SB Nation - Drew Gordon

Pre-Davidson Zags Around the Web

Zach B — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:43:41 -0000

Gary Bell Jr. scored 16 points in his last game against Auburn. The Kentridge Chargers have a huge game on Saturday against Federal Way. (photo courtesy of waprepsports.net)

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Just a few links for you this morning as we wait for the Battle in Seattle. It may not be the most anticipated BiS in recent memory but it still should be a great test for the Bulldogs. Davidson is 2-6 at this point but, looking at their schedule, they have lost some heartbreakers and have been in basically every game they've played in. For now, here is a few articles worth reading to pass the time!

-- Sacre sizzling as a Gonzaga Bulldog; basketball: Injury lay-off spent honing mental game pays dividends for ex-Royals star | Kelowna.com

Some odd formatting going on in this article but it is a nice read about Robert Sacre's time at Gonzaga. From his injury issues to his life off the court, we get a nice glimpse into what a day is like for Rob and what he expects from himself. Definitely worth a read.

-- Parsing The WAC: Some Drew Gordon tidbits

Just in case you didn't catch our article yesterday, this is a great piece by the guys over at Parsing the WAC. Like us, they are also very interested in Drew Gordon's next step.

-- Husky Men's Basketball Blog | Desmond Simmons, Angelo Chol and more Pac-10 bashing | Seattle Times Newspaper

If you are in the Seattle area, it sounds like this game is worth checking out!

And finally, one of the best local high school boys basketball games this weekend features a clash of two of the area's top point guards: UW recruit Gary Bell Jr. of Kentridge and Federal Way's Isiah Umipig, who is headed to Cal State Fullerton. Kentridge (2-0) hosts top-ranked and defending 4A state champion Federal Way (3-0) on Saturday. Bell, a junior, scored 30 points in the season opener and 16 in the second game. Federal Way also has San Francisco-bound recruit Cole Dickerson.

-- YouTube - Brett Kingma 12.08.09 vs. Glacier Peak

Brett Kingma's highlights vs. Glacier Peak in the 2nd game of the 2009-2010 season. Kingma sort of fell off everyone's radar after he broke his arm a season ago but watching this video you can sure see where all the original hype came from. Brett put up 32 points in his most recent effort against Glacier and appears to be back in full form.

-- SWX - Gonzaga - Bouldin is okay, expected to start Saturday - SWX Right Now - Sports and Weather for Spokane and North Idaho-

Matt Bouldin's going to be okay. After colliding with an Augustana player Wednesday night in a blowout win, coach Mark Few said Thursday his star guard is expected to start Saturday.

-- Spokesman.com | Blogs | SportsLink | Day after Augustana

Always some good stuff from Jim Meehan after games. Very knowledgeable writer.

-- DavidsonCats.com :: View Forum - Men's Basketball

Want to get the pulse of the Davidson fanbase? Look no further than the heavily trafficked davidsoncats.com.

That's all for today, the Zags take the court tomorrow in Seattle against Davidson for the Battle in Seattle. Check back tomorrow as we get ready for the Wildcats. Game tips off at 4 PM and our game thread will open up at 3:30!

Will Drew Gordon be allowed to transfer in-state?

Zach B — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:57:31 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

If he chooses to transfer this year, Drew Gordon probably won't be blocking shots in the state of California. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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If you have been reading the blog for the past week or so, you know that Drew Gordon has been on our minds. EDZ wrote a piece a week ago clamoring for Gonzaga to take a look at Gordon, who recently announced his transfer from UCLA. At that time, we had no clue that the Zags would even show the slightest of interest because Mark Few has already amassed a pretty nice stable of big men. Now that Ed has confirmed that Gonzaga has indeed shown interest, the story has really began to pick up steam. It was initially reported by the San Diego Union Tribune that Gordon was getting interest from San Diego State, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, and Florida among others.

My two cents, for whatever that is worth has sort of been under the impression that Gordon will probably land somewhere in California just because most kids that transfer usually pick some place that is close to home. In Gordon's case, however, transferring somewhere closer to home might not be as easy as expected. To quote the fantastic WAC blog Parsing the WAC as they discuss Gordon possibly heading to San Diego State:

However, we will be confused if Gordon does become an Aztec. That's because the Chancellor of the California State University system has decreed that the schools under his dominion cannot accept any mid-year transfers due to the state budget crisis.

This is a pretty big hang up because Drew has expressed that he wants to transfer at the end of the quarter so he can play midway through next season. Under the stipulations laid out by the chancellor of state schools, it will be impossible for him to transfer to San Diego State unless he waits until the fall.

