Pitt and UCLA

[77ncaachamps]

Gray's getting good looks, just not hitting them.

[NYWarrior]

foul trouble for UCLA......Pitt has a great shot to win this one

[77ncaachamps]

This game is going UCLA's way that I am surprised that Pitt is only down by 9 with 13 left.

Those damn Panthers are missing gimme's!!!

[mviale]

Where are UCLA's bigs?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Where are UCLA's bigs?

They don't have any...haven't in the last few years.  Totally built around guards...and somehow they made it to the finals last year and are in the Elite 8 minimum this year.  Amazing.   

[tonyreeder]

Aside from Ryan Hollins, 7 footer, who was Regional MVP last year and was drafted into the NBA.       
"Totally built around guards."   Hmm.

[Nukem2]

Yeah, Mata, Moute, Aboya and Keefe are not bigs...??  Sorry, Chicos, but the shelf is not devoid of bigs at UCLA.  They are better as a group than ours.  They may not play well, but there is size there.  What happened with Moute?  He was outstanding last year.

[tonyreeder]

Yeah but we have Lott, Kinsella and Burke!
Plus, if you listen to some experts around here-Barro has an NBA future.
Ugh.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Yeah, Mata, Moute, Aboya and Keefe are not bigs...??  Sorry, Chicos, but the shelf is not devoid of bigs at UCLA.  They are better as a group than ours.  They may not play well, but there is size there.  What happened with Moute?  He was outstanding last year.

"Since Howland's arrival from Pittsburgh four seasons ago, UCLA has been a guard-oriented offense which often forgets NCAA rules permit its center to post up and score."
- Los Angeles Times 3-22-2007

You're missing the point...they have bigs, they just all suck.  We have bigs too, but they are just bodies filling up space.

They have ONE GUY at 6-9.  They have five guys at 6-8 who do absolutely nothing.


They are a guard oriented team, period. To suggest anything otherwise is insane.  Talk to any fan or media person in L.A...hell, talk to Ben Howland.

Moute averages 8.3 points per game
Mata averages 6.8 points per game


Now let's look at the guards

Collison, Shipp, Affalo run that team and make or break it.  All guards.  Michael Roll is there designated outside shooter...also a guard.

"We are striving to become a better inside team, but our guards have really dominated our scoring," Afflalo said.
-Whittier Daily News 3-22-2007

They are a guard team.

[Nukem2]

But, the UCLA bigs are not stiffs.  Some of them were highly recruited.  I guess Howland just does not know how to use them?  Moute and Aboya must have been hit by the jinx after the SI Cameroon article earlier this year.

[SoCalwarrior]

Moute averages 8.3 points per game, 7.5 rpg
Mata averages 6.8 points per game, 5.6 rpg
Aboya averages 4.1 points per game, 4.2 rpg

If only we had that kind of production from our bigs.  I wish we "sucked" as bad as them.

Barro 8.1 points per game, 6.9 rpg
Lott 2.1 points per game, 1.8 rpg
Burke 0.8 points per game, 1.8 rpg

[77ncaachamps]

Moute averages 8.3 points per game, 7.5 rpg
Mata averages 6.8 points per game, 5.6 rpg
Aboya averages 4.1 points per game, 4.2 rpg

If only we had that kind of production from our bigs.  I wish we "sucked" as bad as them.

Barro 8.1 points per game, 6.9 rpg
Lott 2.1 points per game, 1.8 rpg
Burke 0.8 points per game, 1.8 rpg

Ah yes.

The beauty of juxtaposition!

[ChicosBailBonds]

But, the UCLA bigs are not stiffs.  Some of them were highly recruited.  I guess Howland just does not know how to use them?  Moute and Aboya must have been hit by the jinx after the SI Cameroon article earlier this year.

Nukem, I'm sorry I just don't agree.  Mata and Moute were 3 star recruits if I recall.  Aboya was ranked 81 in his class, lower than Mkwabe is.  Wright was ranked much higher (46th) but only averages 1.8 points per game.   Mata was ranked 80th in the 2004 class...also a 3 star recruit.

Now, next year is a different story as Kevin Love is coming in...arguably the #1 recruit in the country and a major "BIG".  But the guys they have now are average players and good recruits (certainly not top 50 4 / 5 star recruits with the exception of Wright who appears to be a bust so far).

[ecompt]

Where would Ohio State be without its guards? Sitting home. Oden will be a top-flight center in the NBA for years but four of OSU's top five scorers are guards, and Conley is way more important to that team than Oden is.