The UCLA basketball team came into Tuesday’s game against
Long Beach State the No. 1 team in the nation and, for a half of
the game, played as if that was all they had been thinking about
since the rankings were announced on Monday.
They were focused on the offensive side, lost on the defensive.
They were outrebounded and outhustled. At the half, the Bruins were
facing a rebounding deficit of 11, which hasn’t exactly been
a hallmark of the Howland era at UCLA.
It was an uninspired and lackadaisical first-half effort that
left them up just 41-36. Then, apparently they flipped the
switch.
UCLA came out in the second half with a dominant defensive
effort to match its offensive effort. The Bruins scored the first
15 points to essentially put the game out of reach for the
overmatched 49ers.
After the game, coach Ben Howland described the players as
fatigued following their “grueling” trip to Maui. The
Bruins played three games in three days to come out of the Maui
Invitational with a tournament win and the No. 1 ranking in the
country.
As they are the No. 1 team in the nation, it is important to
note one thing: They are perceived to be better than every other
team in the country. That doesn’t just include the Long Beach
States and UC Riversides of the world. That includes future
opponents Texas A&M and Michigan.
The Bruins can get away with a half (or even a full) game of
less-than-full effort against a team like the 49ers simply because
they can drown the other team in their sheer talent. Against the
quality opponents they will face down the road, however, the Bruins
will be hard pressed to put forth this kind of first-half effort
and still come out with a comfortable victory.
The Bruins finally played close attention to their potential on
the offensive end, shooting 50 percent from the three and improving
to around 60 percent from the free throw line. But there were
missed layups and clanged free throws that signaled further
improvement could come down the road.
However, defensively, the Bruins cannot afford to have lapses.
Although this team is improved offensively, it is as much because
of the turnovers and fastbreak opportunities created by a stout
defense as it is the improved half-court sets on offense. Against
Long Beach State, it didn’t really matter because the 49ers
aren’t very disciplined on either the defensive or offensive
end, but against a quality opponent, a diminished defense will
create severe problems for UCLA.
The bright side for UCLA, of course, is that the Bruins came out
with an inspired effort in the second half that gave them a final
victory margin of 30 points. That kind of second-half play will get
it done against any team in the country.
The Bruins are going to take the best shot from every team they
face this year, from the ranked teams to the lowly Mountain West
teams. They are the No. 1 team in the nation (and it will soon be a
unanimous No. 1 once Ohio State gets blown out by North Carolina
tonight) and that means they are the No. 1 target for every team
that wants to rise in the rankings and every team that wants to
earn the title of giant-killer.
This year they have overcome 3-point woes, free throw woes,
other teams shooting the lights out, and now a lack of defensive
intensity. Of those problems, it is the lack of effort that could
prove to be the most important issue.
But it was just one half, and it may have been because they were
tired.
However, if they come out with the same kind of effort on Sunday
against Riverside, you can guarantee that Howland will not talk to
them even as “gently and nicely” at halftime as he
claimed to at halftime of Tuesday’s game.
If you also realize Collison almost had a points-steals
double-double, e-mail Woods at dwoods@media.ucla.edu.