Can anybody tell me what happened on Saturday?
I went to the game, sat in the student section and proceeded to watch the worst display of UCLA basketball I’ve seen in my three years here.
With the Trojans coming to Westwood, the momentum of four conference wins and an opportunity to make an impression on national TV, the Bruins simply did not show up. Their defense in the paint was porous at best, and sloppy would be an appropriate word to describe their offensive performance.
UCLA prides itself on playing some of the best defense in the country and, for no apparent reason, they showed none of it on Saturday. They let the Trojans get to the hoop uncontested all game and allowed about as many easy layups and dunks as they have all season.
Not only that ““ the Trojans were wearing Ronald McDonald’s shoes the whole time.
There were not many positives to glean from this one, but one thing is clear: The Bruins need to bring the heat each and every game. UCLA cannot expect to simply show up, take their win and be on their way.
In this conference, and this rivalry, anybody can beat anybody, and it showed on Saturday. UCLA did not come out of the gates with the usual intensity, and ‘SC capitalized. UCLA looked lackadaisical getting back on defense and was careless in transition, leaving players unguarded in the paint for easy points.
The Bruins rely on their defense, and allowing high-percentage shots and easy buckets puts more pressure on an offense that has struggled against the zone. Against ‘SC, they could hardly get the ball into the paint, relying on deep jumpers too often.
They took 26 3-pointers, something UCLA should never need to do with one of the best offensive big men in the game.
The Bruins’ defense dictates how they do on offense and on Saturday, both looked lacking.
The Trojans shot 60.9 percent on the game, a number that is completely uncharacteristic against UCLA, whose lockdown defense has taken them to consecutive Final Fours.
Not only did ‘SC shoot a higher percentage than anyone should, but also their starting forwards, Davon Jefferson and Taj Gibson, shot a combined 14-for-20 ““ a humbling stat for the Bruins’ big men inside. The Bruins’ interior defense looked softer than a down pillow.
However, this game may have been a different story without UCLA’s injuries. Both Lorenzo Mata-Real and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute suffered concussions in the first half and weren’t in the game down the stretch. Mata-Real is one of the best low post defenders in the conference, and the Bruins missed his presence in the lane when it counted. This meant that James Keefe, who has only played 47 minutes this season due to injury, was thrown into the fire against the athletic Gibson and big man Jefferson.
Though the injuries did play a significant factor in the game, they do not explain the Bruins’ lack of defensive intensity. The Pac-10 is probably the strongest conference in the country, and eight or nine teams have the talent to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruins cannot afford to assume that they can bull over anyone, even at home. I’m sure they did not look past ‘SC or think beating them was going to be a cakewalk, but their intensity level compared to last week’s game against Wazzu was like the difference between night and day.
Let’s just hope the Bruins can use this game as a wake-up call and, if nothing else, a little extra motivation to even the score next month at the Galen Center.
E-mail Feder at jfeder@media.ucla.edu if you think the Trojans should give Ronald McDonald his shoes back.