From: rsmith@strobe.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Russ Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college
Subject: Re: Cal Woes (long)
Date: 5 Jan 93 15:41:54 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino CA, USA

In article <1993Jan5.014418.1648@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> kbowers@esrc1.berkeley.edu (Ken Bowers) writes:
>several years as a Cal assistant between head coaching jobs. Since
>Colson left, half-court offense has been a consistent weakness for
>Cal.  Current assistant Jeff Wulbrun is the star recuriter who

The half court is certainly their weakness this year, when they can get out
and run the ball they are tough to handle, but in the half court they are
still running a system designed to feature Hendrick, and he just has not
been able to do it this year. I think this team should be much better in
2 months because you have to keep in mind they start 2 freshmen and 2
sophomores, and that they will "come together".

One thing I see happening is the team is starting to rely on Murray and Kidd
too much(in part because Hendrick has struggled and Grigsby is nursing some
injuries), and this makes it easier to guard them. Thus far Haase has been
a pleasant surprise, but is really only effective in the open court. If you
can make them play half court offense, it will usually come down to Kidd
trying to create a shot for a teammate or himself, or Murray taking a tough
shot.

>At the moment, Cal has the look of a team that could go into a deep
>hole if more things go wrong.  Brian Hendrick is out again so his
>knee can heal properly.  An eight month rehab didn't do the job, so
>he can't be counted on to return at full strength any time soon.

Well the morning news is good and bad, they won't operate on his knee, its just
very swollen and they will let that go down, they think he may play in
the pac-10 opener, however this is in a way bad news. Brian simply put is
not himself this year, 18ppg and 9rpg for 3 years and now he is a shadow of
his former self. The knee is the problem, he is laboring when he runs and 
can't jump a lick, he used to be great at posting up bigger players, now he
is having trouble posting smaller players. Right now they are a better team
with Grigsby in the low post and IMHO they should start Buckley in place
of Hendrick. Yes they become small, but great quickness to press which they
have done very well this year, and Buckley is an excellent defender similar
to Mitchell Butler at UCLA.


>telegraphing a lot of passes.  Lamond Murray, the team's best and
>most consistent performer this year, got limited playing time 
>yesterday as punishment for trying and missing a reverse slam at
>the end of the Cornell game when the Bears were being routed. 
>Murray made one spectacular block yesterday but otherwise showed
>signs of impatience and frustration.  Given that Murray was the 
>only Bear who showed up to play against the Big Red, it seems like
>a fit of pique by Campanelli, who didn't exactly handle the New 

Yeah it really sounds bad when your best player is asked why he was benched
and essentially says " I don't really know, he is mad and is punishing me
by not playing me. I don't like it but I have to take it. He's the boss".
When I read that, I see that whatever point Lou is trying to make with Lamond,
isn't getting across because Lamond doesn't understand why he was benched,
and isn't really going to learn anything from it. He missed one showboat dunk
in a game he scored half the team's points, up to that point Lou has been
singing his praises for improving his defense, rebounding and shot selection,
one missed dunk and he's in the dog house?




Russ Smith
*******************************************************************************
"Chapeau means hat, oeuf means egg, its as if those French have a different 
word for everything!" 
                                        Steve Martin
********************************************************************************




Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college