[[10/11]] Preseason rankings are being published. Street and Smith predicts a third place UCI finish in the West division. Check out basketball rankings for updated information.
[[10/23]] The UCI Athletics Department has recently discovered my basketball web page. One of the men's team players (who shall remain nameless) did a net search on his name and found it in one of my pages. He showed it to some of the basketball staff and one of them bookmarked it. They told me that they are in the process of updating their basketball page substantially to make it more "fun". All sounds good.
[[11/3]] In an intrasquad game on Sunday, 11/1, sophomore forward Stan Divranos had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead the White team over the Blue, 82-71. Sophomore forward Ben Jones added 19 points. Freshman Zamiro Bennem led the Blue squad with 25 points. This is straight from the UCI Athletics press report page and is also mentioned in today's LA Times. It is a very good sign that the new players are dominating. UCI looks set to rise another notch or two.
On Saturday, November 7, UCI plays an exhibition match against the University of Calgary. I will be looking to see how the new players compare to the returning players to guage this season.
[[11/6]] On Saturday, November 7, UCI plays the University of Calgary in an exhibition match. According to a post on the UCI Sports Only message board (which has since vanished), Calgary was defeated by a division II type Montana team and defeated another Montana team by two points. Thus, I would peg Calgary to be at the same level as Sonoma State and Chico State were last year. UCI should be able to defeat them handily.
Usually, I don't put much stock in how we do against exhibition teams. I still remember us winning both exhibition games one year only to turn around and finish 6-21 for the season. However, the one thing I can guage from an exhibition match is how the new players compare to the old. This is what I will be focused on this Saturday.
For fun, let me speculate on the starting lineup that I would expect to see Saturday. This is purely speculation on my part as I have not heard anything from anybody official.
| Stan Divranos | (C) | |
| Marek Ondera | (F) | |
| Ben Jones | (SF) | |
| Jerry Green | (G) | |
| Zamirro Bennem | (PG) |
The LA Times reported that the coaches feel that Marek Ondera is the third best player on the team. He also has incredible leaping ability so at 6-6 he should be able to compete well against other 6-10 players. Thus, I see him starting for sure at the power forward position. Ben Jones seems to be the only returning player who seems to match up evenly with the new. Zamirro Bennem, after Sunday's scrimmage, seems like a shoein for point guard. I might be wrong about Jerry Green getting the start; if he doesn't, I would expect Adam Stetson to start at the SF position and Ben Jones to play off guard. Stan Divranos did well in the Sunday scrimmage so I expect him to be the center of choice.
Assuming the starting lineup which I have projected above, I expect Matt Willard (F/C), Jason Flowers (PG), Adam Stetson (F) and Gabe Cagwin (PG) to get a lot of playing time. Thus, the starters will probably play about 25 minutes each and the other will go in for 10-15 minutes.
The jury is out in my mind on Malachi Edmond and Brian Scoggin. I also would expect to see a little bit of Mark Gottschalk but not too much. Big guys usually take a while to mature. As the season progresses, we may see more of him. In fact, he may get 10-15 minutes against Calgary, then maybe 10 against the California All Stars, then maybe 5 against the division I teams for the rest of the season. Of course, if this year is like last year, every player will get a start sometime during the season.
[[11/7]] UCI played the University of Calgary and barely escaped with a win. The final score, after two overtimes, was 82-78. I was 4 for 5 on my starting lineup projections. Instead of Zamirro Bennem, Gabe Cagwin started. Anyway, the starting lineup was Stan Divranos, Marek Ondera, Ben Jones, Jerry Green, and Gabe Cagwin. Jason Flowers and Zamiro Bennem were first off the bench. For some reason, Adam Stetson did not suit up and thus did not play.
The first half was extremely sloppy. It was a classic case of first game jitters. Our rebounding was atrocious, defense nonexistent, and the team exercised very poor shot selection. In the second half, a different, more intense UCI team stepped out on the court. Calgary, however, refused to fold, and hit clutch three pointers and made most of its free throws. UCI, for the longest time, could not hit from the charity stripe. The game was tied and Malachi Edmond got off a three point shot at the buzzer which went in. The crowd went wild, but the referrees waved it off as Edmond took his shot just milliseconds after the buzzer. It was the right call and the game went into overtime. UCI led most of the first overtime period, but with two seconds left in the first OT period, Calgary nailed a three pointer and the game went into a second overtime. UCI led by 4-6 points during most of the second overtime, though Calgary did pull within three at one point.
Here are the scoring totals. Jason Flowers (4), Stan Divranos (11), Jerry Green (8), Gabe Cagwin (16), Malachi Edmond (4), Zamirro Bennem (3), Marek Ondera (12), Brian Scoggin (8), Ben Jones (15), Mark Gottschalk (1), and Matt Willard (0). It is a good sign indeed that the new players dominated. Interestingly, Scoggin showed considerable poise and was crucial in the final stretch. He was one of the few UCI players to nail his free throws. Jones and Cagwin proved extremely effective from the three point line. Cagwin also garnered quite a few steals. I expect the team will be having free throw and layup drills, as well as plenty of lectures on shot selection and the concept of boxing out and following your shot.
[[11/8]] Dean Powell wrote a preseason commentary for West Coast Hoops. It is worth taking a look. From the message boards, here are some of the previous University of Calgary results.
Montana Tech 67 Calgary 46
Calgary 66 Montana St. Northern 64
Alberta 94 Calgary 66 (Alberta #10 ranking in Canada)
Montana Tech, I believe, is at best a division II team. From the same source, here are some recent results involving the California (West) All Stars.
CWAS 80 Hawaii 72
San Diego 90 CWAS 71
Pepperdine 87 CWAS 79
CWAS 93 Fresno St. 85
Weber St. 100 CWAS 77
Utah 89 CWAS 85
BYU 93 CWAS 87
They will play UTEP, New Mexico, UCLA, and New Mexico St. before they meet UCI on Friday, November 13. It looks like they are high division I caliber. While this spells bad news for UCI, the California All Stars might be feeling a bit of fatigue by the time they play UCI.
[[11/10]] According to today's LA Times, Adam Stetson did not play on Saturday because of an injured left foot. He is practicing now and is expecting to play in Friday's game against the California All Stars.
Southern California Hoops has an interesting article on the California All Stars West, the team UCI is playing on Friday. Check it out. According to the article, you can see that UCI will be the 13th game in 13 days for this team, with Tuesday's game being at UCLA, Wednesday's game being at New Mexico State, and Thursday's game being at Univerisity of Nevada, Reno. Fatigue is definitely going to be factor for them, though on the other hand, they will have played 12 games together by the time they hit Irvine. Also, judging by the results below, they look pretty good and UCI will be very fortunate indeed to beat them.
[[11/13]] UCI defeated the California All Stars West today 73-55. The California All Stars had lost the previous night to University of Nevada, Reno 83-80 and lost to New Mexico State on Wednesday 105-79. UCI looked much better today against the All Stars than it did against Calgary. The starting lineup was Jason Flowers, Stan Divranos, Malachi Edmond, Marek Ondera, and Ben Jones. Mark Gottschalk was first off the bench; Gabe Cagwin soon followed.
UCI led at the half 33-23, and in the second half quickly jumped to a 20 point lead. The last 10 minutes was garbage time and the game was never in doubt. It is hard to believe that this same team struggled the way it did against a division II level team Calgary last week. It looks like UCI will have depth as it appears that Coach Douglass is willing to let every player play. So far, every healthy player has played.
I grabbed a copy of the official box score so here are the stats.
California All Stars: Lorenzo Rollins (16), Fred Edmonds (10), Joel Vogel (0), Jim Williamson (5), Jerry Gee (4), Damon Crump (2), Brandon Titus (6), Rozell Ellis (6), Ken Hotopp (6), Chris Dade (0). FG% .306 (19-62), 3FG% .100 (1-10), FT% .732 (16-21); Rebounds 46, Assists 2, Turnovers 19.