I am not in contact with the Gordon family but I figure this must make GU a more realistic option. Although Gonzaga is a good distance from his hometown, it is still on the west coast in contrast to the rest of his suitors who are mainly on the east coast. What this will also do is probably make schools like UNLV, Utah, and other Mountain West schools more appealing.

Keep it here for any updates on the Gordon situation as we'd love to see him here.

Mississippi State: Adding To Our Bulldogs Game File

Nestor — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:04:43 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

Mississippi State forward Kodi Augustus had complained about PT earlier in the season.

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Let's continue to add to our notes in the Bulldogs game file we have been putting together this week. For those who are interested you can check out Mississippi State tonight on ESPN 2 (6:30 pm EST) when they take on DePaul Blue Demons (who we beat in last year's Wooden Classic) in 2009 Big-East/SEC invitational. The more I read about these Bulldogs, the more I get the sense that we might have a fairly even matchup on Saturday.

As noted in the information below, it sounds like the Bulldogs have also been dealing with off court distractions and injuries at early point of this season. They are trying to battle through it just like us under the leadership of a pretty solid coach in Rick Stansbury. If can pull out a win, could potentially set us up for a decent finish in what has been a brutal out of conference season. Not going to be an easy task, as these Bulldogs themselves are feeling solid after their recent blowout win and looking to use that to jump start their road trip starting tonight against Blue Demons in a neutral court game in Tampa, and then flying across the country to Anahem.

So speaking of the Bulldogs, I was looking through the Blue Demons official website this am to get their scouting report on our next opponent. Here is the capsule on MSU which not surprisingly is toplined by Jarvis Varnado:

Opponent No. 8 - Mississippi State Bulldogs: Mississippi State enters Thursday's action at 5-2 following a 105-53 win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday... the Bulldogs have also posted wins over Southeast Louisiana, Bethune-Cookman, Texas-Pan American and Old Dominion... the two defeats have come at the hands of Rider and Richmond... Jarvis Varnado leads five players averaging in double-figures with 14.4 points per game... he also leads the club with 9.7 rebounds per outing and 37 blocked shots... Dee Bost adds 13.4 points per game while Ravern Johnson holds a scoring average of 12.4... the duo combines for 39 three-pointers this season as Mississippi State averages 10.1 three's per game... head coach Rick Stansbury is in his 12th season at Mississippi State and holds a 236-130 record with the Bulldogs.

Watching tonight's game could be interesting because DePaul's strategery heading into this game might not be too far off from what Coach Howland has in mind for Saturday:

DePaul (5-2) would like to keep any running Thursday to a minimum with its low-possession, low-turnover style of play. A more deliberate pace combined with solid team defense has the Blue Demons holding opponents to 56.6 points per game---No. 13 in the nation through the first week of December.

"A low-possession game magnifies the importance of free throws," Wainwright said. "It nauseates me to keep talking about it, but missed free throws are the same thing as turnovers. In seven games, we've missed 68 free throws (Mississippi State has missed 38)."

For more on the Bulldogs lets jump over the flip.

As for the matchup against UCLA, here is a perspective from the Magnolia state:

Both Mississippi State and UCLA have gotten off to bad starts, losing to mid-majors Rider and Portland, respectively. In addition, off-the-court distractions have caused some damage on the court and in reputation. The NCAA is scrutinizing State freshman Renardo Sidney's finances for the last two years, and UCLA's Drew Gordon has been dismissed for behavior detrimental to the team. Both were expected to be featured players. (Why State has gotten involved in the Sidney fiasco puzzles me, but that will have to be a subject for another day.)

Neither team, though, has begun conference play. Once UCLA adjusts to life after Gordon and the Sidney case is resolved for State, you could see both teams ascend in their weaker conferences. Beating UCLA, the holder of a record 11 national championships, will always help in putting a season back on track. For UCLA, ending a four-game losing streak is the first step.

As with last season, State has struggled to score points. Their base set is four guards around front court "presence" Justin Varnado. "Swat" Varnado is often successful in patrolling the front court (9.7 rebounds per game) alone and is more than adequate on the offensive end (67.3 field goal percentage). Sophomore combo guard Dee Bost distributes the ball well and has gained weight. Forward Ravern Johnson is the outside shooting threat. This year, coach Rick Stansbury hopes he can lead his team beyond the second round of the NCAA tournament. But Bost has stepped forward and told Sporting News that State "can win a national championship."

That was from John Yargo in the Jackson Free Press. Now Yargo referred to how the Bulldogs have also been navigating through some off the court distractions this season. Kyle Veazey from ClarionLedger.com expanded more on those off court distractions for the Bulldogs, which apparently reached a boiling point at very early point of the current season:

It reached a quick boiling point, at least when it comes to perception. Kodi Augustus spouted off about a lack of playing time after the Rider loss, prompting players to say there wasn't a rift in the locker room and Stansbury to suspend Augustus for two games.

