Partisan crowd, guys will have a chip on their shoulders. UCLA is good enough to win, but their margin for error is nil against us now. I think it's a toss up with intangibles in our favor.
So, how we feeling about the Bruins?
- Thread starter SemperFiCat
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Okay, it matters a lot how good their zone defense is. If we can get through a Wichita State 1-3-1 by playing smart basketball, then I would assume that we can get through a UCLA zone with a lot of holes, and once more, Cincy is not UK. UK has better players, and a better offense, period. The fact that their defense was "decent" against a Cincinnati team does not impress me at all. Even if that Cincinnati team has an offense that's above their typical average.
Cats got em! Better Defensive team and more versatile on O since Dec. Just watch and enjoy cuz we will beat the bruins!
Honestly love our chance to win it all. The team has had multiple opportunities to fold up, but they keep on going. Dom and Willis are turning it up a notch. Yeah, Malik is in a slump but that's going to change. They just aren't tightening up in close games - like WSU did on it's last two possessions. The media is portraying them as the underdog and I think they've taken it to heart - playing with a chip on their shoulders.
Well our defense better be god damn amazing to stop their offense. Our defense is improved but if you havent noticed that we are still giving up a thousand open shots from outside....... then I dont know what else to tell you .
Yes, that's what i'm telling myself so I don't worry about it before tip off lol
I wish Cal would put briscoe on the bench in favor of hawkins............ but we arent going to get our wishes.
I predicted us to win by 3 against WSU........... more on the money than you've ever been
It isn't going to stop their offense. Their offense can't get stopped, but it can get dramatically slowed down.
Now it seems that your argument is based on how good UCLA's defense plays, and how bad our now-elite defense plays. I'm puzzled by your approach.
You bet on us to lose like 15 times this season. That's hardly "on the money"
Oh you mean am I going to stick to my UCLA beats us prediction then YES.
Im not bad mouthing our team...... you and others are putting our team on a level that they just aren't on.
Did we not give up a lot of open 3's in both first and second round games? yes or no?
????? which games then? I bet on us to lose to UF at home....... but our cats overcame Fox being out. At one time I said something like watch us lose at A&M and screw up our SEC title but that wasnt betting on us to lose......... I actually thought we would win that and we did.
You are just p*ssed I think we're going to lose to UCLA and you dont want to hear about it so stop making things up to try to make me sound like I've been against this team this season
I ordered oxygen tanks
![[winking]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/wink.r191677.gif "Winking [winking]")
Like any other game, I'm very nervous. However, I like our chances more, now, than I did before the weekend and seeing both teams play.
Our defense has won us several games in the last few weeks - won for us yesterday. Also, in the first game with the Bruins, Bam had not yet emerged. I would feel better, though, if Monk found his crazy good offense again.
I'm not putting them on any level. I'm just not going to bad mouth my own team like you did all last week. And starting up again this week. Sooooo
the only problem with that - and maybe I was seeing things yesterday - our guys seemed to have been thrown off a bit by things that didn't get called for a change. Several times there was a whistle and our guys thought it was on them, and it wasn't. I'm sure they'll adjust, but it does have to feel strange after the SEC
So talking about Briscoe's and Fox's bad outside shooting is bad mouthing? if so then 99% of people have bad mouthed our team this year
Briscoe stepped on the baseline like 3 times. Fox and Bam were 10-32. What does that game look like if they are 15 or 16 for 32? There are areas we can improve...our defense already has...we can take these guys...we just can't lose focus on defense...their offense is too good and will take advantage of our lapses.
Sean Miller ought to make the championship game now. However, his biggest test is going to possibly be West Virginia. Huggins is sketchy in tournament play but this just might be the year he gets to the title game.
We had a 2 point lead at the half and Gregg Gumbel, Clark Kellogg, Wally Insert a Z after every consonant last name, and Kenny Cal Cut me from the Nets all said this was WSU's kind of game.
This is going to be a tough, tough game. UCLA can flat out score.
However, FINALLY, we get to play an up and down game. We have been playing grinders for so long now.
Arkansas tried to run with us and we crushed them, but look what they did to UNC, a team that is supposed to crush run and gun teams.
But Cal has a ton of time to prepare for this game and I really like that.
But how do they guard Bam?
I think Hawkins will be on Alford and Fox is going to man up on Ball. They will get fewer looks from 3 than they did last night.
I do fear this game, but I think it will come down to the final possession and I like our chances with that thought in mind.
However, FINALLY, we get to play an up and down game. We have been playing grinders for so long now.
Arkansas tried to run with us and we crushed them, but look what they did to UNC, a team that is supposed to crush run and gun teams.
But Cal has a ton of time to prepare for this game and I really like that.
But how do they guard Bam?
