UCLA v Memphis Liveblog

Disclaimer: Ben Malley is a UCLA partisan

Rose abused Collison all night. He looks a top 2 pick in the draft. When Collison was taken out of the game UCLA actually started getting some stops with Westbrook moving up to guard Rose and Mbah a Moute coming out to guard CDR. But you aren't going to just bench your star point guard unless you are real ballsy. UCLA let Memphis play the game at their pace. They couldn't get the ball down low to Love and showed no persistence to do so. Memphis was the better team on the day. Will their reliance on Rose and CDR (53 of 78 points) hurt them in the final or was the unbalanced scoring simply a result of their favorable matchups?

Stat o' the game: Memphis 20-23 from the free throw line. 86 percent. Color me impressed.

5:16 - On the phone with my therapist Matt Smith crying into the phone. I'll be back with a conclusion.

5:00 - Memphis' ultimate success in this game was Dorsey's ability to deny Love the ball down low. Equal blame falls on Dorsey's defense and UCLA seemingly not making it a priority to get Love the ball down low.

4:58 - The defining moment of the game: I apologize for the imagery, CDR sticks his dick in Love's mouth, knocking him over and dunking over him putting the exclamation point on the game.

4:56 - UCLA with back-to-back open 3s from Keefe and Collison (his first attempt) both go in and out.

4:52 - The posts are getting more infrequent due to my rising anger. As a UCLA fan I'm calling ballgame right now. With 8 minutes left in the half and the Bruins down 59-49. Collison just picked up his 4th foul (which isn't even a factor because he has been neutralized. He is 1-7 from the floor and hasn't even attempted a 3.

4:40 - Memphis 9-10 from the free throw line today. Mbah a Moute scores again.

4:36 - UCLA goes on a little 4 point run after Mbah a Moute makes a nice rebound and off-balance 5 footer. With 13:32 to go in the half Jim Nantz points out that the current 50-45 score is the same score (albeit reversed) that UCLA beat Memphis by in the Elite 8 two years ago.

4:35 - Love takes another 3, they can't get the ball inside to him. So he gets frustrated and comes to the top of the key. Memphis ahead 14-2 on fastbreak points.

4:33 - Westbrook/Love and CDR/Rose all look NBA ready. Collison isn't doing himself any favors for the NBA scouts. His size just look like it will keep him from being as successful at the next level.

4:30 - After a beautiful pass from Love, Mbah a Moute misses a 1 foot layup. If it sounds like I am picking on poor kid, I am. Luckily, Love cleans up his mess. 48-41 at the 15 minute mark.

4:27 - I'm at a loss for words. With both the big men on 3 fouls Love decides on 3 straight possessions that he is going to stand at the top of the key. Mbah a Moute drops an uncontested rebound out of bounds much like Keefe did earlier.

4:21 - Mbah a Moute takes another illadvised 18 footer and bricks (1 for 6). Dorsey picks up his 3rd foul with 19:08 to go in the half. Taggart picks up his 3rd on the inbounds after the Dorsey foul. Both calls were soft, especially considering how the refs were letting the big guys slug it out in the first half. It's as if it is a new set of officials here in the second half.

4:12 - I'm really liking Billy Donovan at the desk on the halftime show. Florida will have to not make the Final Four more often.

Halftime (3:59) - As Dorsey and Taggart got into foul trouble towards the end of the half (2 each) Love started to control the boards a little better (he has 10 points and 4 rebounds). The two stats that stand out: Memphis outrebounding UCLA 21-14 (including 9-3 on the offensive end). And the previously mentioned turnovers: UCLA has 8, Memphis 3. Rose and CDR are having their way with UCLA driving at will (24 of Memphis' 38 points), but seemed to get away from that a little bit at the end of the half. Westbrook has been UCLA's best player and is having much more success putting the ball on the floor than Collison. Shipp hit a couple of shots early but has been invisible since. Mbah a Moute has been abysmal. Memphis are well on their way to their 80 ppg average. Howland will be telling his team to slow the pace to a crawl in the second half.

