Freshman Arron Afflalo said earlier in the week that he wasn’t the kind of player to force shots in trying to find his offense. He didn’t need to on Thursday against USC because his offense found him. Afflalo hit seven of his eight shots en route to scoring a career-high 22 points in only 23 […]
Author Archives: Colin Yuhl
[Basketball preview] NCAA bid within Bruins’ reach
If its record alone isn’t enough, UCLA is banking on its top-40 RPI as the trump card that could get it into the NCAA Tournament next month. Some tweaking of the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) formula, however, will alter how the NCAA Tournament selection committee views the Bruins’ tournament profile. For the first time next […]
M. hoops: Despite weak offense, Fey key in beating Cal
BERKELEY “”mdash; UCLA coach Ben Howland made it clear to his team that he wanted a change in his team’s perimeter-oriented offense. He emphasized all week the necessity of making sure the ball found its way to post, and that meant in junior Michael Fey’s hands. Right from the start, it was clear the Bruins […]
M. basketball: Thompson shut down by Arizona defense
In his previous game against Arizona State, Dijon Thompson exploded for a career-high 39 points. When Arizona and UCLA met in Tucson earlier in the season, the senior forward played a magnificent first half en route to scoring 27 points. But in the rematch at Pauley Pavilion, the long and athletic Wildcats constantly harassed Thompson, […]
M. hoops: Thompson takes charge with 39
With just over a minute left in the game, senior Dijon Thompson held the ball near the top of the circle. Pauley Pavilion erupted as soon as the ball reached his hands, and the anticipation from the crowd was practically palpable. Without looking at the scoreboard, a casual observer might have thought that Thompson was […]
Basketball: Dawg Pack irks coaches
Washington has earned a reputation as being a tough place to play, and not only because the Huskies currently rank among the top 15 in the polls. When UCLA travels to the Hec Edmundson Pavilion to face Washington Saturday, the Bruins know they’ll be in an extremely hostile environment. “The Hec” is the only venue […]
M. basketball: Rivalry renewed between freshmen
If the rivalry between UCLA and USC wasn’t simmering enough, Saturday’s contest at the Sports Arena had the added spice of a personal challenge. Trojan freshmen Nick Young and Gabriel Pruitt were quite familiar with their Bruin counterparts, Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo; Young and Farmar were high school rivals at Cleveland and Taft High […]