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02-08-2024, 12:00 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-08-2024, 05:55 PM by
Leftcoast.)
View from Maples Sidelines:
Maples lower bowl was decently full although somewhere near 25% of the fans were wearing UCLA Blue. As others mentioned John Elway (I didn't see him after the half) and Andrew Luck (full game) attended. Luck sat courtside on the North (?) baseline and was chatting with fellow Stanford basketball football alum Sam Schwartztein through much of the game. Looked like they were having fun.
First the crowd atmosphere - our Band was VERY small at today's game with no Dollies in attendance. Not sure why-perhaps they were at a different sporting event? There were more students attending this conference game than in the pre-season games and they seemed interested in the close game in front of them. Hold your expectation as this was nowhere near the 6th man's hey-day. Half time promotions included a shooting competition (funny because the students were shooting toward the basket near the UCLA bench where the team huddle spilled out into the key. UCLA weren't giving an INCH to the promo game so several staffers tried to keep errant shots from karoming into the huddle), a game of the basketball classic Knock-out with student participants, and a game between the new Stanford living group "Neighborhoods" wearing different T-Shirt colors. Looks like a new arrangement is in place where students take some classes and seminars within your living group/neighborhood. Each neighborhood has a tree themed name - Sequoia, Ginko, Redwood, Olive, etc. Noticeably, ALL promo games involved Students, they had a lively DJ, the normal hype-man, and the arena staff were doing lot's of stuff to cater to the small(ish) group of students in attendance. I'd say the AD knows they need to turn student involvement around and this is their idea of Stanford having "fun". Might work.
The ACTUAL game was close throughout with UCLA doing JUST enough to win in the end. Mick Cronin, UCLA's coach and Paul Giamatti look-alike was frenetic on the side-line as always. His team channeled that energy throughout the game and particularly in the final five minutes. They weren't always doing the right things, they often looked chaotic and borderline out of control, but they did enough to win. Sometimes that energy led to out-of-control driving into a crowd of Stanford players and then flailing around dramatically while looking for the refs, a tactic that worked for them far too often and is the type of college basketball I loathe. Sometimes it was disrupting the passing lanes, getting tips and deflections, and recovering for your out of position teammate on defense. The second won the contest for them in a game that was otherwise evenly matched.
As for Stanford. Maxime Raynaud's (20 pts) growth was a revelation. I haven't attended that many games this season but he progressed dramatically from when I watched him previous years - finishes well underneath, defensively solid, runs the court well, and has the bulk/muscles to more than hold his own against UCLA's big men one-on-one. As someone else mentioned, Carlyle was hurt and came up flinching and holding his injured arm after contact within three minutes of entering the game about 5 minutes in. He was in and out after that, usually for no more than 3-4 minutes per appearance. I was also impressed with Brandon Angel's play (12 points) - Like Raynaud he's come a long way.
Overall, Stanfnord has the players to be doing better in the Pac-12 then their record shows. We're recruiting decently. These players have progressed well within the program, and they've physically developed. Yet, somehow we keep losing very winnable games.
If this flawed UCLA team mirrors their coach I wonder if Stanford does the same? Are we playing reserved, tactical and observant but lack that fire needed in what another LA team called "Winning Time"? Something to ponder - The pieces are there to be a top half Pac 12 team but that isn't what we see in the standings.
In 1938 Neville Chamberlain declared "Peace in our time", Superman first appeared in Action Comics, Seabiscuit beat War Admiral ....... and C.a.l last won the Rose Bowl.