Ben Ball Round-Up: Western Kentucky Edition

by Menelaus on Mar 24, 2008 1:20 PM PDT in Basketball Comment 24 comments

So, while Nestor is enjoying the Emerald City, it's time to pivot to the one and only focus around these parts: Western Kentucky University.

Before we move on, however, let's not let any MSM-fanned distractions about supposed "missed calls," "easy roads" or overlooked contributions get in the way of recognizing what the Bruins accomplished this past weekend.

First off, as zoo752 points out in the diaries, hopefully this weekend will help put to rest some of the annual (baseless) concerns raised by Howland's scheduling. Eight games (including an outstanding 7-1 record) against other regional semifinalists shows exactly the kind of road UCLA travels to prepare for the big dance.

And, before we get to the Hilltoppers, it's good to see that others have recognized some truly superlative performances by Love and DC during the opening weekend. Notwithstanding his lame take re the closing minutes of the Texas A&M contest, Bilas gets a couple things right. First on Love:

Best Player: Kevin Love, UCLA. Love did everything, from scoring to rebounding to blocking shots, and he did it with a maturity beyond his years. Plus, he helped the helpless: rescuing a ball behind the backboard by firing another ball at it, after a referee tried it multiple times and failed. On Wednesday, Love fired a ball 95 feet (standing out of bounds on the baseline) to the other basket ... and drained it ... with a chest pass. It is among the most incredible things I have ever seen on a basketball court. There can't be more than a handful of players on the planet who can do that. Incredible.

Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

You just can't say enough about this guy. Early on Saturday, I was in my standard pre-game worry mode, telling my wife about A&M's kenpom rating, and such. Then, Mrs. M stops me and says not to worry, "because Kevin won't let this team lose." And, you know what, she was right. Unlike some freshman phenoms, Love brings a level of intensity and composure to the game that amazes me again and again. It was no different this past weekend.

And, there's no forgetting DC, who has elevated his game (even more) ever since the Pac-10 tourney. Here's Bilas again:

Best Point Guard: Darren Collison, UCLA. It is hard to argue with those who would take Texas' D.J. Augustin as the nation's best point guard, but I would take UCLA's Collison without any hesitation. Collison is the most efficient point guard in the nation (shooting 51.6 percent from 3), and no guard puts better pressure on the ball to start your defense. When the game was on the line, it was Collison who hit the big shots.

More on DC from Dohn:

UCLA point guard Darren Collison was a central figure against Texas A&M, scoring a game-high 21 points, including making 5 of 8 attempts from 3-point range.

He also was a driving influence on UCLA's defensive push during a 17-minute stretch of the second half when the Aggies went 2 of 17 from the field, teaming with center Kevin Love to keep Texas A&M's guards from penetrating to the basket off the high screens that gave the Bruins so much difficulty in the first half.

"They were getting a lot of stuff off pick-and-roll at the top of the key," UCLA power forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute said. "We made some adjustments at halftime, and from that point on, we had some good stuff happening.

"Coach asked (Love and Collison) to keep the point guard on one side coming off the screen. He was coming off the screen one way, and going back the other way. Coach asked them to keep him on one side and make him make a tough pass. Once we did that, we started playing better defense."

And then there was Collison's last-minute heroics, as he banked in two difficult layups in the final minute. His first one, with 55 seconds remaining, gave the Bruins a 49-47 lead. His next one put the Bruins up 51-49 with 9.5 seconds to play.

And, finally, before anyone gets too carried away by some of the inane gibberish in the MSM, I'd like you to meet perspective, courtesy of Tydides:

Yeah UCLA is in a lot of trouble. Going to the wire against the 16th best team in the country according to Pomeroy is certainly reason to hit the panic button. Similarly:
Miami takes Texas to the very end before losing 75-72. Miami is the 45th best team in the country (lower than Oregon).

Butler takes Tennessee to overtime before losing 76-71. Butler is the 30th best team (below Gonzaga).

Davidson beats Georgetown. We know Davidson is legit. No further comment is necessary there.

