can begin to find some shooting success from range against Pac-10 teams we will be looking good. Many people were predicting a 1-1 record leaving LA this weekend. Instead we leave 2-0 from a pair of tough match ups. Great job, Huskies. You deserve a great New Years and I look forward to seeing the success continue on the 6th at home against Oregon.
Not as high scoring as I expected. Another game in which our outside shooting was poor, but we found success on the inside. The foul differential was closer (23-17 in favor of UCLA), but the FT differential is huge. UCLA attempted 36 free throws, while UW only attempted 15. UCLA made 25 and UW hit 12 for 80% shooting on the night including 5-6 by Matthew Bryan-Amaning and 6-7 by Isaiah Thomas. UW only had 3 attempts in the first half versus 19 for UCLA.
MBA finished with another double double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Aziz N'Diaye fouled out for the second game in a row going 3-3 from the field and grabbing 6 boards in his limited court time. Isaiah Thomas finished with 17 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. Justin Holiday added 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 1 turnover. Both Gaddy and Overton were quiet tonight. C.J. Wilcox showed up for a few minutes and missed his lone three point attempt, but made a nice lay-in.
Ross looked good during his time on the court using his vicious cross over to open up some nice shots. Suggs made some nice assists including a beautiful pass from the baseline to Holiday who drained a 3 point shot. After the shot he looked at the UCLA bench and was called for a technical. Not sure what happened, but I didn't see him do anything wrong. The refs were just looking for fouls to call it seems like.
Reeves Nelson was tough as ever and with our bigs picking up so many fouls (Aziz-5, MBA-4, Gant-4) he was able to score at will for a majority of the game. He finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Smith fouled out with 9 points and 7 boards. Tyler Honeycutt was shut down well in the first half with only 5 points going into break. He finished with 12 points and 2 rebounds.
Speaking of rebounds, UW nudged out UCLA on the glass with 34-33.
UW returned to its excellent passing ways, picking up 17 assists on 29 makes (50% shooting and 59% assist rate). They also managed to keep their turnovers from reaching double digits, finishing with 9. Their shooting is still far from where it started. UW went 4-15 from range with no player making more than one long ball. Darnell Gant, Justin Holiday, Isaiah Thomas, and Terrence Ross all hit one a piece. UW went 3-12 in the first half and 1-3 in the second.
The zone defense was utilized a few times in the first half and it was again effective. It was also used almost exclusively in the last 6 minutes after Aziz fouled out. It found great success and this bodes well should we find ourselves in similar situations again. It is also nice to see it worked well with smaller bodies on the court.
C.J. Wilcox, Terrence Ross, and Scott Suggs combined for 19 minutes and 9 points. Ross had 7 on 3-6 shooting.
What was Good
Post Presence
MBA definitely showed up to play today. He did well on the glass, pretty well on his shots (8-15), and defensively he was fairly solid as well. Nelson and Smith are tough, and strong (or in Smith's case, fat) who are/were able to muscle around defenders fairly easily. MBA was able to force them to pass out along with Aziz and Gant helping down low. Aziz played a good game offensively tonight, showing some good moves and was solid on the put backs. He grabbed 6 boards in 19 minutes. Not his best night, but he did well considering the foul situation. He picked up several of his fouls on defensive rebounds that resulted in over the back calls. Gant played good help defense especially tonight. Several times Smith or Nelson were open underneath and got passes, but Gant rolled over to get his hands up and help force either turnovers or passes back out to the perimeter. When Gant covered Nelson to start the second half, UW went on a 10-0 run. When he came out, Nelson went on a Roll and UCLA was able to get within 4.
Passing
Much better ball handling tonight and passing was excellent, especially by Isaiah who finished with a season high 9. He could have had several more if not for some misses on short jumpers. Gaddy had 2 assists and Overton had 1. Isaiah found many of his assists on great dump offs to MBA on drives. His drive and dish was excellent tonight. He was a tad greedy at times, putting up somewhat wild shots on the drive that, thankfully, drew foul calls.
