A Couple of Points About Last Night's UCLA Game

I didn't mention these in yesterday's post, but here's a couple of adenda:

1. As stifling as both defenses were, there were surprisingly few fouls. Neither team was in the bonus in the second half until the final few minutes when Wazzu had to foul on purpose just to put UCLA into the bonus. And it wasn't as if there were a ton of plays that made you think 'boy, I can't believe they didn't call a foul right there.' I've watched a lot of Big 10 basketball, so I've seen a lot of games where refs let guys get away with everything. Last night wasn't one of those games. It was good, hard, aggressive, in-your-face defense, and neither team needed to clutch and grab to play it well.
2. Good column today from Pat Forde of ESPN, calling UCLA the "most mature team in the nation." It's hard to argue with that. These guys don't just play one style and hope they do it well enough to win. They're driven, and they find ways to win when they have to, with a couple of exceptions. The funny thing is, the "most mature team in the nation" has absolutely no seniors. Not even a walk on. I'd be surprised if everyone came back, but damn, they'll be incredible next year if everyone comes back.
   

UCLA 53; Washington State 45 -- Bruins Clinch Second Straight Outright Pac 10 Championship

In 1994, the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup. I watched every game of their seven game series with New Jersey in the Wales Conference Finals, and every game of their seven game series against Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals. That Rangers team had a knack for absolutely blowing their opponents doors off in the first 10 minutes of the game. Didn't matter who they played, they dominated from the opening face off. If you could weather that storm and hang in, you could beat them, but a lot of teams just wilted from the beginning, and that's why the Rangers were the best team in the regular season, and the best team in the playoffs.

This UCLA team has a similar trait. They come out and simply dominate teams in the first five minutes of the second half. They did it against Arizona a couple of weeks ago. They did it to Berkeley last week. They did it to Stanford on Saturday. And they did it again tonight. I said it before, and I'll say it again: UCLA lost to Stanford last month at Maples because they didn't compete in the first five minutes of the second half, and by the time they got it together, Stanford was rolling. They learned their lesson. Since then, they've dominated that five minute stretch, and it's been the key factor in their conference win streak.

Tonight, after trailing by one at the half, the Bruins came out and scored the first nine points of the second half, and they did so convincingly, on two layups, a dunk, and three pointer. The built an eight point lead that they would never relinquish. And they didn't just do it with offense. Their defense has an extra gear in the second half, and they found it tonight, ultimately holding the Cougars to 37.5% shooting. Derek Low especially had an off night. He is a difference maker, and tonight he simply couldn't find his range.

Aaron Afflalo led the way on the scoresheet with 14 points on 5-11 shooting. Darren Collison, in a bit of a shooting slump (for him) over the last few games added seven to go along with eight assists, many coming on pinpoint passes into the post. He's a big reason that Alfred Aboya chimed in with eight points of 4-5 shooting. Aboya gives me the impression that he's going to absolutely bust out next year. Don't ask my why. He's shown flashes of greatness this year, and it's just a matter of him putting it all together. If he takes that step, their front line next year is going to be absolutely sick with LRMAM, Aboya, Mata, and Love. That's assuming they get nothing from Keefe and Wright (and I think those two will contribute). That frontcourt will be dominant.

Give a ton of credit to Washington State. They have an excellent team, and for a defensive powerhouse, they don't play a boring style. Their low points-against isn't built on a boring zone and 35 second possessions on both ends. They play hard and really get after it. I think they're going to do some damage in the tournament, and until UCLA took them out of it, they really had a great crowd tonight. And yes, that paragraph was a lot easier to type considering the outcome.

Barring some catastrophic injury (which the selection committee will take into account), UCLA probably locked up a #1 seed tonight, and they're probably going to stay out west for the second year in a row. Now it's off to Seattle to finish the season and get ready for the Pac 10 tournament. Congratulations to the Bruins on their second straight outright conference championship.

Day Two of Not Caring

Honestly, I've tried, and I just can't bring myself to care about this whole Gary Matthews thing. Quite honestly, I'm much more concerned about UCLA vs. Wazzu, and Anze Kopitar missing the game against the Ducks tonight, because really, if he's not playing, what point is there in watching?

Why don't I care? Let's break it down.

Assume he's innocent:

1. Last year, though a fluke, wasn't chemically enhanced;
2. There's a chance he could work out OK this year, maybe next;
3. It's still an awful contract, and it will be brutal in two years.

Assume he's guilty:

1. Last year was a fluke AND chemically enhanced;
2. There's a smaller chance he could work out OK this year;
3. It goes from being an awful contract to a REALLY awful contract that's already brutal.

Honestly, I don't see much difference between guilt and innocence at this point. Either way, the deal sucks, and this is a distraction. The bright side, of course, is that he could get suspended for a while. The really bright side would be a situation in which the Angels could void his contract, but I don't see that happening.

