So I suppose a few of the other Bruins showed up as well, namely Russell “The animal” Westbrook. However, our Prince of Westwood, carried the Bruins on his royal back offensively.
We sat front row and were able to get a close up view of all the players.
Despite a slow start to the season, Luc has picked it up of late. Aside from the missed ft at the end of the Texas game (ok fine, also the missed outside shots in that game too), Luc has been perhaps the best player on the Bruin squad in the past 2-3 games (Again, the “animal” Westbrook may disagree). His stat line for the Davidson game was 21 pts, 8 reb, 3 assists, 1 steal. The most important stat is his rebounds. Given that Kevin Love is a huge rebounding force in the middle for the Bruins, if Luc gets 6-8 rebounds per game at the sf - pf spots is absolutely huge for the Bruins and also for his pro prospects.
The key element that separates Luc’s game apart from 99% of other players in college basketball today is his intangibles and knack for the ball. He makes more plays that do not appear on the box score than anyone in the country. That part of his game was missing in the first part of the season as he was adjusting to the SF position. He has been much more active on the glass and also has let the game come to him on offense. Luc has above average passing skills for a 6′ 8″ wing, has a better handle than most give him credit for, and obviously has an uncanny knack to grab rebounds. In previous games, it was almost as if he fit into the role of a small forward, rather than molding his game into the prototypical small forward. In other words, he was trying to do things off the dribble and taking too many outside shots. It is absolutely imperative, not only for his NBA , but for this Bruin Team’s chances for a national championship, that Luc gets back to what has made him a sensation in Westwood. On the defensive end, Luc has been less effective at the 3, because he is usually further from the basket while he guards the wings. However, he did get his hand in the passing lane a few times in the 2nd half of the Texas game to key our comeback. His defense is also critical to the team’s success this year. It will be interesting to see how Howland uses The Prince, because this is the first year that the coach will be faced with this problem:
1. Luc is the best or perhaps now, 2nd best rebounder on the floor (Love or Mata), which would make him more effective at the 4. Luc at the 4 has also helped UCLA to two final 4’s in his only 2 years.
2. He is the most versatile defender in the Pac 10 and one of the best in the country. We say this with confidence. Howland has also said it multiple times, but it is the truth. Luc can guard any position - 1 through 5. He can be a difficult assignment for a Big Baby Davis (hes quicker and more athletic) or even an Aaron Brooks (great lateral movement, combined with incredible length).
In the Texas game, I felt that Luc should have guarded Mason in the 1st half. As you saw, the majority of the Texas offense was isolating one of their three guards at the top of the key. Josh Shipp continually was burnt by Mason and it was one of the main factors that gave Texas a double digit lead at half. Westbrook has proven to be an absolute animal on defense, Collison will be fine on D, Mata is a stable presence. But Shipp and Love, two of our most important starters, to put it nicely, are average defenders (more on future posts). Thus you have Howland’s dilemma this year, do you have Luc guard the 3 or guard the 4. Believe it or not, how he chooses to use Luc can make or break our season come tournament time.
Along the same lines, Howland’s best weapon this year will also be his hardest to manage. He has the parts and this is by far his most versatile team. Will he be able to find the right balance both defensively and offensively? So far this season, the answer to that question has been no in huge part due to the injuries that have plagued our season. If he does figure it out, watch out, because the 2007-2008 Bruins will be poised for a deep run.
0 Responses to “Wooden Classic - Dec 9, 2007 - Davidson vs Luc”