UC Irvine: Marek Ondera (12 pts, 10 rebounds, 27 min), Ben Jones (20 pts, 8 rebounds, 4-9 3PT, 7-14 overall, 32 min), Stan Divranos (4 pts, 8 rebounds. 19 min), Jason Flowers (0 pts, 4 assists, 26 min), Malachi Edmond (3 pts, 15 min), Jerry Green (6 pts, 3 assists, 17 min), Gabe Cagwin (12 pts, 3 assists, 2-5 3PT, 4-7 overall, 22 min), Zamiro Bennem (2 pts, 6 min), Brian Scoggin (2 pts, 9 min), Mark Gottschalk (0 pts, 15 min), Matt Willard (12 pts, 6-7 FG, 12 min). FG% .420 (29-69), 3FG% .318 (7-22), FT% 1.000 (8-8); Rebounds 39, Assists 16, Turnovers 17.
[[11/17]] Pepperdine defeated UCI 71-58 tonight in Malibu. Pepperdine enjoyed a 39-28 lead at the half, but midway through the second half, UCI cut the deficit to 5. Ben Jones had an opportunity to cut it to 3 (and perhaps lead UCI to a comeback victory) but instead, he missed both freethrows. One can hardly blame Ben Jones for what happened tonight. In fact, we can't be too hard on UCI, considering that this is the first regular division I game that this team has played together. UCI was plagued with turnovers, many resulting from the types of mistakes teams make when they barely know one another. Also, UCI's transition defense faltered. A lot of these problems will be fixed over the course of the season.
Matt Gottschalk had a good first half scoring 8 points. Green and Ondera also were strong blocking shots and getting rebounds. The radio announcers went on and on about how talented this new bunch is and how they will only get better as the season progresses. UCI finished as I had more or less expected. It is good to see productivity out of Ondera (13 pts, 12 rebounds), Green (12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists), Gottschalk (8 points in 11 min), and Bennem (7 points in 15 min).
UCI will get a break next Tuesday in its next game. It plays Cal State Stanislaus, a division II team. Hopefully, UCI will use this game as an opportunity to continue working on its team play.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
[[11/24]] Um, I guess, UCI defeated Cal State Stanislaus 63-52, but it sure wasn't pretty. On the bright side, there was the 10 minute stretch in the middle of the first half when UCI applied a full court pressure defense and Stanislaus almost seemed ready to fold with UCI leading, at the time, by at least 15 points. Also, Green had a very good game, scoring 11 points (5-9) and dishing out 4 assists, the team high. Most of the game, however, was downright aggravating. It is almost as if the players went in figuring that Stanislaus had no chance. Basically, UCI played like it did against Calgary. At least they stayed in structure and played as a team. UCI missed free throws (shot 47%), missed 3-point shots (3-15, .200), missed lots of layups, took lots of ill advised shots, and was almost outrebounded by a shorter, less skilled team (33 vs 32). Hopefully, this will be the one bad game for the season. I assume that it is. Even though we won, and won by 11 points, it still feels like a loss to me. Tomorrow, after I have gotten some sleep, maybe I'll feel better.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
[[11/28]] The UCI women's basketball team showed new signs of life as Megan Stafford returned to the lineup. Before the season began, four players, most notably starting center Chelsea Mackey and starting point guard Megan Stafford, and senior forward Char-Pei Chen, were suspended for breaking unspecified team rules. Chelsea Mackey missed an exhibition game and an almost 30 point loss to USD. Megan Stafford and Char-Pei Chen missed the first two home losses to Syracuse and West Virginia. With all of them in the lineup, the women posted an impressive 77-56 win over Ohio University in the Oregon State classic. UCI faces Oregon State today in the tournament finals.
[[11/28]] Major Ouch department...
The basketball gods do not look kindly upon Cal Poly. After just recently defeating hapless Sacramento State by 46 points, and after being accused of running up the score by the Sacramento State coach who has since filed a formal protest with the Big West Conference accusing the Cal Poly coach of attempting to incite a riot, Cal Poly got its comeuppance by losing at Portland State by a whopping 103-64. What comes around goes around. At least Portland State didn't run up the score. They led at the half 51-22 and added only 10 points to their lead in the second half. Cal Poly, from what I read, continued their full-court press of Sacramento State while up by 30 in the second half. From the box score, I can see the Cal Poly got off 10 more shots than Portland State, but only 34% of them went in (compared to 56%). Cal Poly also attempted 32 3-point shots, making only 3 (9.4%). They were outrebounded (26-22), out assisted (26-11), as well as being outshot.
I have nothing particularly against Cal Poly and I truly wish them the best of luck, except, of course, when they play UCI. Cal Poly, according to the Sporting News, has to put up or shut up this year, or more precisely "their play has been much ado about nothing". Right now it has to look bleak. My guess is that the Cal Poly players have been reading a bit too much of their own positive press. Now they have to earn it.
[[11/28]] I was planning on listening to the UCI vs Oregon State game but my brain farted and I thought the game started at 4:00 p.m.. It did - it started at 4:00 eastern time. Oops. It is amazing how much one can get from a box score, and this one is no exception. UCI was down by 15 points at half-time and managed to cut that deficit to 10. Because UCI got called for 26 fouls (Oregon State got called for 12) with Divranos and Scoggin fouling out (and Willard and Jones have 4 pf), it sounds like it was a close game until the very end. Oregon State shot 65.7% from the foul line (23-35) compared to 50% by UCI (4-8). UCI shot 40.3% from the field; Oregon State shot 48.1%. UCI also shot 36.4% from 3-point territory; Oregon State shot 41.2%.
UCI and Oregon State both committed 11 turnovers. This number (11 turnovers for UCI) is a definite improvement (and a good sign). We were outrebounded, though, 40-28. The post players (Willard 2, Divranos 6) still are not rebounding as they should. In this game, neither did Ondera (5 rebounds). Jerry Green led all UCI rebounders with 7, including 2 offensive.
Ben Jones led all UCI scorers with 21 points. However, his shooting percentages are nothing to brag about. He shot 7-20 overall, 5-16 from 3-point territory, and only 2-5 from the free throw line. Freshman Gabe Cagwin, however, shined with 20 points, shooting 7-13 from the field, and a sizzling 5-9 from 3-point territory. He and Jerry Green also led the team with 4 assists each. Cagwin did all of this while playing only 23 minutes (Green played 35, the highest on the team).
Other interesting observations...UCI blocked 2 shots (Ondera, Willard) while Oregon State blocked none (0). UCI and Oregon State both got 5 steals. Green committed one turnover (4 assists) and Cagwin committed no (0) turnovers (4 assists). This is what we want to see in point guards. UCI played a total of eight (8) players. Malachi Edmond, Jason Flowers, and Mark Gottschalk did not play.
With its 10 point loss to Oregon State, UCI hit Sagarin's point spread (10) exactly. On Monday, UCI plays at the University of Portland. UCI (according to Sagarin's numbers) is an eight (8) point underdog. Last year, UCI lost to Oregon State at home by a score of 43-65, but went on to defeat Portland two weeks later by a score of 67-61. That win, last year, was UCI's first division I victory. An equivalent loss this year to Oregon State would be by 30. Losing by 10 (in what was probably a close game toward the end) is a definite improvement. It is also good to see that UCI did not quit after being down by 15 at the half. Portland, no doubt, will not be looking past UCI and will be ready for us. More than likely we will lose, but I am still optimistic.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
Oregon State University - Press Release
New University - Raymond Lie
[[11/30]] This was one of those games that I thought we could win. I did not get a chance to listen to it because of band rehearsal. From what I read on the message boards, though, it was a close first half (UCI down by 4), but the second half was a disaster: turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.
Just saw the box score (on Yahoo...I assume the USA Today box score will show up soon). UCI committed 33 turnovers (ouch) but on the bright side, Portland committed 28 turnovers. That is only a deficit of 5. Still 33 turnovers is bad, really bad. We shot 5-13 (.385) from the free throw line (huh???), but a more respectable .447fg and .500 3pt. We were also outrebounded 24-30. Jerry Green's numbers look pretty good. He was 5-9, dished out 7 assists (vs 6 turnovers), and got 3 steals. It looks like another game where UCI came out flat.
