Re: UCLA preview: Is trouble Bruin for Mustangs?
by mhBruin » Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:54 am
Hi,
I hope to visit a bit this week and chat about hoops.
First of all, generally Bruin fans have a tremendous amount of respect for Larry Brown. He did a remarkable job with our team, and most people were heartbroken when he left for Kansas.
I also watched your team a bit this year, and I was really impressed with your interior passing. That is always a sign of a well-coached team to me.
A few thoughts about our team. We have talent, youth and flaws. We have 4 McDonald's All-Americans on the team, Tony Parker, Kevon Looney, Isaac Hamilton, and Thomas Welsh. That doesn't mean we look like Kentucky with skill and athleticism at every position. Parker at center has been slow to develop, but is finally starting to be a force inside. Your challenge is to keep him from getting the ball. (More on that later)
Welsh is the backup center, and will be a monster some day, but this year is still adjusting to the college game.
Hamilton has mostly been a disappointment until going off for 36 in a game this week. He can score, but has not been consistent. Consider him an X-factor.
Kevon Looney will be a lottery pick after this season, but is kind of an invisible player. He can do a little of everything and averaged a double-double as a freshman, but you barely notice him doing it. Most UCLA fans feel he was under-utilized and he gets a lot of points on garbage plays, but he is also our best 3-point shooter.
Our best player is Norman Powell, the only senior. You have to keep him out of the lane. He finds ways to get to the hoop, when there seems to be no opening. He was a great 3-point shooter, but injured his thumb and has never been as good since. He doesn't take a lot of them any more.
The most controversial player is Bryce Alford. He is not a true point guard, but he plays the position because we don't have one on the roster. He has good PG stats, and when he is on, he can shoot the 3 from LONG distance. Still, he is criticized a lot for his decision-making with the ball. That has improved, but he still makes head-scratching plays. Jumping in the air to pass drives everyone crazy. He is capable of being the best or the worst player on the floor.
As mentioned, our bench is a real weakness. If we get 10 points off the bench, it will be a miracle. The bench players don't make a lot of mistakes, but are mostly not threats on offense. When Noah Allen is in (our only backcourt sub), your defense should play 5 on 4. He rarely shoots.
As for youth, we lost 5 of our 6 leading scorers from last season. 4 are in the NBA. Only 2 of our current roster played significant minutes last year.
So how do you beat us? 1) Dribble penetration. We are not quick and can get beat on defense. 2) Keep Norman Powell out of the lane. Easier said than done. 3) Deny Tony Parker the ball inside and double him when he gets it. Once he get the ball, he rarely kicks it out.
This should be a good game. We are not a great team, but we have enough talent to be dangerous. Alford is not a great coach, but he is good enough. And in this tournament anything can happen. Great UCLA teams have lost to the likes of Tulsa, Idaho State, and Wyoming.
Don't let all the "experts" saying we don't belong fool you. We will give you a game.
I hope to visit a bit this week and chat about hoops.
First of all, generally Bruin fans have a tremendous amount of respect for Larry Brown. He did a remarkable job with our team, and most people were heartbroken when he left for Kansas.
I also watched your team a bit this year, and I was really impressed with your interior passing. That is always a sign of a well-coached team to me.
A few thoughts about our team. We have talent, youth and flaws. We have 4 McDonald's All-Americans on the team, Tony Parker, Kevon Looney, Isaac Hamilton, and Thomas Welsh. That doesn't mean we look like Kentucky with skill and athleticism at every position. Parker at center has been slow to develop, but is finally starting to be a force inside. Your challenge is to keep him from getting the ball. (More on that later)
Welsh is the backup center, and will be a monster some day, but this year is still adjusting to the college game.
Hamilton has mostly been a disappointment until going off for 36 in a game this week. He can score, but has not been consistent. Consider him an X-factor.
Kevon Looney will be a lottery pick after this season, but is kind of an invisible player. He can do a little of everything and averaged a double-double as a freshman, but you barely notice him doing it. Most UCLA fans feel he was under-utilized and he gets a lot of points on garbage plays, but he is also our best 3-point shooter.
