Among UCLA's issues ...
Here is what UCLA guard Jrue Holiday said about the Bruins' problems in the loss to Villanova:
"I think we were helping too much, and that gave wide open threes. Most of their shots were point-blank wide open," Holiday said. "Then, toward the end, we were trying to press, which we really haven't practiced. But we were trying to press and get into them ...and they were just getting lay-ups.
"And then boxing out. I mean, we just weren't executing at all."
This sounds very familiar. It's almost exactly what happened with the Florida game three years ago. We start to panic and press and then it becomes a layup/dunk drill.
Brian, would you have considered playing a little zone, against this team that was spreading us out and taking us off the dribble at will??
I know you said The CBH hates the zone D but sometimes a change in the D your playing can slow down momentum and rhythm, your thoughts??
Remember UCLA's two best on ball defenders left early for the NBA......let alone the inside game.
Season is over (thank goodness using this game as the basis) and for a few years perhaps this was our high spot. Don't honestly believe we get back to the NCAA's next yr. Ben needs to take some time off and refigure his offense and his DEFENSE. They, the opposition have you figured out BEN. Today you were out coached, out played and shown the door OUT! If I were a scribe and going to describe the game today it would be a very short read. Just one word..., PATHETIC.
Will definately not miss his nibs D. collison and his magic dribble into oblivion next season. Back to the drawing board BEN, if you are smart.
ZONE ZONE ZONE! Whatever happened to being a well rounded team? The press defense and zone defense is part of knowing all aspects of the game. Ben continues to refuse to use the zone when his team is outmatched. Ben is leaving the team unprepared to win big games and needs to shoulder the blame.
It’s called adjustments. The kids were seriously outmatched and Howland was tremendously out coached. Ben’s a good coach but unless he learns to make adjustments we will always be suspect to the dribble-drive layup/foul/kickout/three.
Put the boxing out at the top of the list. UCLA lost its home games against ASU and WSU and the Pac 10 tourney game against USC because it could not (or would not?) prevent second and third chance points. If that doesn't improve, next year will be a disaster. And I say it in every post, as much as I love Dragovic, he can't be the starting power forward next year. If he's the PF and Gordon is out of position at center, then UCLA is screwed...probably third or fourth in the conference.
Sometimes I wonder if DC staying for his senior did anything. It sure didn't help his draft status, and it hindered the development of our younger guards. The lofty expectations with him staying also made our fall alot harder. We'll be in heaps of trouble if JH leaves, he will be the only one with any experience out of the ten Frosh/Shophs we'll have next year... I'm hoping other Pac10 teams lose guys early, or else... BH, it's time to rethink your strategies, our D is going to worse next year without the 3 seniors, and if we play the same offense, forget about it.. At least we have more atheleticism on the court since the (gulp) Lavin years. Time to take advantage and play up tempo rather than have the PG dribble for 20-25 seconds each time.
by Jrue's own comments he needs another year before the pros.... like all the other freshmen
Is it a coincidence that opponents have "figured out" Ben's defense when he has guys like Shipp and Drago in the starting 5?
This was predicted by many to be a rebuilding year after we lost 3 NBA starters from last year (note that two of them are being talked about as elite defenders in the NBA, as rookies). Even so, we still finished one game behind the class of the Pac 10, Washington. This season was not a failure. Get some perspective and imagine what life would be like rooting for 99% of the other teams in college basketball.
Among UCLA's issues... Is that we are too predictable. If we knew that Nova was such a physical and defensive team, we should've done what other teams that beat us do.. play up tempo, drive in for FTs, and play zone. BH better rethink his strategies for next year. With so many inexperienced guys, we'll be vulnerable on both ends of the court if he continues to force them to play the way he has the last four years. Else, we'll only see a line up of Keefe, Drago, and Roll.