The Rare Sunday

by Nestor on Apr 6, 2008 10:22 AM PDT in Basketball

I will admit it.

I am still having a hard getting over last night's game. Just when I think I have gotten over it visions of LRMAM's ill advised jumpers, AA2's mid range shot, JK's dropped defensive rebound, RW's careless turnovers and inability to finish (despite his great night), KL getting thumped on the floor (as Dorsey walked away taunting), and DC getting torched all night long every which way one can imagine, keep flashing in front of my eyes.

Right when I think - ok I am moving on now - I start thinking about KL's welled up eyes looking up at the roof of the Alama Dome thinking no one is going to catch him losing his composure.

This is not fun but it's part of following any great team.

It's one of those rare Sundays in the world of obsessing over Ben Ball, when I can't muster up an ounce of desire to go anywhere near the MSM websites and find out what's people are writing about our favorite basketball team. This would be lot easier if it happened in the regular season or during the Pac-10 tournament.

But it is impossible to do when you start realizing we are not going to have another game to get all psyched up over this season.

So I took a peak. Predictably some characters are up to their predictable shtick. It took less than 24 hours for the village idiot of LA's sports world - aka Bill Plashcke - to jump of Howland's band wagon (again no need to link to this guys's drivel). Meanwhile, Art Spander who just earlier in the week wrote how Coach Howland was channeling Coach Wooden, didn't waste any time invoking Buffalo Bills (w/o bothering to mention how many times it took Coach Williams to win his first NC or Coach K to get it done at Duke).

The voice of sanity today actually comes from all places - TJ Simers - who I guess likes taking a contrarian view to his clueless colleagues in the MSM. Here is Simers defending Coach Howland:

I don't like the style of play and consider it boring, but I lose the argument with Howland when he starts talking about the joy he gets in winning. And the Bruins have done a whole bunch of that since he arrived with no indication it's about to stop any time soon.

"You know, as disappointing as this loss is, it's hard to be here three years in a row and not come away with a championship," Howland said. "But I'm still proud of this group of young men. I thought this was our best team, our best chance. Memphis State was better today, and you have to credit them."

And that should be that -- without taking away anything UCLA has accomplished this season, or the two before it.

What's that saying again? Even a broken clock can be right twice days. That's one for TJ.

Obviously it goes with out saying Coach Howland needs to change nothing wrt to his basic approach on how he has rebuilt UCLA. Sure we may have questions and concerns about yesterday's game strategy, but that doesn't mean that he somehow needs to change his philosophy on how to run our program. That is just absurd and beyond comical given his track record at UCLA and at other programs.

Going back to the game here are some of my thoughts on last night:

Shot Selection: Going into last night's game we talked how our players needed to be smart with their shot selection. Memphis is an incredibly talented team and to beat them we had to be patient and smart on our offense. I am not sure if we were patient or smart enough last night. If we were we wouldn't see those jumpers from LRMAM and AA2. We wouldn't see us setting for one jumpers after another, instead of running the offense through KL (more on that below)
[Mental] Mistakes: We were careless last night. On paper we turned the ball over 12 times. That's not so bad. But if we needed to give ourselves the best chance to beat a great team like the Tigers, we couldn't afford to turn the ball over like we did multiple times last night that cost us points. I already mentioned JK's dropped rebound and the ball going of RW's foot. Another deadly TO came right after DC stole the ball only to step out of bounce. Those kinds of mistakes killed us all night long in the way of Memphis points. Not to mention those jumpshots were also turning into Tiger breaks on the other end. This was tough to take given all the experience we had coming into this game. Oh well.
Match-up: Rye already alluded to this in his good post game post here:
Looking at individual player matchups, I saw a lot of Memphis talent and athleticism, but on the bench I saw a clear advantage for ourselves. That didn't play out as planned though because Calipari put together a great gameplan, while Howland struggled to keep up. Howland's biggest fault is that he's extremely stubborn and it showed tonight. Our best move tonight would have been to sit DC. He was ineffective offensively and was getting killed defensively where he couldn't matchup with the size of the Tigers. Had Howland pulled DC, we could have brought in Keefe, Aboya or Mata to help control the boards and most importantly, dropped Luc to the 3 where he could match up with Douglas-Roberts. There were many other questionable coaching decisions and Howland certainly was outcoached. However, Howland lost on one night and I think he allowed one bad night after 5 years of fantastic work.
I am not sure Howland had to pull DC out of the game, but I think he did need to take DC off Rose. I think our best defensive combination was having RW on Rose, LRMAM on CDR, either DC or JS on Anderson, and then rotate KL, JK, AA2 and LMR on the front line.