Our best player is Norman Powell, the only senior. You have to keep him out of the lane. He finds ways to get to the hoop, when there seems to be no opening. He was a great 3-point shooter, but injured his thumb and has never been as good since. He doesn't take a lot of them any more.
The most controversial player is Bryce Alford. He is not a true point guard, but he plays the position because we don't have one on the roster. He has good PG stats, and when he is on, he can shoot the 3 from LONG distance. Still, he is criticized a lot for his decision-making with the ball. That has improved, but he still makes head-scratching plays. Jumping in the air to pass drives everyone crazy. He is capable of being the best or the worst player on the floor.
As mentioned, our bench is a real weakness. If we get 10 points off the bench, it will be a miracle. The bench players don't make a lot of mistakes, but are mostly not threats on offense. When Noah Allen is in (our only backcourt sub), your defense should play 5 on 4. He rarely shoots.
As for youth, we lost 5 of our 6 leading scorers from last season. 4 are in the NBA. Only 2 of our current roster played significant minutes last year.
So how do you beat us? 1) Dribble penetration. We are not quick and can get beat on defense. 2) Keep Norman Powell out of the lane. Easier said than done. 3) Deny Tony Parker the ball inside and double him when he gets it. Once he get the ball, he rarely kicks it out.
This should be a good game. We are not a great team, but we have enough talent to be dangerous. Alford is not a great coach, but he is good enough. And in this tournament anything can happen. Great UCLA teams have lost to the likes of Tulsa, Idaho State, and Wyoming.
Don't let all the "experts" saying we don't belong fool you. We will give you a game.
- mhBruin
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:28 am
Re: UCLA preview: Is trouble Bruin for Mustangs?
by PonyPride » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:24 amArgh .... you're right — thanks for catching that.skurtn wrote:The article says we haven't played any similar teams.
We have, Gonzaga.
Fixing now.
PonyFans.com ... is really the premier place for Mustang talk on the Web.
— New York Times
http://www.facebook.com/PonyFans
twitter.com/PonyFans
— New York Times
http://www.facebook.com/PonyFans
twitter.com/PonyFans
PonyPride- Posts: 9371
- Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2000 4:01 am
- Location: Dallas, Texas
Re: UCLA preview: Is trouble Bruin for Mustangs?
by PonyPride » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:25 am
Fixed.
Thanks, skurtn.
Thanks, skurtn.
PonyFans.com ... is really the premier place for Mustang talk on the Web.
— New York Times
http://www.facebook.com/PonyFans
twitter.com/PonyFans
— New York Times
http://www.facebook.com/PonyFans
twitter.com/PonyFans
PonyPride- Posts: 9371
- Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2000 4:01 am
- Location: Dallas, Texas
Re: UCLA preview: Is trouble Bruin for Mustangs?
by Bruin Steve » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:38 am
My fellow Bruin mh just gave you a pretty fair assessment--the Bruins are a very young team with a very short roster...
Just to give you a little more info:
The way the roster got there was sort of a nightmare...We knew the Wear Brothers were graduating (Travis played this season for the Knicks while David was MVP of the D-League), It was well anticipated that Kyle Anderson was going to the NBA (He was the first round pick of the Knicks)...and Zach Lavine seemed intent on going pro as well (First round to the TWolves and NBA slam dunk champ)...But, no one anticipated Jordan Adams leaving early (Ist Round to Memphis), but, after announcing he was returning, family considerations forced him to go pro...
So, the Bruins had expected Adams to be back as a returning All-Conference player and likely favorite for All-American...Would have been the "go-to" guy...
The Bruins then pulled in a dynamite recruiting class with McDs A-As Looney and Welsh...But a third Top 30 recruit, Jonah Bolden, was ruled ineligible for the season due to some credit issues with the transfer of his foreign high school transcripts from Australia--so he's been sitting out...