Free Throw Shooting
I forgot to mention this in my preview, but free throws were going to be huge tonight. Much like the USC game, our free throw opportunities were limited. UW did a great job of capitalizing on their limited opportunity, missing only 3 attempts on the night and no one player missed more than one. Gant went 1-2. MBA was beautiful hitting 5-6, and Isaiah's new technique is working wonders, going 6-7 from the charity stripe. It's great to see IT continuing his success and MBA stepping up and starting to nail his attempts as well. Aziz, though he shot no free throws tonight or Wednesday against USC, has also done well on fixing his free throw problems that were oh so prominent in the opener against McNeese State. He has gone 12-19 since the 3-15 opener.
Zone Defense
Our normal man to man worked pretty well for most of the game, but at times we used a 2-3 zone defense that was extremely effective against UCLA's post. It also held their outside shot to 2-11 and overall UCLA went 18-51 (35.3%) from the field.
Toughness and Grit
We didn't need it as much this game as on Wednesday, but UW withstood a strong run from UCLA that reduced UW's17 point lead down to 4. With our three bigs again in serious foul trouble, they had to be calm and careful on defense to avoid fouling out. Once Aziz picked up his fifth on a screen it was back to the zone. MBA and Gant avoided picking up their fifths during the final 6 minutes. If MBA or Gant had fouled out I would imagine Ross would have entered the game and UW would have continued its 2-3 zone with the smaller line up.
Senior Leadership
Between MBA, Holiday, and IT, yes he is a junior and no I don't care, the Huskies were able to hold off a strong UCLA run as well as creating their own to start the second half. The Huskies have been notorious this year for starting the second half slowly. This time they came out with some fire and extended a 7 point half time lead to 17 that ended with a nice put back by Aziz N'Diaye. MBA scored and rebounded extremely well. Holiday played stellar defense on Honeycutt. Isaiah scored, found players, and created opportunities.
What Needed Improvement
Outside Shooting
I don't know what has happened, but the last 4 games have been poor shooting nights for the Huskies from range. I am not expecting 12+ three's a night, but after several games of high percentage outside shooting I would imagine we could hit 5 or 6 per game when we put up 15 attempts. With C.J. still limited in play, only 4 minutes against UCLA, we don't quite have the same presence from range. Once C.J. gets healthy again I expect our shooting to perk back up. With him on the court our other shooters are able to find open shots as well. This means more opportunities around.
Fouling
Once more we found ourselves suffering from a thin frontcourt and lots of fouls. Our big men need to learn better control to avoid foul trouble. It is not good to have MBA, Aziz, as well as Gant in foul trouble with one or more per game fouling out. This is something that needs to change. Keep in mind the Huskies picked up 50 fouls in two games and 85 minutes of play. That is extremely high and at home the foul numbers tend to be better for the home team. On the road we need to find a way to avoid the silly fouls for our bigs. By silly I mean over the back, offensive screening fouls, and the like. Our guards, especially Overton have done really well to avoid picking up reach in fouls.
Player by Player Reviews
Venoy Overton
A quiet night for Overton. He was good on defense and had limited offensive opportunities, but he flourished when he did shoot. He received a nice pass for an open and athletic lay-in. He also had a beautiful drive for a finger tip roll shot that dropped right in. He only managed 1 assist, but had no turnovers in his 19 minutes. He does a great job of running the team and that is something you don't always see in the stats. Can't expect him to play like an MVP game in and game out. Not a bad night, just not great.
Grade: B-
Justin Holiday
Holiday hit a killer three and got called for a technical. Still unsure what transpired, but from what we saw on TV he looked at the bench after he sunk the shot. Maybe he said something. I am not sure. All I know is last season Reggie Moore flexed at our bench and nothing happened. This is the second technical Holiday has picked up and also the second that was completely absurd to call a technical. He wasn't chesting up against a Bruin. He wasn't being overly vocal. Oh well, he still managed another solid stat line with his 9 points and 8 boards leading the way. He played crushing defense on Honeycutt who picked up 2 fouls early in the first half and was held to 5 points at the break. Solid, solid performance once more. I think his foot was feeling pretty good this weekend.