The Sagarin ratings came out today reflecting Saturday's games. UCI has dropped to 243, ahead of only North Texas (249) and UCSB (254). Cal Poly (224) is right above us. With our 14 point loss to Portland (Sagarin's line was Portland by 9), UCI will drop even further. Right now it looks like UCI may not even make it into the Big West tournament, finishing (probably) fifth in the western division of conference. Should we all give it up now and simply lower our expectations?
I say no. The team will learn something from every game. Some games are good, others are not. Last season, we won our first division I game on December 18. This Saturday's game against Northern Arizona (NAU is favored by 11) may (I hope) be the game when UCI finally puts it together. It seems unlikely though as Coach Douglass himself says it takes about six games before the team can gel. Our seventh game (not counting preseason) is against James Madison on December 20. If you count the preseason games, it will be this Saturday's game against Northern Arizona. Last year Northern Arizona trounced us in Flagstaff, 56-88 and this was after the Portland game.
[[12/05]] Speaking of ironies...I just noticed that the final score for this game is just the opposite of our loss at Portland. At Portland, UCI lost 54-68. Against Northern Arizona, we won 68-54. UCI never trailed in this game, starting it off with a 7-0 run. The closest Northern Arizona ever got was 3 points and that was late in the second half. At that point, it seemed like they were well on their way of taking control of the game. Then, Jerry Green, in what appeared to be an exercise of sheer will, slapped the ball out of his opponent's hand, and UCI scored on the other end. With about 2 minutes left and with UCI holding a seven (7) point lead, Northern Arizona proceeded to foul us. Jason Flowers made all of his free throws (6-6) and these were critical. Jerry Green also hit all of his (6-6). With 20 second left and with UCI in possession, Northern Arizona stopped fouling us and UCI let the clock expire.
It all goes to show what sheer will can do. UCI started the game with Jerry Green, Zamiro Bennem, Ben Jones, Marek Ondera, and Matt Willard. From the very beginning, Jerry Green and Zamiro Bennem took control, hitting almost every one of their shots. UCI was up and ready for this game. I expected the same from Northern Arizona, considering they lost a couple days ago at the University of San Diego. UCI's defense smothered them and took them out of their game.
Looking at the box score...UCI outshot NAU: 46.7% vs. 35.6%. UCI also shot 73.9% from the free throw line, a significant improvement. UCI outshot NAU from 3-point territory: 47.4% vs. 23.8%. We also outrebounded NAU: 30 vs. 27. Speaking of rebounding...this is the one thing I really have to complain about. Matt Willard has some work to do. He gets in position and the ball lands in his hands. For whatever reason, he can't hang onto it. Arghhh!!! I may not be much of a basketball player (and believe me I'm not), but the one thing I learned is that when you get a rebound, clear it and then find the guard and outlet to him. Also, it is beyond me why we consistently fail to get rebounds when the other team's center is shooting free-throws. Too many times, I saw the NAU players running around the UCI players to grab the rebound. And another thing...Matt Willard seems completely lost when he has the ball in the paint. One final statistic...UCI out-assisted NAU: 14 vs. 7. Ben Jones led all players with 6 assists. You might notice that Divranos only played 4 minutes. You might also noticed that he fouled out of the game. Need I say more? Divranos was his own worst enemy...well him and the referees.
Jerry Green Department: this was definitely his day. He led all scorers with 24 points, shot 8-15 overall, 2-5 from the 3-point line, and 6-6 from the charity stripe. Also, and this is mind boggling, he was the highest rebounder on both teams with ten (10). Matt Willard was second for UCI with six (6) rebounds and at least five (5) almost (if only I had a better grip) rebounds. Northern Arizona committed 22 turnovers compared to 20 by UCI. In all, it was a good game, one where UCI stepped up to the plate and showed the world that it is, indeed, for real. UCI is also well on its way toward fulfilling my prognostication of winning most of its home games. So far, they are undefeated at the Bren.
Adam Stetson Department: He didn't play today but I did have a chance to talk to him. He believes that he will be ready to play in about a week. Let's hope that he is right.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
[[12/14]] When I heard Pat Douglass refer to this game as a good learning experience, I knew that they had written this game off as a loss. Their goal was to be competitive. UCI entered this game as a 20 point underdog according to the Sagarin poll. The final score indicates that this was indeed accurate. UCI played the best it could, but its defense had virtually no impact on Arizona. It reminded me of the cartoon where Daffy Duck punches the giant, having absolutely no effect. With a single swat, the giant takes control of the situation. A good thing is that the game was not a total blowout. UCI was simply outclassed, as expected, on Arizona's home court. Divranos did not play due to injury. Neither did Stetson, who is still recovering from a torn ligament in his foot. The good news about Stetson is that he is running, almost without pain, and he is hoping to play this Sunday against James Madison. Ondera, Willard, Jones, Green, and Bennem started the game. UCI was led in scoring by Ben Jones with 25 points.
The stats for the game are fairly respectable. UCI shot 43.1% from the field but then Arizona only shot 46.2%. Arizona considers it to be a bad game for them when they shoot under 50%. UCI shot 41.4% from the 3-point line compared to 36.8% by Arizona. UCI committed 19 turnovers compared to Arizona's 18. The real difference, though, was in rebounding where Arizona trounced us 45-22 overall, and 18-4 on the offensive end. The good in all of this is that Matt Willard (6), Marek Ondera (5), and Mark Gottschalk (4) were the leading rebounders, good because it shows that are big men are doing their jobs again. Ben Jones was the star of the day, shooting 9-15 (6-11 3pt) for a total of 25 points. Jerry Green led all UCI players for minutes on the court with 35 minutes.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
University of Arizona - Recap by Bob Baum, AP Sports Writer
[[12/20]] Yikes!!! Sometimes I hate it when I'm right and this is one such case. I said early on that I had a bad feeling about this game and that I predicted a loss. I was really hoping to be proven wrong. I really wanted to be optimistic. However, I knew that a Sunday afternoon game spelled trouble, that a game against an unknown east coast team would lull us into a false sense of security, and that UCI would walk into this game, play with less than 100% intensity and lose one which it should have won. Yes, UCI was actually favored to win this game by three (3) points. It was the first division I game of the season where UCI was actually favored to win. So how does UCI react? The same way they did last year in the first game in which they were favored...boom, lose. Ouch.
Actually, for the first ten minutes, it sounded like we were having a good game. Notice the word sounded. As I have also mentioned before, I couldn't make it to this game since I had a wedding to attend at 3:30 p.m.. Thus, I was relegated to listening to the game on the radio. All seemed well until about three minutes left in the first half. UCI still clung onto a three point lead. Then the bottom dropped out. UCI surrendered 8 straight points. With three seconds left in the game and with UCI inbounding the ball, we threw it away. James Madison then inbounded it and hit the three pointer, thus expanding their halftime lead to eight (8). At that point I knew it was over. I listened to parts of the game, only to hear the James Madison lead growing bigger and bigger. Then with about five minutes left and James Madison leading by about 20 points, UCI made a mini-run and brought the score differential back to what we see now. Quite pathetic, indeed.
