Win a lesson in benefits of studying

ANAHEIM “”mdash; Needing a healthy dose of inspiration heading
into finals week, I spent Saturday afternoon at the Arrowhead Pond
watching UCLA basketball. While the Bruins’ win over Nevada
distracted some students from their studies, it simply reaffirmed
the importance of intelligence and preparation in my mind.

Ben Howland’s squad put on a clinic of these qualities
against the Wolf Pack, resulting in a textbook win that should
motivate every student on campus this week.

With plenty of off-time since their last contest, the Bruins
designed and executed a brilliant game plan, something I’ve
learned not to take for granted after my last experience watching a
UCLA team.

Defensively, the Bruins were quick to neutralize the Wolf
Pack’s strength. Staring at the match-ups beforehand,
Nevada’s powerful inside game of forward Nick Fazekas and
Chad Bell spelled trouble for UCLA’s weak interior
presence.

Those fears were allayed with a week’s worth of scouting
that led to effective double teams and sharp scheming.

“We know everything they’re running, so unless there
was a new wrinkle, we were pretty much there for every play,”
senior Cedric Bozeman said.

Being there meant sagging off up top to take away the flex cut
by the post player. It meant helping out down low and forcing
Nevada to score from the perimeter.

By the end, it meant holding the Wolf Pack to a season-low 56
points and handing the team its first loss of its season.

“(Ryan Wright) remembered the assignments,” Howland
said of his freshman center, who anchored the defensive effort in
the paint. “We did a lot of things that take a lot of mental
preparation. I’m proud of the whole team.”

While the week’s worth of planning was instrumental on
defense, it was largely instinct and intellect that paved the way
on offense. From its very first basket, a fast-break lay-up by
Arron Afflalo off the opening tip, UCLA played to its strength
““ the backcourt.

Smaller but faster, the Bruins looked to get out and run early.
By halftime, they had 10 more fast-break points and a nine-point
lead.

When those open court opportunities weren’t available, the
Bruins played even smarter. There really isn’t any other way
to explain how they scored 12 more points in the paint, despite
hardly any production from the post players. In fact, Wright was at
his best when furthest away from the basket, setting screens that
gave Afflalo room to shoot and Jordan Farmar room to drive.

UCLA’s big men were smart enough to realize the ball
should stay in the hands of those two. Farmar and Afflalo were
smart enough to take charge.

Howland was smart enough to let them.

“I was trying to be aggressive and score,” Farmar
said. “(Darren Collison) did a good job finding me and coach
called a couple plays for me.”

The offensive game plan was simply a matter of the Bruins
buttering their bread. The defensive strategy wasn’t exactly
rocket science either.

Nevertheless, Saturday’s win wouldn’t have happened
without the diligent preparation and smart execution that went into
it.

After listening to Afflalo talk about the benefits of studying
his opponents’ plays and tendencies, I asked him whether it
was anything like preparing for a final.

“The more time we have, the better,” he said.

I wondered whether that allowed any room for
procrastination.

“No, not with coach Howland,” Afflalo quickly
replied. “He won’t allow it. We practice four to five
days straight, all the same things. Walk-throughs and
repetition.”

Saturday was certainly something I could get used to seeing over
and over again.

E-mail Finley at [email protected] if you need a
Howland-like tutor for some of your classes.