(12-16-2017 05:48 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  We've got to get better bench play. JE3 played 38 and Gary played 35 in a game we led the entire second half by double digits.

i've mentioned this before but JEIII playing that many minutes is going to be a huge problem. You can add Gary to that list. it's obvious we do not have the type of depth that allows for those guys to get extended minutes (although Keith seems to be gaining some more run). i mentioned this beforehand, but Mick needs to use timeouts and TV timeouts more effectively to get those guys some rest.

(12-16-2017 05:55 PM)Recluse1 Wrote:  A thought occurs: We lose Clark, Washington and possibly Evans after this season... Damn.

Evans is a pro prospect, but he's not leaving early. He would have to be a couple inches taller to be a lottery pick with his skill set and stats, IMO.

(12-16-2017 05:26 PM)dsquare Wrote:  Sometimes it's real hard to say who are best ft shooters are. Very inconsistent. LIkely Clark.

Ding Ding...it looks like Clark, Washington and JEIII for major contributors. During crunch time you have to pull Broome and Jarron. They are liabilities. if i see them out there i'm going hack-a-bearcat

I'll worry about next season later--maybe tomorrow. Excellent win against a blue blood on their home court below all those national championship banners and a CBS national audience. One of the better road wins of the last decade against a storied program.

JJ showed me a lot with his ball handling and free throws during crunch time when I feared they would fold. Smooth sailing ahead, right through New Year's Eve by my reckoning. Back up in the teens in next week's Top 25?

(12-16-2017 05:36 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Key to the game was that we stopped turning the ball over

1 TO between Broome/Jennifer. That’ll get it done.

Gary Clark was a full grown man out there. He was in Walsh’s head all night, kept him 10 pts below his average.

The last two games have been a nice bounce back from the XU and UF losses.
Hope they keep the momentum going.

(12-16-2017 05:00 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(12-16-2017 04:55 PM)Bearcat01 Wrote:  I'll fire my coach if he doubled clark or washington in post. teams blessing us by doing this

Gary I agree with because he's such a good passer that you're better off taking your chances. Kyle's a good passer but is not as quick to give it up. I'd fire doubles at him regularly. Plus were a good but not great shooting team

You double the low post because a contested 2 from the low block is probably slightly better then a wide open trey on avg. College BBall shooting is not the NBA. if my choice is letting Gary go 1 v. 1 on the low block or doubling to let JJ, Cane or Kyle taking a wide open trey, i'll take option B all day every day. i would generally do that for Kyle as well except he's essentially a one handed player. i would fire my coach if he couldn't figure out a way to get Kyle, who is generally a black hole on the low block anyways, to go right for every shot.

(12-16-2017 06:20 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(12-16-2017 05:36 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Key to the game was that we stopped turning the ball over

1 TO between Broome/Jennifer. That’ll get it done.

Gary Clark was a full grown man out there. He was in Walsh’s head all night, kept him 10 pts below his average.

Yep; and Gary was getting mugged on several replays I saw during the game--no call. Officiating wasn't awful but UCLA got a little home cooking today. But when UC comes to play, the guys in stripes don't change the outcome. No substitute for building and maintaining a lead to avoid quirky endings and the 'Cats did that today.

(12-16-2017 05:36 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Key to the game was that we stopped turning the ball over

I said the same thing back on page 5. Our defense is really good and our offense is better than it has been in years. If we play hard and value the ball we have a chance to be great this year. If we play dumb and uninspired we lose. Can’t beat ourselves.

It's really hard to fault Clark on much of anything, but his biggest weakness in their losses this year has been not finishing strong enough and relying on finesse bank shots, etc. vs dunking or going up strong to the hoop. It's easier said than done as it's not easy if you're tired. He makes a lot of finesse lay ins, but in big games you have to bring the thunder. He did that after a couple misses today. Great to see.

This year is gonna depend on what Cumberland and Washington bring to each game. Clark, Evans and the two guards are being fairly consistent. Really liked Williams, much better defense today, should get him playing time. Wish Moore could get in there.

(12-16-2017 05:34 PM)crex043 Wrote:  All hail Mick ball!

This place can be like the mayor of Halloween Town. In less than a week Mick goes from being in over his head literally and figuratively with the witty short jokes from 2006 being dusted off to life is great.

It’s fun to watch the heads spin around.

(12-16-2017 05:26 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Pretty big UC fan contingent out there

There are about 5,000 UC alumni in Southern California. We had blocks reserved in two lower level sections. This is the most fun I've had at a UC game in a long time. For a team with that much history, there were a lot of UCLA fans dressed as empty seats today.

Pauley Pavilion is really really nice. It was easy to get in and out and the sight lines were good. I hope the new Fifth Third is half as nice and well designed. No beer sales though

The UCLA fans were great, I hope we treat them well next year. Great win!

(12-16-2017 06:59 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(12-16-2017 05:34 PM)crex043 Wrote:  All hail Mick ball!

This place can be like the mayor of Halloween Town. In less than a week Mick goes from being in over his head literally and figuratively with the witty short jokes from 2006 being dusted off to life is great.

It’s fun to watch the heads spin around.

Did we win?

