Preview: UCLA
UCLA comes to Maples on Sunday at 1pm in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
UCLA is ranked 7 in the AP, 8 in the coach’s poll, and is currently 4th in the Pac 12 behind Stanford, Colorado, and Oregon State. They are 16-3, having lost to USC, Utah, and WSU, but having won against UConn, Ohio State, and Colorado. Massey has them at 8, NET at 7.
Last year we played UCLA three times. In our first game, which was at UCLA, we won 72-59 behind a strong game from Jones and Brink. Betts played 2 minutes. In the second game, at home, we won 71-66 again behind strong games from Jones, Brink, and in that game—Lepolo. Betts played 15 minutes in that 2nd game and had 12 points. In the third game, which was during the Pac 12 tournament, we lost 65-69. Kiki Rice had 22, including 12/13 free throws, and her performance was the primary reason for our loss. Brink had 19, Jones had 15, but no one else was in double digits. Jump had 0 points.
UCLA, however, is not the same team we played a year ago, and is not even the same team it was earlier this year. As last year’s freshmen guards gained experience—Jones and Rice-- UCLA has even better guard play this year than last. The Jones/Rice/Osborne trio may be the best such group in the country.
But UCLA’s post position is another matter. Senior 6’4” forward Emily Bessoir is out with injury, and that is a major loss. She was not only a tall inside presence, she shot the three very well. But UCLA has had Lauren Betts, who transferred from Stanford, to anchor the middle of the defense and the offense this year, and the offense was built around her. Betts was flourishing in that role, leading the team in scoring at 16ppg, rebounding at 9rpg, and supplying that critical missing piece—especially with Bessoir’s absence, to make UCLA a national championship contender. Betts, however, did not play last weekend and there has been a great deal of speculation and absolutely no definitive answers as to why. Close was extremely emotional in her press conference following the loss to WSU, Rice noted that “we miss Lauren both on and off the court,” and it did not seem like all was well. We all hope, of course, that Lauren Betts is well and if not, that she recovers fully and quickly. But I frankly would be surprised to see her playing this weekend given the tenor of that press conference. Still, I presume our coaches have to prepare to play her, since there really is no certainty about what is going on.
UCLA does have other posts, and they have some talent. Angela Dugalic is a 6’4” senior who transferred in from Oregon and has been getting quite a lot of time. She can shoot the three, scores about 9 ppg, and is a very capable player and is agile for 6’4”. She is good. But she was starting alongside Betts most of the year and has had to move into a different role.
Last weekend the fifth position was taken by Lina Sontag. Sontag is a 6’3” sophomore forward from Germany. She had been averaging about 16 minutes and 3 points. She did not score against WSU in 20 minutes.
UCLA also has Gabriela Jaquez coming off the bench. Jaquez is a 6’0” sophomore forward who has scored as many as 30 points in a game this year, although she has been quieter during Pac12 play.
Getting back to UCLA's three excellent guards--Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones, and Charisma Osborne—all three of whom we wanted to have at Stanford—are the heart of the team. Osborne and Jones are the best and more prolific three point shooters. Rice is stronger and taller. Both Osborne and Rice have better than a 2:1 assist to turnover ratios. All three of them consistently score in double digits. Figuring out how to defend all three of them simultaneously will be a major challenge.
UCLA has now had more than a week to reorganize after it (may) have lost Lauren Betts for a while, so I expect their team to be more determined and less shell-shocked than the team that stumbled through last weekend. It will be a team of great contrasts with us. If Betts does not play, and perhaps even if she does, we will have the advantage inside with both Brink and Iriafen. But they will have the advantage outside with three outstanding guards, keeping in mind that they completely shut Jump down in the Pac 12 tournament. It will be a fascinating chess match to see what Tara puts together.
All this said, I confess to a little foreboding and sadness about Betts, without of course knowing why. I hope she does travel with the team, and I hope Stanford fans give her a warm welcome. I'd like to think we are classy enough and caring enough to do so.
