1. Joel and Lars drove this win. Joel got to the rim with ease and hit a bunch of little flip shots in the lane and some really nice layups over and around the UTA defenders. Lars was bigger than the entire UTA team and once he caught the ball with one-step to the basket, he was decisive and went up strong with his jump hooks. I didn't look at the box score, but I'm betting he was like 6-8 around the rim or something. (Just looked: 8-10!) If he could learn how to seal smaller, faster opponents OR learn to catch lobs, he probably could have had 25. Once he caught the ball around the post, he was scoring or getting fouled.
2. Wrenn Robinson gave us some very nice minutes allowing Joel to get a rest. I was worried because UT-A pressed the entire game even after they were down 25 points. I was worried about Joel getting exhausted. Robinson didn't do much on the box score, but he was steady, didn't the turn the ball over, and hit a tough shot with the shot clock running down to save a possession.
3. ESPN's Zach Lowe often talks about defenses "playing on a string" where players rotate and fill in and "help the helper" always filling the spot as the offense passes the ball around to stress the defense. I think we have a lot of good individual defenders - Joel, Kuany, Roberson, Newell, etc - but as UT-A got deeper into their offense, we often ended up giving up open shots because we would just miss a rotation or weren't communicating well. Thankfully UT-A shot terribly. (16-50, 5-25 from 3)
4. We still give up a lot of offensive rebounds
5. Team is still playing together and playing for each other. When Joel hit back to back fast break layups early in the second half, the entire team ran out onto the floor and Fox yelled at them to get back (rightfully). Askew was waving a towel the entire night and jumped up and down - I think he'll be ok soon.
6. First game all season where I saw the team setting some solid screens. Really helped out the purpose of the offense (as Rod Benson referred to in his Chronicle article - our offense is often a lot of running to spots but not accomplishing anything because everyone just slips screens and the defenders are never stressed about staying with their men).
Nice to get off the schneid. We really should have had 4-6 more of these games.
Good for the players to have a convincing win, albeit against a bad team. Hopefully they'll have enough confidence to sneak an upset in conference play.
Can't wait for today's expedited edition of Knowlton Notes arriving in my inbox and praising Coach Fox for his resilience and noting the heightened energy at Haas yesterday. The best is yet to come.
I'm glad for the players but they really missed an opportunity to do something special and go 0-30. Think about it! It's something that has never been done and that is what we do at Cal. All sarcasm aside, I loved Fox at the press conference saying, "we have work to do". NO SHIT!!!!! Fox has to start packing for his inevitable firing and stop smoking all of that good Northern California weed. Only somebody who is completely high would make such a ludicrous statement.
Good for the players, lets them get that nagging proverbial weight off their shoulders
Drove up to watch the game - my notes:
1. Joel and Lars drove this win. Joel got to the rim with ease and hit a bunch of little flip shots in the lane and some really nice layups over and around the UTA defenders. Lars was bigger than the entire UTA team and once he caught the ball with one-step to the basket, he was decisive and went up strong with his jump hooks. I didn't look at the box score, but I'm betting he was like 6-8 around the rim or something. (Just looked: 8-10!) If he could learn how to seal smaller, faster opponents OR learn to catch lobs, he probably could have had 25. Once he caught the ball around the post, he was scoring or getting fouled.
2. Wrenn Robinson gave us some very nice minutes allowing Joel to get a rest. I was worried because UT-A pressed the entire game even after they were down 25 points. I was worried about Joel getting exhausted. Robinson didn't do much on the box score, but he was steady, didn't the turn the ball over, and hit a tough shot with the shot clock running down to save a possession.
3. ESPN's Zach Lowe often talks about defenses "playing on a string" where players rotate and fill in and "help the helper" always filling the spot as the offense passes the ball around to stress the defense. I think we have a lot of good individual defenders - Joel, Kuany, Roberson, Newell, etc - but as UT-A got deeper into their offense, we often ended up giving up open shots because we would just miss a rotation or weren't communicating well. Thankfully UT-A shot terribly. (16-50, 5-25 from 3)
4. We still give up a lot of offensive rebounds
5. Team is still playing together and playing for each other. When Joel hit back to back fast break layups early in the second half, the entire team ran out onto the floor and Fox yelled at them to get back (rightfully). Askew was waving a towel the entire night and jumped up and down - I think he'll be ok soon.
6. First game all season where I saw the team setting some solid screens. Really helped out the purpose of the offense (as Rod Benson referred to in his Chronicle article - our offense is often a lot of running to spots but not accomplishing anything because everyone just slips screens and the defenders are never stressed about staying with their men).
Nice to get off the schneid. We really should have had 4-6 more of these games.
I’m still viewing this on a certain browser. There is a long way to go for me to see that differently.
Good for the players to have a convincing win, albeit against a bad team. Hopefully they'll have enough confidence to sneak an upset in conference play.
Fox still needs to go. (Rod Benson here: https://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/cal-mens-basketball-column-17670025.php)
Can't wait for today's expedited edition of Knowlton Notes arriving in my inbox and praising Coach Fox for his resilience and noting the heightened energy at Haas yesterday. The best is yet to come.
Cal basketball is such a failure. They failed to go winless this season which I secretly wanted.
I'm glad for the players but they really missed an opportunity to do something special and go 0-30. Think about it! It's something that has never been done and that is what we do at Cal. All sarcasm aside, I loved Fox at the press conference saying, "we have work to do". NO SHIT!!!!! Fox has to start packing for his inevitable firing and stop smoking all of that good Northern California weed. Only somebody who is completely high would make such a ludicrous statement.
Is UTA the worst team in the NCAA?
good comments
Celestine is also playing a leadership role from the bench, staying engaged, cheering the team, talking to the guys
Still 6 below the Knowlton Line
I saw on TV that Kai also entered the portal. That’s bad news if it’s true