Grade: A- for defense and rebounding
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MBA wrapped up an already solid 18 and 8 outing against USC with an even better 21 and 10 night against UCLA. Finishing the weekend with a 19.5 ppg and 9 rpg average is fantastic. Those are the types of numbers people have been clamoring for all season long. If he keeps up this type of play he could be a dark horse for Pac-10 player of the year. His performances were also critical as UW struggled to find hot shooters from outside the arc this weekend. Its great to see that MBA was able to step up when his team needed him most. He still has some problems with little bunny shots that keep him from have 25 point nights and IT from having 10+ assist games. All in good time though. I will take 8-15 shooting and 5-6 from the line from MBA any night. He is playing much stronger and much more purposed. I don't know what clicked for him, but I like it. If he can have these types of performances against the two strongest frontcourts in the Pac-10, I can only imagine what he might do this next weekend at home against Oregon and Oregon State. MBA also had a powerful dunk that looked very similar to last season's vicious throw down over Andrew Zimmerman of Stanford, only without a person to teabag.
Grade: A
Brendan Sherrer
Despite the bad foul situation again, Brendan did not play.
Grade: N/A
Scott Suggs
Another slow night for Suggs. He did do a lot of things right while on the court. He only played 6 minutes, but had a fantastic assist to Justin Holiday and a big offensive rebound. He stumbled off a screen, but luckily UCLA missed the shot. His defense is getting better. His work in the paint is some of his most improved talents and is great to see. Not sure why the trio of Ross, Suggs, and Wilcox (Wilcox is still hampered by a Staph infection) played so limited today, but the line up we had on the court seemed to be working. Why fix something if it isn't broken? Just looking at the stat sheet you might assume he had a poor night, but I liked what I saw.
Grade: B
Darnell Gant
Terrific night defensively and not bad offensively. He hit his lone three point shot and went 2-4 from the field. He picked up 2 rebounds as well during his 20 minutes. His most valuable impact in the game was the excellent shut down defense he had on Nelson to start the second half. His three point shot was the nail in the coffin as it put UW up 68-59 with 3:24 remaining. He is still rebounding lower than I would like, but with Aziz playing more minutes, MBA stepping up his game on the glass, and Holiday continuing to excel the Huskies are in pretty good shape when it comes to rebounding. If it is for the team's benefit that he stays more outside so be it.
Grade: B+
Isaiah Thomas
MVP of the night. 17 points on top of 9 assists and 3 boards. Fantastic performance. He forced a few drives and was bailed out with fouls, but IT is known to draw fouls on some of those circus shots. He had some great lay-ins regardless of his sometimes cringe worthy plays. Getting 9 assists to go along with that many points is hard to do. He was one missed shot away from a double double. The biggest miss was a nice dump off to MBA who, instead of dunking it, attempted a lay-in and was fouled, missing the shot. IT created many of the scoring opportunities MBA excelled on. He led the team extremely well and played 36 of the 40 minutes. His leadership is a huge asset to the team. After a somewhat slow game against USC it was refreshing to see him command the court once more. Isaiah also helped foul out Josh Smith by using his speed to force block calls.
Grade: A+
Aziz N'Diaye
The big man just couldn't seem to avoid the fouls this weekend. Sure the refs were a tad whistle happy, but Aziz needs to do more on his part to avoid the over the back calls that led to several whistles against him. He shot very well tonight, going 3-3 with a pair of nice put backs and one great post move. He did well containing Smith, who outweighs Aziz by 40lbs, for the most part. Its hard to give up that much weight, but he managed by using his height and speed advantage. 6 rebounds in 19 minutes and 6 points. Good performance, but not quite where we need him to be.
