Five Things we learned from the Legends Classic

Five Things we learned from the Legends Classic

UCLA Blog

The OC Register

November 21st, 2012, 8:15 pm

posted by rkartje

 

Shabazz Muhammad’s debut has come and past, UCLA has faced its first major competition of the season, and the non-conference tournament schedule is in full swing. There’s a slightly larger sample size, including some struggles, to judge the Bruins from, so that means it’s time to re-introduce our “Five Things” feature:

 

1. Shabazz Muhammad isn’t there yet, but he’s going to be a sight to behold.

The nation’s No. 1 recruit was the talk of college basketball in UCLA’s first game in the Legends Classic against Georgetown, and in just 25 minutes of action (he didn’t start), Muhammad collected a solid 15 points, hitting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from long range. He didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and he definitely wasn’t up to speed as far as conditioning goes. But his seemingly quiet debut was still solid, numbers-wise, when all was said and done. It was Muhammad’s second game, against Georgia, that really flashed his sky-high potential. He put up a game-high 21 points and displayed a near-elite ability to drive to the hoop and draw fouls — Muhammad finished 8-of-11 from the free throw line, a huge boost in finishing off the Bulldogs late. His energy was just as advertised, and that was just in his second game. There’s little doubt in my mind that Muhammad will live up to his billing; he’ll just need some more time to get fully comfortable.


2. Like Muhammad, Kyle Anderson is going to need some time, too.

Anderson has never been as hyped as Muhammad — albeit, not that far off — but, like Muhammad, his expectations have been awfully high right off the bat as well. And through three games, Anderson’s performance was certainly scrutinized. Anderson has shown off his ability to use his length around the basket and get teammates involved effectively, but entering the Bruins’ win over Georgia, Anderson had one of the Pac 12′s worst effective field goal percentages (hovering around 27 percent). He looked significantly better against the Bulldogs, tallying nine points and nine rebounds, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Anderson has said he still sees himself as a point guard, and until the Bruins decide how all of the pieces fit with he and Larry Drew II playing the point, Anderson’s role will remain a bit murky.


3. With Muhammad back, Jordan Adams will be someone to watch going forward.

It’s a question that has surrounded the entire team through five games: How will all the pieces fit together? With Muhammad now in the lineup, the team’s ultra-scoring guard role is more or less filled. But the real question is how will Jordan Adams fit into the equation? He had, by far, his worst game of the season against Georgia, as he was unable to create any rhythm all game long. Adams finished 1-of-6 from the field with four points after becoming the first UCLA freshman to ever score 20-plus points in his first four games. It’s unclear whether Adams will ever do that again, but he’s certainly shown a penchant for scoring and also knocking down free throws (he’s hit 32 in a row). My bet is that he’ll excel in a sixth-man role, and once he settles into playing with Muhammad or stepping in for him, he’ll average something like 12-15 points per game.


4. UCLA isn’t exactly ready to excel at zone defense yet, but hey, Howland is trying new things!

Yes, there’s no need to adjust your TV sets: the Bruins played zone defense against Georgia. Before you all keel over, it was pretty clear that the Bruins weren’t very comfortable in the defensive set. It did work, when all was said and done, as Georgia’s offense stalled and took unnecessary 3-point shots — the key reason anyone plays a zone. But watching the defense as a whole wasn’t all together awe-inspiring. Give coach Ben Howland credit though: it was an innovative move for a coach that was very well established in his coaching ways. Now, Howland is playing zone defense and excelling in the transition game — two things he rarely, if ever, did before this season. UCLA’s zone still needs some work — and it’ll get some, I bet, in the next few weeks before conference season. But the fact that the Bruins coaching staff is trying to cater to the team’s personnel and open up the playbook is a good sign.


5. The Bruins may slip up in the non-conference season, but there’s no need to worry about this team’s outlook yet.

Maybe this compromises the point of this entire blog post, but remember, we’re only five games into the season. Sure, UCLA lost to Georgetown — a team that was much better than its preseason ranking had communicated. The Bruins likely would’ve been waxed by No. 1 Indiana, if they did make the Legends Classic final, just because the Hoosiers are a significantly more disciplined, experienced team right now. UCLA is about as inexperienced as it gets in the top 15 right now, and the fact that the Bruins will still be ranked high is a testament to the ridiculous amount of potential on this team. But games aren’t played on paper, and just because there’s talent on a roster doesn’t mean the equation is quite perfected yet. Howland has plenty of work to do on the equation. But with an impressive first two games from Muhammad, improvement from Anderson, and some other players stepping up — for instance, Larry Drew II has the best assists percentage in the NCAA — UCLA has a lot to look forward to, even at 3-1.