The Day After: Staying Postive

by Nestor on Mar 9, 2007 5:52 AM PST in Basketball

Well that sucked. There is no sugar coating how I feel this morning. It feels the exact same way I felt during the mornings after Tulsa and Princeton game. It hurts and it hurts like hell.

Before I get to our team, I think congratulations are in order for our friends over at Tightwad-Hill. They are euphoric. And they should be. It was a wonderful performance for the Bears. I was really impressed with the classy comments from Coach Braun and his players during the post-game. Good luck to those guys rest of the way. Now back to us:

Last night was an embarrassment. And really there is no excuse for it.

There is no excuse for the kind of defensive intensity we showed in first half.

There is no excuse for the pathetic FT shooting display we were subjected to the whole night.

The little issues such as slow starts, awful FT shooting, lack of consistent post play, stagnant stretch offenses during which we settle for hapless jumpers, all flared up out in the open, and led our Ben Ball warriors to lay a huge DORRELLIAN egg last night at Staples.

So yeah it sucks. But … there is a but …

The sky is not falling.

As I mentioned last night unlike those losses against Tulsa and Princeton (probably the two of the most bitter hoops losses I ever experienced in my years of following UCLA hoops) we have at least another game to play.

We will see how the team comes out in the next game. I like the fact that Coach Howland is staying positive:

Howland said he still expected the Bruins (26-5) to be placed in Sacramento, but agreed with his players that UCLA's seeding is now irrelevant.

"I'm not really worried about (a No. 1 seed) because bottom line, we have to play better than we played in the last two games," Howland said. "Anybody can beat us on a given day, and I still believe this team can beat anybody on a given day. It's how we prepare, and so it's going to get back to fundamentals in everything we do, beginning Saturday when we have our next practice."

Coach needs to accentuate all the positives (what he can find) in public, while I am sure during practices he and his staff will be intensely working with the players to work on all the issues that have bubbled up to the forefront.

It is going to be interesting how this team reacts to its last two games. I mentioned earlier in the season that the thing that scares me most about this team unlike last year’s team it doesn’t have the senior leadership it received from Ced and Ryan. AA after all is still a junior. However, given the body of work we have had the pleasure to see from AA, DC, Luc, Mata, Shipp et al. in last three years, I am going to keep the faith.

I used the word DORRELIAN above. But clearly something different is at play here. Our coaches and players have a track record of putting together one of the most consistent, well prepared basketball teams in the nation. But they are still human. So it may not be a total surprise to see a team without any senior leadership to perhaps bask its laurels and get complacent after clinching the regular season title more than a week ago. But given how intensely Coach Howland prepares for every game, I have no doubt he is going to evaluate himself and his game schemes first before evaluating rest of his program, before preparing for Saturday’s practice. He will do everything in his power to get us ready. And I am going to stick with him and give him my unquestioned support. Yes, I trust Howland given what he has put together in less than four years.

We still have a game to play. At this point I don’t really care where and who it is against. But if we use the next game to get back our momentum we have completely lost in last few days, it will give us a chance.

If you are going to jump off the bandwagon and give up on our coaches and players, then go right ahead. But don’t think about jumping back on it if they end what has been a very good season with another great run in the Big Dance, and come back for many more.

GO BRUINS.

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Thanks

That was very well said.

These last two losses will be meaningless if we make a deep run. I personally have always thought the best measuring stick for a team is the conference play. We played in the toughest conference in the country, and in some of the toughest environments with a lot on the line, and we came out on top. I am not going to let two games that were essentially exhibition games for us ruin that.

I am over my "sky is falling" breakdown after yesterday's game and excited for March Madness. I have full faith in our kids and our coaching staff that they will right this ship and take us on another magical run.

GO BRUINS!

by paulucla @ Bruins Nation on Mar 9, 2007 6:50 AM PST reply actions

Well

I think there is some merit to your reservations and concerns about our offense. I was thinking about doing a separate post on that issue. But I still need to distill last night's loss a little more.

by Nestor on Mar 9, 2007 6:52 AM PST up reply actions

The referees...

On careful review of the game, I also think the way the referees called the game significantly affected its outcome.

No, I don't think we received the bulk of the bad calls; in fact, I think we were beneficiaries of most controversial calls, especially in the second half.

Watch the game again (if you can stomach it) and you will notice that the refs consistently called MANY ticky tack fouls. Any touch, the whistle was blown. When the game is called in this fashion, I believe it puts UCLA at a significant disadvantage... BenBall is rough, tough and in your face defense, where bumps, double teams, etc take the opposing offense out of their game.