I am not sure how many folks noticed the times LRMAM (who except for those jumpers had a great night) was guarding CDR, CDR was having a hard time getting of his shots.

Also as much as RW was rushing at times (on transition) at the 2 spot, he was much more settled down at 1 when DC went out with the 4th foul.
Offensive strategery: The point above brings me to offensive strategy. This is where I break out in cold sweat thinking back to last night finding myself nodding to Billy Packer's game observation. Packer was saying how UCLA should have run their offense going inside-out rather than outside-in. In other words instead of looking for jumpers, we should have been looking for our big guy - Love - inside. Now KL was doubled team a lot so I understand it was hard to get him the ball. But if he was getting double teamed, then why not look for Luc in the paint (like we did beautifully in our very first possession of the game). We started doing a little bit of that in the second half, but then we went away from it. But to me it seemed like our backcourt let us down a bit in not looking enough for either KL or LRMAM to set them up inside.
Desire: I wrote last night that the Tigers wanted it more and some folks disagreed with some good points. Thinking it over let me see if I can hash this out a little more. I didn't mean to knock the effort our guys gave in that game. However, I do believe the Tigers looked lot more focused and were more aggressive around the boards. As much as it pains me to writ this considering his taunting of Love after a vicious CDR throw down, Joey Dorsey was a monster around the boards on both ends of the floor. I also thought Memphis guards were lot more decisive in their execution. I have no doubt that our boys had the desire to get to Monday's game, but I do think they were outmatched in that department. It's tough for me to accept that given this pretty much never happens in the world of Ben Ball. But then again this is the Final-4 in which we get to face the ultimate competition. Let's hope in the future when our guys get back in the show, this lesson remains in play.

Now in terms of looking ahead, here is Dohn on KL and DC:

"This loss is more painful," Collison said. "I couldn't care less about that (NBA) decision. As a competitor, you get three opportunities and to lose them that's why you have to get better."

Collison's farewell may be a two-point, five-turnover performance in which he went 1 for 9 from the field. He said he will talk with his family at a later date.

Love scored 12 points and had nine rebounds despite constant double-teams. He said his decision won't be made public until after he speaks with his family.

"As of right now I'm still a UCLA Bruin," Love said. "I'll be at class Monday. I'll step back and go home and talk to some people, talk to my family, and see what my options are.

"I'm still young. I still have a lot to work on. I can come back for another year of college, really my skills and get in better shape. Another year of maturity would be great, but we'll see what happens. There's a lot that goes into this decision. I have no idea what I'm going to do yet."

I mean it when I say whatever these two kids (and RW) do after gathering all the information necessary and doing their research, I will support them. I am not going to impose my selfish desire as may alma mater's basketball fan to impose any weight of expectations on what's the right thing for them to do. All of them are smart, talented kids who are capable of making the decision what's best for themselves and their family.

So I am not going to get into any kind of breathless speculation on whether they should stay or go. In the coming weeks, I will try to think through and analyze how our rotation is going to look depending on who is coming back. However, I don't feel that sense of urgency and if someone wants to get started with that ... there is always the diary section or for my fellow frontpagers ... the home page. In other words don't wait for my thoughts. :-)

Anyway, I think that's enough for me. I gotta figure out something to get the visions of last night out of my head. No worries it won't be that difficult considering the passion bucket is already flowing over at Spalding Field.

In closing, thank you again to Coach Howland, his staff, our players, the Den, and everyone here for making 2007-08 yet another epic Ben Ball season.

Photo Credit:dbruin's photostream (flickr)

That's how we should remember our boys: standing ovation all around.

And as we have already said: we will be back. If you have any doubt about that just ask yourself this: if you or I are feeling this way inside today, just imagine what is going through Coach Howland's mind? Remember about the draped clocks and double socks. That should put a smile on your face heading into 08-09.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

good write up

I think one thing we haven't discussed is Josh Shipps role on the team, his passing up open shots, and not executing on others, and his overall lack of quickness and how that effects our defense.

