Guards point the way for Bruin offense

Thursday, January 21, 1999

Guards point the way for Bruin offense

BASKETBALL: Davis, Watson, Bailey share duties of leadership

By Greg Lewis

Daily Bruin Staff

Earl Watson had a cut between his third and fourth fingers so
bad that he needed a "snow mitt," according to Bruin head coach
Steve Lavin.

Baron Davis fouled out for the second time in three games.

Ray Young, along with Watson, became the third Bruin guard to be
relieved of his duties by the referees.

But Moose Bailey was there to guide the Bruin offense with
confidence and poise.

The Bruin frontline, with the exception of sophomore Travis
Reed, is composed completely of freshmen, so the team relies on the
two guard spots for leadership. Half-court offense must be run
through the point guard spot, and that is where the Bruins are
strongest.

Baron and Earl – the Bruins’ Royal Backcourt – start, but Moose
Bailey garners most of the playing time when Watson or Davis go to
the bench.

Davis has followed up his spectacular Pac-10 Freshman of the
Year season with a strong sophomore campaign. No sophomore jinx
here. Davis has become the undisputed leader of the Bruin ball
club.

Davis, a master at frustrating opponents with words as well as
actions, keeps the Bruins intense the entire game. Wednesday’s game
provided a great example of his worth.

Davis drew a technical foul on the Trojan’s Elias Ayuso less
then a minute into the game when Ayuso slapped Davis’s arms away
from an inbounds pass.

In the second half, Davis – averaging 2.6 steals per game –
showed why he is one of the most feared defenders in the nation. He
stole the ball away from Trojan guard Jeff Trepagnier and dribbled
the length of the court for a layup, sparking a 10-1 Bruin run.
Less then a minute later he stepped in front of an entry pass and
launched a 50 foot pass to Young for a thunder dunk and a 56-35
lead.

With six minutes left in the game and a healthy 16 point lead,
Davis could still be seen screaming at fellow teammate Young for
committing a foul. Such is the intensity of Davis.

Davis later fouled out of the game, the final infraction being
an overly-energetic argument with a referee.

Watson – the quiet, steadying force – guides the team by
example. One hundred percent hustle, 100 percent of the time. When
Watson, Davis or both cannot be manning the point, Bailey – a
21-year-old sophomore – takes over.

"We feel totally confident with Moose at the point (guard
position)," said associate head coach Michael Holton.

And that came in handy against the Trojans. With both Davis and
Watson fouled out, the last three minutes of the game became
Bailey’s.

"Everything felt great on the court today – we played well, we
played with confidence," said Bailey, who finished with 19
minutes.

With a team characterized by extreme talent and extreme
inexperience, the Bruins need to be deep at the point position.
Wednesday night, the three sophomores showed that the point guard
position is the last thing the Bruins need to worry about.

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