Calling Out The Chicken Littles

by Nestor on Mar 31, 2008 4:04 AM PDT in Basketball Comment 11 comments

So once again our Ben Ball warriors will be taking on John Calipari's Memphis Tigers in the Big Dance. We will get to the Tigers soon enough. We already know about Calipari's UCLA snark before the Dance started couple of weeks ago. I am sure we are going to hear lot of the same doubting and hating of our Ben Ball warriors heading into Saturday as everyone will be hoping for the big bad Tigers to roll over and show up our warriors.

Don't be surprised if we hear more worrying and doubting from Chicken Littles in our own backyard. Frank Burlison called out those chicken littles after the Xavier game:

All the Chicken Littles who root for, or follow in passing, the UCLA basketball team, or who write and talk about the Bruins in media outlets, weren't left with much to worry about or nit pick Saturday evening in Phoenix.

Sure, the sky -- and season -- came dangerously close to crashing on Bruin heads a week ago Saturday night in the Honda Center before they escaped Orange County with a second-round NCAA Tournament win over Texas A&M.

And, yes, Western Kentucky, a No. 12 seed, did slice away all but four points from the 21-point edge UCLA held at intermission Thursday night in a West Regional semifinal before the foul- and turnover-plagued Bruins recouped and won by "only" 10 points.

Couple those two games with three or four "near escapes" down the stretch against Pacific-10 Conference competition - escapes made possible, some believe, by a perceived officiating oversight or ineptitude - and faith in a coach and program that had a 96-16 record over three seasons was teetering.

So I suppose UCLA's performance against a very good, 30-win Xavier team, which resulted in an eased-up 76-57 victory, calmed some nerves -- for the time being.

Of course, the Bruins' opponent next Saturday night in the San Antonio Alamodome in the program's third consecutive Final Four appearance will be one of two very good teams, South Regional top seeds Memphis and Texas, who meet today in Houston.

So there will soon be reason enough to resume fretting over the disappearance of Josh Shipp's jump shot, the inconsistent play of guards Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's 37 different injuries and, of course, Howland's "over-controlling" of UCLA's offense.

And, come Saturday, Howland's Bruins will be prepared to do all they can keep that sky from crashing down one more time.

Yeap. Frank sums it up perfectly. We know our boys are going to come out ready, prepared and give everything they have on Saturday.

For all the Chicken Littles who want to know what our guys are all about:

Thanks to ewcorpuz for putting together yet another masterpiece.

It certainly got me fired up and helped me get in the right frame of mind heading into Saturday.

GO BRUINS.

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Where to watch the games in Westwood?

I swung on by Maloney's this weekend and there was a line outside. The rest of Westwood was pretty sparse. So I headed out to 3rd St. where there was a better crowd. But with everyone returning this week, where's a good place (i.e. you can actually get inside and not wait in lines) to watch the games in Westwood? I figures there will be places in Santa Monica, Pasadena, etc. but I'd rather be next to campus.

by mark the bruin on Mar 31, 2008 7:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

oops wrong tread

Monday morning....

by mark the bruin on Mar 31, 2008 7:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

UNC / UCLA

After UCLA's WKU game, where as noted WKU cut the lead to 4 points but UCLA pulled away to win by 10: UCLA is vulnerable, UCLA can be beaten, they are paper tigers, they can't do anything if they don't get the calls.

After UNC's Louisville game, where Louisville cut the lead to 0 points but UNC pulled away to win by 10: UNC is gritty, Tyler Hansborough willed the team to victory, UNC stepped up when they had to, UNC is on a mission.

by njbruin on Mar 31, 2008 8:20 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I wonder

If KU will have to "apologize" to their local press for their 2 pt win over Davidson?

by bluestreet on Mar 31, 2008 8:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

KANSAS / UCLA

"UCLA has the easiest road of the three" and ended up beating a 16, a(should have higher) 9, a 12, and a 3 = 40

In comparison, Kansas played a 16, a 8, a 12, and a (underrated) 10 = 46.

Perhaps I'm not hearing the analysts say "should have" when they describe who has the easiest road, and think its all hogwash, anyway - the best teams in each region will rise up at different points of the tourney and challenge those teams who eventually move on.

After playing their Easy rationale, the MSM turned and continues to proclaim UCLA vulnerable - aka Bruin blemishes by Gene Woj., TWO days after we've made the Final Four back to back to back. I really need to stop reading ESPN.com.

Vaya con dios.

by boston bruin on Mar 31, 2008 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope other teams think we're "weak"

Like many have said, when you're the overall #1, you have a target on your back and everyone plays their best to beat you like TAMU tried to do. So I think it works in our favor that everyone is writing us off. CBH will just print it out and give it to our team before the game to read. That fired up DC when he played Xavier.

by mark the bruin on Mar 31, 2008 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

WWL

There is a poll on ESPN that asks what the greatest game in the tournament has been so far. Every choice is so-and-so beats someone, except for our game against A&M. For example, Duke beats Belmont by 2. Our game is listed as A&M loses to UCLA by 2 points.

CG (Signholder #18)

by lil eg not cs on Mar 31, 2008 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

To be fair

I think most people believed WKU sucked and that Louisville was a great team. IF you believe that, then their criticsm is not unfair. In either case, everybody loves UCLA now, except for the local press.

by dokein on Mar 31, 2008 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

no team

That makes the Sweet 16 sucks. That is something Howland even tried to point out in the interviews that week. Surely, people that cover basketball should know that.

Yea, okay, L'ville is better than WKU. So? For one thing, I don't remember UNC opening a 20+ point lead on the Cards. Secondly, the tournament is about more than raw skills. Surely, people that cover basketball should know that as well.

by njbruin on Mar 31, 2008 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs