UCLA senior guard Michael Roll stopped short of saying his team was out for revenge against Stanford tonight, hoping to avenge a 70-59 loss on Jan. 9, in part because he knows Cal will be equally resentful in the team’s Saturday matchup, the Bears looking to make up for a Jan. 6 loss.
UCLA doesn’t have the time to dwell on any retribution.
The Bruins have to figure out how to stop Jeremy Green.
In the two teams’ first conference matchup, Green had 30 points as UCLA was still trying to figure out it’s zone defense.
So why should things be any different now? What’s changed so much about the Bruins, who at 5-4 in conference play are a game out of the Bears and Arizona Wildcats?
“We’re actually playing (zone) now,” said Roll, who leads the Bruins at 13 points per game. “Nobody has ever played zone here in a long time; it was just something we did in practice to prepare for a game. Now that we’re playing it all the time, we’re learning it, we’re talking more, we’re getting more comfortable as a team.”
Against the Cardinal, UCLA was anything but comfortable.
The Bruins committed a season-high 23 turnovers, and caved down the stretch, as a 51-50 Stanford lead ballooned into the 11-point final margin.
After another particularly sloppy effort – UCLA had 20 turnovers in a 62-52 loss to Oregon State on Saturday – the Bruins still believe they can turn it around in time for the Cardinal
They’ll need to, if they want to compete.
“Moreso than anything, it’s just understanding that we have to play smart and intelligent,” UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. “We had some really bad turnovers in that first Stanford game. We had the ball down one and Mike Roll threw it away, really an uncharacteristic turnover. Really, we were dribbling too much.”
Other Bruins are focused on the defensive side – particularly the comfort they feel in the zone defense.
“I think we’re going to play a lot different this game,” freshman forward Reeves Nelson said. “We’re going to be a lot more controlled and play smarter. It’s a totally different team, almost a 180-degree change. We’ve got a lot more used to playing zone and being able to key in on shooters.”
Honeycutt Fires Away
A look at freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt’s ledger shows one recent aberration.
In three of his last four games, Honeycutt has totaled four shot attempts.
In one of the three – against Oregon on Jan. 28 – he had 12 alone, hitting five of his shots.
UCLA won the three games he had four attempts but lost the matchup with the Ducks.
“As long as I’m not going 0-for-12, I think it’s a pretty good thing,” Honeycutt said. “I’m not really forcing any shots; I just try to attack the basket and draw fouls. Of course, I’m trying to score more.”
The Numbers Game
Part of UCLA’s struggles this season can be attributed to a shortened rotation, as Howland has had to play his starters increased minutes in the absence of guard Jerime Anderson and center BoBo Morgan. Anderson, who played 16 minutes against Oregon State, appeared to be healthy, though Howland said he was still not 100 percent from a hip flexor and nagging groin issues.
Morgan, meanwhile, was expected to see increased practice time on Wednesday as he attempts to return from a torn quad muscle.