Injuries have impacted the team the most, killing its depth. Though State has benefited from the return of guard Riley Benock (foot), it has suffered as forward Elgin Bailey (ankle) has hardly been healthy enough to play.

State is already dealing with the loss of backup guard Twany Beckham (hip) for the season and has yet to see any time from freshman guard Shaun Smith (hip).

Some of State's name players, too, have been hurting. Stewart has nursed a sprained right wrist. Dee Bost has hurt both his groin and ankle. And Jarvis Varnado, the team's shot-blocking sensation, is recovering from dislocated fingers.

The two players State signed to much fanfare back in the spring - 7-foot-1 center John Riek and 6-10 forward Renardo Sidney - haven't played. Riek was suspended nine games after an NCAA amateurism inquiry and will be available for State's game next Wednesday against Wright State.

Sidney has not been cleared on his amateurism inquiry. It's been a saga that has dragged on since shortly after he signed on April 30, and few close to the case this week predicted a quick outcome.

Like I said above, it sounds like it might be a very evenly matched game on Saturday, even though the Bulldogs are the more experienced team returning most of their starters from last season. It will be very interesting to see how they handle the Blue Demons tonight.

I am sure Coach Howland, his staff and our players (if they are done with finals) will probably be playing close attention to the Bulldogs tonight. I will try to look in. If you are around and are watching the game, let us know of your takes. I might put up an open game thread for it. If you guys want one, let me know in the comment thread.

GO BRUINS.

Things we missed during the first week of December

SFBE.NF — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:01:10 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

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We neglected to make a note of it but, as you probably already know, the Big 10 won their first challenge against the ACC. The game that shifted the balance? Wisconsin's win over Duke. The Badgers were the underdog going in, but Bo Ryan (who clearly was perplexed by Vegas's line) proved once again that you shouldn't bet against his kids in the Kohl Center. They currently sit 6-1 with wins over Maryland and Arizona, in addition to the Dookies.
Tom Crean used the media to reprimand the Indiana University student body, after fans repeatedly directed chants of "PUSSY" at Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez during Tuesday's game. Apparently Crean is looking to get under the skin of future opponents, just not using this degree of vulgarity. Good luck.
UCLA is well on their way to having a, by their standards, terrible season. To further worsen the situation Bruins sophomore, and starting center, Drew Gordon is leaving the team. Gordon reportedly didn't get along with Ben Howland and some of his former teammates. AOL Fanhouse has the "get" here with an on-campus interview with Gordon.
Fordham fired head coach Dereck Whittenburg, ironically during ESPN's "Jimmy V Week." That hurts. Whittenburg finished 69-112 in six seasons and change.

Big Night in Mountain West Hoops: Open Thread and Previews

Jeremy Mauss — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:48:41 -0000

Tonight is the first really big night in hoops with San Diego State playing at University of San Diego, #25 Cal playing at the Pit against New Mexico, Arizona is hosting UNLV, and BYU is at Utah State. These are the biggies for tonight. The first preview will be the Cal game at New Mexico.

Next Game

#25 California Golden Bears (4-2)
@ New Mexico Lobos (6-0)

Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
The Pit

TV: CBS College Sports

Complete Coverage >

Out all the Pac-10 woes from UCLA losing big man Drew Gordon to Gonzaga because he said "the team has no heart." Then there is that the league being pretty pathetic with league loses to Montana, Cal State-Fullerton, San Diego, Oral Roberts, and Loyala Marymount. Then there is Cal who is number 25 in the polls sitting with a 4-2 record. New Mexico is no joke sitting at 6-0 and is getting a little pub from the polls, but this will be their first big test this year.

The Lobos have a chance to contend in the Mountain West with their tough schedule that will test them and that starts tonight against Cal and then continues with games against Texas A&M, Creighton, San Diego, Texas Tech, and Dayton. Their RPI will be up there but wins will be necessary as well for the Lobos.

The Lobos thought they would be struggling to replace their top three scorers, but coach Steve Alford has been surprised with Darington Hobson (18.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and forward Roman Martinez (14.7, 5.7), but the bigger surprise might be that Phillip McDonald who at any time can blow up; as example from his 27 point performance against rival New Mexico State.

On the Cal side, the team is still not at full strength until it gets Theo Robertson and Harper Kamp back in the lineup on a consistent basis, gives the Lobos a barometer to see how good they will be this season. The Bears' guards Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher will be the best back court they see all year.