Basically, I think this was such a bad deal at the time that I don't think anything could make it much worse. It's about as bad as it gets. I'll gladly eat crow if I'm wrong, but I have such little affection for Matthews to begin with that this whole situation doesn't make me like the move any less.

Garbage In, Garbage Out

Big ticket centerfielder Gary Matthews Jr. (affectionately known as Garbarge Matthews Jr. to Angels fans) has been linked to a ring of steroid distributors who operated an online distribution business. The owners of Applied Pharmacy Series have been indicted in Buffalo.

So right now, that's looking like $50MM well spent.

On the bright side, this deal was pretty much as bad as it gets to begin with, so it's not as if it could have gotten much worse. I suppose the hope would lie in finding a way to void this contract and cut ties with Matthews, but I think that's pretty far fetched. Hell, I don't think the Angels can even make a case for being duped. Any judge with half a brain would look at the case and say "You signed a guy who had been released five times, and had one good season in his entire career." Even if that's not circumstantial evidence for juicing (and honestly, I don't think it's particularly good evidence), it certainly evidence that Stoneman got himself into an incredibly bad deal, steroids or not.

Fortunately, the Angels probably won't be in a lot of trouble if Matthews gets into a lot of trouble. Figgins could easily move back to center, with Izturis or Hillenbrand going to third. Quite frankly, I expect Matthews to suck this year, so replacing him with another guy who sucks probably isn't a big hit. I'm much more concerned about young Weaver at this point, but that will probably sort itself out.

Still, it's a distraction, and one that the team would likely be better without at this point.

The News Keeps Coming

Kings

It'd deadline day in the NHL, and the Kings just made their big splash getting Johann Fransson, Jaroslav Modry, a 2008 first round pick, and 2nd and 3rd round picks in 2007. In exchange, they send the captain, Mattias Norstrom, empty headed prospect Konstantin Pushkarev, and 3rd and 4th round picks to Dallas.

I have mixed emotions about this trade. I like the return, though I have to think that Slowdry is in there solely for salary considerations. On the one hand, I hate to see Matty go. He's been the very definition of a warrior for basically the last decade in Los Angeles. Not necessarily the face of the franchise, but an incredibly solid performer who always displayed the utmost in professionalism. On the other hand, he's exactly the type of guy who deserves a legitimate chance at a Stanley Cup, and now he's going to get one alongside Phillipe Boucher. Pushkarev was someone for whom I had high hopes, but Lombardi was never a fan, and whatever magic Hextall was trying to work, well apparently he didn't think he could get it done. The best thing about Pushkarev in this deal is that he's not O'Sullivan or Tukonen.

Baseball

Rumor is getting out now that for a number of reasons, the deal between Major League Baseball and DirecTV may be slowly sliding off the table. In other words, there's a good chance that Extra Innings will still be available on cable this season.

The whole thing has essentially hinged on where the Baseball Network will be slated when it starts up in 2009. MLB wants in on the basic tier. Cable doesn't want it on the basic tier. DirecTV was willing to put it on the basic tier in exchange for exclusivity for Extra Innings. The combination of a better offer from cable, a promise to put the Baseball Network somewhere, and pressure from Congress (specifically Senator Kerry) seems to have put the whole thing on hold. Depending on who you listen to, either the deal will still get done, may not get done, or won't get done.

One source familiar with negotiations said he now believes that the Extra Innings package will remain available to all three services."I'd be surprised if the DirecTV deal goes through," he said.

...

"There will be a commitment to carry the Baseball Network (on cable)," said the industry official. "Where it will be placed, that still needs to be sorted out."

Another source with the league said he was not aware of any shift away from plans to go with an exclusive deal for DirecTV. But talks have lingered for months without an official announcement even as baseball's opening day draws near

Stay tuned.

Breaking News

UC Riverside in the top 25!

Go Highlanders.

Saturday Roundup

It's a little late, but I was at the Blackhawks game today, so I have an excuse.

Illinois

It's amazing what a team can do when it gets away from the distractions. Penn State was the right opponent, in the right place, at the right time, and Illinois responded by playing what may have been it's best game of the season. They relentlessly attacked Penn State's zone defense, and they dominated PSU on the other end of the floor, holding the Lions to 38% shooting. But the big advantage came on the glass, as Illinois enjoyed a 33-22 rebounding advantage.

On offense, the Illini found holes all over the PSU zone, and the beneficiary was Sean Pruitt, who finished with 20 points. Warren Carter added 17 of his own, six of those coming from long range, while Brian Randle tossed in 10, rounding out a starting front line that finished the game with each in double digits. Chester Frazier, who'd been 0 for everything lately, added a couple of three pointers, which paced a low scoring effort from the back court. Rich McBride had a tough time getting good looks, and he finished with just one field goal, although he did contribute six assists.