I think Shipp will need to improve in the offseason to garner as much playing time next year as he did this year. With Stanback a year older, Roll back, and the new guard recruits, there will be much more competition for playing time, and I think he will have to work really hard to remain a starter.

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Apr 6, 2008 10:29 AM PDT reply actions

Yeap

by Nestor on Apr 6, 2008 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions

JS vs. Jack Hirsch

Let's all remember back to the first NCAA Championship team that was undefeated. One of the starting forwards was Jack Hirsch. Yet by the end of the season and in the NCAA tournament, he was down at the end of the bench, because JW saw another player who could help more and that was that.
Bill

BillSouthBay

by Mensgym on Apr 6, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Missed one, Geezer Bill

Hirsch was a senior on the first championship team. He only played two seasons, one on the 20-9 team and the next on the 30-0 team.

by Fox 71 on Apr 6, 2008 7:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Starters at forward

63-64 - Erickson (Jr.) and Hirsch (Sr.)
64-65 - Erickson (Sr.) and Lacey (So.)

by Fox 71 on Apr 6, 2008 8:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Taking DC off

I remember a time when Ben pulled DC out and we got a good defensive stop, only to find DC checking back in within 2 minutes. So yes, pulling DC might give us better matchups.

by lildre on Apr 6, 2008 10:35 AM PDT reply actions

Again

I didn't write about taking DC out of the game. I wrote about taking DC off Rose (and perhaps putting him on Anderson).

by Nestor on Apr 6, 2008 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions

Thanks Nestor

Again, thank you Nestor. You and everyone else really go above and beyond the call of duty in keeping us informed and on occasion bringing our senses and hearts to ease.

It'll be a long couple of months before football season starts, but that's the beauty of sports. There is always going to be another season, there is always another season to get better, and there will always be another season to win. GO BRUINS

by SmrtGuy82 on Apr 6, 2008 10:43 AM PDT reply actions

If it's impossible to get the ball...

...to Love underneath, maybe he shouldn't play so far underneath. If he's farther out, he makes short jumpers and hooks going one-on-one or he draws two defenders away from the basket if he's double teamed, clearing out passing and driving lanes for someone else.

I'm not talking about taking shots beyond the arc, but he can reliably shoot from farther away than two feet.

by Chandler on Apr 6, 2008 10:49 AM PDT reply actions

What's more frustrating

is hearing Billy Packer yelling at the Bruins to get the ball down low to Love. It's not as easy as you think, Packer!

by lildre on Apr 6, 2008 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, if it were easy, they'd do it more.

Duh.

They had two guys on either side of him a lot of the time. So it just seems so obvious to move those two defenders (and potential shot-blockers and rebounders) away from the basket by moving Love a bit away from the basket.

Is that supposed to be hard? Harder than what they were doing?

by Chandler on Apr 6, 2008 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions

Our Offense

Looked disjointed too many times in this post-season. Coach has got to find a way to get more points up without sacrificing our stifling defense. Congratulations to the team for a fantastic season!

I'm pretty sure we could hang that banner if Love would come back. I think another year would really help him at the next level with the improvements he could make with his strength and conditioning. He will be, along with Hansbrough, a household name next year. Or, he can go sit on an NBA bench next season. Tough call for the kid...

by BruinAl on Apr 6, 2008 10:58 AM PDT reply actions

Decision time

Three straight years we've been eliminated by superior talent. Hence you could say these Final Four games are won and lost by the decisions these young men make in late April and early May. It's not hard to imagine what kind of impact AA would've had in this game.

Yeah it may be selfish of us to want these players to come back, but we may need these decisions to go in our favor one of these years for us to bring home banner #12. BH's superior coaching just can't overcome vastly superior talent.

The outcome of next year's Final Four may be hanging in the balance in the next few weeks. I'm just sayin'.

"You don't make it to the Final Four three straight times for no reason..Obviously coaching has something to do with it." Darren Collison

by godblesstyus95 on Apr 6, 2008 11:03 AM PDT reply actions

Coaching CAN beat talent... at times.

Memphis, was beatable.
Florida, was way too talented, both times, IMHO.