Next Game

BYU Cougars (5-0)
@ Utah State Aggies (3-2)

Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009, 6:05 PM PST
Dee Glen Smith Spectrum

TV: CW 30 (locally in Utah)

ESPN 360 and ESPN Full Court

Complete Coverage >

This game is always a big matchup as both schools have been good the past five years. On the year BYU has been blowing out teams by 27 per game and scoring 88 per game. Those numbers will not be the same tonight, because Utah State has won 20 wins per season for who knows how long. Also, the Aggies do not lose at the Spectrum which is one of the loudest arenas in the country.

Do not let the 3-2 record fool for Utah State they are always a good team the non-conference season can be difficult for the Aggies at times, but when the season ends they will be at the top of the WAC with 20 wins. The only decent team that Utah State has played is Utah who is only 3-3 and lost by a single point; while the rest of their games have been against some pretty weak competition.

The leaders for Utah State are Tai Wesley (13 PPG and 5.8 REB), Jared Quayle (11.8 PPG, 8 REB, and 4.4 AST), and Nate Bendall (10.6 PPG and 7.4 REB). In addition to those three there are three more players who average seven to eight points per game. The Aggies have a balanced team which could help against BYU, but they will need to either play uptempo with BYU or try to stop the offensive power of Jonathan Tavernari, Jimmer Fredette, and Jacksn Emery. All three of those players combine for 46 points which is nearly half of the teams production, so if Utah State can slow down any of those three the Aggies will have a good chance.

Next Game

TCU Horned Frogs (2-2)
@ SMU Mustangs (4-3)

Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009, 5:30 PM PST
Moody Coliseum

TV: none

Complete Coverage >

Neither of these schools are great hoops teams, but this is a rival game and that should make this an interesting game. Both schools can put up some points as TCU averages 75.7 where SMU 69.3, and are capabale of scoring above that average.

TCU's top players PPG REB AST

Ronnie Moss	G	19.1	3.4	7.1
Edvinas Ruzgas	G	14.1	2.6	0.6
Zvonko Buljan	F	13.1	10.7	2.3

SMU top players PPG REB AST

Mouhammad Faye	F	14.8	5.3	0.5
Paul McCoy	G	14.3	5.3	2.8
Derek Williams	G	13.3	2.5	2.8

The top players from each school matchup pretty well and the first school to stop one of the top three should be able to win this game.

Drew Gordon Has No Heart

Guest Blogger — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:23:21 -0000

"Coach Howland with a few words for Drew Gordon" - insomniacslounge (flickr)

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A guest blog post from Bruin Blue. With his permission we are publishing this post which also went up on Bruin Report Online. GO BRUINS. -N

That of course is what Gordon said about his team last year. "[W]e just don't have enough heart." And what did he mean by that? What is "heart" to Drew Gordon? Playing hard? Doing everything you can to win? Fighting through adversity? He must have meant something like that. Of course, we are not used to seeing a player say something like that about his own team, particularly a freshman who was on a team dominated by seniors who had gone to the FInal Four two or three times. But Gordon decided that they had no heart, and was helpful enough to tell that to someone in the media. I'm sure his teammates appreciated it.

At the time, it seemed like maybe Gordon was a hard-trying player who was so bitterly disappointed at a couple of mid-season losses, that he was just venting out of frustration. But later evidence seems to indicate that Gordon wasn't including himself in that harsh criticism, but was directing it at the players who were playing ahead of him. They had no heart, Gordon believed. When he got in there, he would show us some heart.

Well, this year, he got his chance. He even broke into the starting lineup. He was playing quite a few minutes, doing pretty well, particularly compared to some of the others. But he apparently vehemently disliked the way he was utilized. The specifics are not certain, but probably he didn't like being used at the center spot, thinking that as a sophomore, he deserved to start at the "4," even though I personally have never seen him make a shot over eight feet. Maybe the offensive style utilized by his coach was not to his fancy. Maybe he didn't like to ever be taken out of games, particularly when the coach thought he had made a mistake or two or three. Even though of course the coach took other players out for the same reason, and Gordon was never benched for any extended period.

So Gordon didn't like these things, and he let the coach know about it, right in front of other players. He disrupted practices, muttered profanities at the coach during games. When the coach finally reacted by suspending him for two practices, he and his family decided that, seven games into his sophomore season, he was through. Done. Walked away from his team, his teammates, the program. Not to his liking, you see. He shouldn't have to put up; with not playing the position he wanted to play. He shouldn't have to do what the coaches say, in practice, or in games. He shouldn't have to show respect for the coach, the program, the university, in front of the rest of his team. Why should he? He is Drew Gordon, and he'll do exactly what he wants to do, or he's blowing this scene. "Later, homies," as he apparently wrote on his Facebook or Twitter page.

Of course, I'm entitled to an opinion, too, And mine is that Drew Gordon has no heart. Heart would be doing your very best all season, trying your hardest to help the team win, rooting for your teammates when you are not in there. Realizing that this particular team is not as strong as we all would like, and everyone has to follow the gameplan, listen to the coaches, support their other teammates. Not walk out on all of them because you weren't getting what you wanted, seven games into your sophomore season. Those teammates, they all had their goals, too, individual and team. They all wanted to win, to have a good season. That''s what being a team is--everyone trying to sublimate their own goals to that of the team. Apparently Gordon didn't think that his head coach, who has been coach of the year in three conferences, who has two Sweet Sixteens and three Final Fours in ten years at two major programs he had to rebuild, knew what he was doing. At least Gordon wasn't about to listen to him, or put up with the coach's way of running things. So he left, seven games in. And someone who does that has no heart.

Fortunately for Gordon, the way that the world, and particularly basketball, works these days, is that if you have enough physical talent, you can get away with just about anything. You can be a semi-reformed gangbanger, you can choke your coach, you can father twelve children out of wedlock, you can insult the fans, go into the stands and start attacking them. You can do just about anything. The world is all about you--if you've got the physical goods. And if you do, you get untold riches; lots of money, lots of women, lots of free time. You don't even have to play that hard in the NBA, during the regular season; very few do. So when you have a chance to get that rich, to make it in that way, many people deem it acceptable to put yourself far above anyone else; to push anyone aside in order to make it to the big payoff. And if that means having your parents make comments about how you just didn't like the style your coach played, comments that will undoubtedly damage him and his program, that's just the way it is played these days. And when you walk away from your team, which needed you, that's just what a guy has to do, if he wants to get into the NBA good life. I realize that you are not the first one to follow that creed, although you are about the first one I've seen who walked out on his team seven games into his sophomore season, a season in which he was a starter. But it's a lousy creed, an incredibly selfish one, and I am old-fashioned enough not to buy into any of it.

The man who made this basketball program, the living legend whom the court you have finished playing on is named after, would have seen you for what you were. He wouldn't have tried to ruin your life, he would have let you leave if you chose, because it is your right. But I doubt that you would have ever been recruited by him, because he wanted players with the right attitude, every bit as much as skill. Players who think team first, self second. Players who respect their coach and teammates, and do not let them down seven games into a season. Players who don't hide behind their parents' excuses and thinly veiled condemnations of the coach and program, while they eagerly look forward to going to another program where they might get their own way. Players who act like men, even at a young college age. Players who have heart.

- BB

Ben Ball Roundup: Regrouping Without Gordon With "Fundamentals" & "100 Percent Effort"

Nestor — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:06:56 -0000

Photo Credit: insomniacslounge (flickr)

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Well I guess the only modicum of good news right now is that we don't have a basketball game to play during the middle of the week. Given the bombshell news from yesterday our team has few days to get it together before taking on Kansas (gulp) at Pauley on Sunday. We have already read highlights of Howland's comments from yesterday in earlier posts. Wanted to excerpt another graf that ran today in the LA Times (emphasis added throughout):

Some teammates were not sorry to see him go, a source close to the program said. Certainly his relationship with Howland, who values discipline, had grown increasingly tense.

"We have expectations of how our players represent the university on and off the court," the coach said. "When those standards aren't met, there are consequences."

Obviously everyone here agrees with that point. From what I have read so far, I am supportive of the coach's action in this case. However, I couldn't help but wonder about Howland's actions with respect to Dragovic when I read that quote. Forget Dragovic's off the court troubles (I have already made my thoughts clear on that front as I think he shouldn't have come back until his legal issues were resolved). I am having a hard time reconciling those words from Howland with what I have seen from Dragovic over the years (and not just this season). Yes, Dragovic came on a little last season when he made some clutch 3s in some games. However, most of the time from what I have seen from Dragovic, hasn't been someone who has lived up to the Ben Ball standards of playing solid team defense and patient/methodical offense.

Anyway, I will not dwell too much on Dragovic for now. I will let it go and see how he performs in next few games. Meanwhile, the veterans like MR doesn't sound too upset about Gordon leaving the team:

"As far as it going down, I don't really know," senior guard Michael Roll said.

"I came into lift today and I heard the news. It's unfortunate for both him and for us, and hopefully it works out for him. We're going to make it work for us here."