I still think it's going to take one win to get Illinois into the NCAA Tournament. Either a win at Iowa, or one in the Big 10 tourney ought to be enough, and neither is a sure thing. They'll probably have the fourth seed in the BTT, which means they could end up turning right around and playing Iowa again. At this point of the season, nothing would make Iowa fans happier than keeping Illinois out of the dance. And the Illini better show up in Iowa City with plenty of mental toughness, because Iowa's fans are really going to let them have it.

UCLA

There are those who will argue that UCLA's loss at Maples Pavilion last month was the moment that really brought the team together. Not me. I think they've been together all season. I think that loss taught them a very valuable lesson: The most important part of the game is the first five minutes of the second half.

Time and time again the Bruins have gotten off to slow starts (and indeed, it was a much talked about issue going into that first Stanford game), only to come out in the second half and put the game away. At Stanford, the Bruins came out on fire and got up big early. After an ill advised shot at the end of the half, which led to a Stanford three pointer, the Bruins took a 12 point lead into the break. Stanford came out firing on all cylinders at the beginning of the second half, got and suddenly everything looked uphill for the Bruins. They couldn't recover, and Stanford put the Bruins away.

Cut to yesterday. UCLA didn't quite start the game like it did last month. Their lead generally hovered around two or three points for much of the first frame, and they took a three point advantage into the break. But that's when they put they lesson they learned in the first game into practice. 5:30 into the second half, UCLA had pushed a three point lead to thirteen, and pretty much held it there until the final horn.

Aaron Afflalo, in what may have been his last game at Pauley Pavilion, had a typically tremendous AA game with 20 points and six rebounds, while going 4-7 from beyond the arc. Beyond him, the Bruins were remarkably balanced offensively. Seven players (besides Afflalo) finished with five or more points, and no one else had more than 11 (LRMAM, who also added seven rebounds). Darren Collison keyed the defense with five steals, and for the second straight game, let others grab the accolades, finishing with ten points and six assists. The bench chipped in an extremely efficient 18 (Aboya - 7, Roll - 6, Westbrook - 5), on 6-9 shooting.

In another solid team effort, the Bruins forced twice as many turnovers as they committed (16-8), and they out rebounded the taller Cardinal 31-27, and in doing so, took away one of Stanford's biggest advantages.

It's been a season of solid team efforts, and that has them on the brink of their second straight conference championship, which they'll clinch with either one win in Washington, or a Wazzu loss. On the Pacific Northwest.

An Historic Evening

• Roughly 2000 years ago, give or take, Jesus quelled the unrest of a group of wedding guests looking to get wasted by turning water into wine.
• In 1858, in a grotto near Lourdes, France, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14 year old peasant girl. Since then thousands of people have been miraculously cured at site.
• On February 22, 2007, Lorenzo Mata made eight of nine free throws.

UCLA once against shook off a slow start last night, especially on the defensive end (UC Berkeley made 9 of their first 12 shots), only to come out on a mission in the second half, blowing the Bears out of the water in the process. The 10 point final margin was no indication of just how badly the Bruins dominated Berkeley. At one points, the Bruins turned what was once a 9 point deficit into a 25 point lead before garbage time cut into that advantage.

For the second straight game, Josh Shipp asserted himself with 22 points on 9-12 shooting to go along with six assists. He benefited from a flurry of fast breaks in the second half as the Bruins extended their lead. Aaron Afflalo added 13 of his own, while Darren Collison, who suffered from early foul trouble in the first half, was able to take the night off and let the rest of the team do the heavy lifting. As a team, the Bruins shot 61% from the field. Special recognition should also go to Russell Westbrook, coming off a couple of games in which he didn't get big minutes, he stepped in after Collison's second foul and immediately scored five quick points, trimming an eight point deficit to three, and keeping UC Berkeley from padding their lead early. His arrival also coincided with a defensive clampdown that helped UCLA erase that deficit and take a one point lead into the half.

How easy were the baskets coming? UCLA made - MADE - eight more three pointers against Arizona than they TOOK against Berkeley. They simply didn't need to settle for a lot of jump shots.

On the other end, Berkeley held their own, shooting 60%, and really lit it up from three point range. Of course, a fair amount of that shooting percentage was due to poor play by the Bruin bench after the game was decided, when UC Berkeley trimmed a 21 point deficit to the final losing margin. Indeed, a look at the peripheral numbers doesn't show the blowout that this came between. UCLA had the turnover edge (8-12), rebounding edge (23-20), and made two more free throws. Those numbers don't scream blowout. But that will happen when the game is basically over by the under-eight TV time out.

The story of the game, however, was Lorenzo Mata. Nine free throws, and eight through the hoop. How significant was that? He entered the game shooting 31% from the line. He left it shooting 38%. That's a seven per cent increase for a starting center, and it's late February. He's now 10 of his last 11. This is still a blip, and not quite yet a trend, but if he keeps up something close to this new level, it will make a big strategic difference for Ben Howland going into the post-season. Before the Arizona game, Mata's free throw shooting was so bad that he simply couldn't be on the floor when the Bruins had the ball in the final four minutes of the game. Couple that with Howland's fetish for using all his time-outs with about eight minutes left, and that means that Mata, their best shot blocker, couldn't be out there for defense either. This new development, if indeed it is indicative of a new level of ability, changes everything.