Go Bruins!

by class1984 on Apr 6, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions

couldn't sleep

took an hour to fall asleep and woke up at least three times. very disturbing loss.

by jjreicher on Apr 6, 2008 11:15 AM PDT reply actions

Good Points

Yes, I agree that a bigger lineup would have matched up with Memphis better.
Yes, we need better athletes to get #12. This is the third year in a row we ran into a team that had better skills.
I only have to look back to the wreckage of the CBH era to remind me how great it is to have a Coach like B. Howland.

elsobrantebruin

by elsobrantebruin on Apr 6, 2008 11:17 AM PDT reply actions

Matchups

I am still angered about the loss and the mismatch of DC guarding Rose and Westy on CDR. I preached against these matchups all week before the game. It was ok to start the game with this matchup, but 2 minutes into the game you absolutely knew we needed to go to Luc on CDR and Westy to Rose. Their guards scored 53 of the team's 63 points!

by bruin75 on Apr 6, 2008 11:21 AM PDT reply actions

Being in the top four...

out of 327 (?) teams for the past three years is pretty damn "amazing" to me.

by bruindodger on Apr 6, 2008 11:26 AM PDT reply actions

I'll take it

The MSM last night and today keep harping on how CBH is 1-3 in the final four. You know what, I would much rather have a coach that can get us to the final four then one who cant make it past the first or second round. CBH is considered one of the best coaches around now so it is understandable that expectations would be higher, but in this era of college basketball, three straight final fours is pretty freakin amazing if you ask me.

by uclaw2010 on Apr 6, 2008 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions

It's absolutely ridiculous

that they hold his Final Four record as some sort of dig against him. These are the same outlets that tout the Final Four as the ultimate accomplishment for 5 freaking months of the year. It's not "Road to the Championship", it's "Road to the Final Four" except, apparently, when it's UCLA. I'm not saying that the Final Four should be our ultimate goal from now on. Not by any means. But it's terribly inconsistent. These are the same jokers who were going wild, comparing Coach K's string of SWEET 16 APPEARANCES to Coach Wooden's Championship streak. How the Sweet 16 is good enough to call Duke great, but making the Final Four three years in a row is a knock on UCLA just does not make any sense.

by Tydides on Apr 6, 2008 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions

NBA

I love DC and what he has meant to our team the past 3 years. But, he was exposed during the tourney, not just against Memphis as not quite ready for the Association. He needs to get stronger and improve his outside shot. K-Love could also benefit by staying in college. He's not a lotto pick this year, but next year for sure. That being said, Westy is the only sure bet to be in the NBA next year. He has it all right now.

by bruin75 on Apr 6, 2008 11:28 AM PDT reply actions

I think that part of our "luck"...

in terms of having superior talent may be one of the expected future Bruin NBA'ers actually staying for another season. Perhaps this game will push us over the hump for next year.

by bruindodger on Apr 6, 2008 11:30 AM PDT reply actions

Jrue Holiday

If either Westy or DC stay next year, and with the addition of Jrue-- our backcourt ought to be unstoppable. Even with K-love gone, we should still be pretty good. Especially if our offense goes up-tempo.

by bruin75 on Apr 6, 2008 11:36 AM PDT reply actions

"Off Season"

For those who are making comments about a long wait until September, let's not forget the other sports that helped UCLA reach 100 championships.

Yesterday, the #1 softball team beat the #21 team, the #1 women's water polo team beat the #6 team, and the #4 men's tennis team beat the #25 team.

So the day was not a total loss. And we also have two golf teams in the top 4, and according to the school site, 5 other teams in the top 10.

We continue to have excellence on and off the playing fields. Go Bruins.

by islandbruin on Apr 6, 2008 11:40 AM PDT reply actions

I expect CBH to grow from this experience.

Yesterday, I posted that we were not going to let Phi-Slamma-Jamma take place because we were going to apply HARD FOULS, use up our BENCH FOULS, and get into the psyche of the Memphis squad. Instead, they got into our collective heads. It was clear that DC said F-it with his last sequence before taking himself out the game, purposely.

Growth as a coach is the ability to adjust ON THE FLY. Damn assistant coaches should have their notebooks at the ready, and able to turn to the Chapter called "WHEN GETTING BEAT OFF THE DRIBBLE BY ONE OR MORE STEPS".

On that pre-printed page are things like:

a. Give a little more spacing
b. Take better, smarter angles
c. Consider PACK-IT-IN zone defense
d. etc, etc, etc.

Other ADJUSTMENTS-ON-THE-FLY include...
a. double team the guys killin you, and leave the WEAKEST STATISICAL SHOOTER wide open on the perimiter. Dare him to "beat you".

CBH is one man, with one set of eyes.
Coach is THE LEAD man. I wonder what the hell those assistant coaches bring to the table those first 10 seconds at time-outs when they confer with Ben, before Ben barks out to the players.

Coach Howland needs to learn a better offense, or bring in an assistant who does. Watch the games, people. How the hell can we accept 30 point per game players in High School, look like they don't know what to do, or where to go in our offense.
Lorenzo, Keefe, Albert and even Luc are WOEFULLY under utilized on offense. More than anything, they play TENTATIVE and SCARED on offense. Almost as if they're "gonna get in trouble" with Coach. I don't like that.

If Coach Howland hires a bunch of "yes" men, Coach Howland is weak. If he hires dudes that are as good as HE WAS when he was an assistant years past... then great.

Personally, I do applaud every FINAL FOUR appearance, and support compensating generously for that accomplishment every single time. In fact, I would pay FINAL FOURS like it was the Championship. Think about it. The alternative to FINAL FOUR appearances is not appearing. And frankly, even if we went through the regular season UNDEFEATED, and won the PAC-10 Title every year... bombing out in the tournament would get the UCLA Basketball Head Coach run outta town! (Think Patriots. Who gives a F about the regular season. The FINAL FOUR is the NCAA Superbowl in my book! The Monday night game is the Cherry on top!) Bottom line, pay Ben big time for making the Final Four. THAT is what we want from him. We want a SHOT at the Championship, every year possible!

My last note for this season...
the NBA is full of cats like Rose and CDR. DC should DEFINATELY be back next year because as it stands, he'll be ONE and DONE in the NBA. If I'm Kevin Love, and can deal with the school work (so many athletes leave early because frankly, they hate the books), then I seriously consider COMMING BACK one more year to raise my game further, and insure I'm gonna be a lottery pick. Ben and all of us would be sooooo greatful. Heck, KLove would be welcomed back 15 years later as a Coach, in the Administration, or even on the Faculty! (Tommy Maddox, Tracy Murray and Barron Davis don't have that kind of stature at UCLA). But if KLove wants to go, that's fine too.

Jrue Holliday is gonna push somebody to the bench. (Remember when Tyus Edney chased Darrick Martin to the bench in Martin's Senior Year?) This is going to be exciting. If I'm Josh Shipp, my next season (whether I stay or throw my hat in the NBA ring) starts TODAY, SUNDAY! That man is on the clock.

Go Bruins!

Next up for me... Rick Neuheisel's Football Bruins!

(Man, this website is wonderful! If the owners want to sell more ad space to increase revenue, I'd deal with it. They deserve it! Very content rich! I thought I'd get that in, before I get kicked off for Challening Ben's Godhood.)

by class1984 on Apr 6, 2008 11:41 AM PDT reply actions

Nice effort

But this is just absurd:

If Coach Howland hires a bunch of "yes" men, Coach Howland is weak. If he hires dudes that are as good as HE WAS when he was an assistant years past... then great.

Did you actually consider how much more talent the other teams in the Final-4 have compared to ours? CBH turned DC and RW into NBA prospects when no other major programs recruited them.

You actually think Coach Howland will bring a "Norm Chow" and hand over offensive duties to him. That's just nonsense.

And to date Coach Howland has hired some of the best assistants in college hoops in Dixon (Pitt), Keating (Santa Clara), Daniels, Duncan etc. I have no doubt he will continue to have one of the best staff in the country around him.

So please don't bring that kind of weak garbage here.

by Nestor on Apr 6, 2008 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Just Curious

Do they kick people off for having anything but a completely rosy opinion of the team?

I'm growing a bit concerned over the knee-jerk reactions around here. This message board is popular with Bruin fans but I think that this Nazi BS has got to stop or else people will go elsewhere. That would be a shame because this is a great place with lots of quality posts and people.

Sure, certain criticism is less thought out than some, but we can all be adult about this can't we?

