Leading up to the contest between UCLA and Georgetown, it
was all about the debut of Shabazz Muhammad for UCLA. After being suspended for the first three
games, the Bruins were finally going to get him on the court with the rest of
their talented freshmen class. There was
very little talk about the game, not that it was a foregone conclusion that
UCLA was going to win, but it certainly felt that way since their prized
recruit was finally going to don a uniform.
Georgetown was in control of the game from the very start, getting
off to a quick 10-2 lead. Markel Starks
was spectacular all night long. He
finished with a career high 23 points, but it was how he did it that made the
Hoyas so effective. He played with great
energy, had a bounce in his step every possession, controlled the perimeter and
most of all – played with confidence and made sound decisions.
UCLA also had no answer for the combination of Otto Porter
and Greg Whittington. The two combined
for 31 points and 16 rebounds. The versatile
combo will provide fits for defenses all year long. Banging
bodies down low and stepping out and dropping 3s, the all-around play-making
ability of the two is impressive.
But none of this would have mattered if Georgetown didn’t
show up on the defensive end. The 2-3
zone they sat in all night made UCLA uncomfortable.
Georgetown’s regular rotation featured players that measured in at 6-9,
6-8, 6-8, 6-8 and 6-2. Too much length
and athleticism for a young UCLA team to handle who has yet to play together.
The 78-70 victory was the first time that Georgetown has
ever beaten UCLA. Now the Hoyas get a
crack at the #1 team in the land tomorrow, Indiana, for the Legends Classic
championship (to the dismay of many who wanted an Indiana vs. UCLA match-up). Indiana struggles on the
defensive end, but it will take an effort as good as if not better than tonight’s,
to topple the Hoosiers.
Twitter: @shane_t_mac
No comments:
Post a Comment