Finally A Basketball "Team" Wearing Those Four Letters Shows Up On Saturday
by Nestor on Jan 23, 2010 3:32 PM PST
in Basketball
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PrintWell there ya go. That is lot more like it. Finally we saw a basketball team in a UCLA uniform on a Saturday afternoon in Pauley. Coach Ben Howland's Bruins finally busted out of their Saturday slump to pull out a fun to watch, methodical victory over an above average (relatively speaking here by atrocious Pac-10 standards this season) Washington State team in Pauley. The final score was 74-62 in favor of the good guys. Here is the box score.
Before Thursday night the formula for a Bruin win this season was basically praying to the Good Lord about Ragovic and Roll getting hot and somehow not screw it up on the defensive end. Well we now have had a UCLA team that for two games in a row have shown semblance of a methodical motion offense, thanks to at least average (and in some moments inspiring) play from its point guard and a core that seems to making an earnest effort to generate points by working as a team. Lot of this is happening because of the continued emergence of couple of freshmen as potential leaders on the court.
That brings me to today's players of the game: for me it was a combination Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson. These two guys have a long way to go in terms of being compared to the core nucleus of AA and JF, but you can sense there is a chemistry building between them on both ends of the court. Honeycutt was basically the point person on offense as it seems to run through him. He finished the game with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Nelson on the other hand picked up on Classof66's pleading from our last game thread FINISHING in the paint as he racked up team high 19 points and 9 rebounds.
As good as those guys were it was as Donnie Mac said a TOTAL TEAM WIN, which included encouraging effort from Nikola Dragovic. Dragovic poured in 18 points, which included some clutch shots in the second half. In terms of his point total, in this specific instance it wasn't unusual since he scored 20 points in Pullman and 23 in Pauley against the same guys last season. However, what I did appreciate today from Ragovic was there were times he did make some effort on the defensive end, he dove for a loose ball (even though that came after him missing) and made some good shots inside within the flow of the game. We can only hope we will see more of that from him (and the team) on a consistent basis rest of the season.
Bruins now have an overall record of 9-10 and 4-3 in the Pac-10, which has them in the third place in this putrid conference. Perhaps they are poised to make a run with two games coming up on Oregon Trail. However, I am not getting my hopes high given what we saw against Stanford less than two weeks ago. More after the jump.
The revelation from this week is that this team is clearly better one without Jerime Anderson. As Achilles playfully noted in the game thread:
We improved when we got rid of Gordon ... and really improved when we got rid of Anderson. If we get rid of Ragovic we might make the Sweet 16.
Well we know he was kidding but there is something to that. Mustafa Abdul Hamid clearly brings something to the table we don't have with Anderson, which is basic, poised point guard play. I think many of us knew that we could have an above average squad this season, if we got average point guard play on a consistent basis. We didn't get it until this week. It will be very interesting to see how Ben Howland manages his rotation here on out because we will need more of what Mustafa has brought to the team this week (and I am not even referring to that magical buzzer beating shot).
I was also very surprised by the effectiveness of our zone defense against this good shooting WSU team. I didn't think it was going to work and I am happy to be wrong about it. I think what seems evident that our players have bought into it and they are showing it not only with some energy on defensive side but also solid play on the other end of the court. Guess another realistic way to look at is that it's Coach Howland who has finally bought into the idea of zone defense and implementing it in a meaningful way in his game prep.
What I liked when I was watching today was seeing our team taking two charges (one by Nelson and the other one by Keefe). I LOVED watching Honeycutt dive to the floor for a loose ball in the first half. And as mentioned above I was heartened to see Drago going all out for a ball out of bounce early in the first game. It was good for an afternoon however, it's not going to matter much if we show up in Oregon and play like how did at Maples.
IF and this is a HUGE IF, we can somehow show some consistency next week by winning two games on the road that we should have a good chance to win (IF we play up to their potential), perhaps there will be some hope to what has been till this week a lost season.
It's nice to celebrate a post game hoops victory thread on a Saturday. FINALLY, it was nice to see a real basketball "team" wearing the four letters on Saturday. I am sure you guys have lot more to add to this afternoon's game. Fire away.
GO BRUINS.
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Nestor
Not to nitpick, but a couple things you might want to fix:
Final score was 74-62, not 74-60. And “The revelation from this week is that this team is clearly better one with Jerime Anderson” makes it sound like we are better with Jerime, which I’m sure is not what you meant.
Anyway, good game, good post.
Growth
The team over the last two games showed improvement and growth in terms of their execution, both offensively and defensively. I love to win and have no use for second place, but this season is what it is. Given that, seeing an improvement in our quality of play as a team, as well as the growth of individual players, was more important to me than the final score, given how god-awful we’ve looked in some of the few wins we’ve managed to pull off this year.
