Quick basketball notes
Just had a quick chat with UCLA coach Ben Howland from Maui (and Los Angeles under about 19 feet of rain...thanks Daily News), and here are the newsiest bits of news.
* Howland said he expects some "good minutes" out of Anthony Stover, and that his return will really be crucial to the defense because how good he is not just at blocking shots, but altering them.
* Reeves Nelson had his best practice of the year on Thursday, Howland said. But he also added that the situation is not an "overnight fix," and that it's going to take work to resolve itself.
* With David Wear out with a concussion, Howland said he expected the opposing defenses to run less zone, which should help the offense get more comfortable from outside.
* He added that, yes, there will be defensive changes, but wouldn't really expand on that, nor did I expect him too.
* Nothing about pina coladas or surfing.
Does this mean David Wear is for sure out for the game? For the entire tournament?
Pina colada is a Puerto rican drink. You're closer with mai tai, though it was made stateside, it uses a Polynesian name. ;-)
Jon you spoke to CBH on Saturday yet apparently he didn't make mention of the fact that Reeves Nelson missed the team bus to the airport for their flight to Hawaii.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-1121-ucla-chaminade-20111121,0,5260024.story
What is up with Nelson? You obviously have a much better sense of him since you cover the team. I'd enjoy hearing your view of him. Unless he has an ironclad excuse, personally I'm tremendously disappointed that he would allow this kind of thing to happen right after being reinstated to the team.