When a game is refereed like last night, UCLA can't play their strong team defense. They get beat off the dribble on isolation plays, and their lack of individual athletism becomes more apparent.

No, I'm not blaming the referees for the loss. I would argue poor free throw shooting and an ice cold Afflalo was enough, thank you very much. However, just an observation that when a given referee crew calls fouls liberally, UCLA is forced out of its defensive comfort zone, thus exposing a significant weakness.

Any thoughts? Agree/disagree?

peace,

by sb on Mar 9, 2007 6:53 AM PST reply actions

Refs

It's an interesting point.

I only saw the second half and I think we benefited more from their calls.

I do believe our style of play could be an advantage in the tourney because other refs. are not like Pac-10 refs. It worked well for us in Maui and last year.

So we will see. We need to get our focus back.

Question for folks who saw the whole game ... did Westbrook play in first half?

by Nestor on Mar 9, 2007 6:56 AM PST up reply actions

Westbrook

I'm pretty sure Westbrook was in there in the 2nd part of the 1st half the game.

by stevenucla on Mar 9, 2007 8:02 AM PST up reply actions

Very little

I believe in the last minute when AA picked up his 3rd foul.

by godblesstyus95 on Mar 9, 2007 12:10 PM PST up reply actions

I didn't see or hear the game

But one comment about the refs - they didn't shoot our free throws.

I think we have to expect bad calls because of our aggressiveness. Refs being human (in some cases) assume that in your face defense means fouls are being committed. We could avoid that sort of problem by playing defense like the standard out in Zona, but then we would not be worrying about whether we can win six in a row. We would be on the outside looking in.

I still like our chances, because we have a coach who understands the game, how to prepare a team, how to understand a team, etc., etc. Sure we were listless the last two games, but it's the same team that grinds other teams into the ground.

by Fox 71 on Mar 9, 2007 7:30 AM PST reply actions

Not off the bandwagon...

... but it will take a lot to lose against a #16 or #15 team. So if UCLA comes out and wins by 30 over some hapless low-major conference winner that doesn't say much. The real test is game 2. Game 2 is guaranteed to be a tough game.

I am still hopeful but not confident. After that crap in Seattle this team was supposed to rally and rebound like they have the entire season. Instead they did it again. So there's reason to doubt.

by njbruin on Mar 9, 2007 7:49 AM PST reply actions

Not just the team with the attitude problem...

Go back to the few days of posts before the game against Washington.

Find the number of times people (fans) mentioned that the Bruins were a lock for a #1 seed, even if we lose the Pac10 tournament, or even if we lost against Washington... etc... etc...

So, do those same fans on this board now feel the same way after these losses?

No! And I imagine the players don't either. And that's why they're coming out with fire the next time we see them play.

by bruinofthenorth on Mar 9, 2007 8:00 AM PST reply actions

Yes

I think the Bruins will still be a #1 seed. Even if they aren't they won't be worse than #2.

by njbruin on Mar 9, 2007 8:29 AM PST up reply actions

That makes no sense

The fans aren't the ones that come out and play and miss free throws, and fail to play defense, etc. We can only go off of what the so-called "experts" say about our position, and to that point, that's what they were saying, and they backed it up with evidence (our resume being better than others). In fact, most of them are still saying that we are a 1 seed. Sunday is all that matters, how we feel about it does not.

by Tydides on Mar 9, 2007 11:37 AM PST up reply actions

ahem... makes no sense?

#2 seed. I stand correct.

by bruinofthenorth on Mar 12, 2007 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions

I am so selfish.

12 hours later, and I am still mad. Good news is, I'm on the road to recovery--bad news is, I don't feel sorry for the team and in fact blame them for ruining my weekend. I know what you are thinking--and it's true. I am, in a word, selfish.

I am mad that we lost because I FEEL embarassed for being a UCLA fan, and for telling people they are good. I am mad because UCLA LET ME down. I am mad because I WANTED the nice feeling of having a # 1 seed locked up. I am angry that I HAVE to be taunted by Cal Fans. I am angry that I DON'T get to watch UCLA in the Pac-10 Tourney. I am angry that MY PLANS to go to San Jose are completely up in the air. I am angry that I HAD TO SEE the bottom of ESPN news for 24 hours and its breaking news headline "California defeats (3)UCLA." I am angry that I HAD TO listen to our game, because the stupid game started at 2:30 PM and some of us HAVE TO WORK! I am angry that the other team we just lost to--Washington--was beaten soundly by WSU, further rubbing in our recent passion for mediocrity. I am angry that MY NEXT TWO WEEKS have been significantly impacted because MY BRUINS decided to let Ayinde Ubaka play like he is good. I am mad because I am a huge fan and UCLA OWED ME a victory yesterday! And finally, I am mad because yesterday's loss will be IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD for the rest of the NCAA Tournament, thereby eroding the JOY THAT I GET watching the Tournament games.

