[DolanCareParticipant]

This team has gone from disgrace to scary contender in just a portion of this season. The change came when these guys started to recognize their roles. Especially Kyle Anderson who now focuses less on scoring and more on rebounding and playmaking. I have no idea what he’ll be like in the pros, but I do know that he’s finally fitting in cohesively with this Bruin squad.

[llperez]

i’ve watched them throughout the year and while its easy for every team in america to chalk up early struglles as "finding their roles" it couldnt be more ture for this team. Guys were trying to force the ball inside to josh smith. Anderson didnt seem like he knew where he was supposed to be on the court. Things are really clicking right now.

What makes tonights win even more impressive is that Travis Wear who has been the teams best player to start conference play was off to another hot start shooting 3-3 with some boards early in the game and he got taken out with a blow to the face that caused concusion like symptons. To win without him was extra nice.

They can run the court and have a true pg who knows how to run a team in larry drew and a go to scorer in shabazz who had another fine game tonight with 23 points. Too bad they dont get a rematch with oregon this year.

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

With all of those high profile recruits they got it was gonna take time to build chemistry; I’m sill waiting for Kentucky to do the same thing

[samosasParticipant]

As an ardent UK fan in Lexington I can tell you the general consensus is that’s not going to happen. It has nothing to do explicitly without having veterans, it has to do with talent. Poythress was missed on by everybody. He has no motor, no defense and no handle. He tries to go baseline regardless of where he is on the court and has stepped out of bounds doing it a dozen times in the process. Watch him next game, I bet he steps on the out of bounds line trying to go to the bucket. Goodwin gets a bad rep as being selfish but he’s the only player he can get to the rim. When the offense is stagnating and passing the ball around the perimeter for 30 seconds Goodwin has five seconds left to jack up a three or drive the ball. Wiltjer had the best game of his career against Alabama, and if he can actually become a post threat then that’s something positive. Nerlens is only player he consistently plays at a high level every game. Harrow has 0 NBA potential you can write that in stone. Julius ‘pump fake’ Mays looks like he’s about 5’8″ and if he doesn’t shoot a wide open three he’s worthless. WCS has been hurt lately, but his NBA potential far outweighs his NCAA production, but he plays hard all the time, and that’s saying something.

All in all, they aren’t good this year and the inglorious media machine is the only reason why they were relevant at the beginning of the season.

[WolfRobParticipant]

Ucla has something Kentucky doesn’t! A nice mix of veterans

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

Who is their strength and conditioning coach? He is the worst ever, I have never seen a pudgier team. Adams, Franklin, Anderson etc. and even Shabazz still to some degree. This has been a thing with UCLA for a while now. I’m just saying imagine if whoever Izzo’s guy is was there they would be really good.

Besides that your right they could show up in March, they have playmakers.

[SiggyParticipant]

Who’s Franklin? I’m guessing Parker.
Adams was a lot fatter before he came to the program. That’s partly why he was ranked where he was in his class.
Parker was a fatty too. It’s gonna take more than one preseason to get him in game shape. It’s up to him though, just like it was with Josh Smith.
Neither Anderson nor Shabazz look fat. Anderson just has no definition.
Now if they come into next season looking the same or worse then you’re maybe onto something.

Outside of having a couple more upperclassman, I think what the Bruins have over Wildcats is more shooters and better spacing. At any time of the game UCLA can have 3 guys in the game who can hit 3pt or mid-range jumpers. Spacing is the lifeblood of any good offense. I also think the Bruins have a better in game coach.

[DolanCareParticipant]

You’re completely right about Kentucky’s lack of deep shooting. The starters on that squad all try to get in the paint. They do have Wiltjer, but Calipari seems so reluctant to give him minutes.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Its true that things have begun Clicking on offense…But UCLA’s Defense Doesnt Scare anyone!!

Coach Howland seems to have abandoned the man to man defense, he had some of his past teams play…..They rank 142nd in 3 point defense percentage,opposing teams are attempting 22.3 threes a game…Some have said Howland doesnt have the athletes on this team, to play that the style of defense as his past teams…..But you dont have to be a great athlete to play good defense…

[SiggyParticipant]

Their team is filled with a bunch of crappy individual defenders. They were so bad on that end that they spent a good portion of the beginning of the season playing a zone, which you would never seen from a Howland coached defense.
They’re slow on the perimeter, have no paint protection with poor instincts all over the place.

That’s why Howland tweaked their style of play. Since they can’t defend, he let’s them get up and down more.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

UC…………LA

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

I used to work with their strength and conditioning coach at LMU, he’s very young and inexperienced, give him some time.

[GoJOSH HUESTISParticipant]

UCLA has been very good and are indeed contenders. I don’t see UK getting much better because their pieces just don’t fit. Goodwin can get I the lane but just because you can get in the lane doesn’t mean you have to shoot the ball every single time you, especially when three guys are stepping up once you get in the lane. Lamb and Teague understood is and they would get in the lane and then dump off or lob to Jone and Davis. Goodwin can do this but he won’t, plus he over penetrates. I see this nightly with my Stanford cardinals and Chasson “black hole” Randle

[Author]

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