Grade: B
Abdul Gaddy
The slow streak continues for Gaddy, who again struggled to get in a rhythm offensively. He only managed 2 assists on the night. He did have 2 rebounds and a steal in addition to his 2 points that came off a nice driving bank shot. Not a great night. Isaiah did a much better job running the team tonight than Gaddy, which is a bit unusual.
Grade: C+
Antoine Hosley
Did not play today.
Grade: N/A
C.J. Wilcox
C.J. only played 4 minutes today in a somewhat surprising appearance. He is currently dealing with a Staph infection on his hip and was not expected to play today. He took one long shot, missed, and had a nice lay-in off a great pass. Hard to grade him when he barely played. His defense looked fine for the little time he spent guarding his man.
Grade: B
Terrence Ross
Only 9 minutes tonight after what was an exciting performance against USC. He went 1-4 from range tonight and added in a nice cross over jumper to finish 3-6 on the night. His 7 points led the bench, which was very quiet this game. Romar must have decided we needed our starting 5 plus Gant and Overton to beat UCLA as he left out the three head monster for a large chunk of the game. He wasn't as impressive as he was against 'SC, but still played a solid game.
Grade: B
Final Thoughts
The Huskies had a much easier time against UCLA than they did USC. They played a much better game and made the game work to their tempo despite the foul calls. They passed, they executed, they played great defense. They may not have shown the scoring ability we are so used to, but the Pac-10 teams are much better defenders than most of our opponents this season. This is a great start to the season and goes a long ways towards a successful season. This is likely to be the toughest road trip we will take until tournament time. Arizona and Wazzu will be tough games, but our post players, especially MBA, have shown they can play big against tough frontcourts. If our guards and forwards can begin to find some shooting success from range against Pac-10 teams we will be looking good. Many people were predicting a 1-1 record leaving LA this weekend. Instead we leave 2-0 from a pair of tough match ups. Great job, Huskies. You deserve a great New Years and I look forward to seeing the success continue on the 6th at home against Oregon.
University of California Los Angeles Preview
UCLA is coming off a Pac-10 win against WSU, final score 80 to 71. Malcolm Lee and Reeves Nelson each scored 21, Nelson had 11 rebounds and Tyler Honeycutt added 9 rebounds alongside his 14 points.
UCLA is 9-4 on the season. Much like USC, their record is deceiving in two ways. UCLA lost by 1 to then #4 Kansas on the road after a controversial call resulting in two free throws to give Kansas the win. They followed this up by a 9 point loss at home to Montana. Their four losses came in a streak starting with a loss to now #8 and then #7 Villanova by 12, 4 point loss to VCU, then the two losses stated above. They are now on a 6 game winning streak all of which are home games.
UCLA is led by a dynamic duo of Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson. Honeycutt, 6-8 188, is a similar build to Justin Holiday, though he is slightly taller and only 3 pounds heavier. Honeycutt is a solid rebounder 8.1 rebounds per game. He also brings in a team high 14.8 points per game. Reeves Nelson is called by many "Baby Brockman" or a poor mans Brockman. He is a tough rebounder and player, nose to the grind every minute of the game. He is currently scoring 14.7 points per game and averages 8.0 rebounds per game. UCLA also has Josh Smith starting at center. At 6-10 and supposedly 305lbs, looks like he is closer to 320, he is an imposing force. He is averaging 10.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 19.6 minutes. Smith is the only starter averaging less than 28 minutes per game.
Malcolm Lee and Lazeric Jones are the starting guards for UCLA. Jones is averaging 3.5 assists and 2.2 turnovers per game, while Lee is averaging 2.0 assists and 1.6 turnovers. They combine for 24.1 points.
UCLA runs a 9 man rotation with 3 bench players receiving significant time, the 4th averages 6.5 minutes per game. Their bench only averages 12.8 points per game out of their 74.5 points per game (~17%).
UCLA is averaging 15 turnovers a game led by Honeycutt with 3.3 per game. The UCLA guards are combining for 6.6 turnovers per game.