MR's comments seem very poigant these days. I especially remember the following ones after the Long Beach State game. I believe I have excerpted this on BN once already but they are worth highlighting again:

"Practice," Roll said, when asked what the Bruins can do to get better. "This whole week (in practice) we're going to have to listen to coach, get back to the fundamentals and get back to 100 percent effort every day."

I think those kinds of quotes provide even more context around Gordon incident. More after the jump.

As mentioned yesterday, Gordon's departure means more PT for RN. His team-mates such as MR sound excited about it:

The 6-8 freshman with the faux-hawk hairdo has been a bright spot, averaging 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 14.8 minutes.

"He's a really strong kid," senior Michael Roll said. "Just comes in and tries to bully people, get rebounds, play physical, just do the dirty work that we need."

That attitude might be UCLA's only way out of a hole.

Hopefully RN will provide the much needed element of smart intensity (not out of control street ball) around the rim. Coach Howland is going to need that intensity from his team even if he tries out a zone on Sunday:

"I coached in the Big East for four years, worked against Syracuse, the best zone defense in the country, and they really work hard at it," said Howland, who coached at Pittsburgh from 1999-2003.

"One thing we can do at times is have length and size in there. You have bigger, longer players in that zone and it's difficult to play against. But you have to understand you have to work really hard in the zone.

"Defense, whether its zone or man, is meant to be played with intensity."

Keep those words in mind if we get to see JMM in a zone defense in the coming days. Watch how he defends the paint. Watch whether he is making an effort to provide help to his team-mates defendind down low and whether he is doing his part prevent dribble pentration. I always hear the loud cries of people wanting PT for him. I think for that to be justified he really needs to prove himself on the court defensively.

I don't think we need to give up on JMM. However, at the same time I think we need to watch him closely instead of holding on to perceptions based on the news clippings we read about him as a hot shot recruit. From what I have seen from JMM so far, he reminds me more of Rodney Zimmerman than PAA, when it comes to toughness around the rim. Like I said, I hope he proves his doubters (like yours truly) wrong by earning mins by proving himself during practices, and then translating the practice efforts into solid (defensive) showing during games. Like MR said it all goes back to sticking with fundamentals and giving 100 percent effort every day. Hope JMM is getting the message.

FWIW it sounds like JA struck the right note in terms of our outlook against Kansas:

"Our morale might be down and the season's not looking good," Anderson said. "But we're at UCLA. We have to fight back."

We expect nothing less.

GO BRUINS.

CBKWitness - at least we're not ucla

CBKWit — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:00:16 -0000

First thing's first: BIG, big props to CaliforniaCMB for his great work above. If you want to submit a (mens or womens) Cal bball photoshop/MS Paint to be featured in this space, email us at goldenblogs@gmail.com. A couple of football notes before we get to bball:

TwistNHook had the line of the night about the Neuheisel/Carroll D-bag competition: "dude, I bet Neuheezy is happy, because you know that dude bet the fucking over." Well put, Twist

I turned on the Stanford/Notre Dame game just in time to see Condi Rice administer the coin flip as this week's Stanfurd honorary captain. I'm hoping they drag out Donny Rumsfeld for the Emerald Bowl

And to basketball: About 40 minutes into one of our podcasts (so nobody heard it), Ragnarok predicted that Jamal Boykin would have a 20 point game sometime this season. I was skeptical, because I didn't think there'd be enough points to go around with Randle, Christopher, and Robertson. On Sunday, Roberston was not in the lineup due to his mysterious foot injury and Christopher continued his uneven play, chipping in only 5 points. It was the perfect opportunity for Boykin to contribute, and he matched his career high with 22 points. Ragnarok 1, CBKWit 0.

I saw only one Cal game last week, owing to Thanksgiving in the great state of Washington. The women's game against Ohio State was broadcast on Big10 TV, but sadly CBKParents didn't spring for channel 412 in their cable package.

So Cal versus Jacksonville at Haas last Tuesday was it, and there isn't too much to say about this one. Cal jumped out to a big lead early and dominated the game, winning it by 32. It was the biggest crowd by far this year but not noticeably louder than prior games; the crowd was relaxed with a four day weekend on the horizon and a blowout on the floor.

Patrick Christopher had has best game of the year, going for 23 points. He didn't have much in the first half and struggled as he has for much of the year, missing two three pointers and scoring only a few points (though he did have a spectacular two-handed put-back jam, getting up way above the rim). Then, early in the second half, he came up with a steal and breakaway for an easy bucket. He was lights out after that, hitting four threes on four attempts from the left arc. The performance was yet another indicator that Christopher's play is, for better or for worse, influenced by his mental state. He wasn't much of a factor in the first half; once he came up with the steal and breakaway, perhaps boosting his confidence, he was the most dominant player on the floor.

