Ucla/asu

[Russ Smith]

Boy do these guys not like each other or something? Afflalo has hit two different ASU players with intentional elbows and he and Polk had to be separated by refs. Then Serge goes and blatantly takes 2 shots at Collison's injured shoulder by turning on screens so that he'd hit the left shoulder.

That's why DC was so pumped up after he hit the driving shot at the end of the first half, he'd just been cheap shotted by Serge at the other end.

Worst defensive half by UCLA since the first Oregon game, ASU has had nothing but wide open looks all game. Really nice sets, they set a lot of good screens.

Another invisible half by Josh Shipp and Luc. Jerren Shipp walks everytime he gets the ball, he just keeps changing pivot feet, done it at least 4 times in the first half UCLA fans are all commenting on it on Bruinzone right now.

Pendergraph sat so much in that first half with fouls you gotta think if you're ASU it's a good situation so close at the half?

 

[HooverDam]

ASU up 4 with 15:19 left....hope they can pull this one out, it would be huge.

 

[Lefty]

ASU up 4 with 15:19 left....hope they can pull this one out, it would be huge.

ASU up 8, what an upset this would be.

 

[HooverDam]

Damn....game back to being tied w/ 6:22 to go.

 

[Lefty]

Herb's offense is going to make it tough for ASU to come back when they are losing in the second half.

 

[devilfan02]

Herb's offense is going to make it tough for ASU to come back when they are losing in the second half.

He has his hands tied. He has absolutely no athletes to work with. Pende and Polk are it and they are nothing to brag about. Pendegraph will benefit from Boateng next year which will help dramatically

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

He has his hands tied. He has absolutely no athletes to work with. Pende and Polk are it and they are nothing to brag about. Pendegraph will benefit from Boateng next year which will help dramatically

I'm becoming convinced that 99% of ASU fans never watched a Sendek-coached team at NC State. What you're seeing schematically on offense right now is what you're going to get only you'll have better players.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'm becoming convinced that 99% of ASU fans never watched a Sendek-coached team at NC State. What you're seeing schematically on offense right now is what you're going to get only you'll have better players.

Yep completely agree, he is very much like Howland he loves to run set offense. The main difference is his set offense is generally going to take more time off the clock because he tries to free post players while Ben tends to run sets to get jumpers for Afflalo.

He's a very good coach, ASU got so many open shots last night it was scary, after the game Afflalo was very outspoken about how bad UCLA's defense has been the last 2 games and how they have to tighten it up. Largely because they played 2 teams that run a lot of curls and cuts.

ASU ran the same play over and over last night with success, they'd draw UCLA out on the high screen and then slip the screener and at the same time, rotate a player over to the foul line extended on the corner. If UCLA overplayed the screen, they'd hit the screener rolling to the basket, if UCLA dropped down to pick him up, they'd hit the guy foulline extended. Pendergraph got several easy shots off that and they got 2 wide open 3's for Jerren Shipp that he made off that exact play. Seems like the teams are figuring out the way Ben defends the highscreen, he's going to have to adjust.

The only good thing about this is any chance UCLA had of losing either Luc or Shipp to the NBA has completely evaporated. In his last 72 minutes Luc has 3 points, 1-12 from the floor. And Josh has now gone scoreless for the first 30 minutes of 2 consecutive games(but finished well in both).

They need more offense from them than that the rest of the way.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

the offense and overall schematic is one that is designed to not fall behind by large margins - right now he doesn't have the players to pull it off, but it is encouraging how much it seems the players are buying into it and picking it up

with some more talent these close losses could become close wins in a hurry