March Is A Brotherhood

by Nestor on Mar 21, 2008 5:04 AM PDT in Basketball Comment 22 comments

So not much to take from last night's game. In terms of how our guys played we can probably take as much from that game as we did in our blowout win over the Beavers at Pauley, which is not a whole lot.

But for the stat geeks among us here are some notes courtesy of Perelman over at What's Bruin:

>> The 29 points given up by UCLA is the least since Feb. 17, 1967, when the Bruins -- with sophomore Lew Alcindor at center -- defeated Oregon in Eugene in a slowdown game, 34-25. It's the lowest number of points given up by any Bruin team in the school's NCAA Tournament history.

>> The 41-point margin is the biggest of the season for the Bruins; they defeated Idaho State, 89-49, on Dec. 15 at Pauley Pavilion.

>> The Bruins shot 47% for the game (27-57) and 40% from three-point range (8-20), but held Mississippi Valley State to just 19% on 13-66 from the field, the lowest by a Bruin opponent this season (previous, 31.3% by Michigan on Dec. 22). The Della Devils made just 13 field goals, also a season best for the Bruins, which gave up only 17 field goals to Cal State San Bernardino on Nov. 13.

>> UCLA had 50 rebounds to 29 for Mississippi Valley State today. That's a seasonal high for the Bruins (49 vs. Youngstown State on Nov. 12) and the biggest rebound margin in any game this season (previous best, 19 four times).

>> UCLA was credited with 13 blocked shots (equal to Mississippi Valley State's made field goals!), a season high; the best previous performance was 10 vs. Oregon State on Feb. 21.

>> The Bruins also forced 11 turnovers, the 16th straight game that UCLA's opponent has had 10 or more turnovers.

If I have my notes correct our 32 wins equal the number of two best seasons in our program's history. The 13 block shots was just one of the tournament record previously set by Kentucky.

Again the most significant stat of the game was none of our starters played more than RW's 26 mins. Even more importantly LRMAM got to rest his sore ankle, which will allow him to be fresh for Saturday's brutal matchup against Texas A&M. From the OC Register:

The question afterward was whether the Bruins got anything out of the game, competitively. Rest for Mbah a Moute, was the primary plus. Coach Ben Howland said on Wednesday that Mbah a Moute would start. But Keefe said that Howland told him a day earlier that he would start.

"We were going through the walk-through and he switched my shirt and put me in the rotation and afterward he came up to me and said I was starting, that we were going to try to keep Luc rested," Keefe said.

Mbah a Moute said that he still had some swelling in his ankle when leaving the Bruins' shoot-around, but that he would be able to play against the Aggies, who advanced with a victory over Brigham Young.

"I was glad I didn't play - it was good for me for next time," he said.

The only person who wasn't glad that LRMAM didn't play was none other than Brian Dohn, the beat writer for the Daily News. Yes, the Rutgers, who probably is always in cranky mood this time of year is all bent up today over the fact that (we will not provide a link to his silly rant accusing Coach Howland of "lying") Howland started JK even though he indicated the day before LRMAM would get the start against the 'Devils. Only in Dohn's world a coach doesn't have the room to change his mind based on the best interest of his players and his team, after telling clueless reporters something. We will say it again. Dohn's game reports (like this one on last night's game) are decent. However, when it comes to injecting commentary and opinionating on UCLA athletics, his posts/columns are worthless, and frankly lack credibility given what came out of him during the dubious reign of Karl Dorrell. Whatever.

Going back to the game, per Pucin in the LA Times, there was something from last night's game, Howland and his players were not happy about:

The lesson senior Lorenzo Mata-Real took was the one Coach Ben Howland must have shouted after the game.

"We have to learn not to make mistakes," he said. What mistakes did the Bruins make? "We gave them too many offensive rebounds," he said. And, indeed, the Delta Devils did have an advantage on the offensive boards, 15-12.