3:58 - UCLA gets a little momentum as the half comes to a close cutting the lead to 3.

3:53 - After another UCLA turnover (this time Collison who has 0 points by the way) CDR finally beats Westbrook, but Love blocks the layup.

3:50 - Packer is going on and on about how UCLA can't afford Collison guarding Rose. It's true, it's not a good matchup, but what is Howland supposed to do? CDR is 6-7, Anderson is 6-6. Collison is 6-1, at best.

3:45 - Very sloppy play from a usually fundamentally sound UCLA team. A number of traveling calls and an inbound pass that was dropped. Westbrook has 11 and is now keeping CDR relatively in check.

3:36 - Mbah a Moute misses yet another open look. Memphis is going to make him and Shipp beat them. UCLA has thus far down an abysmal job of making Love relevant on the offensive end.

3:31 - Mbah a Moute isn't looking like the same player on the offensive end that he did against Xavier. A bad sign for UCLA as Keefe drops an uncontested rebound out of bounds.

3:28 - Howland has put Mbah a Moute, a taller player than Westbrook, up against Douglas Roberts. CDR drives and throws up a horrible shot in his first possession with Mbah a Moute on him.

3:25 - Has UCLA ever given up 20 points in the first 6 minutes? One of our three readers should check, or I will.

3:24 - Waiting to see if Memphis' height advantage at the guard positions will be a key. Thus far it hasn't because the Bruins are being killed in the transition game.

3:16 - Great to see Shipp not afraid to shoot early. UCLA needs to take back control of the tempo. They are letting Memphis run too much.

3:10 - Chris Douglas Roberts' major is Sports & Leisure Management. I would make fun of him but he will actually have a job after he leaves school. Me on the other hand...

NBA Notes: Season is a compelling one

By Mike Walsh

In the midst of March Madness is one of the most compelling NBA seasons in recent memory. The Western conference is a cluster of nine teams on pace to win 50 games.
One of those teams will be a lottery team. There are three teams that are fighting to stay in the top eight right now. Let’s take a quick peak at each to see what’s going on.

Dallas- The Mavericks are in a tailspin. They hadn't beaten a team with a winning record since acquiring Jason Kidd until beating Golden State on Wednesday night. Now Dirk Nowitzki is out with a “sprained knee and ankle.” His return date is cloudy, as is his level of effectiveness upon his return. I said I thought the Kidd trade made them worse and it looks like I was right…for once. I just feel like they will not be able to right the ship in time to save their season. Who would have thought that fighting for the eighth seed and sneaking in the playoffs would be “saving the season” for the Mavericks?

Denver- They continue to play well at home and poorly on the road. They continue to have little offensive continuity; either Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith are hot…or they are getting pummeled. That’s because they can’t stop anyone. While Carmelo has figured out how to take advantage of the different defenders thrown at him, he hasn’t figured out how to play defense against anyone. Iverson plays the passing lanes, but isn’t a great one on one defender anymore, Smith is too busy thinking about the next cross over fade away jumper he’s going to throw up and Kenyon Martin is a step slow now. Camby is the only player who can defend his man and protect the basket. I say they finish one game ahead of the Mavs for the final playoff spot.

Golden State-(author’s note: this was written before the Warriors laid down and died in the 4th quarter against the Spurs last night and before they laid an egg against Dallas) Predicting with your heart instead of your head is always a bad idea. Fortunately for me, I am full of bad ideas and I’ve let my heart lead me into many horrible situations, so why stop now? The Warriors play four tough games on the road against the Spurs, Mavs, Grizzlies and Hornets. By the time they get back to California I will either be giddy or I will have jammed a staple remover into my throat. After the road swing the Warriors have a match up remaining with the Nuggets and Suns. Sprinkled in there are the Clippers with Brand back, the Kings and Sonics. Their road isn’t easy, but I feel like the Warriors have built on last year and they have actually learned from their let downs this season (evidenced by their lack of losing streaks. When they lose a game they’ve come back and played well against their next opponent). My heart is telling me that they finish go 7-2 in their final nine including beating Dallas AND Denver. If not? The Warriors will be a lottery team. Could you imagine them ending up with a top five pick and drafting a Lopez twin or Kevin Love to rebound, defend and outlet? Not a bad consolation prize for missing the playoffs.