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Omondi Amoke continued his strong play with 15 points and 8 boards. He's a good leaper and persistent on the offensive glass, though he isn't a great finisher around the rim. He is going to play a huge role for the Bears this year, with the not too surprising news that Harper Kamp will likely redshirt and with Theo still out with his foot injury. I wouldn't be surprised if Amoke plays 20 minutes a game at the 3 and 4.

Bak Bak had two block blocks.

Yes, that's all I remember from this game.

via cdn3.sbnation.com

WSU won the Great Alaska Shootout over the weekend, which, amazingly, is not a harbinger of greatness. Cal won it three years ago with the DeVon Hardin/Ryan Anderson/Ayinde Ubaka team, propelling the bears to an 8th place, 6-12 finish in the Pac-10. WSU looks to finish, at least, in the middle of the conference this year. Klay Thompson, a 6-6 sophomore guard, is my pick for conference player of the year. He's an incredible shooter and is going to score a ton of points this year (he set the Great Alaska Shootout single game scoring record with 43 in the final; Glenn Big Dog Robinson had the previous record, 41).

To end on a happy note, ucla lost all three of its games in the 76 Classic, held in ANAHEIM. Yes, the bruins went 0-3 in a tournament held an hour from their campus. Butler is #10 in the country and the bruins almost pulled it out in the end, but losing to Long Beach State by 10 in the 7th place game? Portland has also beaten Minnesota and Oregon, but they didn't win those games by 27, as they did against ucla. To make matters worse for the small ________ bears, their starting forward Drew Gordon has left the team and is transferring out. Ben Braun went after him hard (Gordon is from San Jose), but I believe there's a two year penalty for transferring within the conference so I doubt we'll see him end up at Cal. Not that we need him with Max Zhang patrolling the paint. So yes, we are almost definitely without Harper for the year, Theo's already missed four games, and we lost big, twice, on national TV. But it could have been three times, in Oakland, to lesser teams, with Boykin leaving the team, and with the entire Stanfurd football team mocking us as they run up the score in the last minute. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: at least we're not ucla.

[UPDATE] More Thoughts On Drew Gordon's Departure From Howlandwood

Nestor — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:36:21 -0000

Well looks like we have a lot on our minds tonight. The first thread on Drew Gordon's departure is all filled up. Instead of updating that post, thought it would make more sense to throw up a fresh post, where folks can continue the discussion.

LAT's David Wharton posted excerpts of Gordon's tweeter messages today:

This morning, he told his Twitter followers: "waking up early.. sleeples night.. man its tough.. lots on the mind."

That was followed by a message in the early afternoon.

"to all my supporters and fans i apreciate all you done and im sorry but i set back is a set up for a great come back!!" he wrote.

I am all for student athletes taking advantage of the tools available by social media outlets, but I just don't see the utility of posting that information on twitter.

John Wilner from the San Jose Mercury News offered up the following quotes from Gordon's family:

"The UCLA system is very methodical, and Drew is better as a transition player,'' said Gordon's mother, Shelly. "When you spend that much time and effort on something, you have to feel some gratification.

"We wanted to make the change now rather than wait and hope the situation gets better. The timing is terrible: It looks like he's leaving because they lost a bunch of games. But that's not what happened.''

Gordon told UCLA Coach Ben Howland on Monday morning, 12 hours after he scored two points and grabbed one rebound in a loss to Long Beach State. But he had been pondering the decision for weeks.

Not exactly sure what she means by "situation." [UPDATE: it looks like we now have a little better understanding of the situation, discussed more after the flip] That could only lead to more baseless speculation. Anyway, wherever Gordon ends up, we should all wish him luck tonight.

As for us, I think we are going to be all right. This is going to be a very rough season. I know we are UCLA and the sentiment is we can't have rough seasons. However, in my book Howland has earned a lot of room given what he has accomplished in Westwood.

I had a gut feeling something wasn't right with Gordon's time at UCLA. I remember two years ago when JS did a reverse dunk on a break away and then did a little showboating. Howland immediately took him out after that play and chewed him out. He didn't do much of that rest of his time at UCLA (okay he slipped a little here and there but he really cut it out a lot). He seemed to make an earnest effort to do what Coach Howland asked him to do and in return he got the mins on the court.

There is reason why Howland got emotional on senior days for DC, JS, and PAA. Those three might not have been the most athletic players Howland had in his six+ years in Westwood, but they (at least from what I was watching) seemed to give everything they had to get on the same page as their head coach. Not sure if I can say the same about Gordon after what I have seen in his appearances in a UCLA uniform

As much as I enjoyed watching Gordon's active energy on the court, I never really got the sense that he was a Howland kind of player. Something didn't seem to fit amidst all the constant yelling and screaming after every dunks, blocks, getting out of position on defense, taking wild shots not within the flow of the offense. Perhaps Howland is just too old school for kids like him or perhaps some of us are too old school to appreciate today's athletes such as Gordon (Man, am I sounding like a geezer?).