Memphis in a dogfight with 35th ranked Mississippi State.

Looks like the Bruins had the most quality second round win.

Exactly. And here's some more perspective from Mandel:

Confidence-level: Holding steady. The Bruins' 53-49 second-round escape against Texas A&M would be more troubling if not for the fact UCLA has had at least one similar game each of the past two years and reached the Final Four both times. If anything, the game may serve as a confidence-builder for stars Kevin Love and Darren Collison, who scored 40 of their team's 53 points and showed yet again they can take over a game down the stretch.

Now, on to Western Kentucky, who took care of business against USD yesterday. The Bruins will have to transition from dealing with the physicality of Texas A&M to the guard oriented play of the Hilltoppers:

Western Kentucky (29-6) will face top-seeded UCLA in the West Region semifinals in Phoenix. The Hilltoppers can only hope their three senior guards -- Lee, Tyrone Brazelton and Ty Rogers -- will carry them through another round.

"I'm not totally surprised that we're here," Hilltoppers coach Darrin Horn said. "We thought this was a special team coming into it. ... We've been telling these guys for two years, three years really, 'If we get there, we've got a real chance to make some noise."'

And a chance to prove how important guard play is in the tournament.

Lee, the Sun Belt Conference player of the year, finished with 29 points and seven rebounds. He had a huge 3-pointer that gave his team the lead for good with 6:17 remaining, then sank six straight free throws in the final 34 seconds to seal the victory.

Brazelton added 15 points for the Hilltoppers, who won for the 19th time in 20 games.

Rogers, who hit a 26-footer at the buzzer in overtime to beat Drake in the first round, had a much quieter afternoon offensively. He had five points, three rebounds and two assists. But he came up big on the defensive end, holding San Diego's Brandon Johnson to 4-of-15 shooting and 13 points.

These guys can ball, and I was particularly impressed by how poised the Hilltoppers were against Drake. UCLA will have to leave it's seed at the door and apply their trademark on-ball pressure to keep Lee, Brazelton (who had 33 against Drake) and Rogers off balance, while capitalizing on the Bruins advantages down low.

Here's the boilerplate preview from the Sporting News:

UCLA's game plan: This one is easy -- play the first half like it, you know, matters. The Bruins' potentially devastating tendency to fall behind early won't fly against Western Kentucky, which is unflappable on offense and has an absolute go-to guy in Courtney Lee, something Texas A&M clearly lacked. Some scoring from Josh Shipp would be nice for UCLA, but don't be surprised if Luc Richard Mbah a Moute dives into the fray with a big game.

Western Kentucky's game plan: The Hilltoppers must do whatever is needed to make UCLA point guard Darren Collison give up the ball, using half-court and full-court traps and lots and lots of ball pressure. The Hilltoppers also would be wise to let All-American center Kevin Love take all the perimeter jumpers he can hoist; WKU certainly can't handle Love on the low block. And there is reason to believe Shipp will continue to misfire. UCLA is so strong defensively that Lee might have to play decoy for shooters Tyrone Brazelton and Ty Rogers.

X-factor: The Hilltoppers like to speed things up with a full-court press, and they won't be shy about doing so Thursday night. The funny thing about the Bruins, though, is that they play better -- at least of late -- when they really get moving on offense.

Bottom line: If UCLA can successfully pick up the pace on offense without compromising its commitment to defense, this game eventually will become a one-sided affair. But that's a mighty big "if." Fortunately for the Bruins, they have a lot of experience winning nail-biters, too.

We'll have more on the Hilltoppers in the coming days, as we maintain a laser-like focus on advancing beyond this Thursday. For now, though, let's try to enjoy the ride. Enjoy the performances of some great kids. And remember that our team has been here before and is exceptional hands.

GO BRUINS.