Combined with Wazzu's loss at Oregon (nice last possession, Cougs), UCLA takes a two game conference lead into Saturday's game at Stanford. Win that, and they clinch a share of the conference title. Lose on Saturday and they can still win the outright title in Pullman next Thursday, but they would jeopardize their number one seed, especially with games against two tough teams in their gyms next week.

I Don't Know is on Third

A few weeks ago, the Angels were poised to enter the season with five different guys who could end up at third base. Chone Figgins was, and probably still is, the most likely candidate with the outfield more or less spoken for at this point. Additionally, camp begins with Maicer Izturis, Shea Hillenbrand, and Robb Quinlan among the guys who could see time at the hot corner. Dallas McPherson's back surgery had trimmed that list to those four. Well, add one more back to the list.

The Angels are starting camp with phenom Brandon Wood taking grounders at third base in preparation for a possible and pretty much expected inevitable move from shortstop. And while I'm linking, can anyone explain why the hell the LA Times is printing both an "Angels Report" and an "Angels Beat", which is essentially the same, yet slightly different article? Anyway, Mike Scioscia has been quick to point out that they're not giving up on Wood as a shortstop, for whatever that's worth.

Actually, this isn't particularly surprising. There aren't a lot of at bats to go around at shortstop this spring, what with Orlando Cabrera, Maicer Izturis, Erick Aybar, and (I assume) Sean Rodriguez all in camp. And the Angels are no strangers to bringing up a guy they think is ready while also creating a position for him on the fly (see also: Howie Kendrick at first base; Chone Figgins everywhere). I won't be surprised if Wood returns to short at Salt Lake, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they simply decided that they have enough depth at the six that it makes sense to get Wood more seasoning at third base.

I don't really think this is a big deal, and it's a pretty unsurprising move. It's not like moving Erstad from center to first base, where there's a huge drop in the value of an average bat. Wood will still have a lot of value as a third baseman, though perhaps not as much as at short. That difference could be made up on defense. To the extent there's been any Angels "news" lately, I guess this is it.

Last Dance

Chief Illiniwek has pranced across the Assembly Hall floor for the last time. It was apparently an emotional moment for some, and the Chief broke tradition by running back on to the floor after the performance to salute the building and the fans one last time. I've already posted on this, and my position is pretty clear. Anyway, if you want to see the final performance for yourself, have at it.

The Illini beat Michigan last night at the Assembly Hall, pushing them to 8-6 on the season, and bringing them within one win of a guaranteed winning record in the Big Ten, to go along with 20+ wins. A lot of people are hoping a win at Iowa or Penn State will be enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament. I'm not so sure. Win both and they're in. Win one, and they probably need at least one conference tournament victory. Lose both and they're probably done, barring some sort of crazy Corey Bradford-like run to the conference championship game.

This one wasn't available for people who don't have ESPNU, which is pretty much everyone who doesn't have DirecTV. As such, I missed it. The teams combined to shoot only 36%, so maybe the TV people were just saving us from ourselves. Sounded like they came out really determined in the second half, and after taking a lead into the break, they broke it open early in the half, and never really let Michigan back into it.

Warren Carter was the big star, with 18 and 9, going 3-4 from beyond the arc. Rich McBride, was the only other Illini in double figures with 11, and to round out the senior night trio, Marcus Arnold had four points in 16 minutes.

As the speculation over the future of Jamar Smith continues, it's worth noting that he was at the game last night, seated with the team and next to teammate Brian Carlwell, who continues to recover from a severe concussion. Much of the message board discussion has centered around Smith's unfortunate and strange decision to not call for help while Carlwell sat unconscious in the car. It would appear that, at least in Carlwell's opinion, there are no hard feelings.

I'm not sure how Coach Weber will end up dealing with the situation. There are reports that no fewer than six players were at the apartment after Smith drove the car home from the accident site. I don't feel comfortable speculating about the reasons that none of them called 911, and maybe there's some sort of explanation. I can't fathom what it might be, or how that many guys could screw up by letting Jamar and Brian get in the car to begin with.

As for Jamar's future, there's still a very real possibility of jail time that we can't simply ignore. Barring that, and assuming Jamar ends up with some combination of probation/community service/alchohol awareness training, I think if I were Coach Weber I would "suspend" Jamar for the 2007-2008 season. Make him redshirt. Set goals for things like grades, service, etc. Make him earn his spot back on the time by re-earning the trust of the team, the student body, and the community. Furthermore, I would lay this all out for Jamar and let him decide whether he wants to go through that. I have no doubts that he could leave the U of I, and head to a D-2 or lower school and play next year. And if he decides he can't live up to those terms, then you wish him luck wherever he ends up. But ultimately, Jamar is the one deciding whether Jamar returns to the Illini. I don't like the idea of a zero tolerance policy for the team. I don't like zero tolerance policies in general. But I wouldn't have a problem imposing one specifically on Jamar in this instance.