Ahhhhhh! Don't you see my problem? I am selfish, and I didn't even know it. Is it spreading?? Am I the only one? I am only mad because of how I FEEL!! It's ridiculous--and yes, I think I am crazy. Not that any of my feelings aren't true mind you--No, they are genuine, boy are they genuine. However, in reflecting on my feelings I have come to a self-realization, and I have in turn, self-diagnosed myself as a selfish fan.

Now I NEED to look in the mirror, and I NEED to get better. (I just looked in the mirror and I look like shit).

Good news, I am getting better. Bad news, I think it is going to take some time (what with all the anger i noted above). However, I have come to a second realization, and that is that I realized (and remembered) that my Bruins have done a lot for me this year. I also recognized that a good fan has to take the good with the bad. So I take it I will, and I will move on. Deep breath.

Ok, I feel better. For admitting my selfishness I believe I deserve just as much blame as the Bruins, and therefore I don't get to call them out again until I have fully reflected on my issues. I want to be healed!

Thank you doctor BN, for acting as my psychiatrist. I feel better.

See you in ATLANTA!!

Go Bruins!

by rfirpo on Mar 9, 2007 8:29 AM PST reply actions

Role Model--MIM Bruin.

MIM Bruin is my role model during my rehabilitation and healing phase.

by rfirpo on Mar 9, 2007 8:40 AM PST up reply actions

lol

great post...looks like you take this as hard as I do! ;-) You bleed Blue and Gold baby!

But don't let it ruin your weekend...life is too short.

Times like these call for a nice cold frosty one! (if your old enough ;-))

by godblesstyus95 on Mar 9, 2007 12:16 PM PST up reply actions

Win or Lose

I am always a fan. I had season tickets for many years including the worst period of time which was the Lavin years.

As bad as we played we still had a shot to win at the end. I question DC running down the clock to take that long 3 pointer to try and win the game. Fifteen seconds is a lot of time to run a play with a couple of screens and get closer to the basket for an easier shot or layup. We were getting the ball inside pretty well.

I will look forward to our next game wherever we are seeded and against whatever opponent and root for the Bruins.

by artybruin on Mar 9, 2007 8:31 AM PST reply actions

Yeah

I thought the same thing. That was very Dorrellian, er, conservative at the end of DC. It almost looked like they were playing for OT, not wanting a quick turnover and basket the other way.

You need a killer instinct to survive in March.

by godblesstyus95 on Mar 9, 2007 12:19 PM PST up reply actions

Good and Bad...

Well, the good thing about this year is that we still won 26 games. The expectations have grown so immensely in the last 4 years that we are at a point where some of us feel the sky is falling even after we've won the conference championship, and spent the entire year ranked in the top 10. That is a testiment to the impact Ben Howland has had on this program. We expect greatness now, and are let down if we fail to meet those expectations. Had a Lavin team won 26 games, we'd be doing backflips....

That being said, last nights game was still VERY disappointing. I'm trying to understand how we can come out playing so uninspired after the loss to UW. Once again, we let an inferior team jump on us early, and just like our other losses this year, we find a way to creep back, only to be let down by our mainstay, our defense. We just cannot seem to get the big stops when the game is on the line. This is where I think the lack of senior leadership comes in. Last year, Cedric Bozeman was our leader on the floor, and in the closing moments of a game, he was the calming influence that this team seems to be lacking.

As for the free throws, it was just one of those nights I guess. We had been shooting them pretty well these last few weeks, but once AA missed those first 2 free throws, it felt like it was going to be a rough night.

I'm not writing this team off in any way, but as Howland himself said, this team could go to the Final Four, or it could lose in the second round. I don't think any of us are as confident as we were last year going into the tourney.

by norcalbruin95 on Mar 9, 2007 8:50 AM PST reply actions

Good stuff nocal

I am with you.

by Nestor on Mar 9, 2007 8:52 AM PST up reply actions

I don't see...

anything ever causing me to jump ship. I will always be a loyal Bruin fan. I wasn't able to see the OT but when I woke up this morning to find a couple of emails from my friend at Cal I knew the outcome of the game. I didn't let it bother me and quickly responded with "took the long enough" to which he had no answer. I am not worried about our guys. the early tournament exit can work to their advantage by providing time for rest, injury rehabilitation, and tough practice time.

by king James on Mar 9, 2007 1:12 PM PST reply actions