(12-16-2017 05:39 PM)Bearcat01 Wrote:  

(12-16-2017 05:32 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(12-16-2017 05:30 PM)Bearcatbdub Wrote:  What a treat. UC wins on the road at Pauley and Raftery announces the game!

Couldn’t have said it better. Raff was the icing on tops

he the bump on ucla manhood?

Do you speak like you post? Jeez

Great win at a hard place to win. JC regained his head.

Only concern was missing free throws down stretch.

2-2 in last 4 which is about what was most of our minimum.

(12-16-2017 06:48 PM)CincyBro Wrote:  This year is gonna depend on what Cumberland and Washington bring to each game. Clark, Evans and the two guards are being fairly consistent. Really liked Williams, much better defense today, should get him playing time. Wish Moore could get in there.

I'm diggin' Williams. He is so fluid and smooth around the basket and a nice spark off the bench. This kid has tremendous upside as a frosh.

Cats RPI jumps to 44 from 60.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Quote:UCLA wilts early this time in 77-63 loss to Cincinnati

By Ben Bolch Contact Reporter
December 16, 2017 3:25 PM

A week ago, UCLA appeared to be a young and improving team that ran aground because of fatigue.

On Saturday, it was harder to make any claims about upward trajectory.

The Bruins fumbled and stumbled their way to a 77-63 loss against No. 25 Cincinnati at Pauley Pavilion, their undoing largely a result of an early flurry of turnovers.

UCLA had nearly twice as many turnovers (15) as made baskets (eight) during the first half, including eight turnovers in the final nine minutes. The mistakes came in many forms against a smothering defense that was unlike anything the Bruins had faced this season.

Point guard Jaylen Hands was trapped in the backcourt by two Cincinnati players before throwing the ball to a third Bearcat. Forward GG Goloman threw a pass through a small opening that closed quickly, the ball being deflected and picked up by Cincinnati.

Some of the Bruins’ turnovers were simply unforced.

Guard Chris Smith lost his dribble out of bounds. Point guard Aaron Holiday lobbed a lazy pass inside to Thomas Welsh that was intercepted, causing Holiday to slump his shoulders in disgust.

“They played Tom well down low,” Holiday said, referring to the double teams that limited Welsh to only one shot in the first half and a season-low four points for the game. “I was trying to get him involved and that was really where my turnovers were, trying to pass it to him, so it’s just, we just have to figure it out.”

The rash of turnovers resulted in a 36-23 halftime deficit and negated a second half in which UCLA essentially played Cincinnati to a push while turning the ball over only three more times.

The Bruins (7-3) are running out of time to notch a meaningful victory with two games left before opening Pac-12 Conference play. They will play host to South Dakota on Tuesday before playing No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday in New Orleans as part of the CBS Sports Classic.

UCLA entered Saturday with a Ratings Percentage Index figure of 87, largely a function of having no wins over teams that currently have a winning record. The Bruins have also been left out of some recent NCAA tournament projections.

Their stock only dipped further after a loss that gave them as many regular-season defeats as they had all of last season. Unlike last week, when late turnovers doomed the Bruins during a road loss to Michigan, they got an early start on their setback against the Bearcats before a season-high home crowd of 10,018.

The final 6:59 of the first half constituted a nationally televised embarrassment for UCLA, which failed to make a field goal over that stretch while being outscored 18-2. Bruins coach Steve Alford suggested that the offensive hiccups were largely a result of a players still feeling each other out.

“It’s the trust factor of learning who’s hot, who needs the basketball,” Alford said. “We went [17] minutes without Tom getting a shot. That’s stuff guards have got to figure out. We talked about starting inside-out and we didn’t start inside-out, we started outside-in and that affects your offense a lot, so you get pushed further out.”

Holiday scored 17 points, but Hands (14) and Kris Wilkes (12) were his only teammates to reach double figures. Welsh made only two of seven shots, had a three-pointer blocked and airballed a baseline jumper with about three minutes left.

“Whenever you see Tom shoot an airball,” Alford said, “you know he's rushing things.”

Cincinnati surged ahead by as many as 19 points in the second half, leading to a hearty cheer of “Let’s go Bearcats!” from a sizable cheering section. Forward Kyle Washington had 19 points for Cincinnati, which committed only nine turnovers and outscored the Bruins 23-11 in points off turnovers.

Alford seemed encouraged afterward, pointing to continued defensive growth and having battled a physical Cincinnati team to a 35-35 tie in rebounding.

But the coach acknowledged the difficulties that have resulted from losing three players to an indefinite suspension over a shoplifting incident last month in China. Freshman LiAngelo Ball, one of the suspended players, subsequently withdrew from UCLA. His likeness was featured on game tickets Saturday, a painful reminder of a season that could be headed in the wrong direction.

“You went from one day having 11 in the rotation to eight,” Alford said. “It doesn’t happen a lot in college basketball and I think in this group, I can’t thank them enough. I think they’ve handled things extremely well, when you look at the travel, and the distractions, they’re competing, they’re working, they’re just trying to figure some things out and I think as they get a little bit more mature in this process, their play will emulate that.”

Bruised Bruins

A great win that we really needed.

I'm a happy Bearcat fan tonight!