Smith, Reeves, and Lee all picked up 4 fouls against WSU and this is the 7th game Josh has picked up 4 fouls.
Starting Line Up Predictions
UCLA
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb G
Malcolm 6-5 200lb G
Tyler Honeycutt 6-8 188 lb F
Reeves Nelson 6-8 235lb F
Josh Smith 6-10 305lb C
UW
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185lb SG
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 195lb PG
Justin Holiday 6-6 185lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240lb F
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb C
Keys to the Game
Rebounding
UCLA is a strong rebounding team. With Nelson and Honeycutt each averaging 8+ and Smith nearly grabbing 7 per game they have a strong starting group of rebounders. UCLA is averaging just over 38 per game and will be tough competition for UW. After a strong showing against USC (44-28) confidence should be high and expectations are also high. Holiday will have a key match up against Honeycutt and it is extremely important he brings his A-game defensively and offensively on the glass. Box out and get position. MBA will have his work cut out for him against Nelson who is an extremely hard worker and excellent rebounder. Aziz will have to use all his muscle and size to contain Smith. Our guards will need to take advantage of their rebounding skills to help our bigs out and take some of the load off of them.
Contain Honeycutt
Between Nelson and Honeycutt, Honeycutt has the biggest chance of being shutdown and is currently the most impacting player on the Bruin squad. He is turnover prone and Holiday needs to take advantage of this using his long arms and great defensive skills. Containing Honeycutt and limiting not only his touches, but rebounds will greatly help our team. Look for Darnell Gant to possibly pick up the assignment at times when Holiday is on the bench.
Get in Transition
The UCLA guards are slightly better than last season, but are still vulnerable to tough defensive opposition like Isaiah and Overton. Last game against USC, UW had 0 transition and fast break points. Smith is very slow in transition and UW needs to use this to gain numbers on the run. With both MBA and Aziz running well look for them to get some nice transition lay-ups and dunks. MBA is more likely to be the recipient of such passes and plays as Aziz usually stays close to home on the glass. Lee is a fast player and Overton will need to play well and fast to keep pace. Abdul will likely need to rely on Aziz and/or MBA helping in the middle to prevent him from lighting up the boards.
Shooting
We beat USC without C.J.'s range, but found Ross' shot to be just as excellent. Holiday also sank some key baskets. UW shot poorly through most of the game and has lacked its outside touch the past few games. The Huskies need to find the hot hand and let him get some shots off. This comes down to not only Romar drawing up plays, but the team creating opportunities themselves. If I am Romar, I am putting Ross on the court and letting him test his hand. He went 4-8 from range and everyone of them was important to the games outcome. He created shots on the baseline using his ball handling skills and shot with defenders in his face from range and sunk them. We need to find at least two outside shooters to give us solid flow and scoring. IT will be looking to have a field day and may find some luck against the slightly shorter UCLA line up. Smith is slow to the ball and may pick up fouls on our driving guards if he is caught out of position.
Passing
UW did terrible with its ball handling and passing against USC, picking up 17 turnovers and only 7 assists. UCLA does not pack the middle like USC does and UW needs to create the opportunities it missed out on against USC. With better passing comes better shot selection and higher scoring.
Ball Handling
After a terrible night at USC, Isaiah and the other guards need to get their ball handling under control. This, along side rebounding, is probably the biggest key to winning this game. If we can handle the ball well we will find open players, make solid plays, and get our shooters rolling.
Post Defense
With a strong frontcourt, MBA, Aziz, and Gant once again have their work cut out for them. They need to avoid foul trouble and use good help defense to block shots and rebound. Our bigs need to avoid silly rebounding fouls and use their strength to gain position.
Toughness and Grit
They showed it against USC and it will be needed again against UCLA. Road games are always tough and Pauley Pavilion is always a tough venue for the Huskies. Last season they suffered a 1 point loss on a last second buzzer beating 3 point shot. They know they can win on the road and do it against the worst circumstances. If they play tough and play their game, the Huskies will be able to win. Maintaining composure, even when down, will be important. This will likely be a back and forth game through the first 25 to 30 minutes before the Huskies bench and depth can open things up.