On to Penn State this weekend to see if the Illini can take one more step towards an NCAA tournament birth.

Jamar Smith - Multiple Charges

Via Mark Tupper:

Smith is charged with one count of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, a class 4 felony, in that he drove a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and was involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in great bodily harm to Brian Carlwell, and with one count of Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident, a class 3 felony, in that he was involved in a motor vehicle accident which resulted in personal injury and failed to stop his vehicle and remain at the scene and further failed to report the accident to authorities within 30 minutes after the accident as required.

I'll admit, I did everything possibly to think the best, and all along my position was to wait for the facts to come out, but this sounds like the worst case scenario, or at least what became the worst case scenario after both players were sent home from the hospital. This is huge:

Further investigation revealed that Smith had gone to his apartment in the College Fields complex. A number of other basketball team members were in the apartment. It appears that Smith was distraught, as he believed Carlwell had died in the crash. Based on the investigation, there is no evidence that Smith had anything alcoholic to drink following the crash. At approximately 1:00 a.m., witnesses and U of I police officers located Smith and transported him to Carle Hospital, where he was treated and released. Smith submitted to blood testing. Illinois State Police lab preliminary laboratory analysis indicates that Smith’s blood alcohol content was .176

I'm not sure quite what to think, other than I'm not quite sure how Weber survives this, when added to all of the other disciplinary issues this team has been through in the last few years. I mean, it sounds like half the team was there. There's more:

They then saw the tall man and a second man return, approach the car, and then leave and go back into the building. The witnesses called 911 at 11:40 p.m. No other 911 calls were made. Sheriff’s deputies and U of I police arrived, and found Brian Carlwell unconscious in the car. He was removed from the vehicle and taken to Carle Hospital.

I suppose that's consistent with Jamar being drunk, concussed, and probably freaked over thinking he'd just killed his friend. For whatever reason, I'm not as concerned by that as some would be. But the idea that he was more than double the legal limit AND HOME AT THE TIME, and still got in his car, that's just dumb, and the result was predictable, especially in those conditions. I've probably driven at times when I shouldn't have, and I have friends who have done the same. It's not something I'm proud of. But I've never been dumb enough to leave home after I was already drunk. Geez, just let the big guy crash on your couch. I've gotta think Jamar's career at Illinois is finished. I'm not sure I'd let Carlwell play again this season, even if he's cleared to play physically.

Honestly, I think the only thing Weber can do is suspend everyone who was at the party and let these two get in a car. And if that means they play with five guys, so be it. If it costs them a shot at the post-season, so be it. Of course, the obvious question would be why didn't he do that before Sunday's game, but I can sympathize with an explanation along the lines of not wanting to interfere with an investigation, or start something that was going to spread even more rumors.

I have no idea what's going to happen next. But I can almost guarantee that the outcome will be too harsh for some people, and not severe enough for others.

This is kinda cool

Via Tbogg and Sadly, No!, apparently there's a site that allows you to create a playlist from songs it culls from other websites, or something. Check it:

Enjoy.

UCLA 81; Arizona 66

While Jordan Farmar gets his minutes in the NBA, Darren Collison has turned himself into UCLA's best point guard since Earl Watson, and maybe their best point guard since Tyus Edney. Collison was tremendous today, and only a tremendous performance could overshadow the resurgence of Josh Shipp, who played his best game in months. Collison added 17 points to go along with 15, and that's not a typo, 15 assists against only two turnovers. It was a Deron Williams like performance. 15 of his 17 points came from beyond the arc on 5-7 shooting from three, including, for the second straight week, an absolute dagger as the shot clock expired. He actually did it twice, once to open the second half, and again to give the Bruins a 10 point lead with just over seven minutes to play.

As for Shipp, all he did was toss in 24 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Shipp is a scorer, and UCLA needs him to score. Today he brought it. He had three dunks, and two three pointers, and that's what he needs to do for UCLA to go deep into the post-season. He makes Collison and Aaron Afflalo much better when he shoulders his portion of the scoring load. Afflalo had another ho-hum 15 point game, and though he didn't shoot for a very impressive percentage, he once against seemed to make big shots, including three at the end of the shot clock. It was contagious, as not only Collison followed suit, but so did Michael Roll and LRMAM, who's three pointer at the buzzer pushed the lead to 14 with about 2:30 to play, and really put the game away.