Then the Bruins signed a senior graduate transfer guard--Jon Octeus--who'd been a starting guard at Colorado State so he would have been immediately eligible--but UCLA's graduate schools didn't accept him and he ended up instead at Purdue--where he has been their starting point guard--and just led them to a tournament 9 seed...
And, then, to make things worse, Wanaah Bail, a returning Sophomore PF, became academically ineligible early in the year...
So, absent Adams, Bolden, Octeus and Bail, that left this team only eight deep in scholarship players...
And, of those eight, four are first year college players--Looney, Hamilton, Welsh and Goloman. A fifth player, Allen, is only a sophomore and saw very limited action as a freshman as he was injured most of the year last year...
So, this team is thin and young...
Then, what happened was that this team had a gauntlet of a schedule--spending most of the non-league early season on the road...playing Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, Gonzaga (the one home loss), Oklahoma...and lost all of those...
But, the team matured a bit...finished in 4th in the Pac-12...but lost at least three more games due to the lack of depth--going on the road to Oregon without starting center, Tony Parker, due to injury...
But all of those TV talking heads comparing the Bruins' "tournament resume" to others are spouting off stuff based on oversimplification...the Bruins may be 2-8 "against the field"...but look at who those 8 games were against: One vs. a #1 seed, three against #2 seeds, one against a #3 seed, one vs. a #4 seed and one vs. a #5 seed--seven games against the Top 17 seeds in the tournament according to the NCAA tournament committee...None of the Bruins' games against the Tournment field were against any team seeded below #8...
Does this team belong in the tournament? What might their record be if they played the schedule most other teams played? What would SMU's record have been had they had to go on the road to play Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona twice, North Carolina, Utah and Alabama?
Anyway...the key is that it is STILL a VERY thin team...It may be not that "young" a team anymore...
The major keys for the Bruins include avoiding foul trouble (cost them the first Arizona game at Tucson where the Bruins led until all three front line players fouled out--I'll reserve my comments on those Pac-12 refs here)...and avoiding injury...If the Bruins can keep their starters in the game for all except brief rests, they will be tough...Anyone gets in early foul trouble and there's a major target for the opposition--it's a big step down to go from any of the starters to any of the raw freshmen coming off the bench...
Also, yes, the 3-point shooting is excellent...BUT, the Bruins really don't rely on that--and would rather not...The real game plan is to work the ball inside to the big men...and I believe that will be the attack against SMU...The threes will only come if SMU triues to pack in the middle...
I am actually expecting this one to be a very closely matched pairing...
Of course, I really have only seen a little bit of SMU this year...so, yes, I could be wrong...I'll let you guys tell me why you think SMU will win this one...
Just to give you a little more info:
The way the roster got there was sort of a nightmare...We knew the Wear Brothers were graduating (Travis played this season for the Knicks while David was MVP of the D-League), It was well anticipated that Kyle Anderson was going to the NBA (He was the first round pick of the Knicks)...and Zach Lavine seemed intent on going pro as well (First round to the TWolves and NBA slam dunk champ)...But, no one anticipated Jordan Adams leaving early (Ist Round to Memphis), but, after announcing he was returning, family considerations forced him to go pro...
So, the Bruins had expected Adams to be back as a returning All-Conference player and likely favorite for All-American...Would have been the "go-to" guy...
The Bruins then pulled in a dynamite recruiting class with McDs A-As Looney and Welsh...But a third Top 30 recruit, Jonah Bolden, was ruled ineligible for the season due to some credit issues with the transfer of his foreign high school transcripts from Australia--so he's been sitting out...
Then the Bruins signed a senior graduate transfer guard--Jon Octeus--who'd been a starting guard at Colorado State so he would have been immediately eligible--but UCLA's graduate schools didn't accept him and he ended up instead at Purdue--where he has been their starting point guard--and just led them to a tournament 9 seed...
And, then, to make things worse, Wanaah Bail, a returning Sophomore PF, became academically ineligible early in the year...
