Next Stop: Pac-10

by Tydides on Dec 28, 2008 2:14 PM PST in Basketball

In their final preseason tuneup, the Bruins smother Louisiana Tech 78-55 (box score) to go to 10-2 on the year. Josh Shipp returned from his thumb injury to throw down 2 monstrous dunks (at least one of them with the injured left hand as shown below), showing that he isn't thinking too much about the thumb. He went 6-8 for 16 points to lead the Bruins. DC's scoring took a back seat, but he handed out 11 assists to keep the Bruin offense going. Jrue Holiday displayed all of his talents, with 12 points 8 rebounds and 6 assists, and Aboya was once again huge with 12 and 8 and plenty of charges taken.

This is clearly not the same team that we saw early in the year, and the team defense is just beginning to tighten up holding a clearly outmanned La Tech team to 36% shooting. It's not the percentage that's impressive but the activity and rotations. We saw trapping and hedging that we hadn't really seen at all this year which is an encouraging sign.

Photo Credit: AP/Gus Ruelas

Again, this team still has incredible upside, to borrow an NBA scouting term. Once again, CBH has our guys well positioned, and if we continue to improve at this rate throughout the conference season, there's a very good chance we could be bringing home yet another Pac 10 crown. That quest begins Friday in Corvallis.

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Going on the road is always tough

but we really need to take both games in Oregon. With a game versus SC and the Arizona schools visiting after that, we’re going to face the three teams that appear to be our 3 biggest challengers in the Pac 10 so starting 2-0 is key. It won’t be easy, but with the massive improvement the team has made in the last week (no doubt thanks to the increased practice time that the break from classes brings) I think it can be done.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 28, 2008 2:47 PM PST reply actions

historically

the game at Oregon has been very challenging for the Bruins. But this seems to be an Oregon team on the way down and possibly Ernie Kent’s final year, so hopefully we can take care of business.

by insomniacslounge on Dec 28, 2008 10:28 PM PST up reply actions

While I don't mean to look past Oregon St.

recently the trip to Oregon has become one of the more difficult and intimidating road trips of the year, interested to see how we respond.

Also, is Texas Tech really awful this year, or did Stanford reload with some pretty good talent, should be interesting to see how they develop throughout the Pac 10 season as well.

This is what we’ve all been waiting for though, the battle for Pac 10 supremacy should be quite interesting to watch.

O.A.

by Ollie on Dec 28, 2008 11:04 PM PST reply actions

A few notes on Stanford

Reloading is not quite the word I would use. Only one of their freshman contributes, and not much at that (Jeremy Green…15 minutes, 5 pts). Four of the top 5 in minutes played for them will be very familiar to us: Anthony Goods, Lawrence Hill, Landry Fields, and Mitch Johnson. The other is a sophomore from Georgia who is playing significantly more now that the Lopez twins are gone. His name? Josh Owens. He will be very good next year, and is already showing that potential this year averaging 12 pts, 6 boards, and 1 block per game. He’s also shooting almost 60% from the field but hasn’t attempted a three pointer. Sounds like a good matchup for Aboya and co.

When we see them, I wouldn’t be surprised if they only go 7 deep. It would be nice to get out and run, and exhaust their starting 5. Past them, Stanford is very weak.

by mdjohns4 on Dec 29, 2008 10:18 AM PST up reply actions

But...

They’re starters are goood

by mdjohns4 on Dec 29, 2008 10:19 AM PST up reply actions

thanks for insight

I haven’t looked at stanford at all this year, merely that one score, and noticed they were still unbeaten, so i thought maybe they could be a bit than i thought

O.A.

by Ollie on Dec 29, 2008 11:43 AM PST up reply actions

Good notes

The Stanford game is the one game this year which the wife and I will be attending in person so any information about these guys is appreciated.

The wife has never been to a game at Pauley (although we have “snuck” inside to check out the surroundings during the off-season) and I’m hoping the student section is in full-effect as we smack down the Cardinal.

by Barnes2JJ on Dec 29, 2008 12:38 PM PST up reply actions