For the second straight game UCLA turned up the defense in the second half. Where Arizona found an extra gear to pull the game back in the first half, UCLA completely denied them the opportunity to do so in the second half. And they absolutely took Ivan Radenovic out of the game. I'll admit, I was worried that he'd bring them back. He's usually lights out for 30 minutes, then invisible for the last 10. After being invisible for the first 30 today, I thought he'd take over in the last 10, but he was a real disappointment for Arizona. On the other hand, that Jordan Hill is going to be very good. I really liked his poise inside, and he's a terrific athlete for his size. He's going to be a force next year, and depending on how long he stays, he's going to be a factor in conference play for a while.

Arizona spent a good portion of the game in the zone defense. I understand that the Bruins have looked uncomfortable against zone defenses this season, though more often than not, they go on to win games against teams that play zones. Now, I'm no basketball expert, but it seems like a team would play zone for a number of reasons, among the most obvious being:

1. Protect a big man who's in foul trouble;
   
2. It make it tougher to go inside, so if you're playing a team with a very good inside presence, it takes them out of their game;
   
3. Forces your opponent to beat you with their guards;
   
4. Slows the tempo, and frustrates an up tempo opponent.

Clearly 1) and 4) aren't really concerns for Arizona. Basically, a zone defense forces the ball into the hands of your opponents guards and wings.

Well, if teams want to keep challenging UCLA to make Shipp, Collison, and Afflalo beat them, then hell, more power to 'em! Those three are UCLA's three best players. By all means, force them to make those guys beat you.

And of course, please play a zone when you're down by 10 with 3+ minutes to go. Worst case scenario for your opponent is that they take 35 seconds off the clock and still have a 10 point lead. At least in man to man, you make your opponent work to run down the clock, or maybe you get a steal, or force a quick shot. That strategy made no sense to me today.

Arizona still strikes me as a team that's loaded with good players, though I don't think they've been a very good "team" this year. Still, I think they could do damage in the tournament, much like the UCLA team that got into the tournament as an 8 seed and took out top seeded Cincinnati in 2002. I wouldn't want to see them in my bracket as a low seed that I'd have to meet in the first or second round. They still don't play defense, and I've never been a fan of Shakur's decision making, but they're still very talented and athletic, and they can cause a lot of matchup problems for a good but less than complete team.

One tough road trip to go in the Northwest. UC Berkeley and Stanford come south next week before the Bruins finish up in Washington. I'm not all that concerned about Stanford and Berkeley, but Washington State is obviously very good, and Washington, like Arizona, has enough talent to make anyone look bad on a given night, though they haven't had success doing that this year. The Bruins lead the Cougars by one in the Pac 10, but Wazzu still has to travel to Oregon before facing the L.A. schools. UCLA has the upper hand in the quest to secure its second straight conference championship.

Illinois, Jamar, and the Chief

Jamar Smith

Another tidbit of information in the continuing Jamar Smith saga. Bruce Weber released a statement today that Jamar will be taking the rest of the season off. Read into that what you will. I have been in a few small car accidents, none serious, none with any injuries to anyone involved. Right now, all of the factual information available can be explained in a direction that makes things look awful for Jamar, or in a direction that looks very favorable. Every piece of sinister looking information can be fairly easily explained away. A lot of key facts simply aren't yet in evidence.

I have never suffered a concussion, so I can't speak to how I've ever reacted to one. I've heard all sorts of stories about people sustaining concussions, then continuing to act fairly normally, only to end up completely unable to remember the events immediately following the injury. It kind of reminds me of Dwight on that episode of the Office where Michael cooked his foot. Anyway, I'm not sure we'll ever get the whole story unless there's a trial.

But what has really bugged me about this whole thing are the people who cite "whispers" and "sources I know". Look, I know we all want to know what happened, but what we think we know now isn't going to change what has already happened. What results are message board flame wars where it becomes primarily about being right, regardless of the real world consequences for those involved. I know, because I've been in positions where I've wanted the Angels (for example) to win, not because them doing so made me genuinely happy, but rather just to show up more pessimistic Angels fans who had been really pissing me off.

As I said above, there are a hundred different things that may have happened that night that we simply don't know about yet, and as someone who's never been in Jamar's position, I can't really speculate as to how I would act under similar circumstances. And if I can't speculate as to how I would act, I certainly am not able to do it for anyone else. So I suggest we sit back, let the investigation proceed, and comment on the facts as we know them when we know them.

Chief Illiniwek

Now, about the Chief, as some of you have probably heard, the University of Illinois announced today that Chief Illiniwek is pretty much done as a symbol of the University. There has been outside pressure to make this move for a long time, and almost as much inside pressure to maintain the status quo. I'm not sure which straw broke the camel's back, so to speak, but keep in mind that the N.I.T. utilizes home sites for early round games, and if this Illini team is going to play in the post-season, right now, that looks like the mostly likely destination. As long as the Chief was dancing, Illinois was not going to host a post-season competition.

Personally, I've never had particularly strong feelings about the Chief one way or another. I'll be honest, I like going to football and basketball games and watching the Chief perform. It was an exciting spectacle, and most of the crowd really got into it. But it's not going to kill me if/when they get rid of him.

My position is pretty simple. I'd like to think that if I were Native American, I wouldn't be offended by the Chief, but I can't say for sure without being in that position. And I realize that it appears to be a small minorities of Native Americans who have expressed anger with the Chief. But there are lots of mascots out there. There's a choice between having a mascot that offends very few people, and a mascot that offends no one. Isn't the choice to offend no one pretty obviously the right one? This isn't about being politically correct. It's about not being an asshole. Granted, I didn't grow up in Illinois. I didn't grow up with the tradition, and I'm glad I got a chance to see the Chief while I was in school. But if UCLA felt they needed to change their mascot, or if UCR decided that it was no longer going to be known as the Highlanders, I've gotta think I wouldn't be particularly outraged. I certainly wouldn't stop donating money to UCR. Hell, I stopped doing that a long time ago!

So to sum up, it seems like a decision that was inevitable, and it's not really going to bother me either way. I'm not so sure why people are apoplectic about it, but people get crazy about weird stuff. Whaddya gonna do?

Thank God for Darren Collison

Is there any question now why UCLA lost against West Virginia? Aaron Afflalo had the bigger numbers last night (and take nothing away from Aaron, who played a very fine game), but Darren Collison was the difference in last night's 67-61 victory at Arizona State.

With 11 minutes to go, the Bruins trailed by 10 points. They had scored five points in the half to that point, both coming on jump shots by Michael Roll. UCLA got four points in one possession on a layup by Alfred Aboya --> foul --> missed free throw --> offensive rebound --> dunk by Josh Shipp. That started an 18-2 Bruins run, and directly preceded 11 straight points from Collison, including three 3-pointers. After an Afflalo three pointer capped the run, putting the Bruins up by six, it became a free throw fest for UCLA, and they got the job done at the line to preserve the victory.

Collison's 18 points were a career high, but the difference in the game was the lift he gave the Bruins during that run. One of those threes came as the shot clock expired, and it gave the Bruins the lead. What could have been, SHOULD have been a fruitless possession, turned into a three point lead, and the Bruins never looked back.

Josh Shipp was disappointing, and it's becoming a trend. His only field goal was the dunk, although he did hit some big free throws down the stretch, and added 6 assists. But he was 1-5 from the field, with three rebounds and four turnovers. Maybe he's not completely healthy. Maybe his hip is bothering him. But he needs to step up. I hope he wasn't just looking past this game. If he can't get up for a game against his brother, that's not a good sign.

Still, the Bruins got back on the winning track. ASU is not very good, but they aren't awful, despite their winless Pac 10 season to this point. The Pac 10 is very good, and they've lost a ton of very close games. But the Bruins are going to need to play much better to beat an Arizona team that's much better than it has shown this season. And with the season they've had, nothing would lift their spirits more than a win over UCLA. Coming off their loss to U$C, they're going to be very hungry.

A Flat Out Embarrassment...Almost

Right now there's 11:35 to go and UCLA trails the worst team in the conference by eight. They not only deserve to lose this game, hell, I'd drop them out of my top 25 right now, regardless of what happens against Arizona on Saturday. This is probably the most pathetic "effort" I've ever seen.

Update - OK, so they pulled it out, thank to Darren Collison, and good free throw shooting down the stretch. More to come later.

Jamar Smith News - With Update x2

Updated below - See point #2.

New article with a few (emphasis on "few") more details about the accident. To sum up, Jamar has been charged with improper lane usage, whatever the hell that is. Brian Carlwell has been upgraded to fair condition, and word is that after a full recovery, his basketball future will not be affected.

In the age of the internet, this sort of stuff is inevitable, but what I find really pathetic is the speculation and insinuation, based on what we know at this point, that Jamar did anything wrong. Message boards have speculated about everything from Jamar being drunk (which is certainly a possibility) to him driving home and hanging out in his apartment while a neighbor called the police. That last one is my favorite, since it was essentially presented as fact, regardless of the fact that it was invented out of whole cloth.

As of the time of this post, here's what we know, with my editorial comments in italics:

1. Jamar was driving with Carlwell in the passenger seat. They were headed north on first street, south of the Assembly Hall, and south of St. Mary's street. Near where the accident is said to have occurred, the road bends to the left and back to the right, while also climbing slightly uphill. The was some snow and ice on the ground, though to this point, we don't know if or to what extent that was a factor. Jamar suffered a concussion, which was treated that night. Carlwell suffered a severe concussion, and was treated in ICU. He remains in the hospital, in fair condition, as I write this
2. After the accident, Jamar Smith drove home, the corner of First and Curtis Road, a little under two miles away. Someone then called the authorities for help. We don't know whether it was a neighbor, a friend, a passerby, or Jamar himself who made this call. To the extent that someone else made the call, it's possible it was done at Jamar's behest. It's equally possible that it was done without any direction from Jamar. WCIA reported that "a call was made", and the Champaign County State's Attorney has said that she does not know who made the call. *UPDATE* - Per the Chicago Tribune Associated Press, as reported in the Chicago Tribune, Kent Brown, U of I's Sports Information Director, is saying that Jamar made the call. To quote the AP:

   Brown said Smith called an ambulance from the complex.