Anyway, we will wait to see more news come out on this story. My gut tells me this didn't happen all on a sudden. This had to be building up and I have to think Howland had taken all the steps internally (i.e. disciplining if necessary by having him sit out at practices) before getting to this step. Either way, I really hope the remaining sophomores from Gordon's class gets the message. It is way too early to form any kind of impression on this year's freshmen class. However, given what we have seen from Holiday, Gordon, and rest of their entering class, something seems to be off. I hope they will make an earnest effort now to learn from the examples classic Ben Ball warriors such as DC, JS, PAA, AA, LRMAM, RW set before they left Westwood. They will get their due mins on the court during games, if they listen to Ben Howland, D up, rebound, and play within their limitations on offense during practices.

For now, I believe Howland will do everything he can to get this right. He might not get it all resolved by the end of this season. However, for the long term I think he will get the program back on track. Given what he has given to UCLA for last six years, I am going to keep my faith and keep traveling with him until we finally get to our desire destination (banner number 12). As I said, it might take a while, but I am more than willing to be patient after the job Howland has done last few years in Westwood.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE (N): As pointed by number of posters in previous thread, it looks Howland indeed tried to make it work with Gordon. He suspended him for two days from practices this week:

UCLA center Drew Gordon decided to leave the team after Coach Ben Howland quietly suspended him for two days of practice this week, his parents said.

Yet instead of trying to learn his lessons, it looks like Gordon wanted to move on. The quotes from his parents as noted by poncho are telling:

"It came from the frustration of being with UCLA and losing to the teams they were losing to," Gordon's father, Ed, said. "With the talent that's on the UCLA team, there's absolutely no reason for that to happen."

Uh, really? Were these guys watching the same team as we all have been last few weeks? Ed Gordon goes on:

"His athleticism always has shined more in an up-and-down tempo," Ed Gordon said. "That's not exactly what the UCLA system is about."

Uh, yeah. He didn't really show much in terms of ability to shoot consistently beyond 5 feet. He also played frequently out of control. Anyway, whatever works for the Gordons. We wish them luck.

However, now I feel even better about the decision Howland made today. GO BRUINS.

[UPDATE x2] Ben Howland's UCLA Parts Ways With Drew Gordon (Talented But Hotheaded Forward)

Nestor — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:06:03 -0000

Hey guys, our week just got even better!

Uhm, well this story is just, uh BREAKING (not behind a subscription firewall):

Drew Gordon, the sophomore post player, is no longer a member of the UCLA basketball team and will transfer, according to UCLA.

Coach Ben Howland discussed it today at his weekly press conference.

After several discussions with Drew, we both have decided that it is in the best interest of our program and Drew that he continues his career at another school," Howland said. "He is no longer a member of our team and will transfer at the end of the quarter.
"This is not a spur of the moment decision and, ultimately, it's what's best for both parties."

That was on BRO. Looks like the story is also up on Sportsline.com (via The Newbster).

Drew Gordon, stat wise has been the best player on this team. However, he has had issues controlling his temper and showboating a little too much on the court. Plus, it struck me as weird how he was taking 3 pointers with lots of time left on the clock in back to back games, when it was clear he wasn't doing it within the flow of our offense.

Either way there is not much information out there right now on this big news. We will be posting updates as they are available below the fold.

I tend to be on the optimist side when it comes to Ben Howland. So my gut reaction right now is that I am hoping this is a stark signal from Coach Ben Howland that this was about sending a clear signal re. who is in control at UCLA.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE (N): Per the LAT, Gordon's departure means more mins for RN:

Freshman Reeves Nelson will fill some of the gap created by Gordon's departure.

"He has a lot to learn and he knows this," Howland said. "This is going to increase his playing time dramatically."

I like the sound of that. GO BRUINS.

UPDATE II (N): WWL's Andy Katz has more on this story which includes the following key graph (emphasis added):

According to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, Gordon's conduct was detrimental to the team. He was not viewed as having positive energy in the locker room. Yet, during last weekend's 76 Classic in Anaheim, the UCLA staff said Gordon had to be the focal point offensively in the post.

HT to qazplm3. Katz also adds that Gordon could be headed to San Diego State and that he "would likely fall to a Mountain West destination unless a WCC school is willing to take a gamble on him." GO BRUINS.