I think Hawkins will be on Alford and Fox is going to man up on Ball. They will get fewer looks from 3 than they did last night.
I do fear this game, but I think it will come down to the final possession and I like our chances with that thought in mind.
Rex and Baker were off the reservation yesterday on pregame, making fun of fans concerned about lowly Wichita State. Wichita proved to be a good team, and the main cause for concern was the way we played the 2nd half vs Northern, or how we can sometime lay eggs on defense, as well as Monk's current slump.
That said, we are capable of beating UCLA by playing better D than the first time, and by taking the ball to the rim on offense.
That said, we are capable of beating UCLA by playing better D than the first time, and by taking the ball to the rim on offense.
if officiating stays the same.... we absolutely need to slow the game down and grind and force UCLA to do the same. Our defense falters when we've tried to speed up........ but if the officiating stays the same as it has so far this tournament, we should be able to body up on UCLA and hopefully force them into poor shooting.......... if we get into a speed match.... its much harder to stay in front of your man.
Just keep winning, hopefully our "rowdy fans" show up and get behind the team.
If we can get the bench production we've got as of late I like our chances
If we can get the bench production we've got as of late I like our chances
It's going to be a tough game. Maybe the best game of the entire tournament. It would be nice if Hump & Gabriel could contribute, but that ship has sailed. Luckily, they didn't do anything for us in the first match up with UCLA.
I think it mostly comes down to Monk. He doesn't have to go crazy, IMO. He just needs to be solid 14-15 pts.
Also, Hump & Gabriel should not shoot unless the shot clock is down to 2-3 secs. Their shots are mainly turnovers right now.
I feel like if we get past UCLA, we will hang #9.
I think it mostly comes down to Monk. He doesn't have to go crazy, IMO. He just needs to be solid 14-15 pts.
Also, Hump & Gabriel should not shoot unless the shot clock is down to 2-3 secs. Their shots are mainly turnovers right now.
I feel like if we get past UCLA, we will hang #9.
Our antennae will be fully up for this one. Bright lights, big stage, big opponent, the Ball hype, revenge factor--all mean we likely get the best version of the Cats.
UCLA is a matchup nightmare, however. That offense is the best way to beat Cal's defense. The bright side is we've really seemed to solidify our defensive rotation when Bam switches out front, and Willis is doing a phenomenal job of rebounding and challenging shots as a help defender.
I also think Hawkins' increased role will be huge. We can use him to pester Ball or chase Alford, whereas before we were relying on the freshmen and Briscoe to slow them down out front.
Not to mention, that first game was the first time we had really been tested. No one had punched back before. Our initial run had been enough to smother everyone else, but when it wasn't a knockout punch, our guys hadn't had to figure out how to react.
Now we know how to fight. We know how to rebound. We know how to feed Bam. We know how to get to the line. We know how to go long stretches without scoring and let our defense keep us alive.
All that said, it's still the absolute worst matchup for us, and from an unbiased perspective, UCLA as a 1-2 point favorite is the right call. But then again, Cal has always done a little better with a chip on his shoulder and an underdog role. If we get the best version of ourselves, it's a win. I'm just not sure we can all fire on all cylinders at the same time.
UCLA is a matchup nightmare, however. That offense is the best way to beat Cal's defense. The bright side is we've really seemed to solidify our defensive rotation when Bam switches out front, and Willis is doing a phenomenal job of rebounding and challenging shots as a help defender.
I also think Hawkins' increased role will be huge. We can use him to pester Ball or chase Alford, whereas before we were relying on the freshmen and Briscoe to slow them down out front.
Not to mention, that first game was the first time we had really been tested. No one had punched back before. Our initial run had been enough to smother everyone else, but when it wasn't a knockout punch, our guys hadn't had to figure out how to react.
Now we know how to fight. We know how to rebound. We know how to feed Bam. We know how to get to the line. We know how to go long stretches without scoring and let our defense keep us alive.
All that said, it's still the absolute worst matchup for us, and from an unbiased perspective, UCLA as a 1-2 point favorite is the right call. But then again, Cal has always done a little better with a chip on his shoulder and an underdog role. If we get the best version of ourselves, it's a win. I'm just not sure we can all fire on all cylinders at the same time.
Yeah I can see that. But we didn't have much foul trouble, trying to defend a really tough and fast team (even if they don't shoot it well).
Meanwhile, Duke was burned for this exact reason. "What, they call fouls against us!?"
One key to winning is to keep Gabriel on the bench as much as possible.
Kid comes in and starts chucking bricks like he did against WSU and something valuable in my house is going to get broken.
Kid comes in and starts chucking bricks like he did against WSU and something valuable in my house is going to get broken.
We are not going to slow the game to the point of playing possession bball. We will try to score in transition and get some easy baskets. Arizona did this against UCLA and still played tough D.
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