About the only good thing about them game was the pleasant return of Adam Stetson. He played a good game, shooting 4-9 (2-5 from behind the arc) for a total of 10 points. James Madison also committed 22 turnovers compared to UCI's 15. However, the big difference was rebounding. James Madison outrebounded UCI by 48 to 26. This is even more amazing since James Madison is not a tall team. UCI should have been even with them. It all boils down to lack of desire and effort. It still baffles me how they can step out on the court and sleepwalk. Then again, I feared this would happen in this game, and sadly I was correct. Next up is BYU and things do not look good right now. Hopefully the team will think long and hard about this most recent disaster and rectify things soon, very soon. You've got to want it, you've got to have gannas. UCI is certainly lacking that right now.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
[[12/22]] In a game that was destined to be a struggle, UCI defeated Brigham Young by 7 points tonight. Too many times, though, it seemed as if UCI was going to throw the game away, but fortunately, when it mattered, we hit the key shots to keep the game under control. Jerry Green led all scorers with 22 points (8-14 from the field, 1-4 3-pt, 5-9 free throw, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 5 turnovers). UCI actually outrebounded BYU 36-32, a surprising feat considering that BYU is bigger than James Madison and considering that James Madison outrebounded us by a factor of 2-1. UCI also committed less turnover than BYU, 15 versus 19.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
[[12/28]] UCI had a strong first half and then decided to coast through the latter part of the second half as it soundly defeated a division II NAIA team Southern Oregon. I left the game feeling a bit disappointed, particularly by our lackluster rebounding effort and the extremely slopping ball handling there at the end of the second half. On the SportsOnly UCI message board, I wrote "Pretty good first half, terrible second half...game was never in doubt...we led by 20 points (or so) at the half and won by about 25...I really don't see the point of these games if we come out and just play playground basketball. Our superior athleticism won the game." A fellow poster followed up responding, "The only thing gained against a lowsy NAIA team is excerize. There were times when the big men didn't block out and were out rebounded. The guard play looked good...they still have probs with the ZONE. When SO switched to the Zone UCI looked puzzled...PD called a timeout... Nice to see Flowers and Edmonds out there...seems like their going to see a lot of vinyl(we dont have PINE benches) this year".
[[12/29]] I read the newspaper accounts and perhaps I was being too critical. I was looking for a solid rebounding effort and we didn't get it. We outrebounded them, but only by a margin of 29-24. It should have been a 2-1 margin. Also, while our two big men, Willard and Gottschalk got 4 rebounds each, Stetson led all of them with 5 rebounds. We also committed 23 turnovers (bad!!!) compared to their 26. Still, Coach Douglass was happy with the effort because, I presume, during the 30 minutes or so that the team was playing hard, they ran their plays and played with intensity. I can see his point.
Mark Gottschalk missed his first free throw of the season. So far he was perfect from the line. His streak was alive and well until his last pair when he missed one. He is currently 11-12 for the season (0.917) after shooting 6-7 tonight. So confident is Douglass in Gottschalk's foul shooting abilities that he let Gottschalk shoot the two technical shots for the opposing coach's technical foul. Gottschalk was begging his teammates to give him the ball so he could shoot a 3-point baseline jumper. They chose not to (late in the second half) and soon turned the ball over. A few minutes later, Gottschalk was in position again and this time they gave him the ball. He shot the 3 and he scored. So far he is 1-1 from the 3-point line for the season. The team as a whole, by the way, shot .521 overall, an even better .538 from 3-point territory, and a okay .750 from the charity stripe.
Next up is the University of San Diego. We will need a full 40 minute effort if we hope to beat them. Last I checked, we are an 11 point underdog. A win down there will fulfill my optimistic prediction of a 5-5 preseason finish. They have already fulfilled my realistic prediction.
Orange County Register - Eugene Fields
New University - Brian Wakabayashi
It was another disaster and the final score does not properly illustrate just how bad this game was. I listened to all of the first half, turned the radio off at half-time, and left the room. About 30 minutes later, I returned, listened a bit to find out the score, and then posted the following to the UCI message board.
UCI down by 20 with 10 minutes to play......
and I am about to leave to get something to eat before attending the women's game. UCI started out the game unable to hit anything and USD, on the other hand, didn't seem like it could miss. This will not go down as one of UCI's better games...poor shooting, ineffective defense (at least early on when it mattered), failure to rebound particularly well, and failure to take care of the ball (lots of turnovers).
The bright side (if you can call it that) is that we had our obligatory bad game so I doubt we will repeat this awful performance against North Texas. Perhaps we will beat the 17 point spread...we shall see. The road has not been kind to UCI. I'm not the superstitious type, but so far, UCI has won every game that I have attended and lost every game which I have not.
Soon after that, I got in the car and started driving and listened to the last part of the game. UCI did make a comeback toward the end, but it was way too little too late. We were down by almost 30 points at one point in the game, and USD simply had subbed in their reserves and Gabe Cagwin got hot from the 3-point line.
What really happened was that once again, the Anteaters stepped out onto the court and failed to execute the coach's game plan. Lack of concentration, it was, and for that matter, lack of desire. UCI can play as poorly as anybody. Thankfully, they did this against USD and not North Texas because if they had pulled this number against North Texas, they would lose and be humiliated in front of the rest of the conference.
It's games like this where you have to wonder if UCI is actually going to improve this season. The scary thing is that when I made my predictions just prior to the Portland game, my guesses proved correct, completely, except for the Portland game. I expected sub-par performances against James Madison and USD, more because of when the games were scheduled, UCI certainly executed accordingly. Okay, fine. Maybe things aren't so bad after all. Here are my predictions for the upcoming six games.
UCI vs. North Texas (home): WIN. Sagarin's spread is 17 points. UCI will probably not win by that much. The game will probably never be in doubt, though.
UCI vs. New Mexico State (home): WIN. We're not supposed to, but it is a home game and UCI will be fired up. New Mexico State, however, has a score from last year to settle and will want to win this one. I could easily be wrong about this game, but my gut says I have to predict a win.
UCI at Boise State: LOSE. This one is going to be ugly. UCI will never be in the game. I expect a 30 point loss, the worst of the season. UCI will also fail to execute and will be outrebounded 2-1. (Longshot prediction: WIN...New Mexico State, 1999 edition, but don't hold your breath.)
UCI at Idaho: LOSE. Long Beach State just beat them and the team is not playing as a team so this game will probably be close. Idaho is a tough place to play and I can't expect a win here. However, it is possible.
UCI vs. Pacific (home): WIN. It's about time, and home is sweet. Pacific, after all, lost at Loyola Marymount, so don't laugh too hard. It will be a close game, nevertheless.
UCI vs. Long Beach State (home): WIN. Long Beach State is UCI under Rod Baker. They have talented players who don't play together as a team. The key will be for UCI to play together as a team. If we do, then this may turn into a rout with UCI being the router.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
[[1/7]] UCI beat North Texas. Whoopdee doo. UCI was a 17 point favorite (according to Sagarin) and as I predicted, we won but failed to beat the spread. In the first half, actually the first half of the first half, UCI played its typical game and North Texas came out playing like UCI in its worst game. UCI played a man defense and during most of that early period, North Texas failed to set any screens and simply passed the ball around the perimeter...when they shot, they shot airballs, threw the ball away and UCI built a small lead. All this time, UCI was not playing all that well, but at least not as badly as North Texas. After that, UCI starting playing as if it were playing against Cal State Stanislaus, and North Texas hung around. UCI finished the half with something like a 7 point lead. In the beginning of the second half, UCI scored 5 quick points, but immediately gave up another 5 points. North Texas remained in the game until about the last minute when UCI finally pulled away.
