[llperez]

 looking forward to this game tonight between UCLA and Gonzaga. Ive watched almost every ucla game and watched parts of a couple gonzaga games vs arizona and washington st. Gonzaga is the favorite and I really like their team. They have numerous guys who can creat offense and make tough shots even against good defense. They are ranked 9th and this is a great opportunity for the bruins to get a marquee win in the non conference slate, something they havent been able to get yet having lost to oklahoma and UNC.

The bruins are 8-2 but dont have a quality win yet. Of course the two losses were both to top 25 teams so no bad losses either. 10 games in, i view this team just like I previewed them prior to the season, they should make the tourny as a 8-12 seed range, but are not top 25 caliber and arent a threat to make a deep march run. 

The starting 5 is very solid. But i feared they would have no bench and in fact the becnh is worse then i even thought. This team uses 3-4 guys off the bench in thomas welsh, wannah bail, noah allen and gyorgy goloman. Honestly, not one of these guys would have seen the court on last years ucla squad. Welsh has some skills and potential as a 7 footer with some low post skills but struggles vs toughness and plays soft. Allen plays the 2-4 spots and is a solid defender and athlete who plays smart. Any offense out of the bench is considered bonus.

As for the starters, let me break them down one by one:

center-tony parker…11pts…8reb…61%fg

parker has some nice skills and plays physical. Nice finishing around the paint. Teams can neatrualize him if they double and create traffic in the paint for him to work against becasue he doesnt stretch the floor or get a lot of easy baskets off the ball. 

powerforward-kevon looney…14pts…11rebs…2blcks

Looney is a freshman who is widely considered a one and done guy who could go top 10. He is raw offensively but has a great motor and is constantly active in the paint on both ends the court. Super long arms that allows him to rebound out of position and alter shots defensively. Good ball handler but no real perimter skills. If people view him as a sf at the next level, they will be dissapointed in his current devfelopment. i honestly see him as a pf both now and in the nba. He has a 7-4 wing span that makes up for his lack of size (6-9 220lbs) and he does so many things around the  paint i see him as a hustle player in the nba who could have a great impact as his skills catch up.

sf- Norman Powell…18pts…4rebs…46%3pt

Powell is a senior viewed as a first round talent and through 10 games, i think he has done plenty to live up to those expectations. His shooting is smoother then ever and he is a legit threat now shooting over 4 threes a game and hitting over 46% of them. He is known for his defense and aggressive rim attacking sytle and he is still delivering in both those areas. He fades out of games where he dosnt get touches since he is a limited ball handler and needs to get his opportunities either from teammates creating for him or in transition where he excells. In half court sets if defenses dont leave him, he can be quiet and held in check.

sg-isaac hamilton…11pts…3asts…40%3pt

hamilton is a red shirt freshman who plays off the ball most the time but fills in at pg whenever alford sits down. Hamilton has some great one on one skills beating guys off the dribble and getting to the basket, but he takes quetionable shots often contested and fading away and he routinely finshes nba caliber moves to the rim with weak finshes and blows lots of lay ups. 

pg-bryce alford…18pts…7asts….44%fg

Alford is the teams most important piece who has to create for both himself and his teammates. He is a very good shooter who can get into trouble using his green light a little too liberaly taking deep and contested shots. He plays at a fast pace and loves to push it in transition. He has a chnace to go from lightly regarded highschool prospect who was seen as being given a shot at ucla only becasue his dad was coach to possibly being a future nba player. His defesne is bad but gets hiden in the constant zone defnse the bruins use. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

Kyle Wiltjer looks so good right now, I’m not sure if he’ll ever be a star at the next level, but the front court combo of him and Domantas makes Gonzaga look like a Final Four quality side. On the UCLA side, the couple bricks Welsh has put up from the elbows is really showing how much they miss the Wear twins. Powell playing good so far quietly as well.

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

Kyle Wiltjer looks so good right now, I’m not sure if he’ll ever be a star at the next level, but the front court combo of him and Domantas makes Gonzaga look like a Final Four quality side. On the UCLA side, the couple bricks Welsh has put up from the elbows is really showing how much they miss the Wear twins. Powell playing good so far quietly as well.

[llperez]

 looney shooting better then normal, he has played well. But bruins overall really dont look like a good team and zaga is up double digits without having to exert too much energy. Wiltjer is playing great, such a nice combination of inside and outisde skills.

[llperez]

 looney shooting better then normal, he has played well. But bruins overall really dont look like a good team and zaga is up double digits without having to exert too much energy. Wiltjer is playing great, such a nice combination of inside and outisde skills.

[MopgrassParticipant]

 I agree Looney could be a terrifying PF if added weight. But h’d be a good SF if he added perimeter skills.

[MopgrassParticipant]

 I agree Looney could be a terrifying PF if added weight. But h’d be a good SF if he added perimeter skills.

[Author]

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