about last night's game. I would like to add a couple of thoughts that struck me as I watched last night.
First, the way Cronin took Krivas out of the game last night I thought was brilliant and a big factor in the victory. It's hard to say that a guy who almost had a double double (8 points and 9 rebounds) along with 6 blocks was taken out of the game, but in the flow of the game he was almost a non-factor.
I don't know too much about Arizona, but I would imagine a player like that is probably utilized to the extent that a lot probably runs through him. That didn't happen too much last night. He's been selected as the preseason player of the year in the BIG 12 so I would say the Arizona offense is probably largely dependent on him. Not so much last night. That's Cronin and those Bruins who executed his plan.
The other thing (or person) I would like to mention is Brandon Williams. Williams hardly ever fills up the stat sheet, and last night was no exception, but he almost always has an impact on the game as he again did last night. Even though he didn't hit his shots last night he isn't afraid to take them when the opportunity is there. That's important to force the defense to defend him. and he did make a crucial open midrange jumper that was needed.
But it was mostly on defense where he was mostly effective. Although woefully undersized at the five he was effective in his 11 minutes of play to help curtail Krivas. Williams plays excellent positional basketball, is hardly ever in poor position, is a strong cog within the team defense, and adds a tremendous level of toughness. Last night was no exception.
Last night was clearly a whole team effort and every Bruin who saw floor time contributed significantly. The Bruins should feel very good about the effort and execution last night. A well deserved victory. It's still early and a lot can still happen, but I feel, right now, that last night's game could bode well for the Bruins in terms of what we may expect from this team especially when you consider that Jovic didn't play. We'll see how things evolve.