UCLA's brick-fest surely helped insomniacs
Posted: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 12:34 AM
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Pac-10, 24-hour hoops marathon
ESPN’s 24-hour college hoops marathon opened with an upset, but I’m not sure how many people stuck around. Poor shooting will do that.
UCLA clanked its way to a 68-65 double overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton, the first time the Bruins lost an opener in Ben Howland’s tenure. They hoisted 84 shots, hit just 31 percent of those and were a brutal 5 of 28 from beyond the arc. (Tempo free stats: .746 PPP and .339 eFG%. They pushed the pace, logging 87 possessions, but couldn’t buy a bucket.)
If East Coast hoopheads were looking for reasons to stay up late, this wasn't it.
It wasn’t Saint Louis losing to George Washington, but it was stunning to see UCLA struggle that much on offense. Just last season the Bruins were third on kenpom.com’s adjusted offensive efficiency rankings and boasted a ridiculous 57.9 eFG% during conference play (thanks BP!). Losing four starters and having a M*A*S*H* unit for a roster apparently deals death blows to an offense.
Does this mean the Bruins are toast? Ken Davis weighed in on that last week, but it’s hard to see UCLA as anything other than a middle-of-the road Pac-10 team that could miss the NCAA tournament.
The Bruins have solid players, but few stars. Guys like Micahel Lee and Drew Gordon have to drastically improve, while seniors like James Keefe, Nikola Dragovic and Michael Roll have to be smart, efficient and play lots of minutes.
Their saving grace may be the pitiful Pac-10. Boosting that league record always helps with the committee.
Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.
