Friday, January 16, 2009

Making the extra pass always leads to an even more open shot

Saw where UCLA beat Arizona by 23 last night at Pauley. UCLA had 20 assists in the game.

The Bruins spent all week preparing for matchup zone defenses belonging to both Arizona and Arizona State. Integral to beating the zone was passing, ball movement and, obviously, making shots.

Said one UCLA player after the game: "Making the extra pass always leads to an even more open shot."

"Any good team has good balance," [UCLA coach Ben] Howland said. "We have a team where anybody can go off on a given night and get 20-plus points. [What makes a good offense is] making the extra pass, shot selection. But most of all, good players. Good players make a good offense. We have good players. They're very unselfish."