Farmar Starts Then Finishes Sun Devils

By Bruin Basketball Report

Box Score

After an emotional victory over Arizona on Thursday, Jordan Farmar was uncertain whether he would play on Saturday against Arizona St.

Farmar did play. And the Bruins are happy he did.

With the game on the line Farmar drove the lane and put in a layup for the game winner with 3.6 seconds left in the game to help the Bruins escape with a 61-60 victory in Tempe.

It was the Sun Devils (6-7, 0-4) second consecutive loss at home on a last second basket by an opponent. On Thursday the USC Trojans won the game on a Loderick Stewart 3PT shot with 2.1 seconds.

The late-game chain in events for this game began with 30 seconds left, Farmar took the ball from the right wing and drove the ball into the lane and hit a ten footer in traffic to put the Bruins up by two.

On Arizona St’s next possession, Bryson Krueger scored on a 3PT jumper to put the Sun Devils up by 1 point with 12 seconds left. Then for some inexplicable reason, the Sun Devil players began celebrating on the court and perhaps even worse Sun Devil head Rob Evans neglected to call a time-out to get his players focused or to set up their defense.

The Bruins inbounded the ball to Farmar. He brought the ball down court to the top of the key and with his defender overplaying him to his right-side, Farmar crossed to his left and drove the lane for the winning layup.

With the win the UCLA Bruins (13-2, 3-1) recorded a sweep over both Arizona schools on the road for the first time since 1997.

Jordan Farmar got the Bruins off to a fast start by scoring five of seven of the team’s first points. Then with Farmar on the bench, the Sun Devils went on a 10-2 run to take the lead behind the shooting of their two big men, Jeff Pendergraph and Serge Angounou.

Pendergraph scored 8 points and Angounou had 14 points in the first half to pace the Sun Devils to a 29-23 first half lead.

Aside from Farmar’s scoring to open the game, he Bruins’s did not play with much intensity on either ends of the court in the first half or for most of the second.

The Bruins played perhaps their worst defense of the season in this game. The Sun Devil guards Kevin Kruger and Antwi Atuahenewere repeatedly dribble-penetrated into the paint for dishes to teammates inside for easy scores - the two combined for 12 assists in the game.

In addition the Bruins did not defend against Arizona St.’s pick in roll, as the Bruin defenders were very slow to rotate to the open screen/roll player and the Sun Devils, especially Angounou, were getting easy layups and dunks throughout the game. Arizona St. shot FG 47.2% for the game

On offense the Bruins began the game settling for outside shots - and they were not hitting them either. The Bruins shot only 36% for the game and were 1-15 from 3PT.

Despite getting out shot by the Sun Devils, the Bruins were in the game because they eventually began to aggressively attack the basket and were getting to the free throw line. The Bruins went to the line 29 times and made 24 (82.8%) while the Sun Devils shot 6-13 free throws.

UCLA also outrebounded Arizona St by a huge margin 36-27. “We won this game”, Howland said “because we made our foul shots and outboarded them”.

Sophomore Arron Afflalo had his worst shooting day of the year going 4-14 from the field but the 6’5 guard showed why he is this team’s most valuable player. Knowing his shot was not falling early, Afflalo began driving hard to the basket and was getting fouled and sent to the foul line. He finished 12-12 from the FT line, and again, finished with a team high 21 points.

Unfortunately Afflalo did not finish the game. With two minutes left in the game and the score tied, Afflalo drove the lane and flipped in a basket and was fouled but then came down hard on his lower back. Afflalo limped gingerly to the bench and could not continue - although Afflalo was going to re-enter the game on the Bruin’s last possession but the coaches decided to call him back.

Center Lorenzo Mata had another strong game in the pivot. Despite suffering from a bloody nose which necessitated him playing with tissue plugs in his nose, Mata scored 7 points mostly on offensive rebounds, grabbed 7 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots.

Freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute led the Bruins in rebounding with 8; however, Mbah a Moute had problems guarding his fellow countryman from Cameroon, Serge Angounou, who finished with a game high 23 points on 10-15 shooting. It will be interesting to see what adjustments Luc Richard and the Bruin coaches make against Angounou the next time these two teams play each other.

Josh Shipp scored 10 points on 4-9 shooting and grabbed a season high 7 rebounds. With Cedric Bozeman out with a shoulder injury and Jordan Farmar not playing at 100%, Shipp’s contribution at this early stage of his comeback has been significant to the team.

Farmar played a total of 29 minutes and scored 9 points on 3-8 shooting. After scoring five points in the opening minutes, he appeared to play tentatively throughout most of the game.

But when their leading scorer, Arron Afflalo, went down with his injury, Farmar knew he had to be the one to take over. And the sophomore guard, sore ankle and all, took up the challenge and scored the last four points including the game winner for the Bruins.

The Bruin players fly home to rest up and get ready for their first day of class at school on Monday. Their next game is at Pauley Pavilion against the Washington St. Cougars (8-3, 1-1) on Thursday, Jan.12.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

(photo credit: AP/Powers)

Farmar To Keep Playing

Less than 24 hours after saying he needed a break to rest his sprained right ankle, UCLA's Jordan Farmar said he'll play against Arizona State today.

A week off would be nice, but Farmar doesn't think that will cut it.

"The problem is, will that be enough time to really heal it? If I take that time off and roll it again, then I just wasted time," Farmar said. "If I take time off, I really have to take time off - two, two and a half weeks. That's the battle right now.

"If I'm going to take time off and let it heal, I'm going to let it heal. If not, then I'm going to suck it up and play through it." L.A. Daily News

UCLA vs. Arizona St - Game Preview

After a big win against the Arizona Wildcats, the No.17 ranked UCLA Bruins (12-2, 2-1) must guard against complacency when they take on the Arizona St. Sun Devils (6-6, 0-3) in Tempe on Saturday, Jan. 7.

UCLA head coach Ben Howland needs to have his young Bruin team look back no further than last night’s Sun Devils game against the USC Trojans.

After dropping their first two Pac-10 games on the road in the state of Washington, the Sun Devils came home to host a surprising Trojan team. The Sun Devils led the Trojans for most of the game and were still ahead by six points with less than two minutes left in game but then let it slip away. With 2.1 seconds remaining and down by two points, the Trojan’s Loderick Stewart hit a 3-point shot for the game winner to help the Trojans escape with a 66-65 victory

Arizona St. is not expected to compete for the Pac-10 title this year. The Sun Devils lost their Pac-10 conference player of the Ike Diogu to the NBA in last year’s draft But the Sun Devils showed last night they can compete on any given night.

The Sun Devils are led by 6’2 junior guard Kevin Kruger (15.6ppg, 4.1 apg) and 6’7 junior forward Bryson Krueger (13.8ppg). Both players shoot extremely well from the outside with each hitting above 40% from beyond the 3PT arc.

Last year, the pair gave the Bruins problems with their outside shooting in the game at Tempe. In that game Kruger scored 18 points while Krueger netted 16, but the Bruins prevailed and came away with a narrow 86-82 victory.

In addition to Bryson Krueger the Sun Devils start a front line of 6’10 freshman Jeff Pendergraph (8.8ppg, 5.5rpg) and 6’8 junior Serge Angounou (7.5ppg, 4.4rpg). Both have played inconsistently this year but against USC last night they took advantage of the Trojans soft interior and had their best game of the season. Pendergraph scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while Angounou had a team high 19 points and hauled in 7 rebounds.

Both Sun Devil big men were surprisingly active underneath in the Trojan game and may give the young Bruin front line a challenge if they are not prepared to play.

The young Bruin front line will be looked upon to duplicate their strong performance from the game at Arizona. Centers Lorenzo Mata and Ryan Wright combined for 15 points and 10 rebounds while power forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored 8 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Alfred Aboya chipped in 5 points in just 7 minutes.