Honeycutt has the potential to be a beast. Here’s hoping he stays healthy.
BIGGEST difference in these two games compared to the season
In my opinion, the biggest difference (largely because Anderson has been held out) is the radical reduction in stupid pointless turnovers. Sure, Malcolm Lee was called for a couple of questionable offensive fouls, but there are so few (albeit a couple persist) dumb passes/mishandling the ball bringing it up the court. I really enjoy having Abdul-Hamid lead the offense and act as the poised veteran who can calmly set a half-court game up. No, he won’t score 30 points per game, but we don’t need that. I really hope CBH takes these games and recognizes how valuable Mustafa can be as a key role player over Anderson.
Beyond that, I’m just happy to see that this team is enjoying itself. Things are starting to ever-so-slightly click with certain players (you already mentioned Honeycutt and Nelson). Even the seniors (not including Drago) are starting to recognize that they are still role players. If they can just play within themselves and help the team instead of trying to do too much, we might be able to win one or both games next week. The Pac-10 is as bad as any conference this decade, so anything really is possible. I’m very satisfied to see baby steps towards confidence and team unity, elements that will invaluably cross over into next year.
Finally, I vote that we keep this zone permanently for the rest of this year. Whenever we expect this set of boys to play man-D, they fail miserably. Look, it’s obvious that a CBH team is not going to win a National Championship by playing zone-D, but for this team, for this year, it is vital that we continue zone. They simply play better and can keep everything in front of them. They also aren’t as tired out.
That’s my rant for today. Good game.
Nice ran bordr
One thing about Hamid that really helps us is that he can nail the open shot. His form is pure and he is confident in taking it. It really helps and we no longer have to play 4 on 5 on the offensive end.
I hope there is a positive outcome to all this as Anderson now rededicates himself to this program and commit to working as hard as Hamid has since he arrived at UCLA.
Hamid can actually handle the ball...
…competently. Even if opponents D him up in future games now that his shooting isn’t a mystery he’s preferable to JA at the point for that reason alone. I’ll also prefer him to Lee at the point.
by Bruin Die Hard on Jan 23, 2010 3:55 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, he is servicable for sure
I still would like to stay with Lee though because Lee has more potential to create but Hamid can play.
Mustafa's shot is indeed VERY pure,
Sweet, fundamentally sound stroke.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 3:56 PM PST up reply actions
absolutely
He’s hit his athletic ceiling, but that’s all that really matters. There was a post on this blog not too long ago with Coach Wooden explaining that his best coaching season came during a mediocre record, but he got the absolute most out of those players will less natural talent.
I’m proud to call Mustafa Abdul-Hamid a true Bruin. Nothing but the best wishes for the guy, regardless of what he ends up doing after college.
Sounds like some other bruins I remember
Hollins and Mata getting to their potential in their senior years
I agree
Zone will be fine for this year as a couple of our players need to hit the gym for muscle and endurance. Honeycutt would be awesome if he bulked up.
Can you imagine having a more experienced and tougher physical team playing man D next year?? Chills man! In addition, you’d have a decent zone in your back pocket after using it this year.
Given what I hear about Josh Smith's endurance and size
zone might be an easier way to get him on the court, but here’s hoping he bulks up in the offseason and allows us to return to playing some good ’ol fashioned Ben Ball.
isn't Smith
260lbs or something already?
by britishbruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:07 PM PST up reply actions
The recruiting stuff says in the 260-270 range
but Coach Donny was certainly cautionary about expectations during a talk before the SC game. Among some analysis about next year we got this gem:
“Josh Smith, he’s big. I mean, he’s BIG.”
It was certainly good for a laugh, but I’m not too optimistic about his ability to run the floor and play sticky man D if the concerns about his conditioning are legit. Still, I really hope I’m wrong, I’m pumped to see him in uniform.
Today featured some fantastic ball movement
Honeycutt has, in my opinion, surpassed Roll as our best passer. With Jordan and DC running the point the last couple of years we’ve seen a lot of dribbling by the point guard (with some nice results) but today gave us a nice blend of outside-inside looks that really broke down Wazzu’s zone. Credit Reeves for moving without the ball and his teammates for finding him!
airrrballl..... airballl... airballl
So I don’t know if it was our great defense, or the den’s chanting, but Thompson missed something like 6 or 7 shots in a row after we started taunting him. I’m sure it was a combination of both. We really got in his head. What a great game.
Troy is burning
by bruinbasketball on Jan 23, 2010 3:52 PM PST reply actions
of course
Honeycutt is amazing. I’m not actually going to take credit for Thompson’s bad day.
But oh boy did the PAC-10’s leading scorer look frustrated/sad on the bench.
Troy is burning
by bruinbasketball on Jan 23, 2010 3:56 PM PST up reply actions
sad day for thompson
he had to pad his stat with that “classless” shot at the end of the game…. what’s his deal?!
J/K… Thompson is a better guy than that… but it’s nice to see the same kind of frustration that Prince and AA has inflicted on other players for years!
I missed the Washington game but made some comments after watching Tele's . . .
. . . highlights that the offense seemed much better than the past this season. I qualified my comments by noting that I had only seen a highlight reel and not “the bad.”
Well, the team was far from perfect today (still need to work on free throws and figure out to rebound better out of the zone) but I have to say that this was the best the offense looked all season, albeit against a WSU team that is no longer the defensive juggernaut it had been the past two seasons.
Nelson and Honeycutt are going to be Warriors we remember for to years to come. The seniors played within themselves and seem to have learned the zone D pretty well (wish we started practicing it earlier but I’m glad CBH finally came around).
I like Mustafa at the point. It will be interesting to see what happens when JA gets healthy.
Looking forward to staying up late next Thursday for the Bruins last game at Mac Court.
Cautiously optimistic after what I saw today.
Classic Benball Warrior Moments
What I liked when I was watching today was seeing our team taking two charges (one by Nelson and the other one by Keefe).
Not only were those fantastic defensive stops, the part I love the most was how much the entire team got riled up from the charges. Howland was getting psyched up while the bench simply erupted (even more so than the RN dunks!) It tells me that defense is still being preached at the core. The team hasn’t perfected it yet but at least they are beginning to believe in it.
Another thing I enjoy this weekend is the new defense identity. Everyone here probably thought pigs will fly before Howland will go to a full-time zone defense. While it’s not the same style we are used to, I’m seeing glimpses of shutdown defense with great rotations. If we can cramp down opposing teams over a long stretch, (using Nestor’s quote in the game thread in the opposite context) anything is possible! Hey, we are only one game from being top of PAC-10. I know we won’t win the NCAA but at this stage of the season with a atrocious conference, I think we can still realistically hope for a PAC-10 championship. We just have maintain our new defense identity with intensity and desire.
Yep the reaction from the bench and Howland
and how the entire crowd fed off it, gave me a head rush. May be I got spoiled by all the glory years of Ben Ball warriors, but I get more excited about those moments than sweet 3 point shots (which are still nice and needed at times).
Charges are like candy to Howland
I think getting charges shows Defensive Awareness on our part. They’re like INTs in football. You win by reading the situation and getting into position. It’s classic Howland D. Aboya was the greatest at it.
From Jon Gold:
Ben Howland on UCLA’s defense: “Probably the greatest thing of the whole thing is to see James Keefe and Reeves Nelson step up and take charges. We haven’t done that very well in the last month. That was so big. If anyone was watching the game, I was so excited. I would’ve jumped through the roof if I could.”
Keefe had a nice game on the defensive end.
Only took one shot and missed but 3 blocks a couple of boards and took a charge.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:12 PM PST up reply actions
Sums up Keefe
Keefe did have a good game by his standards. Its really sad that a player as talented as him cant even make a layup, but at least he does the little things to help his teammates.
I know he hasn't panned out and many hoped, including, I'm sure, himself, . . .
. . . but I have never questioned his heart or his dedication to the team. I hope he continues to positively contribute by doing “the little things” that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:27 PM PST up reply actions
What would've happened
in those Final Four years had Howland implemented a Zone more so our players would learn to attack it? I always thought that’s why we came up short those years
The problem we had in those years was attacking the zone.
Not defending. I see what you are saying though. I am no basketball guru, but I am not sure if learning HOW to play zone defense helps with BREAKING it on the offense end.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:01 PM PST up reply actions
nice
that zone looks a helluva more aggressive than any man we’ve ran all year. finally some nice ball movement which led to a lot of easy shots. everyone seemed to have a nice assist today, including the rim via drago. i really like when the ball moves through honeycutt though. if we can tighten up on offensive boards against us, granted it is a downside to the zone and hit fts a bit better we will be alright.
Across The Face
Maybe that talk Howland had with Drago helped...
It’s still too soon to say we’re back, but there’s greater hope.
Yeah, def. too soon
It could easily fall apart and regress next week (like we saw against Stanford).
the refs
made some curious calls against us too. glad the guys were able to maintain their composure and do their thing. don’t have the #‘s but it looked like we hit fts at an improved clip. thing is if we shot fts like in other games and klay hits a couple shots we lose this too. the margin of error is just very slim with this year’s team
Across The Face
yes, but
We could have lost this game if their shooters got remotely hot, but I have to wonder how much of that was them having an off game, and how much was us just playing decent zone-D against a normally solid shooting offense.
Yeah, can we nominate the entire WSU team for the . . .
. . . “Greg Paulus Best Flopper of the Year” Award. Didn’t follow the comment thread. Were most as outraged as I was on some of those UCLA “charges”?!?!?!
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:07 PM PST up reply actions
Our Two Most Effective Players are Freshmen
RN and TH — though both have room for improvement, as any freshman would, they are playing with drive and intensity.
TH’s game is actually much better than the stat’s will show. He’d have more assists if people could convert on some of his incredible passes. And, his box outs have led to rebounds by other Bruins.
I don’t know anything about this but is it reasonable to say that we couldn’t roll our the zone earlier because we had to learn to play it? It looks like we have. And, it does cover up some of our flaws.
I, for one, believe it a shame that Bobo got hurt when he did. He was starting to show some promise. I love JK, but he has had a series of very neutral games — not much downside and little upside. I think Bobo in the middle for some minutes, with RN at his more natural position would give us a huge rebounding advantage. BTW — after getting killed on the boards in the first half, we really did much better in the second.
All that aside, there is a secret ingredient to our win that only those of us who have been on game day threads for years can identify — BG ‘83 baked those red velvet cupcakes. Her baking karma is a core ingredient of our program’s success. Glad your’re back in the kitchen 83.
sjh
Actually JK had a solid game
It doesn’t show up on the scorecard but he had a solid start and really set the tone on defense. He understand the zone defense much better than Nelson (who has his lapses, which was evident in the Cal game).
He drew a big charge against Reggie Moore that set the tone in second half and got the whole team fired up. He also understands how to break the zone. There was a great play (I think it was in the first half) when he attack the zone right in the middle and then dished it off to Honeycutt for an easy score.
JK has his brain cramp here and there but the kid understands the game and knows what Howland wants from him. I for one really appreciate it from him.
But for all the minutes he plays
There’s really no excuse to not acquire one rebound, or one point.
Huh WTH are you taking about?
He played only 15 mins. He had 2 rebounds, took a charge, had 3 blocks and a beautiful assist. Did you even watch the game?
I was at the game, as with all the others
Sorry if I forgot about those 2 rebounds. He had zero rebounds, along with zero points and 3 offensive fouls in 20 mins v. UW, which is what I was referring to in my comment.
The charge was nice, I’ll give him that.
We were giving him credit for this game
And you diminished it and now you can’t take it back and say you were wrong. That is nice of you.
I admit I was wrong
I thought he had zero points and zero rebounds again, but in fact he had a very impressive 2 rebounds.
Still doesn’t match my expectations of a 5th year senior.
Yeah, he hasn't lived up to the expectations
And your point being? We have made that point few times already on BN. In this case we were just talking about this game.
So was I
I think he could’ve been more productive in this game. If he were as reliable on defense and rebounds as he should be, he would’ve been playing in those last 5 minutes instead of the defensively-shakier Nelson, no?
He played his role in this game
And did well. Nelson at this point is a better finisher inside. As I said he hasn’t lived up to expectations but he is doing everything he can within his ability and playing the role Coach Howland is asking him to do.
You obviously can’t bring yourselves to give him any credit for this game and fired off a snarky comment which was totally baseless. We get your point that he hasn’t lived up to the expectations but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t play a productive role in this game. He did and we should leave it at that.
The blocks were pretty clear on TV.
That’s what stood out to me (and the charge). Sometimes its tough to tell who did what in a scrum of players under the hoop when you are at the game (and the announcers).
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:31 PM PST up reply actions
Huh? He had rebounds (not many).
Only one shot.
Three blocks.
Took a charge.
Check the box score.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:17 PM PST up reply actions
JK had 1 foul and 1 (disputed) rebound
My friend and I were at the game. When we saw JK was starting, we jokingly started a discussion about how long he’d remain in the game and which would happen first – JK getting two fouls or JK getting two rebounds. My friend took the two fouls, I took the two rebounds. Thereafter, we closely followed JK’s activities on the court. He ended up with one foul (should have been two, but SPTR “made up” for missing that by calling ML for his first “charge”) and, possibly, one rebound depending on how the scoring works. JK was fouled in a tussle for a rebound where it wasn’t quite clear if he actually had possession of the ball. Since JK already had one foul, I begged and my friend grudgingly conceded the “rebound”. He had no more fouls and no more rebounds for the 3 or 4 more minutes he played in the game.
Either the box score is wrong or you missed something.
JK played 15 minutes, not 3 or 4. Check the box score.
2 rebounds, both on the offensive end, according to the box score.
JK started because he plays better zone defense than Reeves Nelson. If you recall, the zone was very effective out of the game. If not for Reggie Moore’s 3 pointers in the opening minutes, the Bruins would have gotten out to a big lead.
Every team needs a role player to get the little things done. Do I wish he would have matured more as a player? Absolutely. Am I pleased at his effort every game. Absolutely.
Anyhow, I was pleased with the total team win. Everybody had solid contributions.
by orlandobruin on Jan 24, 2010 5:48 AM PST up reply actions
Donny Mac said that RN was just recovering from flu
I thought that might be the reason JK was starting.
sjh
Thanks, '66
Frankly, it’s always a good day for cupcakes in my book. :-) (Baker’s note: The quality of chocolate used, and the correct icing are the keys to chocolate velvet cupcakes.)
I would send them to our entire team today, if I could.
Love My Bruins
66, I think the idea of Bobo in the middle is solid
But having RN guarding the outside seems like a defensive liability. He is still a little slow on his feet defensively. But oh the shot blocking and rebounding with RN, Bobo and TH on that bottom row.
by 84 on Jan 23, 2010 5:30 PM PST up reply actions
Great recap N
For the first time in a long time, I actually agree with almost everything you wrote. I guess that means you are actually right for once.
My one nitpick would be that we still need to do a better job of limiting the unforced turnovers. At the end of the first half, we should have pushed the lead to double digits. Instead, RN got back to back offensive fouls and ML traveled. We lost momentum and WSU cut it down to 3. I was really worried that WSU would come out of the second half and tie it up, but thankfully CBH stuck with the zone and we pulled away. I cant tell you how much more enjoyable it is to watch MAH and his Eric Gordon like shot than JA. The maturity difference between the two is like night and day.
BTW – UCONN’s students stormed the court today after a 14 point win over Texas who is now on a two game losing streak.
lol
At least I am more right than you are.
UConn beat a team that was ranked number 1 coming into this week and was playing a game without its head coach. You are better than making that kind of stupid comparison.
First, Calhoun is a recruiting coach, not an x and o’s coach. Second, UConn is #21 and has the talent to be a contender this year. Third, the outcome was decided with about 5 minutes of game time and 20 minutes of real time before their students stormed the court. Not exactly the spontaneous celebration of the Den.
I’m not making too much of a deal about it, just thought it was worth mentioning that storming of the courts is something that is rather commonplace in today’s college basketball world and not a blue moon occurrence.
This is off point, but I have found it to be curious in the past . . .
. . . that when UCLA loses on the road (which happened several times last season) teams ALWAYS rush the court, whether the Bruins are a top-ranked team or not. There is a mystique about the U – C – L and A across the chest.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:26 PM PST up reply actions
Well you are making an issue out of it
UConn was playing without Calhoun who is out with an illness. It’s been a huge story in New England. So the team and their entire crowd was jacked up as they were already hyped up for a nationally televised game against a Texas ballclub which was ranked number 1 coming into this week. That game was emotional for them through the entire game.
There is no comparison. The rushing of the court on Thursday was ridiculous, embarrassing and a joke to the legacy of UCLA basketball. We have debated that enough but you can’t let it go bringing it up in a feel good thread. I suggest you let it got at this point. Thanks.
Well we have to argue about something
It has been a long time that we have had a “feel good” Nestor around here. I told you I agreed with your recap, so I had to have something to argue with you about. I shall call a truce. Here’s hoping for a successful Oregon trip this week.
Go Bruins.
They have message boards for Badger jokes too
but they were much more fun over here : )
UConn is a very good program . . .
. . . with a HOF coach but not in the same league as the most storied program in college basketball history.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:20 PM PST up reply actions
UCONN rushing
The more I thought about the court-rush issue, the more I am at ease with the “half-rush” this past Thurs. First of all, the DEN didn’t rush the court for beating UW. They rushed in the moment of euphoria over Mustafa’s incredible shot. Had we beat UW in a less dramatic fashion, I’m confident that we would never had rushing the court.
Contrast that to UCONN, they beat Texas by 12pts! So the rush was completely premeditated. While Texas is ranked #1, they have already lost earlier in the week… in this case, I think UCONN’s rush is unjustified, given their winning tradition.
Anyway, reading the two posts yesterday by our current student BN members made me realize that college kids will always do things on impulse… and in a student’s eyes, fun always trumps tradition, especially in the heat of the moment! We older adults may not do that anymore but I can understand where they are coming from…. but at least it came from “a good place.”
college students do lot of stupid things
It still doesn’t make them right. It’s not the end of the world but this place exists so that we can remind people and make a point about our tradition. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any need for this blog.
The Oregon games and Bay Area home stand
Hold the key to our season, IMO. We have the potential to go 6-0 in those. Or not. And if we can somehow sweep this road stand (which i’d be shocked if we do) there’s no question we’ll have confidence and one hopes a full team effort established for the rest of the year.
Agree that those are all winnable.
UCLA could lose any one (or more) of them as well.
Thursday night at Mac Court will be a tough test.
I am encouraged and hope we continue to show progress.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:23 PM PST up reply actions
Agreed
SUC beating us was a big deal for them since all they have are about 12 games left to show for the season (not including PAC10 tourney). No post-season even means no NIT right?
We can’t let them have a sweep of us on their records for their crappy season!!
Also includes no Pac-10 Tourney
formerly bruinhoo
by Patroclus on Jan 23, 2010 5:40 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Rebounding deficiency?
As much as we are all excited about the nice defensive effort this week, the one defensive area that I’m still very much concerned is our rebounding. Not sure it’s due to a lack of rebounding instinct or commitment to crash the board or perhaps it’s simply a undesirable consequence of zone defense, I feel like we are not rebounding up to the usual Benball standard… rebounding is half of the formula, right?
It seems with our zone D, we are not boxing out opposing players correctly. Perhaps because there isn’t that single player that you were “guarding already”, we are getting lost in the box out assignment. The chief example is that monster putback dunk by WSU (forgot his name). Keefe/RN or Keefe/ND were boxing out the same guy while the WSU guy came in from a different angle and was able to easily slam it home.
I hope it’s something like we can fix over time… otherwise, this zone defense is just stop-gap solution that soon be exposing.
I personally think this may be even more urgent than the TO/FT issue.
Part of the problem
is that this is a new system. We were not practicing the zone before the season, and Howland was not coaching it. I think as we get more comfortable in the system, things like our rebounding will improve.
by Captain Leebeard on Jan 23, 2010 6:56 PM PST up reply actions
Great win, Bruins!
The zone is about 75% established, but the rest is mostly details against high-low, and baseline attacks. The players seem to like it and they play it well, recovering quickly and helping each other intelligently. I am very glad for Abdul-Hamid, who is a smart cookie and full of heart, but I will be surprised if he plays much point guard. Because he is acutely aware of his own limitations, he does not hang onto the ball any longer than is absolutely necessary. But he has definitely earned minutes, and can continue to help this team. It would definitely be in our interest if the under-appreciated JA could get healthy and improve his overall play, shooting better and cutting down on turnovers. And the team rebounding thing needs some attention as well.
JA can do better than MAH
simply by doing the exact same thing that MAH is doing: Playing within your limitations. I’m not sure if JA has figured out how to be decisive.
Not sure if JA has the sweet outside stroke that Mustafa has.
If he does, I haven’t seen it yet.
Hope I do soon!
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:32 PM PST up reply actions
JA has bad hands
Don Maclean kept saying that RN has great hands during the game. JA has the opposite. He fumbles a lot of passes. This is real bad for a point guard, Watch him closely and see how many times he fumbles (not or a TO) a pass or mishandles something.
With the major caveat that I am not sure how bad his groin problem is, he is slow too. MAH made some slow passes during this game and Washington but he seems to know his limits. Not sure JA is there yet and he is almost as slow.
ML is the point guard now and MHH may be the backup. Again, if a healed JA is faster, maybe it is different story.
As far as MAH getting rid of the ball
I’m loving the offense essentially running through the wings. Good things tend to happen when the ball is in THs hands. Same with Roll, to a lesser extent.
Biggest difference?
Klay Thompson, who is still a scrub (doing well in the weakest conference in the country doesn’t exactly prove anything) didn’t look like a superstar today.
Why?
Because Klay “Who?!” Thompson wasn’t being guarded by a lazy scrub who was already dreaming of the NBA. It was a welcome change to see TH, a future Ben Ball Warrior, shut him down, like he should have been.
Mah bad. I remember Malcolm came off the bench to play D last year against Wazzu
and I wasn’t sure if he was guarding Klay or someone else
I don't think so.
I almost certain that he was referring to Jrue Holiday.
by orlandobruin on Jan 23, 2010 4:33 PM PST up reply actions
BTW, anyone else find it odd
That they played man the entire second-half, when Nelson was able to burn them in the paint the whole time?
I have to give props to CBH
While he has admitted his mistakes in recruiting (JA, JK, etc) I really respect him. While I am not a complete fan of his offensive style, I have to commend him on going to the zone defense this year, even if he doesn’t like doing it. That shows an ability to adapt, and for that I am happy. This team is what it is. Any team that relies on guys like Roll, Keefe, and Drag to lead them is in trouble. Not to put them down, but each of those guys would be fantastic role players. They just aren’t feature players. If we had a couple stars, they would fit in nicely. Nelson and Honeycutt are becoming those stars and you are seeing how that helps those guys. Then you add into the fact that Hamid is a lighting rod for positive change and is playing great basketball….that is the recipe for success for this group of guys. I hope that JA comes back to see that he is a 10 minute a game guy.
I have faith in CBH to bring this program back up. If anything, this “road block” of a season has probably enlightened him a little. I think he was becoming too rigid because of a lot of the success that he had. He is the right guy to lead this program, but he needs better assistant coaches, a few better players, and the right blend of 5-star guys, and 3-star guys…….and a walk-on here and there too.
I thought this was one of the better games for shot selection in CBH's time
Most of the shots we took this game were good shots. Because of their Defense first approach, all of CBH’s teams have been known for sometimes running down the clock and then relying on the best offensive player to force a shot or make something happen.
That did not happen this game. For the most part we had good shots in the flow of the offense. Heck, we even scored on inbound plays.
CBH is adjusting nicely to the lesser talent of the team and we won this game not just because of the zone but because the offense executed well.
We have always gotten good shots under Howland
When running down the clock, we would have a set play that tended to open up somebody pretty well at the end of the possession. That is, when we did run down the clock, which goes all the way back to 05-06.
The reason we got so many great shots today is because we played an awful defense that was extremely easy to exploit with some down-low screens.
+1
that’s true wash st D is nothing like the D we’ve seen the past decade, they were awful, can’t even stop drago on the low post
Have you been watch CBH's past teams?
How many times was it AA forcing a shot at the end of the shot clock? JF before that. All of our final four teams relied to some extent on individual effort on the offensive end. These were not plays. We did not often score on inbound plays either.
CBH has always played defense first which has cost us on offense. Not complaining. Even Wooden said a few years back that CBH’s teams play better defense than his did.
However, this team does not really have anyone who can create their own shot (or offense in JF case). To score it needs to be a team effort. That is why this game was fun to watch on the offensive end. Most of the shots were from the team effort not an individual breaking down his man.
We shot 59% and had 17 assists. Your point about WSU defense may be the reason. But they were 4th in PAC 10 in defensive fg% giving up only 43% a game.
Regardless, I still liked the way we played offense.
by DCBruins on Jan 24, 2010 6:51 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
a great win to cap off a great homestand
Nelson was unbelievable, and boy was he pumped up today. DM touched on this in the braodcast, but its great to have a guy like him on your side, his scrappiness and the extra opportunities he creates are huge for this team.
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
They showed Kiffykins at the SuC UW game
he was surrounded by 7 coeds (none his wife) and 1 guy.
I guess he’s trying to look cool, but to me he just looks like a guy begging for the attention of rumors and speculation. Hey, any press is good press, right?
the best game they played this year
i was so glad it was the first game i made to this year….. they played like a team…. i loved it, we should stick to zone D for the rest of the season… for the most part other than dragovic who is a swing door on the right side (thankfully we placed him on the right side since most players can’t drive to their left and have to go right where the top guy can turn and help him) and roll who is caught lost in the zone sometimes (because he had to keep switching from the top to the bottom according to the personnel on the floor)….
on offense we are actually running sets that work, and running sets that get us good open shots down low and setting up the open 3 (both against zone and man defense)….. dragovic is definitely a much better player when he don’t play soft and go inside… and hamid is definitely a calming factor on the floor….. lee made some good passes and was able to drive at will when the shot clock is running low….. these are good signs for better things to come!
How about a summary, please
I watched the whole clip, but with the sound off to keep from getting aggravated. What did the guy say, beyond the obvious that some teams who traditionally are powerhouses are not doing well?
Basically what you said
Essentially, it’s not just us. UConn, NC state, Memphis, even Washington that was projected to win the Pac-10 is doing horrible. So it’s not just Howland, they’re all dealing with a lack of talent.
Finally A Basketball "Team" Wearing Those Four Letters Shows Up On Saturday
Great title Nestor!!
Like that CBH is now totally open
To doing what is necessary to win. I think he will have to add wrinkles to his 2-3 zone. I would still like to see the man periodically and feel that this team could press a little with our length out there. Lee should remain the point with roll his two. MAH should give these two a blow covering both the point and the two. MAH is a solid sub here. I would like to see TH RN BL start but know that will not happen. I just don’t like living and dying with ND. I think CBH can do a better job of balancing the time of ND and TH with JK BL and RN. These five can totally cover the 3 4 & 5 spots and give lots of teams headaches inside. Good job bruins and I look forward to more coaching creativity and inspirations from CBH as we work towards a winning season!
BL just isn't ready yet to be a mainstay in the lineup
With that said I agree with others who believe he should get more PT. Yesterday he got zero. As long as we are winning that flies. But if we lose then it won’t. Jon Gold said that CBH will stick with ND and JK as long as we have a shot but as soon as it is obvious that the season is lost, then we will likely see BL and MM.
by 84 on Jan 24, 2010 9:02 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
+1
BL is too raw and makes too many mistakes. He hustles a lot which is nice but not enough to play. That said some road games, we are going to need to play 8 if for no other reason to save RN a foul in the first half. (We will have more fouls against us on the road.)
I think a healthy Bobo should be the 8th guy but if not than the 8th man should be BL. That said I would still like to play 7 in the second half.
Pressing
We don’t have the talent to press like Coach had.
It takes speed, the ability to stay in front of people, and a great stopper under the basket.
We had the prerequisites the last few years and didn’t use the press.
There are some very good posts on BN analyzing the press and it UCLA history — going back to when Coach first started using it and the players who made it work.
sjh
Agree.
But next year with the loss of ND and MR we should be quicker. TH and ML are perfect players for the 1-2-1-1 trapping zone press. Haven’t seen Lazeric Jones yet but Lamb will be plenty able along with a developed MM. RN or Bobo deep and I think it works.
by 84 on Jan 24, 2010 9:12 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Love the press but
it is not CBH’s style. We are a get back and set on defense team, even now.
Even a good press gives up easy baskets which is what CBH hates. Remember his defense in good years is not geared toward turnovers but missed shots. He loves keeping the other team under 40% in FG%,
This year it does not matter, as we all agree we don’t have the right personal for a press. But I doubt we will see it in the future much.
Agree completely and in CBH I trust
but every team and every coach needs to have it in their bag. Eventually we will find ourselves down by 10 with 4 minutes to go (often this season) and it would be indicated to press, personnel or not. Most non-pressing teams just go man to man at that point but a nice Woodenesque zone press could be effective with the right players.
by 84 on Jan 24, 2010 9:30 AM PST up reply actions
Agree
Every team presses when they are down at the end but still have a chance to win. We are no exception. Some years we have good players to do it more than as an act of desperation.
Some teams (Pittino coached teams, UCLA first national championship team, etc.) press most of the game and to key their offense.
I don’t see CBH every doing that, regardless of personnel. I agree with you that it be nice to use a press in other than desperation situations but like you in CBH I trust.
On a Roll
Let’s not forget about Roll. I think he is the glue that brought this team together when he showed his commitment after the SC loss. This weekend will do wonders for the team’s confidence. I don’t believe they will tank again. They know how to win now.
We will see how TH and RN respond in The Pit.
Can be quite hostile, just ask Kevin Love.
by 84 on Jan 24, 2010 9:31 AM PST up reply actions
Can't Believe it took 100+ Posts
Roll played a fantastic game again. Except for one horrible turnover at the end, he’s the glue that makes everything work. You can see they all look for him. He always cuts to get open to relieve the pressure on ML, he hits key runners to produces points and reduces the defensive pressure. He plays smart and (this week) took very good shots. TH is emerging, but without MR this team would be lost.
by 75NatChamps on Jan 24, 2010 10:43 AM PST up reply actions
It was great to see this team build on the momentum from Thursday
rather than settle for split as they seemed to on the road at Cal/Stanford.
A couple of other thoughts from this week:
1. MAH vs. JAnderson – Based on the rest of the team, I did not think it would make much difference who got the PG minutes, especially after MAH got chewed up in the Concordia opener. But, although MAH doesn’t add anything dymanic when he is on the floor, he definitely makes less unforced/demoralizing errors than JA which is HUGE for a team that has so litte room for error. It has got to increase the overall confidence level of the rest of the team when he is on the floor instead of JA.
2. Keefe in the starting lineup – not sure if this was a strategic move or due to RN not feeling well. But, I think it helped RN be more focused. Most of his moves to the basket were under control, not simply throwing the ball up hoping for contact and a foul. If this was a strategic move, it shows that CBH is continuing to make adjustments and not stubbornly stick to his original plan going into the season whether it works or not.
3. Oregon road trip – could not come at a better time. These are two very winnable games for a team desperate for wins and added momentum. With Cal going on the road for the next two weeks, believe it or not, we could find ourselves playing Cal for first place in the Pac-10. Who would have thought that was possible a week or two ago?
4. Zone defense – our guys do seem to getting better and committing more effort which is paying dividends on both ends of the court. When we were playing man-to-man defense, it had to be incredibly demoralizing that realistically, we had no chance of winning a game on defense which led to a frenzied instead of controlled effort on offense to try to make up for those defensive shortcomings. Now that our guys know that they CAN stop the other team’s offense, they seem to be more composed running the offense.
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