In summary, it was an ugly game, one which the players would probably rather forget. UCI shot 48.1% compared to North Texas 32.9. The stats show UCI outrebounding North Texas 40-34, though at times, UCI could not buy a rebound. Marek Ondera was the star of this game with 19 points and 12 rebounds (8-10 shooting, 3-6 FT). Jerry Green also had an excellent game, scoring 15 point on 4-7 shooting and dishing out 8 assists, many of them to Ondera. Jason Flowers also had a good game, playing 21 minutes, scoring 13 points (4-7 overall, 5-6 FT). On Saturday, I expect a completely different UCI team to step out onto the court. If UCI plays they way it did tonight against New Mexico State, they will lose by 20.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
[[1/9]] The good news was that UCI played hard and intense basketball. We were outrebounded, but only by a 28-24 margin. UCI shot 40.0% from the floor; New Mexico State a better 44.4%. From 3-point territory, NMSU shot 42.1% compared to UCI's mediocre 33.3%. UCI even lead at the half by 6 and the early part of the second half. However, when the chips were down, lack of experience cost UCI the game. With about 3 minutes left, UCI gave up 5 quick points to find itself down by 7. Then, Ben Jones hit a 3-point shot and Adam Stetson sank a pair of free-throws to cut the deficit to 2 points. UCI then stole the ball and had a chance to tie the score with about 54 seconds left. It was then that Jerry Green commited a costly turnover (his pass deflected and picked off), one which would eventually cost UCI the game. New Mexico State also did what it had to do: it made its 1-1 shots to close the game. This was the first game of the season that went down to the wire and UCI's freshman players lacked the experience to pull it off. Oh well. Next up are two games in Idaho which almost certainly look like sure losses. UCI will probably be DOA in both games. Our next homestand will be critical. From here on out, UCI needs to win all of its remaining home games. According to the most recent Sagarin polls, UCI is currently favored in all of those games.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
New University - Raymond Lie
 |
[[1/14]] Two years ago, when UCI visited Boise State under then coach Rod Baker, UCI was soundly defeated 46-67. Last year, under first year coach Pat Douglass, UCI followed its upset victory at New Mexico State with a surprising but nail biting 65-63 win over Boise State at the Bren Center. The New Mexico State win was surprising enough. No one expected wins over Boise State and Idaho that week. |
This year, Boise State has become one of the premier teams of the conference, trailing only New Mexico State. As such, with UCI playing Boise in Idaho, no one, including me, expected much of a game. Many people wondered how UCI would handle Roberto Bergeson, the second leading scorer in the nation at 25.2 ppg. As I predicted, UCI played its normal man defense, playing Bergeson straight up. UCI's tough defense kept it in most of the game, though Irvine was plagued with turnovers and poor offense. Marek Ondera had his best night ever scoring 23 points in 38 minutes on 8-11 shooting and 7-10 free throw shooting. He also grabbed 6 rebounds, 3 of them offsensive, a team high. He also blocked a shot, and committed only one turnover. Jason Flowers also had a very good day, scoring 17 points in 33 minutes on 6-8 shooting, 1-2 free throw shooting, and 4-4 from 3-point territory. Flowers committed no turnovers and grabbed 2 steals, a team high. Zamiro Bennem also had a good day, scoring 7 points in 17 minutes on 3-5 shooting, but importantly dished out 4 assists while committing only one turnover. Bennem's minutes were cut short because he fouled out of the game.
That was the good news. The bad news was that UCI as a whole committed 23 turnovers compared to Boise State's 13 and Jerry Green led the way with 8. In fact, Green dished out 4 assists making his turnover/assist ratio a horrible 2.0. This is not what we want in a point guard. We really need it to be the other way around, as in 2 assists for every turnover. Overall, it was a bad night for Green: he scored 6 points on 3-9 shooting with none of these being 3-point attempts. The rest of the team was pretty much absent from the game, particular Ben Jones who scored 0, ZIPPO, points on 0-7 shooting while at the same time dishing out 2 assists and committing 4 turnovers.
There has been some speculation on the message boards as to whether Jerry Green should continue as UCI's point guard, considering that his turnover to assist ratio is fairly dismal. Keep in mind that we want a ratio of 0.5 or less (2 assists to 1 turnover). Green, so far this season, has 60 assists and 52 turnovers, a .867 ratio. Some speculate that Bennem should play point and Green play 2-guard. Bennem, so far this season, has 18 assists and 24 turnovers, a 1.333 ratio, much worse that Green. Sophomore Malachi Edmond has 11 assists and 8 turnovers, a .727 ratio, the best of the bunch. However, Edmond has not had many games and time to prove himself. What then should UCI do?
Coach Douglass earlier this season said that Green is UCI's point guard. He is betting the farm on Green. Personally, I trust Douglass' judgement in his players, particularly since judging players is a critical skill for a coach at any level...and bear in mind that he won three national championships at division II Cal State Bakersfield. The way I see it, point guards (1s) and centers (5s) have the most trouble as freshman. It takes these two at least a year to get use to division I level play. Centers need to learn how to post up, muscle, and play physically. Point guards need to learn how to take care of the ball. Thus, I think Douglass is letting Green play game after game as a point guard to give him the time it needs to become a great point guard. Green is going to be here four years. Every game now will yield dividends in the years to come.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Keith Braunwalder
Orange County Register - Profile of Zamiro Bennem
[[1/16]] UCI led by 4 at the half, and a good part of the second half. Stetson (16 pts, 3-13 FG, 9-10 FT, 9 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 3 steals), Green (16 pts, 7-8 FG, 2-2 FT, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal), and Ondera (12 pts, 5-7 FG, 2-4 FT, 5 rebounds) played well, but the team as a whole could not hold off Idaho on its home court. Too many missed free throws, too many turnovers at key moments...close, but no cigar. UCI played hard, but still lost. Of note, Edmond played only 6 minutes but probably because he also fouled out. Also, Ondera fouled out after playing 22 minutes.
UCI was outrebounded (again) 37-21, and ourebounded on the offsensive end, 15-4.
Irvine shot better than Idaho, 46.8% vs. 32.7%. Both teams committed 12 turnovers so
you can't blame it on that. Still, we make too many mistakes at crucial times, and
the most aggravating of these is missed free throws. Ondera missing the first two of 3
really galled me. With more experience, we can hope that UCI will improve. Also,
Cagwin had a good game, scoring 9 points, all 3-pointers on 3-5 shooting and dished out 2
assists while committing 2 turnovers.
Well, I expected the losses this week to be much worse, both in double digits. I was
hoping for a win tonight, but I also knew it wasn't going to happen. One out of ten, it
does, but not tonight. Next up, UCI plays Pacific and Long Beach State at home. UCI is
favored in both (according to Sagarin) but right now, that seems a bit far fetched.
Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Game preview
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Game recap
[[1/21]] This game is either a wakeup call for the team or the beginning of a collapse which will toss this season into a heap of ashes. The game started on an ominous note. Marek Ondera tipped the ball but with little of his usual control. He tipped it straight to a Pacific player. For the next five minutes, the team played as if they were all suffering from the flu. UCI fell to a 16-22 deficit but then went on a 16-6 run to finish with a 32-28 halftime lead, largely on the play of Jerry Green who was 5-6 in the first half. In the second half, UCI continued to build on its successes, increasing its lead to 52-41 with 7:53 left in the game. Then it all stopped. Up until then, UCI was hustling, setting screens for its players, and playing good structured basketball. Irvine also did a good job shutting down Clay McKnight. The Anteaters, who shot 56% and committed only 2 turnovers in the first half, lost their shooting touch, their discipline, and their defensive intensity. Irvine was outscored, 23-3 in the last 7 minutes and 53 seconds, and did not score a single point in the last 5:37.
I was not pleased. The band did not go out for pizza like it usually does. Yes, there was a party at the Pub, but I decided to go to Steelhead instead to get something to eat. You see, I teach on Thursday nights from 5:00-6:20, then rush to the Bren and thus I count on eating after the game. As I left the Bren, I talked to one of the athletic department staff members. We commiserated for a moment, and I commented...three games where we were leading in the second half only to lose it (NMSU, Idaho, Pacific)...and he commented that there seemed to be hope...after which I commented that I still believe we are capable of winning every remaining game of the the season...to which he commented..."Could you have said that 4 years ago?" I answered, "No". And so it is. I went to Steelhead Brewery where I ordered my normal tall Bombay Bomber beer and bowl of chili with Dave's Insanity Sauce, the hottest sauce in the universe (so they say). As I was eating, the coaches and athletic directors arrived to eat. The mood was quiet and solemn.
There are moments in a season where it all boils down to one game here and one game there. Earlier this season, I believed it was the Northern Arizona game...lose it and we are on the ropes, win it and UCI shows it is still on track. This Saturday will be another such game. UCI will have a big home crowd, thanks to the efforts of Cheers! However, this raises the stakes even higher. If we lose, it will likely break the back of the camel, leaving us simply searching for moral victories. We might still make the conference tournament, considering the woes of Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly, but an upper division finish will be out of the question. A finish better than last year will also be out of the question. If we win, though, as I expect we will, UCI will have redeemed itself of sorts and will still be on track for the things that I had been predicting.
