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"Mr. Dodd is not writing anything to get a rise out of any Bruin fans. I am willing to bet he doesn't care about you."
Of the latter, I'm certain. Of the former, I have my doubts. His observation was simplistic, pointless and erroneous. A sportswriter's job is to report the facts and convey what happened in the given sporting event. A columnist's job is to make observations on what happened. The cynical part of me, also says to make your column interesting, e.g. increase your readership based on your observations. How do you define "interesting"? Based on last night's game, he makes this stunning conclusion that UCLA can't handle the press? Well, golly gee, a 9 year old could've made that conclusion could say the same thing. There's a thread around here asking if he's watched any other Pac 10 games. If he had, hopefully he'd have a different perspective. UCLA will not be beaten by pressing. Better teams have tried it, and it doesn't work. What almost beat them last night was their own mental mistakes. That in turn, led to them being rattled by the press.
Regretfully, the one thing that'll hurt the Bruins is the other team playing a zone. To this day, they have a hard time dealing with zone defenses. Last night, as part of that run, the Hilltoppers kept switching from 1-3-1, to 2-3 to even box and ones. They started the game playing man to man and found that it didn't work. In the second half they added the backcourt press, then once the ball got across the midcourt line, they'd switch to a zone. They were very smart in how they played. Clearly, they may be a 12th seed, but they sure as heck didn't play like one in that 2nd half.
As for being very fortunate to be this far, it can be viewed in two ways. Texas A&M didn't play like an 8th seed team. They took it to the Bruins, beat them up in the paint, used a zone, and almost won. But Howland made his own defensive changes in the 2nd half, the Aggies couldn't handle it, and UCLA went on their own run, caught them and passed them. They did what they had to do. Last night's game, should have been a laugher, after that 1st half. But they blew it during those opening minutes of the 2nd half, and only by their own skill and focus did they get the game back under control.
You site how they've had a number of "squeakers". No denying it. Yet, they won them all. Is all this, because of luck? A couple perhaps, but ALL of them?
As for me referencing foul calls not going the way of the Bruins, I only brought it up, as an example of UCLA not getting the benefit of the doubt, as they supposedly did in the Texas A&M game. I didn't bring it up as an excuse. I guess I wasn't clear on that point.
I agree with the majority here that IF they play like this on Saturday, they're in trouble. I just don't expect that to happen.
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