FanPost

UCLA vs. Biola- The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

The Good

Michael Roll- After being UCLA's worst player against Cal Baptist, Roll was one of the best tonight. The junior had 11 points on 5-8 shooting in 17 minutes as he showed his ability to knock down the midrange jumper shoot coming off the screen. We heard that Roll had lost some weight in hopes of becoming quicker and he certainly looked quicker as his release was quicker than in past season:

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Photo Credit: Jack Rosenfeld

He showed no evidence of the nagging foot injuries on the defensive end where he ran with his man around screens and even did well against the Biola point guard when he got caught on a switch. Roll was still a little hesitant the couple times he got into the key, but he made HUGE strides from last game.

Malcolm Lee- The freshman was everywhere tonight as he scored 9 points and had 6 rebounds in 14 minutes. Lee used his long arms to create havoc on defense, just as he did Monday night, but he also did well coming back to the boards and fighting for the ball. Lee was aggressive going to the rim and got to the line 4 times as he showed a lot more confidence on the ball than he did Monday. Lee is the prototypical combo guard as he's not quite a true point guard in size or style, but shows flashes of the skills needed to play both guard positions.

Drew Gordon- His numbers weren't outstanding, but his effort was.

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Photo Credit: Jack Rosenfeld

Gordon showed great feet and athleticism, especially on the defensive end where he used his explosion off the floor to block 3 shots. He missed some shots up close and seemed lost on offense at times, but he never stopped moving and just having a big body all over the court forced a few turnovers.

James Keefe- With a young and inexperienced frontcourt Keefe will have to step up his game this year and tonight he did.

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Photo Credit: Jack Rosenfeld

Keefe led the team in rebounds with 8 as he did a good job boxing out and going up strong for the ball. Keefe also hit a couple jumpers that will be vital for the offense as the season progresses because not only will the frontcourt need to produce, but it will also clear space in the paint for our guards to attack.

Jrue Holiday- While tonight's game wasn't as well rounded as Monday's he showed the effective outside shot that was missing against Cal Baptist. Holiday was 3-4 from beyond the arc and seemed to really settle in. On Monday, Holiday rushed a few out his perimeter shots, but he did a good job tonight of setting his feet and squaring up before shooting.

Free Throw Shooting- After a miserable 19-30 effort from the line on Monday, the Bruins looked far better at the line tonight as they went 11-14. This team doesn't have a big presence down low so the majority of the free throws will come from the guards. If that's going to happen, the Bruins have to make their trips to the line count like they did tonight.

No Injuries- A fact not to be overlooked.

The Den- The Den was a bit small on Monday as they filled the courtside seats, but elft the upper deck just about empty, but tonight they filled most of the upper deck seats. The students were loud and organized, a rare feat this early in the season. The Den also showed some recruiting knowledge as they made Moser, Honeycut and Stover all feel welcome with chants. While the team still has some kinks to work out, the Den was in midseason form.

Alfred Aboya- Offensively Aboya looked very good as he hit a couple 15 foot jumpers, ran the floor and snatched 4 offensive boards. As usual, Aboya set outstanding screens, but he also showed another aspect of his offensive game when he made a great backdoor pass to Shipp for a dunk to open the game.

The Bad

Alfred Aboya- Defensively Aboya was a mess. He is trying to hard to avoid picking up cheap fouls that guards are blowing by him onhigh screens and getting to the lane before Aboya's teammate has a chance to recover. Aboya is also trying to hard to be a presence in the middle and defend the paint that he's sliding over too early and leaving his man open for the short jumper. Aboya's role this year is far different than it's ever been and he's clearly having issues adjusting to it on the defensive end.

The Ugly

Nikola Dragovic- bucknellbruin was first to mention Dragovic's arrest and while he is innocent until proven guilty, it's disappointing that he would end up in this situation. Let's hope the accusation proves to be untrue, but it's a serious situation for the junior. I have no doubt that Howland will dole out the correct discipline once he gathers the facts.

The New 3 Point Line- No, I'm still not used to it.

 

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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