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
Commentary - No Surrender, No Retreat
[[1/23]] Mired in a four game losing streak, UCI took on Long Beach State in front of a crowd of 3,742 fans, most of whom were Irvine fans. There was a small Long Beach State contingent, but their impact was very minimal. UCI led at the half by 3 but eventually lost it when Mate Melisa sunk a 15 foot prayer with two defenders (Adam Stetson, Ben Jones) in his face. UCI still had 8 seconds to respond, but as Jerry Green hurried down the court, Charles O'Neal poked the ball away from him and as precious seconds ticked off the clock, Green struggled and eventually managed to tip the ball to Marek Ondera who got off what would be the final shot of the game. Unfortunately, the ball bounced off the front of the rim and that was it. UCI had dropped its fifth consecutive game, vaulting Long Beach back into sole possession of first and dropping UCI into sole possession of last place.
It was not for lack of effort. UCI played its most consistent game of the season, putting in a full 40 minutes of intensity. Irvine committed only 10 turnovers, a season low, and tied Long Beach on rebounds. Long Beach's full court press, though resulting in very few turnovers, did delay UCI in getting the ball down into its offense. Too many times, the shot clock almost expired and Irvine was forced to take a bad shot. UCI shot 25-35 from the free throw line (.714) which was better than Long Beach which shot 11-16 (.688).
Orange County Register - Janis Carr
West Coast Hoops - Dean Powell
Commentary - Phoenix Rising
New University - Game Recap
New University - The New U. Salutes the UCI Fan Man
[[1/28]] It was another nailbiter, except this time UCI was down by 12 in the second half. Irvine played tough defense and worked itself back into the game. With less than a minute left and the game tied, Irvine worked down the clock. Jerry Green then took a 3-point shot and missed. Poly rebounded and scored with seconds left on the clock. As a result, UCI solidifies its hold on last place in the west, a full 2 games behind Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton. I did not listen to the game since I was attending the women's game against Cal Poly that same night. However, several Cal Poly fans posted some enlightening articles on the UCI and Poly message boards.
First, a UCI alum who is now a poly fan posted:
UCI is a year and a player or two away
I really like what I saw from the frosh guards. Cagwin launching threes looks like a junior highschooler but he hits the shots. His shooting motion reminds me a bit of Scott Brooks. If Gabe can step up the defensive intensity, he could play alot like Scott Brooks. Jerry Green plays like an upperclassman. He's got the quicks, the ability to handle the ball, and very nice penetration moves. He leads the fast break well but the rest of the team is too slow for him!!
From reading your comments on this board, I understand the interior game has been cause for great concern. I have to tell you I liked the interior defense of Irvine. But, the young men have got to box people out and scrap for rebounds. Mark Ondera is solid and Stetson played well at times. No real leadership from Willard (the senior?).
Not alot of people noticed but this Bennem kid played a very nice game. Smooth moves, 3 of 5 from the field, four boards, and two assists.
I like the way the team looked. I have to say its tough to follow the alma mater from up here and I am much more familiar with the Poly team. So, while I was torn between Poly and UCI, I was simultaneously pleased with Poly's victory and the UCI made a good showing.
As the game began, I thought Irvine looked flat footed. A better team would have opened a 20 point lead on them early. But, to their credit, they chipped away and played very solid defense to climb back in. They kept Poly's big men, Jeremiah Mayes, Chris Bjorkland, and Brandon Beeson from setting up way down low on the blocks. That was huge because it forced Poly to shoot 10 footers instead of dunks.
Anyway, I've rambled enough. If you want to know more about the game, please ask.
Good luck Saturday at SB.
Another Poly fan responded to this:
Green played an outstanding game...he is going to be a force in the near future. I reminds me a lot of Marcus Saxon of Utah State. He drives hard to the hoop and then pulls up and sinks an open shot. Money in the bank. There is no way to that shot. FOTY is in the bag....looking forward to 1st team All-Big West in the future.
Cagwin has a nice shot, but other than that not much there.
A four year role player. I hope the big guy you are bringing in next year can bring some beef to the team. Or look for teams to pound it inside on you guys all night long.
The first guy also started his recap on the Poly board with this:
Poly led most of the way and looked, in the first half, like they could run away with the game. However, Irvine's tenacious defense and some stellar play by BWC Freshman of the Year candidate Jerry Green kept the Anteaters in the game. I was really impressed by the tenacity of the Anteaters. The two freshmen guards Cagwin and Green can put up the points.
Finally, a day later, a vocal Cal State Fullerton fan posted on the UCI board:
I still respect Douglass
I say this much about Pat Douglass: in spite of have lost more games at UC-Zot than he did his entire career at B-Town, he's only about 1 year from having a winning record, 2-3 years from winning the BW, and 5 years from going to the dance. Douglass will be the 1st coach at Zot to take the team dancing. You people are lucky having a good coach and a good man. Pat was a guest speaker at my HS basketball banquet and all the kids and parents thought of the world of him.
San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune: Preview
San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune: Game Recap
[[1/31]] This time it wasn't close. UCI committed 26 turnovers compared to Santa Barbara's 8, and was outrebounded 37 to 32. UCSB also grabbed 9 offsensive rebounds to make up for its .452 shooting percentage (UCI shot .488). Ben Jones returned to life, shooting 6-8 (4-6 from 3pt territory) for a total of 17 points, the team high. Jones also had a team high 7 rebounds. Adam Stetson also scored 15 points on 4-5 shooting, 3-3 from 3pt territory, and 4-4 from the free throw line. On the downside, UCSB hounded Jerry Green and the result was Green scored only 2 points on 0-3 shooting, dished out 8 assists while committing 8 turnovers. UCI had 2 steals compared to UCSB's 19 steals. This will be one game UCI will want to forget.
All things considered, the Big West Tournament seems a mile away. I still think that if UCI can somehow get 5 victories in the remaining 8 conference games, it might squeek in. Most likely this means winning its remaining 4 conference games as well as one road game. Next up is Nevada, one of the worst teams in the conference. This is a must win. Lose and it's all over.
I must admit that I did not listen to this game on the radio but caught the postgame show. My parents were over and we were having a family dinner. If not for that, I would have been at the UCI vs. UCSB women's game. Anyway, here is a recap by a poster on the Sports Only UCI Message Board.
I wrote this post yesterday but a sw glitch
erased it. I had a couple of hours to reflect
on the game during the drive back from Goleta.
First the negatives:
The game can be summed up in one word, turnoevers! I dont
know how it sounded on radio, but it seemed like UCI
turned the ball over 30+ times-actually they turned it
over 26 times--yes 26 times! Of the 26 , 19 were steals.
This was by far JG worst game. I will simply file it
under freshmen lack of experience and his bad game for the year.
Our big men came through this time while our back court came
completely dismantled.
Now for the positives:
There were several, first I particularly enjoyed Ondera's
early agressive style and UCI's willingness to jam the ball inside
to Ondera--I hope to see more of this in the future. In
the rebounding department we did well--kudos to Gottchalk,
Ondera, Stetson, and Jones. It is a TESTAMENT to Pat Douglass
defensive system and discipline, despite the 26 turnovers,
that UCI was within 6pts late in the game! PD even called
a timeout to design a play to cut the lead to 4 but
you all know what happended next--a turnover. Much of
the credit goes to UCSB's defensive pressure and not simply
UCI's clumsiness. Jones was in good form with 17pts and 6
boards, likewise with Stetson 15pts and 4 boards.
It was my first time to UCSB and here are my thoughts.
The campus overall is nice, fine architecture but the
scenery is ruined by too many bikes and poor landscaping.