Love had to think a minute before coming up with his lesson learned. "It's going to be a while before a 16 seed beats a one seed," Love said. The message Howland had pounded into the Bruins was that it would be bad to have that record -- the first top-seeded team to lose to a 16.

More from Coach Howland in What's Bruin:

"I thought that our players who came off the bench did a good job and gave us good minutes. I will say this: Luc [Richard Mbah A Moute] will start on Saturday, for sure. I initially had planned on doing that and then as I thought about it, I felt comfortable that we would be able to get this one without him, after giving it more thought. I think we had a meeting here yesterday and I honestly had planned to start him today, until late last night when I had given it a lot of thought.

"In reference to James [Keefe], his play has earned him more minutes and more potential to play as we move forward into Saturday's game. We're going to need him. These guys from Texas A&M -- that was the most physical game we played in last year, here in the Wooden [Classic].

"[Joseph] Jones is just a big, strong kid inside, [Bryan] Davis is huge; they have a kid ... who comes off the bench now [Chinemelu Elonu] who's ... just so strong and athletic -- obviously DeAndre Jordan that Kevin [Love] alluded to. They have as big a front line, as athletic a front line as there is in the country. Their wings are 6-5 and 6-6, and they can really shoot it, especially [Josh] Carter. So we have our hands full and we're going to need all the bigs on our team to perform on Saturday."

And Coach Howland has every right to change his mind again and decide to bring LRMAM off the bench depending on how the situation appears to him today or tomorrow. He is the leader of our program. He is in control. He gets to call the shots. Period.

Texas A&M obviously will be a huge challenge tomorrow. I will try to post some notes on them this am before heading out to Seattle for a little vacation. I will be back Wednesday. I will see if I can pop in here via my laptop or phone. But I am sure Ajax, Meriones, Tydides, Telemachus, Menelaus, Achilles et al. will keep this place rocking while our Ben Ball warriors keep approaching this tourney one game at a time.

And just in case anyone need to know the motto of our Ben Ball Warriors for this special time of the year:

Photo Credit:Gina Ferazzi/LA Times

That motto applies to the entire Bruin Nation.

Onward. Time to zero in on the Aggies.

GO BRUINS.

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March is a brotherhood

There is also a saying on the front, and I think it's a different one. I couldn't tell watching the press conference last night.

by bruinbabe2000 on Mar 21, 2008 6:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think it says "UCLA believes in WE".

Nice motto too.

by uclachem87 on Mar 21, 2008 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is part of a new adidas campaign

They just started it earlier this month, campaigning that "Basketball is a Brotherhood". adidas obviously has support on the professional level by being the official supplier of the NBA...so I think they're doing the same on the collegiate level with the best basketball team they support.

by jlegs on Mar 21, 2008 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

*earlier this season.

Oh, how March Madness has afflicted me.

by jlegs on Mar 21, 2008 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

March is OK, but...

We've been to the Final 4 two straight times and haven't closed the deal. The Semifinals and Finals are both in April! We, and I mean all of us -- alums, students, players, coaches, administrators -- need to focus on the first of week of April.

WE ARE UCLA!

Final 4s are/will be interesting trivia tidbits, but WE ARE ABOUT CHAMPIONSHIPS. The championship is decided in April.

Someone order up some new shirts.

And the Jello's Jigglin'...

Easy money and faithless women, red-eye whiskey for the pain...

by rich87 on Mar 21, 2008 8:02 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

But to get there, we have to get through March

MJD talked the other day that the team's unofficial motto is "Worry about ourselves, not anyone else."

I won't focus on April until we get through March because that would be tempting fate.

by bruinbabe2000 on Mar 21, 2008 8:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rich

That's kind of garbage Lavin uses to demonize as "spoiled fans."

We know what the standards are at UCLA. We don't need a lecture on that. Our players know it. We all here know it.

Don't sound so ungrateful.

by Nestor on Mar 21, 2008 8:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh one more thing

If you want to "focus" on April do it somewhere else. Not here. We are going to keep our eyes on A&M.

by Nestor on Mar 21, 2008 8:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rich...

