UCLA’s record is far better than UCLA’s actual ability. I do think this team has potential to be better than they’ve shown the last month. Even before this game, several players have regressed this season and that’s the real concern for me. Hill has completely given up and doesn’t care. His attitude has shown. Jules try’s hard, but he’s clearly a worse player mid season then he was in the beginning. Singleton has again lost his shooting touch. Tyler’s assist to turnover ratio continues to head in the wrong direction. Juzang is no more consistent now then he was during the rest of his career and yet he’s allowed to shoot 21 shots? Jaquez hustles, but he’s just not quick enough or talented enough.
On defense, the team is still in the mid 70’s in efficiency. That’s shocking for me coming from a typically efficient defensive coach. I guess it’s about as shocking as Steve alford having a poor offensive efficiency team. For all fairness sake, mick is nothing like Steve alford in any way. He’s a solid coach. I’m happy to have him over alford any day of the week.
I still think that mick needs some 5 star players. The current set are never going to amount to a top ten team even with Chris smith there. With 3 and 4 star players you’re going to get massive inconsistency and this is a game that highlights a UCLA teams inefficiencies. UCLA is extremely lucky to have avoided two games with Oregon as they would have been destroyed like the usc game.
Again, I like watching these games more than the alford years. However, I’m still not excited about UCLA basketball. If UCLA don’t land at least one more 5 star for next year, then it will be another year of the same. The recruiting has to get better, or mick will need to be shown the door
For the record... those that will say I’m not giving mick enough time... how are a few of the other coaches doing in their 2nd-4th term with a new team?
Nate Oates
Juwan Howard
Brad Underwood
Mike young
Cuonzo Martin
Darian DeVries
Mick has to recruit better players. Next year has some promise, but the first and second year were failures. I’m hoping he can turn it around, but this year I’d say he’s lost his players and the team has been on a steady decline as I view it from my other post
I've written many times this season about the all around depth we have on this team and how that has been key to us getting by in games where no one player is standing out, but last night highlighted the converse of that asset. When we needed someone to step up and demand the ball and put the team on his back there was no one to do it. Juzang, I think, tried by virtue of the number of shots he took, but he really hasn't shown he can be that number one guy in the first place all year long. What this team has in essence is a bunch of really good role players, but last night we needed a star, and we really don't have that. A well rounded solid team can get past most average teams and we've done that so far, but against a highly talented team or when we have a glaring hole in the middle, we need a go to guy to counter that, pour in 25, and be the difference, and unfortunately we really don't have that.
We need Riley back badly so hopefully his ankle injury is mild. Hill worries me more, as "personal reasons" is so vague and can mean a lot, some of which can be really problematic. Hopefully is also something simple and easily addressed because we need him badly, too.
Props to Mac Etienne last night, though. He probably wasn't planning on getting minutes anytime soon until we abruptly lost both Riley and Hill, but he looked surprisingly comfortable and aggressive for a kid who was playing high school ball in December and was getting his first D1 minutes.
It was a shitshow. They better sweep the Washington trip or they'll be in trouble.
UCLA’s record is far better than UCLA’s actual ability. I do think this team has potential to be better than they’ve shown the last month. Even before this game, several players have regressed this season and that’s the real concern for me. Hill has completely given up and doesn’t care. His attitude has shown. Jules try’s hard, but he’s clearly a worse player mid season then he was in the beginning. Singleton has again lost his shooting touch. Tyler’s assist to turnover ratio continues to head in the wrong direction. Juzang is no more consistent now then he was during the rest of his career and yet he’s allowed to shoot 21 shots? Jaquez hustles, but he’s just not quick enough or talented enough.
On defense, the team is still in the mid 70’s in efficiency. That’s shocking for me coming from a typically efficient defensive coach. I guess it’s about as shocking as Steve alford having a poor offensive efficiency team. For all fairness sake, mick is nothing like Steve alford in any way. He’s a solid coach. I’m happy to have him over alford any day of the week.
I still think that mick needs some 5 star players. The current set are never going to amount to a top ten team even with Chris smith there. With 3 and 4 star players you’re going to get massive inconsistency and this is a game that highlights a UCLA teams inefficiencies. UCLA is extremely lucky to have avoided two games with Oregon as they would have been destroyed like the usc game.
Again, I like watching these games more than the alford years. However, I’m still not excited about UCLA basketball. If UCLA don’t land at least one more 5 star for next year, then it will be another year of the same. The recruiting has to get better, or mick will need to be shown the door
For the record... those that will say I’m not giving mick enough time... how are a few of the other coaches doing in their 2nd-4th term with a new team?
Nate Oates
Juwan Howard
Brad Underwood
Mike young
Cuonzo Martin
Darian DeVries
Mick has to recruit better players. Next year has some promise, but the first and second year were failures. I’m hoping he can turn it around, but this year I’d say he’s lost his players and the team has been on a steady decline as I view it from my other post
I've written many times this season about the all around depth we have on this team and how that has been key to us getting by in games where no one player is standing out, but last night highlighted the converse of that asset. When we needed someone to step up and demand the ball and put the team on his back there was no one to do it. Juzang, I think, tried by virtue of the number of shots he took, but he really hasn't shown he can be that number one guy in the first place all year long. What this team has in essence is a bunch of really good role players, but last night we needed a star, and we really don't have that. A well rounded solid team can get past most average teams and we've done that so far, but against a highly talented team or when we have a glaring hole in the middle, we need a go to guy to counter that, pour in 25, and be the difference, and unfortunately we really don't have that.
We need Riley back badly so hopefully his ankle injury is mild. Hill worries me more, as "personal reasons" is so vague and can mean a lot, some of which can be really problematic. Hopefully is also something simple and easily addressed because we need him badly, too.
Props to Mac Etienne last night, though. He probably wasn't planning on getting minutes anytime soon until we abruptly lost both Riley and Hill, but he looked surprisingly comfortable and aggressive for a kid who was playing high school ball in December and was getting his first D1 minutes.
Go Bruins!