10 Comments

UCLA played a great game start to finish. Rebounding will need to improve. The Utah game as the turning point I hoped… the team looks healthy and in much better shape… go bruins!

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Great article and no mea culpa necessary. I think we were all worried about this game. I was trying to find some additional information yesterday and the only new article I found (at least one that I hadn't read) came out of Arizona. I reluctantly clicked on it and it was a roundtable of sorts of people making predictions about the game. I think there were maybe 6?? No one had the Bruins winning except one lone voice who only gave them the win because it was a home game. While they all had the game close, they predicted a dominating performance by the Wildcats. Happy the Bruins proved them wrong. Not sure my nerves can stand the re-match next week though...

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I was clearly not prepared for that level of our physicality on the inside

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What a fun game to watch, and it was rally encouraging to see the Bruins put together a 40 minute performance. I was wondering if the meh performances against Oregon, Utah, and Colorado were a lingering byproduct of COVID/layoff or whether the Bruins were just not focused enough to play a whole game. Nice to see the latter isn't an issue against a top quality opponent. It was really great to see different guys stepping up through different parts fo the game, too. Defensive boards were an issue but the standard is such a big team inside. Outside of that, it was an awesome and complete team game.

And DD, I read your article with AZ Desert Swarm yesterday morning. Isn't there a way you guys can write a blurb with and crosslink that post here? That was a great conversation and you and TMB deserve props for being a part of that.

I actually kind of like the quick turnaround to play AZ again. It can see how that format would be a problem for a team dealing with injuries, but I think it's cool to have almost a home and home with them. I'm sure they are already champing at the bit for a rematch. Makes for a pretty intense week. Go Bruins!!

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I thought this game was going to be closer; other than the initial 7/8 minutes, UCLA’s lead was never in jeopardy. UCLA had answers in Campbell in the early part of the game, Juzang and Jaquez in the middle part of the game and Bernard to close things out. Arizona only once was able to really shrink UCLA’s lead and it only lasted for a few seconds and just like that UCLA was up by 14 again. The only concern for next week’s game is UCLA’s difficulties rebounding the ball defensively and scheming a strategy to deny those high lobs to Arizona’s center. I assume Arizona, in front of their fans will be a tougher out than last night. But overall, UCLA looked like a good, fundamentally solid basketball team, finding it’s stride after the COVID forced paused in the schedule.

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