Bench Play
Our depth is where our greatest strength and opportunity for victory lies. UCLA has very little bench production and the use of fresh, talented legs will be key. If we can get Ross and/or Suggs hot, things will be looking good. This also implies that our starters are holding their own. Overton and Gant coming off the bench will provide some strong and needed defensive skills to shut down Lee and Honeycutt/Nelson.
Final Thoughts
UW will be in another tough and grind 'um match up. UCLA is a big, physical team who will use its size to play an inside out style of game. Could we see UW utilize the zone again? Doubtful, UCLA is a better outside shooting team than USC and our team is sized and skilled in the right places to take advantage of UCLA's short comings. Nelson and Smith will prove to be tough match ups and UCLA will look to them more often than anyone else. With Holiday on Honeycutt, that option will be mostly shut down. If we can play a tough game, rebound, and get some shots dropping we will be fine.
Final Score Prediction
UW-83 UCLA-75
UCLA is 9-4 on the season. Much like USC, their record is deceiving in two ways. UCLA lost by 1 to then #4 Kansas on the road after a controversial call resulting in two free throws to give Kansas the win. They followed this up by a 9 point loss at home to Montana. Their four losses came in a streak starting with a loss to now #8 and then #7 Villanova by 12, 4 point loss to VCU, then the two losses stated above. They are now on a 6 game winning streak all of which are home games.
UCLA is led by a dynamic duo of Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson. Honeycutt, 6-8 188, is a similar build to Justin Holiday, though he is slightly taller and only 3 pounds heavier. Honeycutt is a solid rebounder 8.1 rebounds per game. He also brings in a team high 14.8 points per game. Reeves Nelson is called by many "Baby Brockman" or a poor mans Brockman. He is a tough rebounder and player, nose to the grind every minute of the game. He is currently scoring 14.7 points per game and averages 8.0 rebounds per game. UCLA also has Josh Smith starting at center. At 6-10 and supposedly 305lbs, looks like he is closer to 320, he is an imposing force. He is averaging 10.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 19.6 minutes. Smith is the only starter averaging less than 28 minutes per game.
Malcolm Lee and Lazeric Jones are the starting guards for UCLA. Jones is averaging 3.5 assists and 2.2 turnovers per game, while Lee is averaging 2.0 assists and 1.6 turnovers. They combine for 24.1 points.
UCLA runs a 9 man rotation with 3 bench players receiving significant time, the 4th averages 6.5 minutes per game. Their bench only averages 12.8 points per game out of their 74.5 points per game (~17%).
UCLA is averaging 15 turnovers a game led by Honeycutt with 3.3 per game. The UCLA guards are combining for 6.6 turnovers per game.
Smith, Reeves, and Lee all picked up 4 fouls against WSU and this is the 7th game Josh has picked up 4 fouls.
Starting Line Up Predictions
UCLA
Lazeric Jones 6-0 187lb G
Malcolm 6-5 200lb G
Tyler Honeycutt 6-8 188 lb F
Reeves Nelson 6-8 235lb F
Josh Smith 6-10 305lb C
UW
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185lb SG
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 195lb PG
Justin Holiday 6-6 185lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240lb F
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb C
Keys to the Game
Rebounding
UCLA is a strong rebounding team. With Nelson and Honeycutt each averaging 8+ and Smith nearly grabbing 7 per game they have a strong starting group of rebounders. UCLA is averaging just over 38 per game and will be tough competition for UW. After a strong showing against USC (44-28) confidence should be high and expectations are also high. Holiday will have a key match up against Honeycutt and it is extremely important he brings his A-game defensively and offensively on the glass. Box out and get position. MBA will have his work cut out for him against Nelson who is an extremely hard worker and excellent rebounder. Aziz will have to use all his muscle and size to contain Smith. Our guards will need to take advantage of their rebounding skills to help our bigs out and take some of the load off of them.
Contain Honeycutt
Between Nelson and Honeycutt, Honeycutt has the biggest chance of being shutdown and is currently the most impacting player on the Bruin squad. He is turnover prone and Holiday needs to take advantage of this using his long arms and great defensive skills. Containing Honeycutt and limiting not only his touches, but rebounds will greatly help our team. Look for Darnell Gant to possibly pick up the assignment at times when Holiday is on the bench.
Get in Transition
The UCLA guards are slightly better than last season, but are still vulnerable to tough defensive opposition like Isaiah and Overton. Last game against USC, UW had 0 transition and fast break points. Smith is very slow in transition and UW needs to use this to gain numbers on the run. With both MBA and Aziz running well look for them to get some nice transition lay-ups and dunks. MBA is more likely to be the recipient of such passes and plays as Aziz usually stays close to home on the glass. Lee is a fast player and Overton will need to play well and fast to keep pace. Abdul will likely need to rely on Aziz and/or MBA helping in the middle to prevent him from lighting up the boards.
Shooting
We beat USC without C.J.'s range, but found Ross' shot to be just as excellent. Holiday also sank some key baskets. UW shot poorly through most of the game and has lacked its outside touch the past few games. The Huskies need to find the hot hand and let him get some shots off. This comes down to not only Romar drawing up plays, but the team creating opportunities themselves. If I am Romar, I am putting Ross on the court and letting him test his hand. He went 4-8 from range and everyone of them was important to the games outcome. He created shots on the baseline using his ball handling skills and shot with defenders in his face from range and sunk them. We need to find at least two outside shooters to give us solid flow and scoring. IT will be looking to have a field day and may find some luck against the slightly shorter UCLA line up. Smith is slow to the ball and may pick up fouls on our driving guards if he is caught out of position.
Passing
UW did terrible with its ball handling and passing against USC, picking up 17 turnovers and only 7 assists. UCLA does not pack the middle like USC does and UW needs to create the opportunities it missed out on against USC. With better passing comes better shot selection and higher scoring.
Ball Handling
After a terrible night at USC, Isaiah and the other guards need to get their ball handling under control. This, along side rebounding, is probably the biggest key to winning this game. If we can handle the ball well we will find open players, make solid plays, and get our shooters rolling.
Post Defense
With a strong frontcourt, MBA, Aziz, and Gant once again have their work cut out for them. They need to avoid foul trouble and use good help defense to block shots and rebound. Our bigs need to avoid silly rebounding fouls and use their strength to gain position.
Toughness and Grit
They showed it against USC and it will be needed again against UCLA. Road games are always tough and Pauley Pavilion is always a tough venue for the Huskies. Last season they suffered a 1 point loss on a last second buzzer beating 3 point shot. They know they can win on the road and do it against the worst circumstances. If they play tough and play their game, the Huskies will be able to win. Maintaining composure, even when down, will be important. This will likely be a back and forth game through the first 25 to 30 minutes before the Huskies bench and depth can open things up.
Bench Play
Our depth is where our greatest strength and opportunity for victory lies. UCLA has very little bench production and the use of fresh, talented legs will be key. If we can get Ross and/or Suggs hot, things will be looking good. This also implies that our starters are holding their own. Overton and Gant coming off the bench will provide some strong and needed defensive skills to shut down Lee and Honeycutt/Nelson.
Final Thoughts
UW will be in another tough and grind 'um match up. UCLA is a big, physical team who will use its size to play an inside out style of game. Could we see UW utilize the zone again? Doubtful, UCLA is a better outside shooting team than USC and our team is sized and skilled in the right places to take advantage of UCLA's short comings. Nelson and Smith will prove to be tough match ups and UCLA will look to them more often than anyone else. With Holiday on Honeycutt, that option will be mostly shut down. If we can play a tough game, rebound, and get some shots dropping we will be fine.
Final Score Prediction
UW-83 UCLA-75
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