Potential matchups: We can’t even talk about potential matchups in the West because nothing will be decided until the last couple games. That makes all of this even more “Tourney-like." The surprise of the matchups and all of the jockeying for playoff positions will just add to the intrigue.
The Eastern Conference is shaping up just how everyone thought it would. Boston, Detroit, Orlando and Cleveland have all solidified their positions at the top of the conference. If any lower seed makes it to the second round, which is a long shot, it would be the Raptors. No matter who they end up playing, they have the most overall talent as a lower seed and have been to the playoffs with this nucleus. A second round match up of Boston vs. Cleveland and Detroit vs. Orlando is going to be fun.

The plague: Injuries are plaguing several teams in the race for the west. The Lakers have some relief on the way as Pau Gasol is set to return for the Lakers next game against the Blazers. Unfortunately there is still a shroud of mystery regarding the return of Andrew Bynum. The Mavericks are without Dirk Nowitzki with no timetable for a return after landing awkwardly and spraining his knee and ankle. Stephen Jackson of the Warriors has battled a sprained ankle over the last six weeks and looks 47 steps slower on defense. It’s always frustrating when injuries get in the way of a team’s success in any sport. With so many great teams battling this season it would be a shame if one bowed out due to injury.

MLB Notes: It's Opening Day....Officially

By Matt Smith

With the farce that was the “regular season” opener between the Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox in Japan aside, the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves game that just started moments ago is the official opening to the 2008 Major League Baseball season.
This game actually started after all the Spring Training games were completed, so go figure. Isn't that when a season is supposed to begin?
Well, with the season actually underway, here are some things to keep your eyes on for the 2008 season.

100 years and counting….: Expect to hear the fact that this is the 100th anniversary of the Cubs winning their last World Series at least a hundred times. Because the Cubs have a team that wasn’t awful enough to lose the NL Central last year and because it is exactly 100 years later, expect people to talk about how this could be their year.
In fact, as I was typing this John Kruk (with a piece of pastrami hanging out of his mouth) predicted the Cubs would reach the Fall Classic.
Well, it won’t be. The ghosts of Three Finger Brown, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance won’t even be able to help them.
It doesn’t help that the Cubs beat the Tigers in that 1908 World Series, so expect people to talk about a possible ’08 rematch, because the Tigers (unlike the Cubs) actually have a legitimate chance.
I didn’t even get 30 seconds to type that last paragraph before Karl Ravech played the part of the idiot and predicted these two teams.

Bonds won’t play: Don’t expect to see Barry Bonds in uniform for the 2008 season. Most of us are pretty sure that there isn’t a suitor for him. Some teams might be tempted to hire the all-time home run leader, but when it is all said and done, teams will avoid the baggage and the distractions that come with Barry Lamar.

Kerry Wood and Mark Prior…..: Will get hurt. People are high on the Cubs because they have Wood closing ball games and some experts think that Mark Prior was a good signing for the Padres. Wood has pitched 110 innings in the last three seasons and Prior hasn’t pitched since the 2006 season when he was 1-6 in only 43 innings of work.

Joe Girardi will be on the hot seat: It’s New York. The Yanks might struggle early while figuring out their pitching situation. They will be good but probably won’t win the World Series. All those things will lead to talk about Girardi’s job being in jeopardy because that’s how it works in New York.