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I can't wait for this game

And for what it's worth, Skip Bayless on the WWL said that KL was ripped off for not getting POY consideration over Hansborough. Still don't like the guy and his ridiculous ties, but there's plenty of room on the bandwagon.

by bruinhopeful on Mar 24, 2008 1:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

There was some commentary

about how CBH doesn't like Love to shoot fadeaways after he made those in our last game. I think the reasoning for that is pretty simple: rebounding. KLove is a great rebounder, and having him underneath where he can follow his own shot if it misses is a more sure thing IMO than him taking a fadeaway. That being said, I'm glad he has it in his arsenal.

by Tydides on Mar 24, 2008 1:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Please let them press

If it were a regular game, I might be concerned about keeping our players fresh, but with the many commercial TOs, I think we will be fine.

As for the press, I like our chances to slice and dice it ala Cameron Dollar vs Arkansas in '95!

by Free the 16 on Mar 24, 2008 2:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

40 Minutes of Hell...

Extinguished by players in great physical condition who refused to lose. And I can't think of a game where the TV time outs were that much of a god-send with our short bench.

Ed O'Bannon 40
Toby Bailey 39
Charles O'Bannon 36
Cameron Dollar 36
George Zidek 29
J.R. Henderson 17

(7.)Tyus Edney 3

Vaya con dios.

by boston bruin on Mar 24, 2008 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The press question

As a former high school coach, let me say that a team with two ball-handling guards and a tall player who can catch the ball, pass the ball, and most of all, make intelligent decisions, is very, very, very difficult to press. I certainly think we will be ready for Western Kentucky.

by Oldguy on Mar 24, 2008 2:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Right on the money

Especially with a big (KL) who can play in the center of the court and outhandle whoever defends him

by bruinhopeful on Mar 24, 2008 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The press doesn't worry me.

Texas A&M, with its size and excellent defense, was a bad, bad matchup for us. I'm much more comfortable going up against a smaller pressing team. With Collison and Westbrook bringing the ball up, Love able to pass above the press as well as anyone, and Luc and Josh finishing near the rim, we'll be more than fine.

by Dexter Fishmore on Mar 24, 2008 2:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Defensive adjustments

The big news that no one seems to be stressing about the TA&M game was in the defensive adjustments.

Howland and his warriors finally proved they can handle a spread offense. That is what worked for A&M in the 1st half.

With the adjustments mentioned by Dohn and posted by Menelaus, it all changed in the second half.

I have more confidence now than at the beginning of the tournament! The shoting and engagement of more players will come. Our true weakness appears to have been addressed.

Go Team Go!

by bruins grad and dad on Mar 24, 2008 3:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Anyone else going to the game?

I live in Phoenix, so I'll definitely be there. Who else is going? Maybe we can meet up beforehand...

Go Bruins.

by hicalliber on Mar 24, 2008 4:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

yup, I'm headed out there

I plan to drive out there Wed after work and leave Sun morning. And watch our Bruins go to the Final Four in between! Go Bruins!

by mark the bruin on Mar 24, 2008 4:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Howland says Shipp had strep throat

Per Dohn's blog:

Howland also said Bruins wing Josh Shipp was treated for strep throat after the game and was taking antibiotics, but is doing better.
Howland added Shipp came in for extra shooting today, and took more than 300 shots.

Might account for his less than stellar offensive performance.............

Go Team Go!

by bruins grad and dad on Mar 24, 2008 4:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

No excuses...

Love the fact that Shipp didn't say a word about it to the media

by kidro2001 on Mar 24, 2008 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Collison's On Ball Defense

I love Darren Collison, by Bilas' assessement of Darren as the top on ball defender in the country just means he hasn't watched the games. He was torched by Augustin, Rochestie, Bayless and Dentmon, all of whom broke down Collison repeatedly. He plays hard, but does not slide well laterally. That being said, he is a winner, his outside shot is extremely reliable, and the more pressure on him, the more likely he is to score. He and Love alternate between being the MVP at any given time, and in reality, they are two parts of an incredible whole, and should not be compared to one another. I love this team. Go Bruins!

by 75NatChamps on Mar 24, 2008 4:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Somewhat...

agree. But what DC purportedly can't do, RW will make up.

by Rich1996UCLA on Mar 24, 2008 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Scr*w Jay Bilas . . .

. . . for his 'if the Referees had the guts to call a foul at the end of the game" comment. There are calls, there are non-calls, and most of the time they happen both ways. Ask LRMAM about the phantom "travels" he was whistled for earlier in the game, or the no-call mugging of Collison that happened earlier as well. And, by the way, ask Stanford how well taking UCLA to OT worked for them in the stretch run of the regular season. Tired of the whining about "what-ifs" from teams that just didn't finish.

The Mad Bruin

by lostnacfgop on Mar 24, 2008 4:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

To be Honest

on at least one of those travel calls on LRMAM, I think he was shifting his feet, too. He looked a little uncomfortable and I figured that his ankle just isn't 100% yet, so his balance isn't perfect.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Mar 24, 2008 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No calls, bad calls, blah blah blah

I actually think all this attention our Bruins keep getting for the no calls/bad calls is GREAT for the team frame of mind. After we got some questionable calls in the Cal game, we went out and CRUSHED Cal in the PAC-10 tournament and went on to beat both $C and Stanford without our best defensive player in LRMAM.

I think all we're getting now is bulletin board material from the media. Bobby Knight says the PAC-10 is "overrated" and questions the competition UCLA had during the regular season (how's that Pittsburgh pick to win the championship holding up Bobby?), Plaschke writes a hit piece on Josh Shipp in the Times, Dohn calls Howland a "liar," etc., etc., etc.

I think all this criticism does is fire up our guys.

With that said, there is no way I am looking past this Thursday's game against WKU. I just think that UConn a few years ago probably thought they would have a cakewalk against George Mason and were thinking about travel plans to the Final Four. Look how that turned out for them. I am sure that Howland will have the guys fired up and ready to take on a very senior-laden team.

by SmrtGuy82 on Mar 24, 2008 4:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

questions the competition UCLA had

That's funny, given that we played MSU who sent Pitt packing (the national champs).

by bruinofthenorth on Mar 24, 2008 7:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

A question for you analysts

Who would you smart folks say is the team we've played which is most like WKY? Three guards, and all that? My brain is firing on only a few cylinders (late hour, just finished opera rehearsal, sore back, and geezerdom) and I'm drawing a blank.

by Fox 71 on Mar 24, 2008 8:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

From one pretty good analyst...

Coach Ben Howland quoted in Los Angeles Times' What's Bruin column by Rich Perelman:

"I think the closest [Pac-10 team] would be Washington in terms of how they play with the pressure and the way they're really physical and get into you."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bruin/2008/03/howland-were-7.html

by Joe Bruin on Mar 24, 2008 8:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When you're right, you're right

You found a pretty good analyst there.

by Fox 71 on Mar 24, 2008 11:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right

Thought you might find that to be a relatively credible source.

by Joe Bruin on Mar 25, 2008 12:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe the MSM doesn't like UCLA

because UCLA has robbed them of their "man bites dog" stories. The MSM makes its leaving off of others' failures, be it celebrities, politicians or in sports. They write grandiose columns with superlative commentary when U$C beats UCLA at Pauley, but they forget to mention that two of our players were playing with concussions. Hey, that would just take away from a neat storyline. They feel slighted that UCLA has not allowed for cute little stories of underdogs beating the mighty Bruins, and are lashing out at a team that plays with heart and smarts, with a coach who is simply a master of adjustments and who won't cater to ass-kissers from the media.

Has any of the reporters mentioned that UCLA played Texas A&M last year, almost the same exact team minus one player, and we barely beat them? Maybe a couple of writers? Why is anyone surprised that this game was close? Probably because they don't actually read or research anything...like Pomeroy rankings. aTm's scoreless stretch was barely mentioned. This is fine, as far as I'm concerned. Don't tell other teams that UCLA plays amazing defense (39 pts/game allowed in the tournament). They'll find out for themselves, only it will be too late.

by tasser10 on Mar 25, 2008 9:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs