Women's Hoops Blog

Inane commentary on a game that deserves far better


Thursday, January 29, 2009

"Atencion! Atencion!" as they sing in "In the Heights," but for a happier reason.

Nikki Caldwell's arrival at UCLA has generated some good basketball and, just as significant, a fair amount of ink/pixels. Case in point, Michelle Smith in today's San Francisco Chronicle:

The Bruins are sporting an unmistakable Tennessee vibe, relying on athleticism to play pressure defense, run an up-tempo offense and dominate the glass. UCLA is the leading rebounding team in the Pac-10 at 44.1 rebounds per game.

"There are a lot of similarities," Caldwell acknowledged. "One of the things we are trying to do is know what our identity is. Every time we step on the floor, we want to establish that identity. We're a rebounding team when all is said and done."