UCLA basketball: Defense will be key to Bruins’ upset bid of Kansas
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Kansas has won a school-record 63 consecutive games at Allen Fieldhouse, and it’s easy to see why opponents would be intimidated playing here.
The place is raucous and the student section is packed--more than an hour before tip-off. Kansas just oozes tradition, from Dr. James Naismith to Phog Allen. And a living reminder of the Jayhawks’ success--Danny Manning, the star of the 1988 national championship team--still roams the court as an assistant coach.
If UCLA is to pull a monumental upset of the fourth-ranked Jayhawks, it will require a much better defensive effort than the team gave in its last two games. The Bruins gave up 89 and 82 points, respectively, in recent losses to Virginia Commonwealth and Villanova. They also got off to terrible starts in each game, spotting their opponents the first eight points.
UCLA Coach Ben Howland talked about running his offense more through freshman center Joshua Smith, a nice notion if the big man can stay out of foul trouble. He’s picked up four fouls in every game and is averaging only 16 minutes. The onus will be on Smith and fellow Bruins post players Reeves Nelson, Brendan Lane and Anthony Stover to contain Kansas’ massive front line. Advantage: Jayhawks.
An interesting side note is that this is a matchup of the top two recruiting classes from 2008, with UCLA’s top-ranked class checking in just ahead of Kansas’ No. 2 class. The verdict is already in on which class will leave the greater legacy, and it isn’t the Bruins’.
While Kansas relies heavily on four players from that class--leading scorers Marcus and Markieff Morris in addition to Tyshawn Taylor and Travis Releford--the remnants of the Bruins’ class include only starter starting guard Malcolm Lee and reserve Jerime Anderson. UCLA’s disappointing class is a big reason the Bruins suffered a 14-18 season last year and could be .500 with a loss to the Jayhawks tonight.
--Ben Bolch, reporting from Lawrence, Kan.