Davidson vs UCLA

While Bill Walton was getting drunk, front and center, on national TV (WGN), there was a game taking place at the showcase game of the Wooden classic. UCLA started ugly as usual, and then Ben Howland presumably spiked their Gatorade with some Barry Bonds Juice, and the UCLA players started playing much much better.

Stephen Curry was contained, but that didn't stop the barrage of 10+ three-pointers made. Ultimately though the run UCLA made towards the end of the first half and sustained in the early second half was what game them the win. The final score is not indicative of how close the game was. although Davidson was always a step or two behind - they never threatened to retake the lead late in the game.

What is perhaps even more surprising is that the critically acclaimed Bob McKillop's Davidson team has not beaten a ranked team during his long tenure there. Of course that is partially because they play only a few of them every year. Since they are near Duke and Carolina and play them every year, that feels more like a conference game, which reduces the element of surprise since both Duke and UNC are familiar with McKillop and Davidson.

Russell Westbrook stole the show with an impressive showing on both ends of the floor (he was guarding Dell Stephen Curry), and Darren Collison showed some flashes of his old self. Michael Roll (in all honesty a Big West player) slowly tried to make a comeback.

Kevin Love is starting to get exposed! He is no longer playing against little kids in high school, and he cannot out-muscle and out-space-eat them any more. To me, he looks more like a beached whale with passing skills than an NBA Lottery Pick ;-)

The game aired on WGN, with Steve Physioc doing the play by play. Why isn't any Physioc on FSN basketball? Without Marques Johnson to keep him in line, Physioc was all over the place making things up (eg "Davidson scheduled Duke and Carolina after their NCAA Maryland game"). Newsflash: They play them every year!

And why do all the fired coaches end up being analysts? San Diego's Brad Holland was the analyst of this game. If they are so good at figuring out the game, why aren't they still coaching? ;-)

More on this game at Deacon Sports, Posting Up Slog at CSTV, The Olympian, Bruins Nation, NCAA Fan Zone, and Inside UCLA.