   Take that for what it's worth. **Further Update** - Per the Sun Times, sources say that Jamar did NOT make the 911 call, and now Kent Brown has backtracked. So either he spoke too soon (or lied) the first time, or the AP reporter misquoted him. So now we're back to a question of who made the call, and under what circumstances. In addition, the article states " The investigation is intent on determining why Smith didn't call 911 on his cell phone." This implies that there was a cell phone in the car at the time of the accident, and it's the first report I've seen indicating that. Still, I'd urge caution before speculating, as there are all sorts of reasons that he may not have called, both good and bad.
   
3. Authorities responded to the call, and it took them 15 minutes to extricate Carlwell from the passenger seat. For those wondering why Jamar might have left his friend in the car, a good reason may have been that it was impossible for him to get him out without a lot of help.
4. Jamar has been charged with improper lane usage, and the State's Attorney has said that more charges MAY be forthcoming. That also means that more charges MAY NOT be forthcoming, but that they aren't closing the book on that until they complete their investigation. A prosecutor makes that statement so that the press and other idiots don't assume the investigation is complete. It looks a lot better to say what was said then to say "we aren't charging him with anything else", only to bring more charges a week later. It's standard operating procedure. A blood test was conducted at the hospital, and the toxicology report has not been made available to date. Jamar Smith has retained counsel.

That's it. That's all we know for sure. A lot of noise has been made about leaving the scene of the accident, as if it would have been preferable for them to just sit there, in a low traffic area, late at night, on a night in which there was poor weather (fewer travelers), instead of going for help. The hospital where Carlwell is currently recovering is about 2.5 miles away, on Lincoln and University. I'm not sure if that was the nearest emergency facility, or if they even have an emergency facility. I spent three years in Champaign, and I have no idea where and which hospitals have emergency rooms. So for people saying "why didn't he just drive to the hospital", he may not have known which one to go to, and that's before contemplating the fact that he'd just been in a major accident and sustained a concussion of his own.

That last aspect kind of reminds me of Justin Medlock. For those that don't remember, last year, UCLA's place-kicker, Justin Medlock, was in an accident where he rolled his SUV. He *had* been drinking, and the vehicle was found, with the injured passenger inside (Hannah Jun of the golf team), but no Justin. It looked really bad. Turns out, he either didn't have or couldn't find his cell phone. He was near an off-ramp, and had run down to a gas station to call for help. The attendant saw the blood and freaked, and Medlock ended up running down the street to get help. So everything may not be as nefarious as it seems. There's no reason for, and no excuse for, jumping to conclusions.

The bottom line is that there are scenarios that we can dream up that don't turn out very well for Jamar (or Brian, for that matter, since I'm going to assume that if Jamar was drinking, it's equally likely that Brian was as well). There are also scenarios in which the instant facts make perfect sense with virtually no wrongdoing, outside of less than perfect driving in poor weather. I want to believe the best, but I understand that there may be details that don't reflect well on all involved.

So how about we do this: Let the professionals do their jobs, and wait for all the facts to come out before we convict anyone.

Jamar Smith Watch 2/13/07

I've had some fun at the expense of Jamar Smith and his shooting slump this season. Well, not fun so much as I've just sort of taken out my frustration with him in this space. But I've never stopped rooting for him.

Well, Jamar Smith and Brian Carlwell were in a car accident last night. Both were injured and Carlwell is in critical condition. Pretty much every player on the team has been hurt this year. Strange season.

Get well soon, Brian and Jamar.

Update: Carlwell has been upgraded to serious but stable condition. Jamar has evidently been cited for illegal lane usage, whatever the hell that means. The Illini don't play against until Saturday at home vs. Northwestern.

Apropos of nothing, the accident occurred on First street around the intersection with St. Mary's, just south of the Assembly Hall. That's about a block from where I used to live second year, on First just south of Gerty. Assuming the arrow on that picture is close, but not 100% accurate, the accident could have happened right where that little curve in the road is. The road also goes slightly uphill there, and when there's snow, it could be a little treacherous. I actually got into an accident at that same corner on the first day of second semester during my second year, also a snowy day (I hit the brakes and didn't stop, bumping the car in front of me).

Light daytime blogging

I'm at a client location for the next couple of days, so while I can screw around a little, I can't screw around as much as I normally would while in the office. As a result, blogging will be light for the next day or two.

Lost Weekend

Sorry. Had company in town. Trips to and from the airport. Went to a concert. All sorts of drama there. I'll try and catch up later sometime, but that's why there's nothing here on either the UCLA or Illinois losses.