UCLA-Arizona

[Chief Rum]

I don't know if this is being shown anywhere nationally outside of my region, but it's on FSN here in SoCal, and it's a terrific game. Just reached halftime.

Bruins are up, 39-38 (more or less because that's just how it ended up when time ran out--the teams have been going back and forth all game). It's a lot of fun watching Pauley alive and rocking again, as UCLA tries to solidify its spot on the tourney bubble (as well as the obvious beginnings of its return from three-year Lavin plungeville).

I hate UA. I all other things, USC is our rival, but in this, it has been UA for more than two decades now. This game has that save sort of bitter-between-rivals flavor to it that they used to have, pre-Lavin breakdown. We almost took the game at McKale, and now they're trying to take the game here.

Kudos to both teams, and if you get a chance to see it, check it out.

CR

[Chief Rum]

Oh and P.S...

...the best shooter in the nation is not Vitale's butt-boy Redick in Durham, but Salim Stoudemire, who looks like a supreme scorer every time I see him.

If you have any doubts, look at the percentages.

CR

[Chief Rum]

UA going on a run and looking like the top notch squad they are. Bruins need to get it together. 61-47 UA after a 19-0 run by the Wildcats.

[Chief Rum]

Wow...UA is just rolling. This game looks completely different now than it did in the first half. If they play like this during the tournament, they're not likely to be stopped.

Unfrotunately, my Bruins are falling apart in this one.

[Chief Rum]

I need to write more about how we suck. UCLA just ran off six straight points, including two nice jams in transition off of UA turnovers. That just means we're 14 down, though.

We still suck.

[Chief Rum]

Wel, reverse psychology didn't work. That UA team is damn good. Final score, 83-73, and that is deceptive because the Bruins ran off around 10 straight points in garbage time at the end.

We're getting better, Wildcats. Maybe it won't be this year, but we'll get there. Maybe we'll see you in the tourney.

CR

[Ragone]

Problem with ua is.. they play like they are unbeatable one game. and the next they play like they could be beaten by Savannah State

[hahnkim]

Yeah, but they've been playing like they're unbeatable in the last 20 or so games. They've won 18 of their last 20. Maybe they don't have that problem this year... It doesn't matter anyways since they'll lose in the 2nd round again.

I only saw the 2nd half, but I was wondering just how many UCLA shots rimmed out in the 2nd half. Dijon looked to be the recipient of a large number of unlucky bounces.

[Chief Rum]

I don't want to take anything away from UA, because clearly they played disruptive man up D, they made their shots (and their free throws), and they dominated with how quick they could be, especially the guard trio of Stoudamire, Adams and Shakur.

All that said, yeah, UCLA also had an extraordinarily bad run with close shots that didn't fall, and all game I thought the refs let the Wildcats get away with an awful lot of bumping inside on D, but called a ton of real ticky tacky crap on the other end for the Bruins. Don't know if maybe UA has trained the refs to swallow the whistle soem for them (because they're UA), or maybe it's because of the respect Lute Olson garners.

Really, though, even if we didn't have the rims outs and got some more deserved calls, that just means we would have lost by a legitimate ten points, instead of actually 20 (with ten coming in garbage time). If we're closer near the end, UA wouldn't have let it get away at the end like that.

CR

[Arles]

UCLA should have a nice future ahead with all the freshmen. I expect that the UCLA-UA games will end up being for the conference title over the next 2-3 seasons.

As to Arizona, the one thing this team has over past teams (last two seasons) is depth. The Wildcats can go 10-11 deep on any given night without too much of a dropoff. Last season, they only played 8 guys. I think that lack of depth was why they fizzled out last season at this time instead of winning 18 of 20 like they have in 05. Oh, and they can also play defense this season (something that was sorely lacking in 04).

[Chief Rum]

Yup, I agree on all accounts.

We're working on our depth, too. We have five players coming in next year, including two space-hogging postup men in the Ben Howland mold (not stringbean tall like Fey and Hollins, but stocky and thick like Craig James in BC).

Toss on some point guard depth and senior leadership with the addition of Collison (well-regarded quick PG) and the return of Ced Bozeman from his knee injury, and we'll have some depth at all spots as well.

I just hope the team doesn't let tonight get them down, because next week is a huge visit to the Bay Area. They swept us in our bad stretch following our first loss to UA, when we didn't really play to our ability, IMO. But I stil regard both Stanford and Cal as very beatable teams, even on their court.

CR