The campus should be nicknamed UChuffy. The thunderdorm is
completely over rated..the Mid and the Bren are superior
venues. The fans IMHO are clueless. I had a guachoholic come
up to me about 2 hours before game time and asked me
what time the game started! Hardly the question to ask
if your a zealout Guachofan...Their 10 piece band is a complete
embarassment to the school and league. They were out of
sync, out of tune and poor song selection.
Onward to play Nevada...this game is a lock...UCI by
double figures.
[[2/4]] Nevada and North Texas are about on the same level with Nevada being perhaps a tad better. UCI could not capitalize on this opportunity but instead played down to the level of its opponent, but this time too low. Coach Douglass was described as being dejected after the game, not typical for him. The players, apparently, had taken a step backward. Here are some examples that I recall that serve as metaphors for what happened that night. With 30 seconds remaining in the first half, UCI had the ball and a 1-point lead. Irvine tried to work the clock down for the last shot but with 10 seconds left, Nevada stripped Jason Flowers of the ball and drove for the layup. Nevada entered half-time with a 1-point lead. In the second half, UCI quickly fell behind and was struggling to catch up for most of the game. With 4 minutes left, UCI began a rally. With about 30 seconds left (or so) Jerry Green had an opportunity to tie the game by making two free-throws. He sank the first but missed the second. Irvine then fouled Nevada, called timeout, and Nevada hit both free throws, thus increasing their lead to 3 points. Then, for some mysterious reason, UCI, with less than 10 seconds remaining, drove for a 2-point basket rather than setting up for the 3. We missed and fouled them. They missed both free throws giving UCI a chance to tie it with a prayer shot. The 80 foot attempt bounced off the rim.
At this point, UCI is out of contention for the Big West Tournament barring a sudden and dramatic turnaround. Um, we only have to win the next 7 of 7 games. Tonight Irvine plays Cal State Fullerton. Most of us are wondering if we'll win another game this season. After Thursday night, it seems very unlikely. However, UCI has nothing to lose and nothing really to gain and so the pressure is off. We play now for pride.
A regular poster on the Sports Only UCI Message Board captured the essense of the Nevada game and this season under the title Taps.
Nevada with laser sharp focus exposed UCI's number
one weakness---our inside presence. I know this
is a never ending theme, but until UCI has some Div I
presence we will not defend nor will we score inside--
if this continues we will see nothing more than a
high-post offense looking for outside looks.
The inside game outlook:
S. Divranos' injury fatally injured UCI 98-99 season. I
hope his injury isn't recurring or career ending one.
Gottchalk...I like his big frame and fundamentals as a
freshmen...I see nothing but improvement from Mark.
Ondera...been hot and cold all season..I think his game
has suffered due to a lack of complementary inside presence.
He still needs to mature in the turnover area and in
consistency.
Willard...desire is there but is simply too small(in weight/bulk)
to make any impact inside.
Stetson is caught between being a guard and a small forward.
Despite his lack of height he is often used to stop the
opposing inside force...Three more inches and Stetson would
be unstoppable...
Adam Parada...His past few games he has scored and REBOUNDED
in double figures...at 215# he is obviously a little light...
But the upside of Adam is infinite...put him on the Kevin
Magee diet now...
No critical comments on the guards since IMHO they are fine...they
have a huge upside...Green and Zamiro are improving daily.
As a side note: it is obvious that the losses have caught up
with the team ... they were tentative the whole night,
excepting the last 3 minutes. UCI shot as if they were going
to lose...
Perhaps PD should allow them to open up the offense(as they
did in the last few minutes of the game) through
JG or ZB rather than run the high post structured offense.
The structured offense has a tendency to squash any
fire or intensity gain in defensive pressure into a
malaise.
Next Game: CSUF
The team should be a bit more relaxed as the BW tourney
is simply out of UCI grasp this year, hence we should
play CSUF in a better frame of mind.
Go Eaters...
I responded under the title And the band plays on...
I agree with the general gist of your comments. In particular, UCI is in that unenviable position of having nothing to lose. Relax, enjoy, and win some games that no one expects...Beware Cal State Fullerton...please, come to the Bren figuring this game is a gimme...
The UCI alumnus who is now living in San Luis Obispo responded:
I happened to be driving thru O.C. last night on my way to the central coast. Since I obviously couldn't pick up the Cal Poly game on radio, I checked out KUCI's broadcast of the Nevada/Irvine game. After seeing Irvine play at Poly, I came away very impressed w/ Green, Benham (sp?), and Cagwin. Sounds like last night Green kept them in the contest to the end. Benham also contributed (especially defensively) toward the end. I was so into the game that I had to pull over at Westminster Mall in order to catch the last few minutes before driving out of range!
Keep the faith 'Eater backers. The team is a year or two away. I'll be watching/listening from up here.
[[2/6]] It was a close game until about the last five minutes when UCI's offense completely disappeared. This game confirmed to me that UCI had given up on the season. I saw traces of that at the Nevada game. Also, after this game, a poster on the Sports Only UCI message board posted an open letter to coach Douglass and his staff. Here is a transcript of the angst that transpired. The numbers show which level of the followups.
You'll probably never read this but hey what the hell. You'll hear about it
one way or another.Is this what you envisioned? When you mapped out your master plan coming to
Irvine, is this how you predicted your team would perform 3/4 of the way
through its second season? This ain't the yellow brick road man. I'll bet
that high profile job you've secretly been pining for seems a million miles
away now. Our beloved Anteaters are falling apart at the seams and you seem
helpless to rectify the situation. Once upon a time there was a coach named
Baker.... Can you fix a sinking ship or will your career parallel his less
than distinguished stay. I wouldn't be writing this if the team showed
promise. But this team is on a downward spiral with no end in sight.
What absolutely confounds me are your comments that the team is improving
with every game and the guys are starting to come together. I don't see it.
The problems that were occurring at the beginning of conference play are
still occurring now. The team is not improving. It is getting worse. Much
worse. There is no resemblance now to the team that beat Northern Arizona
and BYU. Where did the winning attitude go? You're the boss. You're expected
to have all the answers.Another scary thought is that not one of the returning players is playing as
well as he did last year. Jones? Not even close. Stetson? No. Flowers? No,
but close. Willard? No. Scoggin? No. Edmond? No. Zero for six. Not a healthy
percentage. I've always thought that with a good coach, players should
improve every year. So what gives?It sure looks like everyone has given up on this season. A whole stream of
losses can cause heavy damage to a young man's confidence. Where the team
used to put up so much fight in early losses, now it's just going down with
a whimper. The confidence is gone. The desire...gone. The resiliency...gone.
It's like clockwork that Irvine will get outplayed in the last ten minutes
of its games. You can bet the house on it.The future looks dim. I'll guarantee that Parada will not be the savior next
season. He may turn out to be a good inside presence but not as a skinny
freshman. You could clean house again. It didn't solve your problems this
season but next season it may. Then again it may not. I just hope that Jerry
Green is still behind you because without his services... we don't really
want to think about that. Do we?Coach, I wish you success. Please assuage my doubts. I'm ready to be a
believer in your abilities. But the promised improvement is not happening.
Last season's team was better than this season. A similar regression next
season and you might consider reevaluating your ability to coach a winning
D1 team.
Eater Fan
Dean Powell
You people at UC-Zot are having no patience what-so-ever! I thought that our
fellow Titan fans are bad enough for wanting Hawk's head, but you people
have one of the most respected coach, in PD, in the country. He is only in
his 2nd year with a squad made up with Frosh and Soph. So far this season,
Zot has been in most games until the end, which is a scary sign for BW foes
in the next coupla years to come.Trust me on this, I can see a dozen school out there, ready to give their
left bleep to get a coach like PD, i.e. Long Beach,Out!
As young of a team as the Eaters, we can imaging this team as the Lakers
with Kobe Bryant as the only one on the roster...We're young and talented, but you're not going to go anywhere with just one
player! The team not only needs a CENTER, a ligitimate Powerfoward, but
consistent 1's and 3's as well....The reality is, WE DONT HAVE ANY OF THAT....and no matter if we have a Kobe
or a MJ, neither of two can play the game all by himself...I agree, don't blame on PD and staff, but look down the road a little
further....that is when we'll get our parts together to transform this
dinggy little civic into an off road Humvee!
