Trash Talk: Rivalry Games are Always Fun
Garbage Time Ghim got to check out some high profile games in person at Pauley Pavilion to see UCLA take on Arizona and USC.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: watching basketball in person is the best experience. I had another opportunity to watch some big-time games at Pauley Pavilion, and it was quite an experience. First off, I want to give a shoutout to UCLA; it’s always an incredible experience. The treatment I receive whenever I go is awesome, and all the staff there is wonderful and deserves a shoutout.
I recently had the opportunity to see USC and Arizona play against UCLA, and both games had some notable players that I want to discuss.
USC vs UCLA:
This was a big rivalry game, and there was a lot of anticipation coming for this one. Even beyond the rivalry aspect of the game, there was a ton of commotion around Isaiah Collier and Bronny James coming through to play. I got to the arena two hours early, as usual, and I’m glad I did. I got to see the two teams warm up and shoot around.
Collier looked healthy and bouncy, but the jumper is still a work in progress. Even in warmups, you could see mechanically there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done. He missed a ton of jumpers from outside, and they were a real mix of misses, too. Some were short, some were long, and some were to the side, but I did want to note that he took a ton of them, and clearly, working on his outside jumper is a point of emphasis for him. It’s important to note that, though, at this point in his development, it’s no secret that his jumper needs work; well, he’s putting in the work, and that’s a good sign. No one is expecting his jumper to be perfect; as long as he’s working on it, that’s a step in the right direction.
Collier had a rough start to his freshman season, was turning over the ball at a really high clip, and was struggling to really put things together. Since returning from injury in February, Collier has been a lot better. His turnovers are down, he’s had some big scoring games in important wins. Overall, you can tell that he’s tightened things up a little bit, and some of that wild energy he played with at the start of the year has calmed down a little. Since returning from injury, he’s been averaging 2.4 turnovers per game and 4.3 assists per game.
It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's still a step in the right direction. Just watching him against UCLA, he had a bit of a quiet night, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. USC came out, guns blazing, hitting everything from the outside. Collier hit a no-hesitation, catch-and-shoot three from the parking lot early on and then kinda cruised the rest of the night. UCLA did make it close at the end of the first half, but USC came out with an 8-0 Run to start the second half, which iced the game. Collier got a lot of hate early on in the season for some of his wild play, but I think he also deserves an equal amount of praise for how he’s turned things around to close out his freshman season.
Collier’s game is not crazy complicated for me; he’s a score-first guard who is crazy strong for his age, has good size at the guard position, and has great athleticism. He needs to work on fine-tuning his game in terms of his shooting from outside and overall decision-making. I like the handle and burst when he has the ball in his hands and will find ways to get to the basket. The issue with him will be his touch at the rim and making the right decisions based on what the defense gives him. Collier is an exciting player, and if he chooses to enter the draft, he will garner a ton of attention.
Bronny James was an interesting watch. Bronny has an NBA-ready physique, the athleticism really pops, and he competes on both ends of the floor, but when you watch him, you can tell he still needs more time. It’s almost like watching someone play pickup with strangers at times. With guys like Boogie Ellis and Collier on the team, there are moments when Bronny can look a little out of place. He didn’t play a ton of minutes, but even in his limited minutes, you could see him feeling things out. That’s not me blaming him for anything; I think it’s more of a product of the team he’s on and the time he missed early on in the season. In this game, he did have a nice possession where he started a drive to the basket, then spun middle and hit a lovely mid-range jumper. It was a tough move, and it was nice to see him take it. On the defensive side of the ball, he really gets after it, and he plays a smart game. He was locked in at all times and was always looking to make the right plays. I think that may be the type of player he is on the next level as well. No nonsense, nothing flashy, just a rock-solid defender that could offer some outside shooting and connectivity as a passer and is a menace in transition.
Considering how little he’s played this season, I think it would be great for him if he went back to school for another year. Once again, it’s not an indictment of the player that he is. I just think another season in college, with more minutes and a bigger role, could really benefit him long-term, rather than him going to the league and sitting on a bench somewhere. Especially considering all he went through in his freshman season, getting another go at the whole college basketball experience might be fun for him. Boogie will leave, and Collier probably will not be coming back for a second season so Bronny could have a much bigger role next year.
Other than the two headliner freshmen, I have to mention Boogie Ellis, who came out scorching hot and had a good scoring game overall. I think it’ll be really hard for him to carve out a real NBA spot with the lack of on-ball ability and size. DJ Rodman hit some tough threes, but that was about it.
The one guy that I wanted to highlight is Oziyah Sellers. Sellers is a sophomore guard with a beautiful shooting stroke. Watching him in warmups, I couldn’t take my eyes off his jumper. It just looks so good, and he was hitting pretty much everything. It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time this season, but he might be primed for a big jump next season. He doesn’t have a ton of juice in terms of his handle or athleticism, but the shooting stroke is so damn pretty, and he’s got some nice fluidity to him. I don’t know if he will be entering the transfer portal, but I will keep my eye on him.
Arizona vs UCLA:
This was a really tough game to watch. From the jump, you could feel a massive gap between the two teams. There was never a moment when Arizona felt like they were in trouble. From the first minute of the game, Arizona was in control, other than Oumar Ballo getting into a little wrestling match with Adem Bona. The game never felt very close; Arizona went into halftime with a big lead and just continued to pull away in the second half.
Keshad Johnson was a pretty interesting watch. He’s a pretty big dude that gets after it on the boards. He’s not a big-time athlete, but he’s got good size and length. He’s shooting it at a good clip and even though he’s a little bit older, I could see an NBA team giving him a hard look in the second round as an energy big with some shooting ability to bring off the bench. He is a little undersized at 6’7”, but he’s got a good frame to him. He’s shooting 38.3% from three and 72.5% from the free throw line. Pretty low volume for both, but it's still worth noting. He also hit a nice trail three from the top of the key at the start of the game, which was pretty.
Pelle Larsson is going to be a guy that NBA front offices discuss a ton when the draft rolls around. There’s nothing really exciting about his game, but he’s shooting 41.7% from three this season, has increased his scoring, is averaging a steal per game, and has pretty good wing size. He’s listed at 6’6”, but he’s got a rock-solid frame. He can handle the ball a little bit and will move the ball. He ran a nice pick and roll as the ball-handler with Ballo and threw a beautiful lob for Ballo to slam home early in the second half. I think Larsson could become a really solid wing who comes off the bench and eats some innings for you off the bench. I think he has just enough two-way ability and size to be a contributor on a good team one day. He may be a career bench guy, but I think he’ll find a role somewhere.
The most intriguing guy on the Arizona roster was KJ Lewis. That dude is an absolute dog. I loved hearing Coach Cronin’s thoughts on Lewis after the game.
“When KJ Lewis shoots the ball like that, nobody is going to beat them. Look, I love him. He’s a tough kid, a competitor. I have great respect for him, but he’s not a shooter. I’ve seen him for three years. I know he’s a freshman, but I’ve seen him for three years. When he shoots the ball like that, you got no chance.”
Watching Lewis in warmups, you could see that he still needs a lot of work on his jumper. It looks a little mechanical, and there’s just a lack of fluidity to it. On misses, you can see his base getting pretty narrow. But his competitive spirit and toughness are unreal. As soon as he steps on the floor, you can feel the intensity with him. With his strength, length, and relentlessness, he’s such a menace on the defensive side of the ball. Not only is he a menace on defense, but he was really good for them on the offensive, scoring 18 points. He had some really nice drives to the basket, hit a bunch of threes, and is a really good cutter as well. Listed at 6’4” with long arms and good athleticism, I think Lewis could even enter this year’s class and garner some attention from front offices. If he comes back to Arizona for his Sophmore year, he might really explode and become the lead guy for them next season. You could see Lewis becoming a third guard on a good team, offering a ton on both ends of the floor.
Buzzer Beaters:
UCLA really needs to address their guard play in the offseason. Dylan Andrews competes and can hit some shots, but they need to add a playmaker or three.
Aday Mara had a really tough freshman season. He was not good on either end of the floor; it’s going to be really interesting to see what he decides to do. He really needs to add some bulk, especially in his lower half. Defensively, it’s nice that he’s huge, but he really struggles to move laterally.
Jan Vide may also need a change of scenery, as things did not work out for him in Westwood. His jumper may need to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Kylan Boswell is a good college guard. I think it’ll be tough for him to make an NBA roster, but he could be an interesting summer league or G League option. He’s strong and can play a role, but he is on the smaller end and really lacks burst.
I’m interested in seeing what Motiejus Krivas will become in the future. He’s a really big dude who moves pretty well for his size. I hope he gets a good look next season when Ballo moves on.
Kobe Johnson did not have the breakout junior season many thought he was going to have, but there’s still a lot to like about his versatility. The jumper is way too flat, but if he keeps working on it, NBA teams should be intrigued by his diverse game. I also don’t think he was in a great situation playing with this guard-heavy USC team.