Overall, a great game to watch. With Love struggling with his back and Luc out, it was nice to see the team maintain their focus and play well against a very good Stanford team.
- Darren Collison - DC single handedly put the Bruins on his back. This was one of the greatest personal efforts in recent years (along with Afflalo vs Kansas, Luc vs LSU, Love vs Oregon to name a few). We mentioned that he was the one nightmare matchup for Stanford and he proved it again during the game. Mitch had no chance (by the way, Mitch is really annoying - not sure what it is but he reminds me of the albino bad guy from the Da Vinci Code .) DC could get anywhere he wanted on the floor, was running circles around Mitch and the screen defender, and made some insane moves to get to the hoop. He really showed his whole arsenal, including a teardrop floater, left hand scoop shot, spin move lay up, cross over, behind the back cross over, etc. His cross over and ability to change direction is one of the quickest ive ever seen. DC can literally get off his own shot at any time. Of course, it wont be as easy against other teams, since Mitch is just extra horrendous, but DC has to be the most confident Bruin going into the tournament.
- The Stanford mascot, band, and fans combination could be the most annoying in the country. There is nothing like a dancing tree, an obnoxious band, and a bunch of nerds yelling and screaming for 2.5 hours……
- Not to mention the Stanford players….give credit to the Lopez twins, they are a tough, tough matchup for anyone. But Taj Finger and Mitch Johnson are very irritating.
- James Keefe - huge huge game. Great offensive rebounding and energy. His layup going to the other side of the basket to avoid a Lopez was very nice. He actually brings a different element to the table that Aboya and Mata don’t. Keefe is more coordinated, can finish within 5 feet, and has a jumper. But next time James, when yours truly needs to win by 3.5 pts to cover the spread, please dont airball a free throw. Thanks. (on a side note, it really was Love’s fault. Why are you passing it to James Keefe????)
- Kevin Love - one of his worst games due to his injury. Had a few key plays in the 2nd half, including the 3 pointer and a nice putback to put the Bruins up 8 or 10. The Lopez brothers absolutely owned him in the paint. After playing Love twice already, they figured out that his strategy was going to be one pump fake and then up. Well, it didnt work this time.
- Josh Shipp - a couple nice passes and nice weak side rebounding but………WHERE ARE YOU JOSH SHIPP???? Shipp is definitely still thinking about his shot and not just letting it fly, an obvious sign he isnt out of his slump. We need to hit 3s, because if we do, no team in the country can beat the Bruins.
- Brook Lopez travels almost EVERY time he touches it. When the ball goes in there, he grabs the ball and almost simultaneously shuffles his feet. He takes three steps, not two.
- Collison’s mom looks just like him - sitting behind the players’ families, it was interesting to watch them. DC’s mom looks ultra athletic, is taller than his dad, and look just like him. Random note - there was a guy probably around 6′ 7″, and looked like a cross between Luc and Gilbert Arenas. Hmm, I think that could be Luc’s twin that plays at UCSB, but im not too sure.
- The After Party - After the Bruins won, it was great to see the team celebrate. A couple of great moments that stuck out was when Howland was cutting down the net, he gestured to the band to play the fight song, and they did. Mr and Mrs Collison went crazy when DC was announced as MVP of the tourney. It was nice to see a different side of the team, the parents being parents, proud of their sons. They seem like a close knit bunch.
Finally, the #1 dance squad in the country was mingling with the #1 basketball team in the country. They took a few pics together and some of the girls were very interested in talking to Drago, Aboya, Luc, Mata, and Westbrook. The guys had no problems flirting back, and I saw the Animal Westbrook have a whole new game face. He was attacking the rim in a whole new way. Yup, UCLA Bruins - CHAMPIONS ON AND OFF THE COURT!!!!!!!!!
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