The young Bruin front line will be looked upon to keep Pendergraph and Angounou from duplicating their big numbers from the Trojan game.

Tyrone Jackson a 6’2 senior starts at the last guard spot. Jackson averages 6.2 ppg and 3.3 apg. Against the Trojans, Jackson did not score but had a team high 9 assists.

Arizona St. head coach Rob Evans brings in 6’4 guard Antwi Atuahene (6.2ppg), 6’9 forward Chad Goldstein (5.7 ppg) off the bench. Athuahene shoots over 50% from 3PT.

The Bruins already without the services of their four seniors Cedric Bozeman (shoulder), Ryan Hollins (groin), Michael Fey (ankle), and Janou Rubin (fever) may also play without sophomore guard Jordan Farmar.

Farmar re-aggravated his right ankle sprain in the first half of the Arizona, and although he returned to play 24 minutes, he is questionable for this game and may sit out this game and others.

“That might be the best thing," Farmar said. "I'm going to talk to my family and sit down with Coach and see what the best thing is for both of us."

If Farmar does not play, it would leave the Bruins with only eight scholarship players for the game.

The Bruins may have enough offensive fire power without Farmar. Arizona St. ranks last in scoring offense averaging 58 points per contest, next to last in scoring defense allowing 77.5 points, and last in FG% defense (44%).

Yet, if Arizona St. plays to the same level it did against the Trojans, the Bruins may have quite a game on their hands. Prior to last night's game, the Trojans had held opponents to a 38% FG shooting, but Arizona St. shot 52%.

With a roster shortened by injuries and the potential for the young Bruin team to let down after a big victory, coach Ben Howland will need to make sure his team is ready and geared up to play tomorrow. A split in the desert would be a shame at this point.

Note: Arizona St freshman Jeff Pendergraph and UCLA freshman Darren Collison were teammates on the Etiwanda High School team that went 31-2 last year.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

UCLA Holds off Arizona, 85-79

By Bruin Basketball Report

Box Score

The No.17 UCLA Bruins limped into McKale Center but marched out triumphantly with an 85-79 victory over the No.21/23 Arizona Wildcats.

With all four seniors on the roster either sick or injured, the Bruins suited up only nine scholarship underclassmen; four sophomores and five freshmen, to play against a veteran Arizona team in an arena which the Bruins had not won in since 1997.

Yet, it was the young Bruin squad which showed more intensity and poise throughout the game. The Bruins did not wilt under the pressure defense of the Wildcats, as evidenced by the fact that they were victorious despite committing 22 turnovers in the game.

UCLA (12-2, 2-1) shot a blazing 60.8% from the field and 6 of 14 from beyond the arc (43%). They shot 70% from the FT line but hit 8 of 8 of their free throws down the stretch.

Bruin head coach Ben Howland’s offensive strategy was clear from the start of the game – the Bruins were going to penetrate and attack the basket. On the first Bruin score, sophomore Josh Shipp dribble penetrated from the wing for a short jumper in the paint. The Bruins then scored five straight lay-ups all created by dribble penetration from the Bruin guards.

In addition, unlike the Memphis St.game where the Bruins tried to slow the tempo – Howland decided to have his Bruins play a fast tempo transition game against the Wildcats. The result was a fast paced, high scoring game that sent the 14,696 crowd at McKale Center unhappily home.

Jordan Farmar, who was questionable for the game due to a sprained ankle, gutted out 11 points and four assists. He aggravated his injury in the first half but returned after having his ankle re-taped and finished the game to play 24 minutes.

Ben Howland shuffled Farmar on and off the court throughout the game knowing he needed to preserve his star point guard – especially for down the stretch.

With less than a minute in the game and the Wildcats down by only two, Howland reinserted Farmar into the line-up to take care of the ball and the sophomore guard responded. Farmar took the inbound pass and handled the Wildcat full-court pressure and was fouled with 33 seconds left in the game. Farmar sunk both free throws to push the lead to four.

After a score by Arizona’s Marcus Williams, Farmar brought the ball up again and barely squeezed between two Arizona defenders before he was fouled with 10 seconds. Farmar calmly sunk both free throws again for a four point lead. Then Josh Shipp stole the ball on the inbound pass to seal the win.

Sophomore guard Arron Afflalo led the team again with 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting and sparked the Bruin offense when it needed him. After the Bruins fell behind by five points midway through the first half, Afflalo sparked the Bruin offense with two 3-pointers as the Bruins went into halftime with a 39-35 advantage.

Josh Shipp finished the game with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Shipp looked more fluid in this game as compared to the California game. He also hit 2 of 3 from 3PT and played 31 minutes in only his third game back in the lineup.

The stat sheet will not tell the whole story of the importance of freshman Darren Collison in this game. Although Collison had a good game with 9 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals, it was the match-up problem he created with his speed which exposed a major Arizona weakness - it’s lack of quickness in the backcourt.

When Collison entered the game he was matched up with Mustafa Shakur, but he could not contain Collison who drove past him for two quick scores. Arizona coach then tried J.P Prince and Marcus Williams on Collison also without success. Finally, Olson put his best defender Chris Rodgers on Collison, but that took Rodgers off Afflalo who immediately countered with two scores while guarded by either Shakur or Williams.

Arizona was led by 21 points from Hassan Adams. Freshman Marcus Williams was very impressive scoring 19 with many of the baskets coming when the Bruins tried to pull away in the second half. Ivan Radenovic scored 17 points and was very effective in the first half when the Wildcats were looking inside for their scoring.

Wildcat point guard Mustafa Shakur perhaps had his worst game as a collegiate. Shakur was averaging 10 ppg entering the game but did not score in this contest missing all three of his shot attempts. Although Shakur did score two points for the Bruins when he errantly tipped a ball into their basket. Coach Lute Olson was visibly unhappy with Shakur’s defense and his inability to stay in front of the Bruin’s Collison.

Lorenzo Mata played a solid game. He showed poise and confidence on both ends of the court. Mata grabbed 7 rebounds and scored 9 points. He surprised everyone when he hit a 15-footer from the elbow in rhythm. Mata also showed a good stroke from the FT line hitting on 3 of 4.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute regained his aggressive edge on the boards with a team high 9 rebounds. He also added 8 points in 36 minutes of play.

Alfred Aboya played only 7 minutes but he showed his offensive potential when he took his defender off the dribble from the top of the key for a layup - he finished with 5 points.

UCLA outrebounded Arizona 28 to 24 and forced the Wildcats into 18 turnovers. Arizona shot 52% from the field but made only 2 of 9 from 3PT.

The Bruins now look for a sweep on this trip as they travel to Tempe for a Saturday game against the Sun Devils. The Sun Devils lost to USC 66-65 on Thursday.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

(photo credit: AP)

UCLA Men's Basketball Injury Update (1/5)

By Bruin Basketball Report

Injury Update for Today's Game

1. Ryan Wright (ankle) is expected to play.
2. Jordan Farmar (ankle) is a game-time decision. (Did not practice this week)
3. Michael Fey (ankle) is not expected to play.
4. Ryan Hollins (groin) is not expected to play.
5. Janou Rubin (fever) will not play today. (Did not make trip)
6. Cedric Bozeman (shoulder) will not be back for at least 3-4 weeks.

UA-UCLA Rivalry Best When Bruins Are Playing Well

The best day of the winter in Tucson sports, 1985-2002, no debate, was the UCLA-Arizona basketball game.

Nothing against Stanford and all those Top 10 Cardinal teams, but you couldn't work up a healthy dislike for Mike Montgomery, Adam Keefe or Brevin Knight.

But the Bruins — oh, my Lord. They sent the hate-o-meter needle soaring into the red every time Don McLean and Tracy Murray walked onto the court.

Reggie Miller? Loathing at record levels.

Jim Harrick? No. 1 on Tucson's Most Undesirable List, next to J.R. Henderson's 1-A.

Baron Davis? Unwanted. Trevor Wilson? Unpopular. Toby Bailey? Unlikeable.

That's because the Bruins were so feared. We loved it. Arizona Daily Star

UCLA vs. Arizona - Game Preview

By Bruin Basketball Report

The No.17 UCLA Bruins (11-2, 1-1) travel to Tucson for a game with the No.21/23 Arizona Wildcats (9-3, 2-0) at McKale Center on Jan.5.

UCLA is coming off a disappointing home defeat to California on Saturday. The Bears halted the Bruins transition game and forced the Bruins into a half-court game where they shot 36.7% from the field and only 29.4% from 3PT - while the Bears shot 52% from the field and outrebounded the Bruins by 6.

UCLA head coach Ben Howland stresses FG% defense and rebounding above all statistics, and his Bruins did not get the job done in those areas against Cal. The Bruins must improve in both areas if they hope to get a win against Arizona this week.

The Bruins were either hobbled or without key players against California. Both Jordan Farmar and Ryan Wright played despite injuring their ankles against Stanford - while seniors Cedric Bozeman (shoulder), Michael Fey (ankle), and Ryan Hollins (groin) were also sidelined. Against California, UCLA head coach Ben Howland played four sophomores and five freshmen for the entire game.

The Wildcats recently had its string of 312 consecutive regular-season AP appearances just end two weeks ago; however, the Wildcats have come roaring back and are once again ranked in both polls this week.

In Arizona's last game, they defeated the Washington Huskies 96-95 in double-overtime at Washington. The Wildcats were down by 13 points at halftime and withstood last second Husky shots to push the game into two extra periods. The Wildcats won when Kirk Walters hit a free throw with five seconds remaining in the second overtime ending the Huskies own 32 game homecourt win streak.

Arizona, similar to UCLA, relies heavily on their defense and the play of their perimeter players. The Wildcats start three guards: Mustafa Shakur (Junior, 6'3, 190), Chris Rodgers (Sr, 6'4, 205), and Hassan Adams (Sr, 6'4, 220).

The Wildcat's starting guards account for almost 60% of the total offense and Shakur and Adams are the first and third best rebounders on the team with 4.5 and 6.7 rpg, respectively.

The three guard combination also combines for 7.2 steals per game. In comparison, the UCLA team averages 5.7 steals. Not surprisingly, Arizona leads the Pac-10 in steals with 11.67 per game. The Wildcats like to press and overplay on the outside and are quick into the passing lane to disrupt offenses for tips or steals.

Hassan Adams is Arizona's most valuable player and was recently voted the Pac-10 player of the week for the second consecutive time. Adams is a rugged, all around player who averages 20.8 points and 2.9 steals. He had been struggling from 3PT land, but hit 5 of 7 from 3PT on his way to a career high 32 points against Washington.

Adams keys the Wildcat offense and defense with his aggressive play and fiery leadership. The Bruin's best defensive match-up against Adams would have been senior Cedric Bozeman who had the size, length, and speed to counter Adams, but Bozeman is out for at least another three weeks with a shoulder injury.

Thus, the Bruins will counter with Arron Afflalo. The sophomore guard is the Bruin's best on-ball defender and is usually stronger and faster than his opponent, but he will have all he can handle with the very physical Adams.

Additionally, Afflalo will need to work extra hard to keep Adams off the offensive boards - Adams averages 3 offensive rebounds a game. Afflalo has been the Bruins best offensive player averaging 18.6 ppg and will pose a difficult match-up for Adams on the other end as well.

Sophomore Mustafa Shakur averages 10.6 ppg, 4.1 apg, and 1.7 spg. He equaled his career best 23 points against Washington but has been struggling from 3PT shooting only 25% from behind the arc. Shakur is a solid floor leader and makes good decisions - he has an assist/turnover ratio of 1.48.

The Bruins will start Jordan Farmar on Shakur which should be quite a spirited battle. Farmar played 36 minutes and scored only 6 points against California despite reinjuring his right ankle against Stanford. Although Farmar did not use his injury as an excuse for his subpar play, but the injury clearly inhibited his play on both ends of the court.

The Bruins will clearly need a healthy Jordan Farmar to help take care of the ball against a dangerous, gambling Wildcat defense. Farmar will also need to keep Shakur off the boards throughout the game. Last week, Farmar did not block out Omar Wilkes allowing him to rebound and dunk the ball at a key juncture of the game against Cal.

Freshman Darren Collison will be called upon again to give quality minutes at the point. Although Collison has provided a spark to the offense when needed this season, he at time has been tentative in implementing the Bruin offense in their half-court sets.

Against California, Collison scored 8 points but had no assists and 3 turnovers. With Farmar perhaps not 100% and facing a pressing Arizona defense, Collison will need to be more decisive and take good care of the ball on Thursday.

With Salim Stoudamire in the NBA and Jawann McClellan academically ineligible, the Wildcats have struggled as a team from behind the arc, averaging only 29.7%. Chris Rodgers has been the primary Arizona 3PT threat but has been inconsistent, shooting 32% from 3PT and only 33% total from the field. But Rodgers is taking care of things on the defensive end averaging 2.6 steals per game.

Sophomore forward Josh Shipp who is still working on his conditioning will need to work hard on the defensive end chasing down Rodgers. Shipp has scored in double figures in both games since his return, and the Bruins will certainly need Shipp to improve not only on his scoring but his rebounding as well. Shipp has averaged only 3 rpg in 28 minutes of play, but of course, recovery from hip surgery takes some time and just another reason why the injury to Cedric Bozeman has hurt the team.

Arizona head coach Lute Olson decided just before the start of Pac-10 play to start freshman Marcus Williams (6'7, 205) at one forward instead of 6'10 Kirk Walters. Although the Wildcats lose height without Walters, they gain speed and aggressive play from Williams who is averaging 10.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg, and scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds against Washington.

UCLA's own freshman forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had his first bad outing as a Bruin in the California game - scoring only 3 points and failing for the first time this season to lead the Bruins in rebounding by grabbing only 3 in the game. Mbah a Moute got into early foul trouble and did not adjust to playing against the big Cal front line. The Bruins will need Mbah a Moute to regain his rebounding edge in this game.

The Bruin's other freshman from Cameroon, Alfred Aboya, played his best game as a Bruin on both ends against Cal. He was aggressive underneath the basket and was the only Bruin low post player to effectively match up against the Cal post players. Aboya has been playing primarily power forward since his return to the lineup but he played the final three minutes at center against Cal. It would not be surprising to find Aboya at the five spot especially if either Ryan Wright and Lorenzo Mata falter.

In the middle, the Wildcats start Ivan Radenovic (Jr, 6'10,244). Radenovic can post up or shoot from the outside although he most prefers facing up and shooting from the perimeter. Radenovic is hitting from 3PT at a 35% clip. He is also their second leading rebounder at 5.9.

The Bruin's Lorenzo Mata and Ryan Wright struggled against Cal last weekend. The team will need an especially strong rebounding effort from them, especially with the playing status of senior centers, Michael Fey and Ryan Hollins still unknown. Mata and Wright combined for only 5 rebounds and no blocked shots against Cal. (injury update note: both Michael Fey and Ryan Hollins are not expected to play against Arizona)

The Wildcats have Kirk Walters, 6'6 J.P Prince, and 6'6 Bret Brielmaier to give them some depth off the bench, especially Walters who averages 6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 2 bpg.

To win, the Bruins will need to play better defense and rebound better than they did against Cal. In addition to shooting over 50%, Cal also shot 60% from 3PT.

Arizona keys their transition game off turnovers they create. The Bruins also like to run and get easy transition baskets, but similar to the Memphis game, its unlikely coach Howland will want to get into a running game with Arizona. However, if an easy transition basket is available to the Bruins, he'll take it.

Instead Howland will most likely stress strong team defense and rebounding - not a surprise. Like the Bruins, Arizona does not have a great half-court offense and have struggled when they haven't been able to create easy scores with fast break opportunities.

Arizona swept the Bruins last year. Last February Arizona beat the Bruins 83 to 73.

This game is important to both teams in more than just the win column. For Arizona, they are building their respectability again after dropping out of the rankings recently. As for the Bruins, the loss to California exposed their weakness inside and impact of their injuries.

It will be interesting to see how this young Bruin team responds and how it bounces back from adversity.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

Bruins Fall to No.17 in Both Polls

By Bruin Basketball Report

After splitting games this week at home, the UCLA Bruins (11-2, 1-1) ) dropped from No.11 to No. 17 in both the ESPN/USA Today and AP polls . The Bruins had defeated Stanford convincingly but then dropped a close game to the California Bears on Saturday.

After a two week hiatus, Arizona climbed back into the rankings at No.21 in the AP and No.23 in the ESPN/USA Today polls . Arizona defeated Washington in double OT in Seattle. With the loss to the Wildcats, the Huskies dipped in the rankings from No.7 to No.10 in both polls.

The California Bears, after a surprising sweep over UCLA and USC last week, garnered two votes from AP voters and one vote from ESPN/USA Today.

It would not be surprising to find four Pac-10 teams in the overall rankings soon.

The Bruins currently have a No.16 RPI rating and are No.23 in strength of schedule (SOS).

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/2)

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday during the season.

Commits

Santa Margarita senior forward James Keefe, All-County first team last year and a UCLA signee, injured his back on a fall Monday in the Eagles' victory over Hug of Nevada in the first round of the Orange Holiday Classic at Chapman University. Santa Margarita coach Jerry DeBusk said Keefe's injury was painful to the touch, but Keefe said he would be on duty if the Eagles needed him. O.C. Register 12/28

Prospects

Kevin Love powered Lake Oswego's offense with 20 points, making 8 of 11 shots. He also added 13 rebounds and blocked four shots. Statesman Journal 12/28

Kevin Love gathered a full-court pass and converted a layup as time expired to send a sold-out Liberty High School crowd into a frenzy and propel No. 1 Lake Oswego to a wild 52-51 come-from-behind victory over No. 6 Jesuit in the quarterfinals of the Les Schwab Invitational. Oregonian 12/29

Lake Oswego (5-3) trailed by two points when (Kevin) Love took a pass and attacked the basket with two hands from the left side. But the ball squirted loose above the rim, and Love, hanging onto the rim with his left hand, tipped the ball into the net with his right. Oregonian 12/30

No one disputes that (Kyle) Singler headlines the team’s star power, however. Were it not for his unselfish play, along with limited playing time that has accompanied lop-sided victories through the team’s first five games, his point totals surely would be higher. Mail Tribune 12/26

Kyle Singler had 21 points and 15 rebounds to lead South, which led by 11 points after the first quarter and 21 at halftime. Mail Tribune 12/30

Crenshaw center Darnell Gant led all scorers with 20 points and had 10 rebounds along with six blocks. Daily Breeze 12/31

Justin Holiday recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 18 rebounds and 11 blocks, and Robert Ford contributed 16 points for Campbell Hall, which built a 39-17 halftime lead. L.A. Daily News 12/29

The Toreadors then fought back, led by sophomore guard Larry Drew Jr., who scored seven straight points. L.A. Daily News 12/30

Guards Brandon Jennings and Patrick Christopher each scored 17 to pace Dominguez, but a desperation 3-pointer from halfcourt at the buzzer by Dejon Jackson gave Clovis West the victory. L.B. Press-Telegram 12/28