UCLA Run and Gun?

Yes, UCLA played run and gun last night against New Mexico State in the first round of the pre-season NIT. Ben Howland may have been notorious at Pitt for slow down, pound it in style, but his NAU team was dropping 3s all the time.

At one point UCLA had three point guards on the floor at the same time! (Farmar, Bozeman, and Collison). Granted the team was missing Shipp and Aboya, so it had to play smaller. If it wasn't for LR Mhab Bhute (sp?), Bozeman would play full-time PF like Dijon did last year (bad idea).

Andrew Wilson of FSU is not the only six year player: Janou Rubin was just granted a 6th year and played a bit.

UCLA has been unable to recruit big bigs, perhaps because they were worried that they would be behind the two 7-footers (Fey and Hollins). There is promise for 2006 with James Keefe signing on the dotted line. Oregonian super-big Kevin Love (2007) was visiting UCLA, but can they get him to sign?

On a totally unrelated note, it is no secret that the two Lavin 7-footers (Fey and Hollins) are total busts :-) Ironically Lavin sort of tried to defend them in-studio!