UCLA at Washington Basketball Game Day Notes: The Huskies' Main Worry is Boredom
by DCBruins on Feb 2, 2012 6:00 AM PST
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I have heard cocky statements before but the latest from up north is up there with any of them. In preparing for tonight's game against UCLA on ESPN at 6 p.m. PST, Washington's head coach Lorenzo Romar stated the following (emphasis mine):
Coach Lorenzo Romar summed up the Huskies' main objective pretty succinctly Tuesday.
"Not to get bored with success," he said. "To understand why we got better and not try to experiment at this point."
Well I guess, according to the Huskies, the game is already over unless the Huskies get bored. We have lost every game at Washington since 2004 but there is no respect, fear, or even worry about UCLA tonight. UCLA is not a big deal to the Washington Huskies:
[Huskies' back-up PF Darnell] Gant, a Los Angeles native, said he's not surprised by UCLA's struggles this season. "I didn't think they were going to be as great as the media was making them out to be," he said. "... I didn't think they should be ranked in the (preseason top 25). I didn't think they were that good. But they're a decent team. They got a lot of hype early, but that wasn't a shock to me that they were struggling."
Former UCLA assistant coach Lorenzo Romar was not surprised either by UCLA's struggles but did say a few other nice things when not worrying about being bored:
"When you look at the inner dynamics of their team, I wouldn't say it would surprise me but you could see it happening. . . . I think they addressed the issue and now they're playing much better. . . .
"They're sharing the ball as well as they have all year and they're playing very, very efficient offense. We said that about Cal when we were getting ready to play Cal. Right now they're right there with the way they're playing. They're cutting and screening. Finding the open man and slipping screens. They're doing a really nice job."
Well the football team used to be called the "gutty little Bruins," so now I guess in the eyes of Romar's Huskies we are the "nice boring Bruins."
The Bruins will have more motivation then just Romar's boredom comment. They will also have a loud crowd that will be after them, especially Josh:
"I thought he played great last year. He had 16 boards, most he's had in his career. They're going to be there on him again yelling at him. Hopefully it's motivation for him."
The Bruins are preparing for the crowd and hoping this time will finally be different:
"It's really loud," Howland said. So loud, he said, that during timeouts, "we have cards so the players can communicate by reading versus verbal."
UCLA players know what awaits them Thursday night.
"They get on a run and their crowd really gets going," UCLA guard Tyler Lamb said.
UCLA is 1-7 at Washington under Howland. The Bruins are 46-25 on the road against the rest of the conference.
Of course we are 1-4 on the road this year in conference. However, what won't be different for UCLA is Travis Wear at center.
"He's a good scorer. I think he's a hard matchup when he's playing the five for other fives to guard him. he's really a four being defended by a five. He's getting high percentage shots - his teammates are hitting. he had four dunks on Saturday and Jerime hit him for two of them - he seems to be in right place at right time."
Or trying a zone change up. On a Bruin TV press conference earlier this week, when asked about utilizing the zone, Coach Howland stated:
"There is no telling we could bring it back. . . . We have been focusing on our Man. . . .."
[Follow up question from unnamed reporter] Are you working on the zone in practice?
"No."
Thus, Ben Howland has given up on making the defense better since there will be no more zone and with Travis Wear and Joshua Smith taking most of the minutes at center (thus, leaving only a few minutes at most for the best low-post and help defender on this roster, Anthony Stover).
So there you have it. Maybe there is a reason that the Huskies' biggest worry is being bored with their success. I hope Howland knows what he is doing and makes Washington pay. Boredom is not an issue for me. I liked UCLA under Howland when it was winning "boring" low scoring games. I am more worried about anger when Howland stubbornly refuses to play the players in the manner that can help his defense.
Here's to hoping Lorenzo and I are wrong and UCLA finally beats the Huskies tonight.
Go Bruins.
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Typical comments from a coach with no class and a program with no history.
Washington is high school drop out who buys a lottery ticket every day with his six pack, and who suddenly thinks he’s a sophisticated grown up when he wins. We might be a program in decline (thanks, Dan), but Washington is a program that never was and never will be.
in all fairness, the UW campus is gorgeous
having been up there a few times, I have to say that campus (when not raining) is one of the most lush and beautifully green campuses I have ever walked on. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not UCLA quality, but it’s a great campus.
all that being said, Romar is still a clown and I hope we crush them tonight.