The Rays will get better: The Rays (not the Devil Rays) have never won more than 70 games, but after making some moves to get some pitching and locking up some young players, look for Tampa Bay to lose less than 90 games this year as they continue to get better.

Lastly, I just need to ask why Odalis Perez is the Opening Day pitcher for the Nats? If their pitching is really that bad, it could be a long season.

Post-season awards: It’s way, way too early to talk about this stuff, but it’s always fun. This is a look at the likely contenders to be in the American League and National League MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year races.

MVP: In the American League, my top five candidates are: 1. Alex Rodriguez, 2. Miguel Cabrera, 3. Ichiro Suzuki, 4. Vladimir Guerrero, 5. Derek Jeter.
Rodriguez is always the frontrunner, just because of the sheer numbers he’ll put up. Cabrera is going to clean up with that lineup in Detroit, while Ichiro will have his usual season and my instinct tells me he’ll be even better this year. Vlad will hit .320+, 30+ homers and 120+ RBIs, so he is a no-brainer, while Jeter, who got hosed in 2006, will have an even better year than last year and put his name in the ring.
In that National League, my five candidates are: 1. Matt Holliday, 2. David Wright, 3. Ryan Howard, 4. Hanley Ramirez, 5. Derrek Lee.
Holliday is just too good a hitter not to be the frontrunner and he should have won it last year. Wright is just going to get better and that is scary if you look at his numbers last year (.325 AVG, 30 HR, 107 RBI, 34 SB). Howard is going to continue to hit a lot of home runs but he strikes out too much for my liking. Hanley Ramirez is a guy who hits for a great average, power and can steal 60 bases, but the Marlins want him to run less, which could hurt his MVP chances. Also, the Marlis will suck. Lee is finally 100 percent after the wrist injury he suffered in 2006 and his power should start to increase again because the average and run production will always be there.

Cy Young: AL: 1. C.C. Sabathia, 2. Justin Verlander, 3. Erik Bedard, 4. Fausto Carmona, 5. Josh Beckett.
Sabathia is the favorite because he won it last year and is healthy. Verlander is filthy and just getting better while Bedard should win more games pitching for a better team. Carmona needs to back up last season while Beckett is starting at a disadvantage by missing a start or two right at the beginning of the year. With John Lackey hurt for at least a month, maybe more, he probably won’t factor in this season.
NL: 1. Johan Santana, 2. Jake Peavy, 3. Brandon Webb, 4. Dan Haren, 5. Carlos Zambrano.
As far as aces go, the NL is loaded. The only way Jake Peavy could not be the favorite is if Santana got traded into his league and that is exactly what happened. Webb and Haren will be a dynamic duo, but might split the vote if they both pitch well and wild card in this group is Zambrano. If he pitches like he is capable of (as we’ve been saying for a while) he could be as nasty as anyone.

ROY: AL: 1. Evan Longoria, 2. Daric Barton, 3. Ian Kennedy, 4. Jacoby Ellsbury, 5. Joba Chamberlain.
If Longoria wasn’t going to spend a month in the Minors for contract reasons, he would be the slam dunk winner. Despite that, he will probably still win. Barton is ready to have a good year and will challenge him all season long. Kennedy has a good chance to win a lot of games, something that might hurt Chamberlain if he doesn’t get into the rotation. Ellsbury is going to be hurt by the Red Sox apparent plan to split time between him and Coco Crisp.
NL: 1. Johnny Cueto, 2. J.R. Towles, 3. Geovany Soto, 4. Kosuke Fukudome, 5. Clayton Kershaw.
This is a fairly weak class, other than Cueto. He’s a stud and could step into the Reds rotation and make an immediate impact. Experts are high on the two NL Central backstops in Towles and Soto, but they are relatively unknown as of right now. I am not a fan of professional players from Japan winning the award, that is why I didn’t include Hiroki Kuroda. I do think Fukudome will do enough to stay in the discussion. Kershaw is the wild card because he has unlimited potential, but the question is where he will star the year and what is role will be.