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I guess it's my turn to get the post-game thread tonight to blog a quick recap of Steve Alford's stale and lifeless program in Chiantiville. Yuck.
The game is still going on but the outcome against a terrible opponent is not in doubt. So I am not going to wait till the final whistle to post this.
Ben Howland's recruits are cruising past an underachieving Stanford (12-6, 3-3) bunch led by a terrible coach (well all of Coach K's much hyped protégés have turned out to be terrible head coaches) at a half-empty, dead Pauley Pavilion. The final score was XX-XX. Here is the box score. Meh.
Tony Parker had an amazing first half leading the Bruins with 10 points and 5 boards. Alford told the court-side reporter that the Wears were not filling better today and yet he started both Wears to start the second half.
Also, towards the end of the first half Bruins seem to take control of the game when they went away from playing Alford's DaddyBall. Yet sure enough while the Bruins had the momentum Alford thought it was necessary to sub in his son to substitute for Tony Parker. Because? Parker finished the game with 22 points and 6 rebounds.
The usual suspects had good game. Kyle was Kyle as usual finishing with yet another double-double as he was just 3 boards short of a triple double (13 points, 10 assists and 7 boards). He makes it look all so effortless. Zach LaVine had a great game. While he took couple of freshman shots here and there, he showed off his freaking athleticism which includes some nifty passes on first breaks (leading to more question about why Balford gets mins at PG over him). LaVine finished the night with 6 assists (he scored 8 points).
The game was fairly boring and excruciating to watch except for the stretches when UCLA had it's key 4 + big lineup on the floor. Seriously Bruins are fun to watch when we have Kyle Anderson, Norman Powell, Zach LaVine, Jordan Adams and a big (preferably Tony Parker) on the floor. They at times look like an elite-eight level team that should contend for the Pac-12 title (well they won the conference last year).
Otherwise it's not really all that exciting to watch some loser coach from Indiana continue to burn down whatever foundation that's left in Coach Wooden's program, by giving his son minutes that should be going to a NBA first-rounder and an ultra-athletic guard. Bruins (15-4, 4-2) win another game but a meh win against a poorly coached underachieving opponent at home doesn't really do much to change the complexion of a program in the dumpster.
Fire away in our pre-emptive post game thread.
GO BRUINS.