I really hope we see Stover get more minutes.
If Howland insists we play man defense then Stover will be more important than ever. With their extremely athletic guards, we’ll definitely need a presence near the basket. Stover’s ability to alter shots will be key to slowing down penetration or at least making it tougher to finish around the basket.
Let the Stover watch begin!
Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. ~ Vince Lombardi
Gee, Lorenzo--sorry we are boring you
But lose some weight, pal. Your gut is becoming as big as your ego.
Go Bruins!
Howland needs to show these comments to his players
They need to be on everyone’s locker getting these guys motivated.
Light a fire under their butts and get them to play lights out.
Dreaming of Westwood while in permanent exile in Virginia
We can't talk back unless we actually win tonight
Howland’s history is not on our side. I wonder if he secretly has been preparing zone defense and just doesn’t want UW to know our plans.
My hopes are not high for this one. Ugh at this season.
Sadly, that's my impression as well
Romar has beaten Howland like a drum in Seattle. If he wants them to shut up, he has to win.
Travis Wear also said we have not been practicing zone
I don’t think it is a bluff
Even though best left unsaid in the media...
coach Lorenzo Romar is right. He knows that if his team gets bored, then that most likely means they are playing at the pace best suited for the Bruins. I think this is why he invokes Cal’s style of play—methodical execution on offense and the ability to control the tempo. As DCBruins alluded to, Howland’s boring style wins games. So yes, Romar doesn’t want his team to get bored. You know what’s boring? Zone defense. Hopefully Howland is bluffing and we’ll see some of it tonight. If not…at least lots and lots of Stover, please.
I agree
We’ve done nothing to earn any respect. Gotta prove it on the court. Tonight. Put up or shut time. I’ll be rooting hard but I have little confidence.
by RealisticBruinFan on Feb 2, 2012 10:14 AM PST up reply actions
A little faith...
This team plays with a lot of heart and pride, they have great chemistry and Howland’s clubs tend to play very well with time to prepare. I know UW is tough at home, but they are inconsistent on offense – especially, if forced to play in the half court. If Ross and Wilcox are hitting jumpers it will be a long night, but the Huskies don’t have an answer for Josh and the Wears on the other end. Interesting to see how it plays out. I like the way our team is playing offensively. This game comes down to rebounding and taking care of the rock. We do that we win.
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
Disagree
The team executed poorly, made poor adjustmetns and didn’t handle on ball pressure very well in both games. When the guards play with poise and are making good decisions the team is really difficult to beat.
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
Yes sir!
I believe the team that scores the most is undefeated…
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
We must have watched different games
Because I saw a team that tuned out it’s coach in second half of both games. They were huge games for UCLA to have any shot at regular season conference title.
These comments would seem ludicrous in the past
Sadly it is easy to run this smack considering the current state of Howland’s program
Zone, Stover, Powell..
UCLA doesn’t exert enough ball pressure atop the zone for it to be effective for long stretches – nor to they have the size at guard to keep the opposition from getting boards.
Cal beat UW because the Huskies were horrible beyond the arc (they played the game without Wilcox, and Gant shot poorly – they had great looks all night), and Cal continually fed the post getting easy buckets, getting N’Dyaie in foul trouble and getting to the free throw line. UCLA should exploit the lack of depth UW has at the 4-5 if they want to win tonight.
Stover is a difference maker on defense, but his lack of offense affects spacing and lets teams shut down our easy looks beyond the stripe. UCLA’s offense works best when the Wear’s play an inverted post, stretching the bigs and it allows driving lanes. When Smith is in the game, UCLA needs to run more iso sets with Lamb (our best post feeder) and Smith on the same side of the floor. Stover affects a lot of shots, but usually leaves himself in terrible position to grab rebounds.
Powell will match up against Wroten tonight. He has the size and athleticism to stay in front of him and strength to defend Wroten when the Huskies post him. UCLA was burned by Wilcox last year – they really don’t have a player that can match his size if the Huskies go with him as their off guard and Wroten at point. Lamb will likely guard Ross.
Lastly, Vegas has the Huskies as a 3.5 favorite, telling me that the experts think UCLA is actually better than UW. Most teams get 4-5 points for playing at home. Just a thought. The key to the game is if our guards can handle the Huskies size and athleticism and not turn it over. The Bruins have got to aggessively attack the rim and keep the Huskies off the backboards. These are things they are more than capable of doing it all comes down to execution. UCLA 73, UW 69
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
by 11 Banners on Feb 2, 2012 9:44 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Thoughts
1. Stover helps because he let’s our guys over play. If they get beat, they still have Stover to protect the rim. His low post D is nice but his help defense is great. That may then exceed the admittedly lost offense. Certainly for periods of time of the game. And yes I agree with you on Stover and rebounding but the last time he played double digit minutes he had 6 rebounds in 11 minutes. He MAY be getting better.
2. We are an under dog. Wroten is not a good three shooter (his only weakness). It is okay if we would gamble that they don’t hit their threes. If they turn hot, oh well, we go to man. It is bad that we are not even go try a strategy that worked before. (Keep in mind Wilcox is hurting for UW.)
3. I hope you are right on Powell. However, I am willing to bet he plays no more than 12-14 minutes tonight. Again I hope you are right but I think Howland will not use him that much except to briefly rest the starting three guards.
Well...
Wilcox is going to play tonight. He’s been regularly missing practice, but participating in games. He is the wild card. UW really doesn’t have the inside game they had with Brockman or MBA in previous seasons – N’Dyiae is big, but very limited.
Romar will isolate Gant and Simmons on the Wears, make them guard in space. If we went zone, Romar would simply flood one side of the zone with Ross and Wilcox on one side and allow Wroten and Gaddy to attack our smaller guards. UW is a tough match up for us – very similar to MTSU earlier, we just have to hope they aren’t hitting their threes.
I think Stover is a difference maker on defense, but if you play him and UW goes small – which they will do, he really doesn’t make them pay on the offensive end and if all they do is drive and kick he really doesn’t have a chance to make plays on D.
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
Nope
I kind of agree with what you are saying just not were you end up. It is just CBH has options and he should use them. What you say is right SOME of the time. Other times it is not.
Take Wilcox. By that I mean Wilcox is not going to play 40 minutes. Maybe try zone when Wilcox is out. Wilcox is a zone buster.
I would also play Powell in M2M more on Wroten but maybe not when he is out.
If they go real small, okay no Stover and never play Stover in zone. Stover allows us to play tight M2M knowing our less athletic guys are going to be beat off the dribble but Stover will be there to help.
Howland has some tools and he needs to use them.
Same page
UCLA has to give up a little offense to best match up against UW. I’m not sure that is the recipe to defeat them in their building. The Bruins go into long scoring droughts on the road – that is mainly due to their lack of a bona fide “go to” scorer. Asking Zeke to manufacture a bucket leads to poor defensive floor balance and, typically, a forced shot. The offense works best with both Wears on the floor teaming with Anderson, because both can face the basket and move without the rock. The issue there is Anderson is a below grade defender and teams iso the Wears and usually kill us off bounce.
Howland has been doing a better job in mixing and matching personnel. The Bruins really don’t have an answer for teams that have an athletic three man. The team also struggles mightily with clubs that balance the floor with shooters out of both corners. It has always been the weakness in CBH’s M2M – even with LRMAM and AA.
The team seems to get their energy on defense from scoring the ball. I don’t think zone works tonight. As good as Wroten is, he makes a lot of bad decisions with the ball. UW loses a lot when he’s playing point and Gaddy goes to the bench. He’s more of a score first guard. Ross is prone to taking quick shots, the Huskies don’t exhibit a lot of discipline if you keep them out of transition. This game is winnable.
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
Players win games, but coaches put them in the best position to win those games
I just don’t believe Howland not playing zone or sticking with playing the wears at the same time gives UCLA the best chance to win. I am not saying play zone the whole game but come on throw it at them 10+ possessions a game.
SPTRs in Washington, always my worst feared officiating game of the season
Start Stover And Give Powell Enough Minutes to Rest Zeek and Jerime
We have to end the slow starts that put us 8-10 points down in the first few minutes. The energy expended in catching up is energy not available at the end of the game.
I’m tired of seeing us start two Wears (both of whom are great kids), falling behind AND then using Stover and his energy to claw back into the game.
Starting Stover seems like a no brainer to me.
And, I’m a bit tired of CBH admitting, after a loss, that he played Zeek too many minutes. There’s a way to protect Zeek. Use Powell more.
And, really, if Josh is in the game, is there any reason not to go zone? At least part of the time?
sjh
Zone and Josh
I agree with you that every minute Josh is on the floor the team needs to play zone, even junk it up with a box and one or some combo of zone with man principles, especially up top. It has to be installed, coached, practiced and believed in.
With Josh on the floor, team will double him and allow Lamb or Powell to beat them from deep. Josh is a good enough passer to hit cutters off the double, the only issue is UCLA doesn’t have a team of finishers at the rim (outside of Powell).
If Zeke is off the floor and Jerime is left to handle pressure the team doesn’t get into the offense and we tend to turn it over. Powell is going to be a nice player, but he’s shaky with his handle and doesn’t play with a ton of confidence on the road.
Personally, I’d love to see Stover team with T. Wear, Lamb, Powell and Zeke. But, offensively teams would take away Zeke and force Lamb to make plays off the bounce. He could do it, but the opposition could easily free a help defender by playing off Stover. Anderson gives us a threat to penetrate or hit the open three. D. Wear is smart, gets good position and can finish and hit his free throws.
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
I think 11 Banners should be our next coach
Thanks for your thoughts and analysis. I agree with like 99% of what you say. This doesn’t seem like rocket science, and yet…
How can we forward all your posts to CBH? It must drive you bananas to see them NOT do what you outline virtually all the time.
Here's an odd suggestion: a little bit of foul trouble could actually help us.
I’ve just about (but not totally) given up on Howland making rational strategic/tactical decisions to put his hard working players in the best possible position to win. Tonight he needs to do that.
So this had me thinking, I wonder if a bit of foul trouble for Joshau, one of the Wears and Jerime could work in our favor. Under these circumstances, Howland has given more minutes to Stover, Powell and even, occasionally, Lane. The first two put more athleticism on the floor and Lane puts more toughness under the boards on the floor.
If Wash dictates pace, we’ll probably get into foul trouble – so maybe that will be good. If Wash dictates pace, we’ll need to have fresher legs on our athletically challenged twins, twins and Josh Smith.
Beware of idle minds!
The reason Howland won't play zone
is that he has already given up on this season. He said so himself, he said they only way to make the NCAA tournament is to win the Pac-12 tournament.
Howland is already playing for next year. I think he is hoping to have the horses to play good M2M next year. The problem is he’s not playing two key guys (Stover and Powell) enough.
At this point he doesn’t really care about winning games, and why should he? He’s got a boss who doesn’t give a shit.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
How does this follow??
CBH said to make the tournament, they have to win the Pac-12 tourney. That seems pretty damn accurate. How does it follow then that he has “given up on this season” and he “doesn’t really care about winning games?” I’m not happy with how this season has gone either, but I NEVER get the impression Howland isn’t trying desperately or doesn’t care.
His point is we’ve screwed the pooch so badly up to now that even a 10 game winning streak from here on out (and 12 in a row total) won’t guarantee us a berth, in large part because 11 of those wins would come against the god-awful Pac-12.
when Howland made that comment
UCLA was still in position to make a run at the regular season title. If UCLA finishes the reg season going 14-4 it will have a shot to make the tourney wo winning the conf tourney. Morever, Howland should have never made that comment bc if the Bruins are in bubble that soundbite will be used against us. It was a dumb statement and also sent a bag signal to the team that it’d be ok to quit. That is exactly what they have done multiple times on the road.
by Nestor on Feb 2, 2012 3:23 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Coach Howland has zero quit in him...
I believe he is guilty of being honest to a fault. UCLA has zero top 50 wins on its resume. Cannot win on the road. Did diddly OOC, has lost a handful of winnable games. Outside of running the table the next ten, the Bruins need to keep improving, hope their arc coincides with the Pac-12 tourney and string three wins together.
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
That wasn't the case
when he made that statement. See Nestor’s comment above.
I’m not calling Howland a quitter at all. What I am saying is that it seems he is simply using this season to stubbornly continue to coach the way he wants even if it is not the best way to win games.
When I say “he doesn’t care about winning games”, I mean that he doesn’t fear the repercussions of losing, thus he can just focus on “teaching”. That’s what I see. I’m no expert.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
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