"march" refers to the NCAA Tour in general, that's what I'm thinking the term is trying to say. We'll be brothers (sisters) in the Tour.

Nester, you sure can be grouchy. :)

by Rich1996UCLA on Mar 21, 2008 8:31 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We get to read enoug idiocy

in the MSM. Let's keep it in the MSM and out of here (i.e. opinion such as Lavin being "not bad"). Thanks.

by Nestor on Mar 21, 2008 9:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice service...

you provide for us fans. But you really are grouchy.

by Rich1996UCLA on Mar 21, 2008 8:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nestor has a reason to be grouchy

I have it on good authority that he actually reads the fishwrap and gets his juices all stirred up, as Satchel Paige used to say. And then to make it even worse, he reads Doh!.

Nestor, you would lose some of the grouchiness if you would amend your reading list. But you might also turn from being Yosemite Sam into Elmer Fudd.

I don't read the fishwrap or Doh!, and it hasn't adversely affected me, although I shou do want to catch that wascally wabbit.

by Fox 71 on Mar 22, 2008 5:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

Final Four's are "interesting trivia tidbits"?

I respectfully disagree with that, wholeheartedly. The level of competition in college basketball is such that every win is something special. An appearance in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament is HUGE, and something NO TEAM--or its fans--should EVER just take for granted.

Coach Howland and his teams have taken us on that ride TWICE IN A ROW, now, and NEITHER has been, by ANY stretch of the imagination, an "ineteresting trivia tidbit."

WE ARE UCLA! WE ARE ABOUT BASKETBALL.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Mar 21, 2008 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree, young lady..

..there are about 120 -- actually about 152 from the past two years to this moment -- who would gladly have bragged that they made just one final four over these past three years.

I suggest to anyone who wishes to remain humble, always Remember the famous quote from a fan to Coach Wooden after his last title victory over Kentucky in 1975:

"..well, coach, you really let us down last year, but you sure made up for it this year!"

God, it's great to be a Bruin!

by whp68 on Mar 22, 2008 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

dump dohn

dump dorrell finally paid off. now dohn needs to go. what a piece of slimy worthless alluvial excrement. he needs to leave L.A. perhaps everyone in bruin nation would like to call and register complaints specifically asking for his termination. 818-713-3000
800-346-6397

by Supertwigs on Mar 21, 2008 8:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

alluvial excrement

gotta use that one.... I'm on board for the Dump Dohn program. The more I read and follow his work as highlighted here (I won't give him the benefit of extra hits to his blog or to the DN website) the more I think he needs to back up and move back East.

Let the campaign begin....

The new Campaign O8'.... Dump Dohn.....

by Bald Eagle on Mar 21, 2008 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"pack" not "back"

sorry

by Bald Eagle on Mar 21, 2008 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

dump dohn

you gave me an idea. just asked bruinville to eliminate anything dohn related from its site to minimize his "hits" perhaps you could second that motion with bruinville. maybe we can get that toothless mountain moron out of here. i hear the dukies need a beatnik reporter.

by Supertwigs on Mar 21, 2008 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe a BN readership policy..

..to mention Doh!n's idiocies but not provide the link.

I kinda like it; there's too much good stuff (i.e., entertaining and informative) out there to waste time on dead-from-the-neck-up MSM schlocksters.

God, it's great to be a Bruin!

by whp68 on Mar 22, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Since When

does a coach have to clear his game-time decisions with a reporter, anyway?

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Mar 21, 2008 10:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

More March is a Brotherhood stuff...

...here; you'll see a banner on the bottom and then a link to UCLA (apparently there's a Howland blog?).

by jlegs on Mar 21, 2008 1:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Blog and phone calls

Not much on his blog (no big surprise) however you can send a recorded Ben Howland phone message to anyone you like. It is one those services used around election time when the candidates start "calling" homes. I just sent about fifteen different family members the message.

by UCngLA on Mar 22, 2008 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs