Locating That "Switch"
by Nestor on Mar 14, 2009 10:19 AM PDT
in Basketball
Email
PrintLet's revisit this quote from DC in the Daily News before the Oregon State game last week (emphasis added throughout):
"I've been ready for the NCAAs since I came back," UCLA point guard Darren Collison said, referring to his decision to return for a senior season. "I wanted to skip the whole Pac-10 and the whole season, (and) just to go to the NCAA Tournament." So as No. 20 UCLA prepares for tonight's tilt with Oregon State, the topic is not whether the second-place Bruins (22-7, 11-5 Pacific-10) can beat the improved Beavers (13-14, 7-9) and defeat last-place Oregon (8-20, 2-14) in Saturday's regular-season finale to possibly earn a share of the conference crown with Washington (22-7, 13-4). And the discussion is not whether a rejuvenated UCLA, coming off a road sweep of Stanford and California, can win next week's Pac-10 Tournament. Nope. The players are talking about the NCAA Tournament, and stating it is vital to win the remaining games so they are seeded in an environmentally friendly arena.
The quote was excerpted in a post which brought up the question whether our guys have been somewhat coasting through this season on their way to the touranment. Then on Thursday night we saw another quote that also really stuck out to me like the one above:
"If there's any team that will hit that switch, it will be us," senior guard Darren Collison said. "We have the experience. We have the talent. It's not too hard to find that switch, and once that switch is on, it's going to be a lot of trouble for a lot of teams in the tournament."
Well I think it is extremely unfair to pin last night's loss on DC who had the nightmarish games that brought up the memories of losses against Washington (in Seattle) and Memphis (more on that below). As ryebreadaz pointed out in our post game thread:
He was in pain after last night’s game and had to get treatment all day today just to be able to play and it showed. I love that he wanted to play, but I can’t help but wonder if it would have been wiser to sit him this weekend and get him healthy for the NCAA Tournament.
That's a good question. But still I think DC's comments in recent weeks brings up a serious question about the mindset of Ben Howland's 2008-09 Bruins.
I don't think what happened last night was an aberration. We have seen the same script earlier in the season. We saw it against Arizona in Tucson. We saw it against Washington State at Pauley. In all of those games it was the Bruin opponents who came out with more fire, passion, urgency and sense of desperation. There was no sense of desperation in our guys last night until it was kind of late. We saw the same mentality play out in those other games too. I am just not used to see that from a Howland coached team and perhaps that's why these losses have been so unnerving (and depressingly not so surprising any more).
I know there are many here who don't want to give the Trojans any credit. It's easy to brush away last night's loss blaming the SPTRs or just dismiss it by thinking we had a bad night on offense. I don't believe that's the case. The Trojans won (staying in control most of the game) by playing defense, the hallmark of a Howland coach basketball team. From Ben Howland himself:
"We really struggled to score," Howland said. "We really, really were struggling to score. I mean, (making) 19 of 70 (field goals) says it all. Some of the shots, we were getting rushed. I thought we took some shots that may have been hurried. We didn't handle their pressure well." The Bruins trailed 33-28 as the more energetic Trojans were able to get open shots en route to making 13 of 24 in the opening half. UCLA was fortunate to be trailing by only five points since it made 9 of 29 shots (31 percent) from the field, its lowest total in any half this season, and also turned the ball over eight times. That's why I like Howland. He is frank. Instead of saying how "the shots weren't just falling today," he rightully credited the stout Trojan defense. The question I have for Howland though was why didn't he think about making some adjustments during the game. First, it seemed clear that the Trojans were the setting the tempo of the game. They slowed it down a bit, drew a line in the sand with their defense, and then kept attacking metodically. They made 23 of their 45 shots (while we made only 19 out of a staggering 70 shot attempts), but the line that stands out to me is how they went to the line 30 times (making only 16 of them). If they made their FTs last night, they would have blown us out of Pauley. So the question I have is why were the Bruins settling for jumpshots and not attacking inside. Why was DC playing so many minutes when he was injured? Why wasn't he held out? And then on the defensive side ND was getting torched all night long in probably the worst game he has played this season. I am still scratching my head at the thought of him guarding Derozan. In the past Howland always had the quick hook for a player who was not up to par with his defense. This is the same coach who had no problem benching KL for playing