After the scorch earth days of RB, what Irvine needed is a mason not a god.
And the most qualified one around is PD.You see, to rebuild a foundation takes time, and that is the least we can
afford for the man we hired. Unless you believe in devine intervention,
let's give the coaches and the team more time to make it right.
While I agree with you in concept, your choice of metaphors could use some
help. You see, masonry and basketball do not mix well!Go 'Eaters. Douglass is the man for the job. . .I have every confidence he
will build this program to top 100 status, challenging for BWC Titles, and
perhaps even some 20 win seasons. Give him time. Perhaps Irvine fans are so
impatient because Mulligan brought Magee with him and started winning right
away. . .but, that certainly is not the norm.
> Go 'Eaters. Douglass is the man for the job. . .I have every confidence he
will build this program to top 100 status, challenging for BWC Titles, and
perhaps even some 20 win seasons. Give him time. Perhaps Irvine fans are so
impatient because Mulligan brought Magee with him and started winning right
away. . .but, that certainly is not the norm.I too have faith that Douglass will turn things around. Our former women's
coach, Matsuhara, had 3-4 consecutive horrible seasons before the team
finally broke out, won the Big West tournament, and went to the NCAAs. I
expect we will see the same here.I have come to realize that we lost much more than I had expected when
Andrew Carlson and Lamarr Parker left last year. We lost a critical amount
of experience. It gave Douglass a chance to recruit youth, something which
will pay dividends 2-3 years from now.Still, last year we finished with 9 wins and a 3rd place finish. It almost
seems certain that this year we will end up 5-21, dead last. What can we
expect next year? Maybe a 12 win season...and wins at home. Two years from
now is when I expect we'll see everything come together. In the mean time,
we need to keep the faith and keep building up the program.
> I too have faith that Douglass will turn things around. Our former women's
coach, Matsuhara, had 3-4 consecutive horrible seasons before the team
finally broke out, won the Big West tournament, and went to the NCAAs. I
expect we will see the same here.> I have come to realize that we lost much more than I had expected when
Andrew Carlson and Lamarr Parker left last year. We lost a critical amount
of experience. It gave Douglass a chance to recruit youth, something which
will pay dividends 2-3 years from now.Moreso than Carlson & Lamarr was the fact that remaining
BigWest teams got mature while UCI simply got younger.
Additionally, Divranos injury and Stetson's late start were
also major contributors.> Still, last year we finished with 9 wins and a 3rd place finish. It almost
seems certain that this year we will end up 5-21, dead last. What can we
expect next year? Maybe a 12 win season...and wins at home. Two years from
now is when I expect we'll see everything come together. In the mean time,
we need to keep the faith and keep building up the program.
My friend - your words are very poignant, and mirror the thoughts that many
other loyal fans have been forced to consider given this current slide. I
have struggled with the same issues that you stated so eloquently
communicated here. Having said that - I think you (and I) need to chill!
PD is a solid coach. Every coach in the BW thinks the world of this guy. And
better yet, I believe he is a manic in terms of his commitment to turn this
program around and take us to the show for the first time ever. That's where
he differs from Baker. Rod was happy just being a D-1 head coach, and
basking in that glory. Pat has pride. Here's a guy with a 75%+ career
winning percentage. In the paper he said he tries hard not to think about
our record becuase it depresses the hell out of him. UCI has had only one
game this year where they had no chance of winning - Arizona. Every other
game, we were competitive (I know, big deal!). But that is coaching, and we
must give him credit.Bro, it gives me great pleasure to see that UCI fans are so
hardcore that they calling for the coaches head already. It means are school
is changing, for the better. But hang in there. This guy will get us to
where we want to go.
> You'll probably never read this but hey what the hell. You'll hear about
it one way or another.
> Is this what you envisioned? ...
I truly believe this post was borne of your zeal and desire
to see a winning UCI program. That is why I try to delay my
posts following a poor game until I cool down. The second year is usually
the most difficult for incoming coaches. The first year the new coach will
usually have some veterans with some late signees. PD improved over RB
fiasco by 8 games. Can you imagine what PD would have done if veterans like
K. Simmons, Brian Keefe and Clay McKnight would have stayed? The second
year, is PD first recruiting class-the problem is that being his first
class--the team is basically composed of freshmen! No experience, no Div I
battle tested players, no weight etc.. The year after Magee left, UCI placed
5th! We have been in every game with this noviate team--that IMHO is good
coaching. I can't imagine how many blowouts there would have been if RB was
at the helm.All that is needed is time and good recruiting, the
rest will take care of itself.
I took all my worst fears about the UCI basketball program and wrote them
down. Maybe I was a little over-zealous at the time but I needed to get it
off my chest. After a nine game losing streak I thought some negative
criticism was necessary. I apologize if I offended anybody.
> I took all my worst fears about the UCI basketball program and wrote them
down. Maybe I was a little over-zealous at the time but I needed to get it
off my chest. After a nine game losing streak I thought some negative
criticism was necessary. I apologize if I offended anybody.
I'm glad you wrote it. It's kind of like the little kid who cries out that
THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES. None of us want to say it, but we can all see
it. It wasn't too long ago that I wrote about the scary parallels between
Rod Baker's second year and this year. Remember, I wrote the commentary
below right before the Long Beach game...and the rest is history.
* Commentary (1/23/99) - No Surrender, No Retreat
New University - Game recap by Ryan Dourgarian
New University - Commentary by Raymond Lie
[[2/8]] This game was broadcast on national television via ESPN. Utah State played and Irvine played its typical game.
[[2/13]] UCI beat the 7.5 point spread in what seemed to be a spirited game but still came up losing. The best description of what happened came from a Fullerton fan. Ben Jones came to life.
Zot played a heckuva game. Tites' experience was not a factor. Ben Jones was toying with us, he shot treys like they were lay-ups. Zot offense was nothing like they were in Utah 2 nites earlier.
Zot was not able to handle the 2-2-1 press early in the game, but just when you thought that Tites were gonna break the game open, there comes Ben Jones! And late in the game Tites were not able to handle the full-court man press.
To tell you the truth I was frustrated to see Tites switch man on Jones and not able to stop him. When Jones was at Sonora, I remembered that our Los Al team played them and we were up by 17 at the half, Jones came back to score 21 in the 2nd half and we sqeaked by 1 point. Saturday nite he had that kinda game.
[[2/18]] It was another close game which UCI had a chance to win. Once again, they did not. A poster on the Sports Only Message board sums it up nicely.
There was very little to complain about. UCI energy
and fire was present the entire game. I am very pleased
with this effort, despite the loss. To be honest, very
little seperates UCI and CSULB (4 points over two games to
be exact.),in fact, this can be said for the rest of the
BigWest teams. Despite our youth, lack of inside presence,
and being on the road, UCI was competitive to the end.
It appears Ben has found his range, too bad it wasn't found
weeks ago. Despite this, UCI still canNOT set a text book
pick or double pick to free up Jones, nevertheless, UCI
did manage to give Jones some looks. Ondera is starting
to play bigger despite his lack of size. Gottchalk seems
a little timid in the offensive end with the ball--Mark
needs to go the hole strong without thinking when he's
that close. The full court press was a nice surprise--it
worked a number of times against CSULB with Green and
Bennem leading the way. What is surprising to me,is the lack
of any offensive execution or flow from CSULB! Their offense
can be summarized as follows--pass it around the horn till
the clock hits 8 seconds and then give it to LLoyd for
the 1 on 1! I know I am not alone here, but the only
play I saw was the one drawn up for Lloyd to end the
first half.
[[2/25]] UCI led at the half and had an 11 point lead with 10 minutes remaining. Then we committed two back to back turnovers, Pat Douglass called timeout, and Irvine started playing tentative. It was all downhill from there. If UCI had played the entire game the way they played the last 10 minutes, they would have lost by 40 points.