Check out the latest batch of weekly answers…
1) Now that you have actually seen some games, what is the biggest early suprise on the bball team? – Ben G
I’ve been really surprised by Reeves Nelson and Lazeric Jones. Nelson’s offensive game has improved tenfold, maybe 20-fold. His footwork has improved dramatically, his positioning has been spot-on and he runs the floor so well for a big man. More importantly, he’s finishing. He had a move on Tuesday where he started right, saw a big collapsing, switched to his left hand, and deftly laid the ball in before more help could come. Beautiful play, and its happening all the time.
Jones, meanwhile, has just been a revelation. Combined with Jerime Anderson’s poor play in the first few games, Jones has locked up the position. He still has some on-ball defensive inconsistency, but his play in the first three games has really impressed me.
2) The receivers are incredibly bad at running routes, getting open, fighting for 50/50 balls, and holding onto the ball. The only thing they seem to do well is block downfield. Shouldn’t there be more scrutiny of the wide receivers’ coach? – Sleepy LaBeef
Reggie Moore got plenty of criticism earlier in the season, but the wideouts have been pretty good the last couple games. I wonder how the Bruins would look with a legitimate top-flight wide receiver, a no-doubt go-to guy in the mold of a Robert Woods. The UCLA wide receiver corps is kinda of in a weird position. Two track-first guys (Nelson Rosario, Randall Carroll), one would-be rapper (Josh Smith), a spark plug who lacks size (Ricky Marvray) and a reliable veteran who lacks speed (Taylor Embree). The only really highly touted guy in that group was Carroll, and that’s pretty surprising considering Neuheisel’s pedigree as a wideout coach and offensive mind. If I was Neuheisel, I would pull out ALL the stops on George Farmer, short of camping out in his front yard. They need a playmaker going forward.
3) Who would get more rebounds in a game, this year’s UCLA team, or Kevin Love? – Anonymous
Let’s just say this: It’s a preposterous question…and I had to think about it. Love might be the best basketball player in the league pound-for-pound, in terms of pure basketball fundamental ability. I can’t believe he put up 31/31. With I could’ve covered him.
4) Does bush still have a hesiman vote – Anonymous
I don’t believe so.
5) I love what brehaut has done in his short career starts but what do you think are the chances chow goes with prince to start next season. I fear chows love for prince may hurt the team and brehaut’s development – Anonymous
I think Kevin is a tough kid and a good kid and it sucks what happened to him, but at this point, I don’t know how you can go back to him unless something drastic happens to Brehaut, or to some extent, Brett Hundley. Brehaut has been more than capable, and his upside was always higher, and I would think that it’s a moot point now. If Prince misses spring ball, which is a more-than-likely scenario, and Brehaut continues to improve at the rate he’s improving, it’s just not feasible that he would get the job back. That being said, I think he deserves every right to fight for it back.