So, absent Adams, Bolden, Octeus and Bail, that left this team only eight deep in scholarship players...
And, of those eight, four are first year college players--Looney, Hamilton, Welsh and Goloman. A fifth player, Allen, is only a sophomore and saw very limited action as a freshman as he was injured most of the year last year...
So, this team is thin and young...
Then, what happened was that this team had a gauntlet of a schedule--spending most of the non-league early season on the road...playing Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, Gonzaga (the one home loss), Oklahoma...and lost all of those...
But, the team matured a bit...finished in 4th in the Pac-12...but lost at least three more games due to the lack of depth--going on the road to Oregon without starting center, Tony Parker, due to injury...
But all of those TV talking heads comparing the Bruins' "tournament resume" to others are spouting off stuff based on oversimplification...the Bruins may be 2-8 "against the field"...but look at who those 8 games were against: One vs. a #1 seed, three against #2 seeds, one against a #3 seed, one vs. a #4 seed and one vs. a #5 seed--seven games against the Top 17 seeds in the tournament according to the NCAA tournament committee...None of the Bruins' games against the Tournment field were against any team seeded below #8...
Does this team belong in the tournament? What might their record be if they played the schedule most other teams played? What would SMU's record have been had they had to go on the road to play Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona twice, North Carolina, Utah and Alabama?
Anyway...the key is that it is STILL a VERY thin team...It may be not that "young" a team anymore...
The major keys for the Bruins include avoiding foul trouble (cost them the first Arizona game at Tucson where the Bruins led until all three front line players fouled out--I'll reserve my comments on those Pac-12 refs here)...and avoiding injury...If the Bruins can keep their starters in the game for all except brief rests, they will be tough...Anyone gets in early foul trouble and there's a major target for the opposition--it's a big step down to go from any of the starters to any of the raw freshmen coming off the bench...
Also, yes, the 3-point shooting is excellent...BUT, the Bruins really don't rely on that--and would rather not...The real game plan is to work the ball inside to the big men...and I believe that will be the attack against SMU...The threes will only come if SMU triues to pack in the middle...
I am actually expecting this one to be a very closely matched pairing...
Of course, I really have only seen a little bit of SMU this year...so, yes, I could be wrong...I'll let you guys tell me why you think SMU will win this one...
- Bruin Steve
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:00 am
Re: UCLA preview: Is trouble Bruin for Mustangs?
by ponyte » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:50 am
Bruin Steve, some of the personel issues you highlight sound like some of ourself inflicted wounds in other sports.
ponyte- Posts: 9783
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:01 am
- Location: Nw Orleans, LA region
Re: UCLA preview: Is trouble Bruin for Mustangs?
by RGV Pony » Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:24 pm
Bruin guys, thank you for your insights.
Here are this humble posters thoughts on how to beat SMU :
-shoot 50% or more from the field
-cause double digit turnovers
-SMU misses a lot of easy baskets in the paint
-Nic goes cold, combined with inside guys being in foul trouble
If you're shooting in the 20s or 30s percentage wise, and we have single digit turnovers, that's usually a w for smu. One of your guys might hit 8,9,10,12 three pointers, but unless the overall percentage is in the 50s, we still usually win those
Here are this humble posters thoughts on how to beat SMU :
-shoot 50% or more from the field
-cause double digit turnovers
-SMU misses a lot of easy baskets in the paint
-Nic goes cold, combined with inside guys being in foul trouble
If you're shooting in the 20s or 30s percentage wise, and we have single digit turnovers, that's usually a w for smu. One of your guys might hit 8,9,10,12 three pointers, but unless the overall percentage is in the 50s, we still usually win those
RGV Pony- Posts: 14670
- Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2003 4:01 am
- Location: Allen
Re: UCLA preview: Is trouble Bruin for Mustangs?
by ponywhupp9202 » Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:13 pm
Thanks for the insight Bruin folks. I've been to all but 2 home games this year and have watched all but one of the road games on television, so here is my 2 cents from a fan's (but not really a basketball guy) perspective.