shoddy defense. So why did ND was staying in for such huge chunks of time despite repeatedly getting eviscerated by Trojans? Going back to the pace. Would it have made sense for Howland to put in a more athletic lineup using JS at 4 (like he used DT at 4 in his second season), and use ML at the 3 spot? I think that would have sped up the game pace a bit which IMHO would have helped the Bruins. Clearly with ML in the lineup the defensive intensity went up along with which our ball pressure became a little more effective. So why wait till it was a too little too late? As for JH, I know there are many passionate defender of this kid here on BN. Again I appreciate him for what he has done. But I will be honest I am ambivalent about him coming back next season because I don't believe he is coming back. Does that mean I think we don't need him? Of course not. There is a reason why Howland recruited Abdul Gaddy so hard for next year's class. We will have depth issues in the backcourt if JH doesn't come back with just JA, ML, and MR at our disposal. So we need him. But I am just not sure whether JH thinks he needs to be at UCLA. Yeah, I keep track of stats as much as the next guy. So I am aware of his efficiency compared to other recent freshmen under Howland. However, I am also aware of the fact how in our 8 losses, JH is shooting 28% and averaging basically 4 points, 4 assists, and 2.6 turnovers. In 3 of those games he made 0 field goals and in two of them he just made 1. Yes, he did average 4 rebounds in those losses which helps for a team that hasn't rebounded as well as it did in previous season. But the main thing I am not seeing from this kid is the fire and passion we saw from kids like AA, JF, LRMAM and RW in their first years. Speaking of emotional investment, despite the tough loss last night I know we are going to get fired up and jazzzed by late next week for our next game. However, given what we saw last night and over this year, I would warn everyone here from getting their hopes a little too high. It's clear that DC is hurting and the formula of beating this UCLA team looks to be fairly simply. If the opposing team has a tough, physical 2 guard who can shut down DC, it's game over for UCLA. I know JS and PAA will give everything they have (and they have given us a lot over the years). But right not this team doesn't have another player that can pick up the slack if DC is totally shut down by the opposing team. I have been around long enough not to hope for a miracle and think all on a sudden JH, ML or someone else will emerge as a world beater. It doesn't happen like that. Despite what anyone thinks the "switch" can't be turned on or turned off just like that. All the great UCLA basketball teams in post-Wooden era (91-92, 94-95, 05-06, 06-07 and 07-08) had their switches turned "on" consistently. They didn't stumbled on a regular basis like the one this year. Yes, perhaps this team will come back and respond with a great first round win and then win a tough second round game, but given what I have seen this year getting to Sweet-16 would be a pleasant surprise. I am uncertain whether it will happen. Hopefully DC gets healthy and he and Coach Howland has this team locked in rest of this week. I guess we can always hope and I hope DC and his team can locate that switch. His team clearly didn't know where it was last night. GO BRUINS.
In sports sometimes your eyes can sense a lot about how the competition is going from the body language of athletes. I have been watching JH as closely I used to watch AA and JF. Last night when chips were down early in the second half, I repeatedly saw a kid discouraged, frustrated, hanging his head after every sloppy turnover or fruitless drive to the bucket. It's a far cry from the fiery passion from AA we saw from his freshman year even when things weren't going so well. And yes, I do believe it is fair to compare JH to AA given we had hoped he would emerge as the anchor of next generation of Ben Ball warriors. Right now at this point of time, I see ML, not JH as the anchor of the program. This doesn't mean I want the kid to be gone but I am not as emotionally invested in him like I have been with other kids in this program.
61 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I'd actually argue
That 05-06 definitely had that switch. There were just as many frustrating moments that year as there were this year. They only weren’t as disappointing because we were a team coming off of a first round exit the previous year and the expectations certainly weren’t as high. If that run they made at the end of the year wasn’t throwing the switch, then that term loses all meaning. I’m not saying that we should rely on that or that we’ll even be able to do that this year, but I felt compelled to point that out.
That's a good point
and I was thinking whether to include 05-06 in that list. I included it because I think they turned that switch on after that loss against SC. They never looked back after that loss. This year’s team has suffered too many of those bad losses and it appears they haven’t really used them as “teachable moments” like the 05-06 team did.
I completely agree
In my opinion, that ‘switch’ coincided with Ryan Hollins suddenly becoming a force inside, both offensively and defensively. So who is there on this roster that could step it up another level? Aboya has given this team everything he’s got, so it’s unrealistic to think it will be him- although I do wish he’d attack the rim more instead of settling for hurried, off-balance layups. I think it’s Jrue that has the biggest margin between what he’s capable of and what he’s actually produced. But for whatever reason (my personal belief is that Holiday and Howland are jointly responsible for his stunted progress), it just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for him this season.
by insomniacslounge on Mar 14, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions
Fair assessment
I have long thought, make that hoped, that I saw parallels between our current Bruins and the 05-06 team. Both had a mix of young players and seniors. Both had some tough games and growing pains.
The difference was that in 05-06, our young players were our leaders and our seniors were more role players. The reverse is true today. I thought our current senior leadership gave us a leg up and possibly find another gear come March. However, our seniors have been playing at a pretty high level all year, and in reality can only ratchet up their intensity, not their overall game.
We’re actually a mirror image of the 05-06 team. With strong senior leadership & talent, the onus falls on our freshman — kind of an unfair burden. There is no Ryan Hollins or Ced Bozeman who can leverage 4 years of experience & frustration to squeeze the most out of their hidden or latent talent.
Our freshman are good, but they lack that experience and urgency to have a dramatic “light bulb” moment. They’re contributions amount to steady improvement and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that it makes it highly unlikely for this team to “turn the switch” or have a Eureka moment.
Regardless, I think these kids can make some noise in the tournament if they play to their potential. Anything can happen in a one and done tourney and I’ll be cheering them on every step of the way — even if it isn’t as long of a path as the last 3 years.
by andrewsm78 on Mar 14, 2009 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
It could still happen for Holiday
I think Lee would also be a candidate, and Roll could get hot like he was in December.
Of course, it’s more likely that none of them will drastically improve.
by SuperBruinMan on Mar 14, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions
JH belongs at ucla and i think he will be coming back. He just a freshmen, its just like he said early in the season its a faster game than high school. Shoot when KL played bad were guys douting him, i mean come on give JH a brake.
Huh?
when were guys doubting KL?
Also I am with you that JH belongs UCLA and that he could benefit by coming back for another year. The problem is it’s neither your or my decision on whether he comes back. And I am not going to fret over it. That’s all.
I agree
I too am not emotionally invested in JH, although its kind of hard to do so after one year of mediocrity. I don’t see that passion from him that we are used to seeing with other past warriors. SOmetimes, it looks like he is just going through the motions out there, as if it were a Monday morning practice. I do think that some of the blame definitely falls on the shoulders of CBH. As wonderful as he is and as much as we all love him, I think he needs to be more flexible with his philosophy to allow a perfect marriage between the skills of his players and his own play calling. Jrue NEEDS to play with the ball in his hands, otherwise, he seems to be quite ineffective. If you’ve seen him in high school, you know that he’s a high motor kind of guy, and him playing the 2 in CBH’s offense is ugly. While I like him in a starting role, I would like to see him play limited minutes early in the game at the 2 and a bulk of his minutes at backup PG. He looks like a totally different player when he is the one facilitating and running a more uptempo game. I think that there needs to be more offensive balance to allow some of these guys to thrive. I too hope that he comes back next year, but only if he is allowed to be a facilitator. If not, it might be best for all involved if he move on. I’m running out of TUMS anyways.
You and I think alike
Holiday looks like a totally different player when he’s at point and running the show. I had really hoped that Howland would have utlized this team’s strength- it’s depth- more and gone with a more uptempo style of play that included liberal, massive substitutions (nba style), with Jrue leading the “second team” at point. Alas, it didn’t happen, and I can understand why (it’s hard to cut into Collison’s minutes when he’s given so much to the team; and it’s hard to have your one and done freshman starting the game on the bench), but I can’t help myself to wonder what this team could have looked like with fresh bodies playing an aggressive style of basketball.
by insomniacslounge on Mar 14, 2009 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Our team isn't built to grind it out
I forgot who said it, but if you plot the slow tempo games and the faster paced games, we are actually better defensive efficiency wise when the game is faster paced and I think our team tends to want to play that way, so when another team sets the tempo, or the pace is slower, we suffer
JH
If you look back to my posts earlier in the season, I was repeatedly advocating for Howland giving JH extensive mins at 1 and shifting DC over to 2 (who is a sharp shooter).
I do remember
I remember you saying that and I thought it was spot on (especially since I was thinking the same thing!). I really do think our team is built for a more fast-paced style of play with the likes of JH, DC, and DG, who still has not developed a "back to the basket/post-up game as of yet but is a high energy type of guy. Although, its kind of difficult to criticize a man who has taken us to three straight final fours. Off years do happen, I’m just hoping that it is happening because we are not good enough, and not because our coach is too stubborn to be flexible.
I also think it's fair
to compare Jrue to previous BBWs…but when you’re talking about things like fire/passion, it just means he’s a different person. He definitely doesn’t have that fire/passion, but few do, no?
That's a fair point ...
But that leads to the question … if we are looking to recruit kids who we are perhaps counting on to become the anchor of a program (however short period time he is in for) … he should have that fire and passion. No?
Or perhaps it’s not a matter of showing that fire from outside (like AA used to) but also exhibit it from inside kind of like Edney, who was always ice cold.
The funny thing is perhaps if we knew for certain that JH was coming back next year … the feelings around him wouldn’t be so controversial at this point of time. It’s just that he has indicated himself that he is unsure whether he is coming back. The idea that he is “unsure” that he is coming back makes me ambivalent about him. I want him to come back of course. We need him next year which will be a tougher season this one. But again … in him I haven’t seen the tangible leadership qualities I saw in kids like AA, JF, RW and even KL when he was here for just one season.
You hit the nail on the head re: Jrue
If Holiday was coming back next season, I think people would be much more patient with him. But if you’re a player just stopping by for a year, then people want to see a lot more out of you while you’re in town.
by insomniacslounge on Mar 14, 2009 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Memphis memories
Last night’s game sort of reminded me of the Memphis game.
N pointed out on how we struggled against athletic 2 guards (Rose). There were similar offensive sequences when we just couldn’t get good looks, let a lone make baskets. Their bigs had a great time down low (remember Dorsey?)
Howland made a mistake on assignment, I believe it was not putting Luc on Rose CMIIW.
But still, the Trojies are not even a top 25 team, and we destroyed them during the regular season. I think I gave too much credit comparing them to last year’s Final Four team
I have been reading BN for the past 4 years and I Have watched or attended every UCLA game in that period of time. As a UCLA graduate, I am extremely devoted to this team, win or lose.
From previous years, I noticed that as horrible and frustrated I became After a lose, I felt confident and comfortble that CBH AND his players will learn andmake the proper adjustments as the season progressed. Even when we lost to Oregon in the Pac 10 final in 07, I knew this would be a learning experience for the NCAAs.
This year, I do not see any lessons being learned. CBH who I love as our coach does not seem to be making the proper adjustments within a game (WSU lose: keeping JH as a primary defender over ML or last night not adjusting to SCs defense by driving it to the rim and play physical offense)
Our players hang their head, get frustrated and seem to stop playing UCLA basketball. Everything from settling for bad shots, not attacking and not having confidence when things go wrong seem to plague this team versus our teams of the recent past.
Like Nestor said, I don’t believe in switches. I still hope they find their “switch” next week. But I really doubt it can be turned on and off. I hope the coaches and players take a deep look at where they are and how they are playing at the moment.
With no game to think about, I've been thinking about the selection
and I’ve decided that the committee needs to put us in either the west or east. There is no logical basketball reasoning behind it and we may not make it to the second weekend, but if we do, I want to go. I can drive to Phoenix and I have family in Boston so there you have it. UCLA needs to be in the west or the east.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 14, 2009 11:44 AM PDT reply actions
Post-game points
I understand that everyone is upset by this loss, but I think that we are blowing it out of proportion.
First, USC played with an intensity that you rarely see. Watch other games today and then rewind and watch last night’s game (as painful as it will be). USC’s intensity made it very difficult for us to keep up with them, especially when we were playing to move from a 5 to a 4 seed, and they were playing for their basketball lives. We have to give USC credit. I thought our guys played hard, but the Trojans were just having one of those nights where every player needed a win like it was the very air they breathe.
Second, Howland did make adjustments. He put the ball in Jrue’s hands to help us to initiate the offense and to try to get open looks for DC. He changed the matchups defensively throughout the game. Perhaps he could have gone smaller, but I think it was a sound strategic decision to try to use ND’s height advantage for rebounding and low-post scoring. Also, you could commend Floyd for his coaching, but remember that the coach who has tried two ways to beat you and failed is going to be more innovative than the coach that won the first 2 games. Just because the adjustments didn’t work doesn’t mean they weren’t made.
Third, you can say that USC would have won big had they made free throws. Well, what if we had shot better than 29? We are the #1 shooting team in the entire country, and we shot at 22 worse than usual. Our effective field goal percentage (which considers free throws and 3 pointers for an overall rate) had never been lower than 44% this year; last night it was 30%. If we merely shot at the same rate as what was previously our worst shooting performance against Texas, we would have won easily.
Fourth, it’s easy to say that we should take the ball to the hoop, but let’s be honest about why that didn’t happen. It has a lot to do with the top shot blocker in the conference patrolling the paint and playing like if he lost it would be his last college game. Gibson was physical last night (thuggish, actually, throwing elbows with no consequences), and he was the reason why we were unsuccessful at taking the ball to the rim.
As to the bigger picture, the 05-06 team did not have a switch; no one does. That team did play more focused and intense defense for longer stretches after the loss to USC, but you could see the pieces coming together before that. This team lacks the defense-first intensity of LRMAM and AA. It lacks the interior size of RH. It is, as we have known all along, a team made up of players with significant strengths (namely shooting, playing smart, not turning the ball over) with significant weakness (namely it does not have great athleticism and physical toughness at every position and lacks size on the interior). It is a team that could get hot from the field and win some games against better teams, but it is also a team that can lose to very good defensive teams with an advantage in size (among other possibilities). Notwithstanding last night’s performance, I look forward to seeing where we are located and watching this team gut it out, whether it is for 1, 2 3 or more games.
by BruinsRule on Mar 14, 2009 12:01 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
We continue to miss close in, unblocked shots.
This started a few games ago and it baffles me.
We blow dunks so we start laying it in — and it won’t go in.
This can’t go on much longer — has to be an aberration.
sjh
by Class of 66 on Mar 14, 2009 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Bunnies
After we beat KU in 2007, Bill Self said “We missed a lot of bunnies.” I think that it had to do with our defense. When a defense is physical and makes some plays near the basket, whether by blocks or fouls or the ability to slightly alter a shot, it starts to affect a team’s shooting. You hurry your shot just a little, or change the angle or release point to avoid the defense, or you get contact or expect it and don’t get it. All of those things lead teams to shoot poorly on lay-ins. I can’t speak of previous nights (I don’t recall this being an issue; then again, I missed most of Thursday’s game because of my babysitter’s tivo override), but I absolutely think that the misses last night had to do with their defense. To that end, it will be an aberration as long as the opponent doesn’t bring the interior heat like USC did last night.
by BruinsRule on Mar 14, 2009 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
But that's the problem
Every team from now on will bring the heat as best they can, just like USC did last night.
Maybe they're thinking too much
When you line up a two foot putt for a minute and a half, and take three practice strokes, and check the wind, and the grain of the grass and all that, you will likely hit the put two feet past the hole. Then while you’re cursing under your breath, you reach over and knock the putt straight in without giving it any thought at all. It could be that they’re thinking too much, and not letting their talents just flow.
I have no idea if that’s what’s happening, and if it is happening, I have no idea how to fix it.
And it’s that sort of insight which has landed me where I am today.
On those mad scrambles ...
under the basket at the end of the game, I doubt there is very much thinking going on, and there definitely isn’t time to overthink. Just because they’re right underneath the basket, doesn’t make those shots “bunnies”. Everyone of them is a shot under extreme pressure.
Very interesting read. Thanks!
Just would like to fill in a little on your points:
1 Yup. CBH had sc #1 in the pac10 preseason. They underperformed due to some injuries, some freshman growth and basic character flaws. However, put them in a corner for making March madness, well, they did “turn on the switch”.
2 Agree! And actually ND did cash in on the offensive mismatch several times. Overall his offense was fine, but a reasonable second guess might have been Lee on DeRozan. And we were tantalizingly close all night, but inevitably getting over the hump would be confounded by a superior effort play by the trojies or one of dc/jh’s 10 or so turnovers.
3 Here’s my one quibble. I think the percentages reflect the pressure that sc put on us most of the game. Also, many misses inside put backs, but we were amped up, sped up and very aware of Gibson’s presence.
4 Gibson absolutely stuffed Darren on his first drive to the post. And what he did to Aboya on that first play of the game seemed to shock us. Alfred is a beast, but he’s too much of a nice guy. Another person would have gone after that huskie guy who facialized him on the out of bounds play last year. And I would have like to see Alfred risk a foul to get some physical payback for that hit he took from gibson.
As for switches, I think you need the talent to do that. And sc really seemed to have turned it on for the last two games. Did you see the rebounding advantage they had over Cal?
On 3
We don’t have a quibble. Our shooting percentage definitely was a symptom of their defense.
For those watching other games out there
It’s easy to get upset about our performance last night, but looking at other tourneys on right now, I realized that we are far from being the fan base most annoyed / upset by our team now
Big 12: Both Kansas and Oklahoma were penciled in as #2, potential #1 seeds – and they lost in their first game
Big East: Pitt goes down by 16 to WVU. UConn loses to Syracuse in 6 OT’s despite ‘Cuse never leading in 5 of the first OT’s. Both were penciled in as #1 seeds. Both lose in their first game in their tourney.
ACC: Duke barely survives its first game. UNC as well. And UNC is trailing Florida State with 6 mins left right now.
Big 10: Michigan State is currently down 14 with 7:30 remaining to Ohio State!
Needless to say, when its conference tourney time, we can’t expect to sweep the slate year in and year out. I’m sure more than a few teams thought they looked like crap during their games, and didn’t deserve to win the National Championship
Newflash guys: Most teams lose in tournaments
Damn Blink, you pretty much took the post right off my screen as I was typing it. O well, I will just put my preface in it anyways.
I purposely stay away from the game threads and post-game threads because of all the lunacy and ridiculous posts that occur there. I like to come around the next morning when the rational people are expressing their thoughts. I know it sucks that we lost and UCLA is the center of our worlds, but lets not forget these other teams who lost this week and put it in perspective on this doom and gloom talk around here. I’m not saying that we don’t have problems, but everybody this year has issues and if DC gets healthy and we put together a few good games, who knows what can happen.
by bruinponcho on Mar 14, 2009 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I can appreciate that there are many upsets in conf tourneys
Especially this season, as UNC and Mich State just lost today.
The difference is this: Fans of UNC, Mich State, Pitt, UConn, Kansas, and Oklahoma can all point to a body of work this season that gives them confidence. Our body of work this year gives us concern.
No, there’s no reason for doom and gloom, but I certainly share many people’s frustration that everytime it appears that maybe this team has turned a corner, it suffers a setback that has us wondering just how much we can expect come next week in the big dance.
by insomniacslounge on Mar 14, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions
WE JUST DIDN'T WANT IT AS BADLY AS sc
BRUINS: Let’s face it. Our team just didn’t want this game as badly as the trOJies did. suc played with heart, intensity, spirit, pride and because they had to win to make the NCAA final 64. I HATE sc!!!! It is hard to ever find anything good to say about them. They are THUGS, JERKS, etc. I don’t know if anyone saw this but with about 10 minutes left, Hackett pushed, with both hands, one of our Bruins center court and nothing was called. sc got to push us around but when we did the same thing or even less, we were called for a foul. But, it wasn’t just the zebras. We did not play up to our potential.
I would like to know what the rest of you think about this: if you are the conference champ. and get an automatic bid – why play in the conf. tournament? If you are s second place team and get an automatic bid, why play in the conf. tournament?
Anyway, I hope our BRUINS do well in the NCAA tournament. It has been too long with out a BB NCAA pennant!!!!! GO BRUINS!!!!!
Forever a BRUIN
by Forever a Bruin on Mar 14, 2009 12:47 PM PDT reply actions
I'll add this
We didn’t want it as badly, and I am okay with that. We couldn’t have wanted it as badly because we didn’t need it. Give the Trojans a pat on the back.
One Last Note on our Effort Last Night
If we hadn’t been extremely inept on offense, we would probably be praising our defensive effort. From a pure efficiency standpoint, Thursday and Friday night were our best two consecutive defensive games since the Stanford-USC home games that spanned the halfway point of the Pac-10 season. We have now had 4 consecutive sub-100 defensive efficiency games for the first time since that oft-referred to 4-game home winning streak in January and February.
Our defense last night would have been good enough to win if it had been paired with any other offensive performance of the entire season, including our previous worst offensive performance of the season, which was against Michigan in November.
The fact that our defense was so effective does give me hope that we will perform well in the tournament. It also is why I will not refer to last night’s effort as heartless or gutless. No, we had heart and effort, we just didn’t match the outstanding, life-saving effort of the Trojans.
One slight quibble ...
I don’t disagree that we played with more effort (and heart) than most are giving us credit for, but I think our defensive efficiency number was skewed somewhat by how many free throws ‘SC missed. Let’s say they had shot a more reasonable 70% from the line instead of the actual 53%. That would knock down our defensive efficiency, wouldn’t it?
Other than that, I’m with you all the way. Thanks for portraying so well the perspective that I believe so many are missing here.
If USC shot 70% FT...
…we’d still have a defensive efficiency under 100. That would be 5 additional free throws made which would make their point total 70 instead of 65. At a pace of 72 (according to KenPom), our defensive efficiency would have been about 97 in that case. Still pretty good. We also caused 24 turnovers.
Regardless, this wasn’t the game I was hoping for. Defense or not, we just plain ‘ol looked bad. I had a similar feeling against Michigan at the beginning of the year but was convinced we’d get better. I think we have gotten better but we’re so maddening inconsistent that I just don’t know what to make of this team.
I wouldn’t be upset if we got a 6 seed to avoid having to play a 1 seed in the sweet 16. But at this point I’m not sure it even matters. I honestly still have hope though. I have this feeling that we could surprise some people. The players are going to have to want it though.
Just an opinion
but the more I watch him, the more I think JH may actually be better served turning pro this year. If he comes back he will still be playing out of position at the 2 spot. Also he is being drafted on potential this year, and if he fails to make that leap from freshman to sophomore year that most players do, his draft stock could take a huge hit. Much like OJ2, he almost seems better suited to the pro game anyways. It’s never good when a team loses a player, especially one as skilled as JH, but I agree with Nestor that I am not that worried about whether he stays or leaves. Either way I wish him the best of luck in his decision, and know that with CBH guiding him he will make the right one.
JH would not be playing out of position next year
CBH has already expressed that JH would take over at point next season, not relegated to the 2 again.
GO BRUINS!
Really?
That’s great to hear, although I’m not sure why he doesn’t do that more this season by sliding JH over to the point occasionally when DC goes out. It just seems like CBH was preparing JA for next year by having him back up DC almost exclusively this year, and I’m not sure JA hasn’t earned the spot next year through his stellar play this year. Interesting idea though
I Hope I Have a Clearer Mind Now
I am also purposely trying to avoid posting after the game so I can calm down and say something rational. Surely SC deserved to win the game and we played one of the worst game of the year. I believe a lot of us are too harsh on JH and DC. They are entitled to have a few bad games. It is one of those things that everybody, excepting JS and ML, had a bad shooting night at the same game. I also like to give Coach Howland a tip on how to motivate a liveless team. I have seen Coach Wooden purposely commited a technical foul in order to energize the team, and it works! I still believe in the team and the coaching staff. Lets regroup and play good ball from now on.
You've seen John Wooden commit a technical foul? Really?
Per this article:
He (John Wooden) always treated players and officials with respect, never with the Bobby Knight-style fury and bombast. In his entire career as player and coach, he received two technical fouls — and he still maintains that one of them was called by mistake, when someone behind him yelled a profanity, and the referee thought it was Wooden.
I’m skeptical, NNL, real skeptical.
My Thought on Point Guard
I know a lot of people might not agree with me, but I do think Anderson is a better point guard then JH. Last night JH didn’t handle the ball very well as point guard, and JA has proven to me that he is a natural point guard. Given more time and learning experience, JA can be our next point guard for the next three years.
fire, urgency, intensity
I think rightfully so we always expect CBH’s warriors to deliver and do well in tournaments. However, we do have a very young team that lacks inside presence, a legitimate big man.
But I think most of all, this team seems to lack these three elements, or inconsistently displays them (fire, urgency, intensity). Especially when we fall behind or have a big man playing physical basketball. PAA has the heart but I don’t classify him as a true center.
This is a young group that just doesn’t seem to have it yet…I mean, a killer instinct that say a russel westbrook brought last year. I’m hoping in the next few weeks they find that fire and that identity that this is Ben Ball, they need to display that pride, that swagger and not be intimidated. You could see it in their eyes last night when they were being pushed around…something we didn’t see when we made that big comeback against Gonzaga a few years ago…
Just my two cents…
Apropos of little ...
after being down 15 at the half, the Trojies have closed it to 4 with 10 minutes remaining.
looking for silver linings
if SC hangs on, this should effectively end Arizona’s string of NCAA appearances, shouldn’t it?
by insomniacslounge on Mar 14, 2009 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Of course, if that means six PAC-10 teams are invited ...
I wouldn’t complain. I just don’t think that’ll happen.
Gibson blocks Harden's shot with 24 seconds remaining ....
gets the rebound and is fouled with 17 seconds remaining …
makes the first free throw … misses the second. ’SC up 2.
Harden goes for the win with 6.0 seconds remaining ....
misses. ’SC ball, timeout with 2.0 seconds left. Tough time getting the ball inbounds, I guess.
SC dancing
Looks like they’ve actually got a banner to hang in Galen now.
by insomniacslounge on Mar 14, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Lewis makes the back end of two FTs
with 1 second remaining …. ‘SC up 3. Glasser misses desperation 3 at the buzzer and the Trojies leave nothing to chance. They’re going dancing.
Good for SC
I know people don’t like to give them credit, but SC definitely was the best team in the Pac 10 tournament and deserved to win. They absolutely took it to ASU in the second half and could be a dangerous team in the tournament because they have no expectations. What makes them so tough is that they play 4 6’6"ish guys and Gibson which allows them to switch easily on defense and make it tough for opposing point guards and power forwards to match up with.
Snorkeldorf, Yes I Have
That is why we called him wizzard of Westwood. I actually watched that game he purposely commited a technical foul back in the 60’s. At the interview after the game, the commentator asked Wooden about the call, Wooden just smiled.
I agree with you, bruinponcho.
Regardless of how I feel about the cheesy institution they represent, the Trojans were actually Trojans (you know, the historic kind) in this tournament. They were warriors, combining heart, skill, and great, unrelenting effort to overcome every obstacle, including their own fatigue, to achieve their goal. Congratulations.
Having said that and having read and agreed with most of the criticisms from BN posters about our own team, I can only state my own conviction that it is not too late for the Bruins to get up off the floor and come out swinging. I include the players and the staff in this comment, from Coach Howland down. What lies ahead of us is opportunity. I have always admired the Howland system, to the extent that I understand it, but I have never thought of him as a great adjuster. We have to just do what we do, but do it with far greater intensity and consistency than we have shown at any time this season.
By the way, I really enjoyed the in-your-face competitive attitude of our freshmen in the last minute or two of the SC game. It must surely mean we ain’t dead yet.
I Can't Wait to See Next Year's Lineup
Next year our veterans include MR, JK, and ND. I hope they will be challenged by a bunches of sophomores and freshmen. When they are replaced by the young guys, that means we have a good team.
A reason to hope for a tourney run
Nestor, you’re 100% spot on with this statement:
the formula of beating this UCLA team looks to be fairly simply. If the opposing team has a tough, physical 2 guard who can shut down DC, it’s game over for UCLA.
However….the flip side of that is that if DC is able to play his game, we are as good as any team in the country. Therefore, against a team like UConn that would have to play AJ Price on DC, based on what I have seen from this team I believe we could win that game. If we can get a favorable draw I can see us making a run at the Elite 8 or beyond.
Of course as you mentioned, if we draw a team like Purdue with Robbie Hummel in the 2nd round, we could be in big trouble. Or an LSU team with Tasmin Mitchell. We’re more talented than those teams, but you nailed it Nestor…we just don’t match up against teams with guys like that.
But that’s why I’m not giving up on this season yet. We don’t know the brackets or the matchups. When 6 pm (my time, 3 pm out west) rolls around, maybe I won’t be so optimistic. But I know that if we get a good draw, we can get far in this tournament.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bruins Nation
Related FanShots on Bruins Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
