Kevin Love Can Do Everything

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Posted Mar 28th 2008 6:18AM by Michael David Smith
Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, West

UCLA beat Western Kentucky 88-78 Thursday night, and freshman center Kevin Love's stat line was incredible:

Minutes: 38
FGM-A: 10-14
FTM-A: 9-12
Rebounds: 14
Assists: 4
Blocks: 4
Fouls: 2
Points: 29

There's really not a weakness in this 19-year-old's game, but I thought it was interesting that as Dick Vitale was breaking down the UCLA game on ESPN, it was the four assists that he singled out.

"I think his passing ability is the best I've seen from a big guy in many a year," Vitale said.

There's a great YouTube of former UCLA coach John Wooden praising Love's passing ability, and when Wooden sings your praises, you know your game is fundamentally sound. Says Wooden, "I always like those that pass well, are always looking for the pass first, then the shot. I think he does that. I haven't seen anyone since Bill Walton and the one before him was Wes Unseld, and I've seen him twice in the last week get the ball off the board, turn, keep the ball up as he should, three quarters of the length of the floor to a player who took off and is streaking up. He likes to score and add to his statistics and there's nothing wrong with that, but not at the expense of others."

Hard to argue.

Comments [2]
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)

1. He is a great college player but is a little slow and unathletic.

Posted at 11:41AM on Mar 28th 2008 by LB

2. Love is a fine player, absolutely, but he's the latest example of one of the most annoying quirks of the college basketball commentariat. Every year, there's a new once-in-a-generation talent - Seth Davis was actually being relatively restrained by pundit standards in calling Love only "once-in-a-decade." Then the kid goes to the pros, and six months later someone new is anointed as a player unlike anyone we've ever seen before, or will ever see again. For example, while Love is an excellent passing big man, Noah and Horford had higher assist rates in both championship years, and A:TO ratios equivalent or superior. By next March, Vitale will be dusting off the extravagant praise for the next hot young thing.

Posted at 2:10AM on Mar 29th 2008 by peachy

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