We out rebound most teams we play and that's where of lot of our success begins. We generally play an 8 deep rotation with the 7th and 8th guys' production being pretty erratic.
Our best pure shooter (but only average defender), fan favorite and our only McDonald's All American, Keith Frazier, has missed the entire second semester due to being academically ineligible. Most of his minutes have been taken by Sterling Brown, who is one of our better defenders and rebounders, and can be a streaky scorer as well.
We are more often than not difficult to score on inside (Cinci and Arkansas did), so most teams like to bomb 3s and take a lot of mid to long range range 2s on us.
Speaking of inside, we have a 2 1/2 or almost 3 headed monster inside with Kennedy(Jr), Moreria (Sr) and Cunningham(Sr.). They have 3 different styles of play (with Kennedy's typically being the most dominant), and they are complimentary to one another. All 3 of those guys can play the 4 or 5 position. Pick your poison here. Teams that have dedicated a lot of resources to deny the interior game usually get scored on a lot by Nic Moore and Sterling Brown, plus Cannen Cunningham can step out and has very nice smooth stroke from outside the paint. Ben Moore is more of a small forward and lost his starting job late in the season. He sometimes has statistically quite but effective games and other times makes you shake your head in disappointment because he is not playing to what everyone thinks his potential is. He had a quite break out game in the UCONN final and seems to play better coming off the bench.
Nic Moore is our only true point guard (although he sometimes plays off the ball at the 2) and is generally our most consistent offensive producer. If his shot is off, other people have to step up and/or the inside game needs to take on a bigger presence, or we can get in trouble pretty quickly. Ryan Manuel plays at the 2, is our best pure defender and athlete, and has made great strides in ball handling, passing, and scoring since last year. His dunks are the most fun to watch, because at 6'4", he sometimes has to duck to keep from hitting his head on the rim.
Lots more observations I could share, but that is all for now. Looking forward to a good game and a Mustangs victory!
We out rebound most teams we play and that's where of lot of our success begins. We generally play an 8 deep rotation with the 7th and 8th guys' production being pretty erratic.
Our best pure shooter (but only average defender), fan favorite and our only McDonald's All American, Keith Frazier, has missed the entire second semester due to being academically ineligible. Most of his minutes have been taken by Sterling Brown, who is one of our better defenders and rebounders, and can be a streaky scorer as well.
We are more often than not difficult to score on inside (Cinci and Arkansas did), so most teams like to bomb 3s and take a lot of mid to long range range 2s on us.
Speaking of inside, we have a 2 1/2 or almost 3 headed monster inside with Kennedy(Jr), Moreria (Sr) and Cunningham(Sr.). They have 3 different styles of play (with Kennedy's typically being the most dominant), and they are complimentary to one another. All 3 of those guys can play the 4 or 5 position. Pick your poison here. Teams that have dedicated a lot of resources to deny the interior game usually get scored on a lot by Nic Moore and Sterling Brown, plus Cannen Cunningham can step out and has very nice smooth stroke from outside the paint. Ben Moore is more of a small forward and lost his starting job late in the season. He sometimes has statistically quite but effective games and other times makes you shake your head in disappointment because he is not playing to what everyone thinks his potential is. He had a quite break out game in the UCONN final and seems to play better coming off the bench.
Nic Moore is our only true point guard (although he sometimes plays off the ball at the 2) and is generally our most consistent offensive producer. If his shot is off, other people have to step up and/or the inside game needs to take on a bigger presence, or we can get in trouble pretty quickly. Ryan Manuel plays at the 2, is our best pure defender and athlete, and has made great strides in ball handling, passing, and scoring since last year. His dunks are the most fun to watch, because at 6'4", he sometimes has to duck to keep from hitting his head on the rim.
Lots more observations I could share, but that is all for now. Looking forward to a good game and a Mustangs victory!
Last edited by ponywhupp9202 on Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ponywhupp9202- Posts: 212
- Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:40 am
- Location: Flower Mound, TX
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.