UCLA comes to Maples on Sunday at 1pm in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
UCLA is ranked 7 in the AP, 8 in the coach’s poll, and is currently 4th in the Pac 12 behind Stanford, Colorado, and Oregon State. They are 16-3, having lost to USC, Utah, and WSU, but having won against UConn, Ohio State, and Colorado. Massey has them at 8, NET at 7.
Last year we played UCLA three times. In our first game, which was at UCLA, we won 72-59 behind a strong game from Jones and Brink. Betts played 2 minutes. In the second game, at home, we won 71-66 again behind strong games from Jones, Brink, and in that game—Lepolo. Betts played 15 minutes in that 2nd game and had 12 points. In the third game, which was during the Pac 12 tournament, we lost 65-69. Kiki Rice had 22, including 12/13 free throws, and her performance was the primary reason for our loss. Brink had 19, Jones had 15, but no one else was in double digits. Jump had 0 points.
UCLA, however, is not the same team we played a year ago, and is not even the same team it was earlier this year. As last year’s freshmen guards gained experience—Jones and Rice-- UCLA has even better guard play this year than last. The Jones/Rice/Osborne trio may be the best such group in the country.
But UCLA’s post position is another matter. Senior 6’4” forward Emily Bessoir is out with injury, and that is a major loss. She was not only a tall inside presence, she shot the three very well. But UCLA has had Lauren Betts, who transferred from Stanford, to anchor the middle of the defense and the offense this year, and the offense was built around her. Betts was flourishing in that role, leading the team in scoring at 16ppg, rebounding at 9rpg, and supplying that critical missing piece—especially with Bessoir’s absence, to make UCLA a national championship contender. Betts, however, did not play last weekend and there has been a great deal of speculation and absolutely no definitive answers as to why. Close was extremely emotional in her press conference following the loss to WSU, Rice noted that “we miss Lauren both on and off the court,” and it did not seem like all was well. We all hope, of course, that Lauren Betts is well and if not, that she recovers fully and quickly. But I frankly would be surprised to see her playing this weekend given the tenor of that press conference. Still, I presume our coaches have to prepare to play her, since there really is no certainty about what is going on.
UCLA does have other posts, and they have some talent. Angela Dugalic is a 6’4” senior who transferred in from Oregon and has been getting quite a lot of time. She can shoot the three, scores about 9 ppg, and is a very capable player and is agile for 6’4”. She is good. But she was starting alongside Betts most of the year and has had to move into a different role.
Last weekend the fifth position was taken by Lina Sontag. Sontag is a 6’3” sophomore forward from Germany. She had been averaging about 16 minutes and 3 points. She did not score against WSU in 20 minutes.
UCLA also has Gabriela Jaquez coming off the bench. Jaquez is a 6’0” sophomore forward who has scored as many as 30 points in a game this year, although she has been quieter during Pac12 play.
Getting back to UCLA's three excellent guards--Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones, and Charisma Osborne—all three of whom we wanted to have at Stanford—are the heart of the team. Osborne and Jones are the best and more prolific three point shooters. Rice is stronger and taller. Both Osborne and Rice have better than a 2:1 assist to turnover ratios. All three of them consistently score in double digits. Figuring out how to defend all three of them simultaneously will be a major challenge.
UCLA has now had more than a week to reorganize after it (may) have lost Lauren Betts for a while, so I expect their team to be more determined and less shell-shocked than the team that stumbled through last weekend. It will be a team of great contrasts with us. If Betts does not play, and perhaps even if she does, we will have the advantage inside with both Brink and Iriafen. But they will have the advantage outside with three outstanding guards, keeping in mind that they completely shut Jump down in the Pac 12 tournament. It will be a fascinating chess match to see what Tara puts together.
All this said, I confess to a little foreboding and sadness about Betts, without of course knowing why. I hope she does travel with the team, and I hope Stanford fans give her a warm welcome. I'd like to think we are classy enough and caring enough to do so.