Howland and the team are great and did a wonderful job. Just because someone disagrees doesn't make it not so. Conversely, just because you kick someone off the board doesn't make them stop having that opinion or not expressing it elsewhere. No one is above reproach and when all is said and done, words should never cause us to close our minds. Didn't your college experience at UCLA teach you that?

by Bruins100NCAA on Apr 6, 2008 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Sorry to jump on you for this

but do you actually read the dissenting opinions around here? ryebreadraz did a particularly good job breaking down some of our deficiencies from his point of view in the diaries.

I can maybe understand that people are gunshy about commenting on something that isn't bulletproof because we do heavily criticize takes that aren't well thought out. Part of this is a relic of the KD era, where week after week, uninformed newbies would spout the Dorrellista party line with little regard for the horrific numbers and facts. After a couple of years, re-explaining your position gets tiring.

The purpose of kicking people is not to change their opinion but to spare the rest of us from having to deal with the lowest common denominator, basically the people who are simply there to instigate, not contribute in any meaningful sense, and drag threads down into the muck and mudslinging which makes other message boards unnavigable.

by Tydides on Apr 6, 2008 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Just because

Nestor runs the message board though, doesn't mean he can't fire back at attacks on Howland. If anyone else had written the same response, would they be the Bruin Gestapo?

O.A.

by Ollie on Apr 6, 2008 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Here's the thing

It is fair and accurate to say yesterday wasn't Howland's best game.
It is neither fair nor accurate to say Howland is a bad coach.
It is fair and accurate to say yesterday was not Collison's best game.
It is neither fair nor accurate to say Collison is a bad player.
The above statements apply to any other player you might want to criticize.

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 6, 2008 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Uh

Then go elsewhere. And if you insult any of the moderators here, you will be gone.

by Nestor on Apr 6, 2008 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Nester...

Nestor, you do a great service for Bruin fans. I'm very appreciative that there is a forum such as this site where we can all come together and express our opinions about OUR (not yours or mine alone) teams.

The trouble I'm having is this. You demand, and rightfully so, respectfulness and deliberation in the posts. Yet, often I notice you're the one who resort to name calling and belittling what otherwise are well-thought out, even-tempered posts.

You called what was a very well thought out post by class1984 "garbage." Another sincere opinon "bogus." There are many other examples like this all over the blogs. The question I have for you is would you tolerate these same insults directed at yourself?

Of course, we can take it or leave it, move on to another diary or thread. But could we name call and belittle like you do, and w/ impunity, w/o your persistent threat of being banned?

I think we all have to step back from ourselves once in awhile and consider how our own behavior might be seen, instead of constantly looking outward at others.

We're all heartbroken here. Many of us couldn't sleep last night and are still having a hard time accepting the loss. I think we all derseve some space to vent (rationally) a little.

This blog is only as great as the diversity of the people and opinions it engenders.

Like 1884, I've said my peace. And if you want to take me out of this site, so be it. It would say much more about you than me.

By a Bruin Fan, not a BN-Bruin fan.

GO Bruins!!!

by Rich1996UCLA on Apr 6, 2008 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions

You picked the wrong horse to back

The excerpt that N had a problem with was absolutely ridiculous and absurd since the facts do not back him up. Opening up criticism on Howland the man not the coach, by insinuating that he shies away from hiring assistants that may "outshine" him, questioning his character when there are mountains of evidence to the contrary, is not going to be taken lightly here.

How do you explain Howland going out of his way to help his assistants advance their careers and become head coaches? Do you realize that almost none of Howland's original staff from 5 years ago is still here, that they have been taken by other schools? Does that sound like a man of low character? Does having the seventh ranked offense in the country sound like a man who doesn't know his offense?

I don't care what kind of Bruin fan you consider yourself, I expect better out of Bruins than to blindly back such a weak argument with such weak support. I also expect better than this preemptive victim card stunt you're trying to pull here.

by Tydides on Apr 6, 2008 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions

I go by

what I read. I don't pretend to know all of the so called facts. I go by what I read, and thought it was well reasoned. Maybe I should've said this, but I don't really agree with him.

But that's really beside the point. My issue is w/ the double standard some might have. What's expected from the regular members should be practiced by the mods.

As far as the preemptive victim thing is concerned. I've been threatend by a ban before for posting something I still stand by to this day. And, becuase of what I believed at the time (still do) was quite an arbitrary threat, I have a sincere anticipation of being banned. You should look at the people making these uncalled for, to say the least, threats. And not at the "victims" receiving them.

I don't want to play any games here. I've said my peace.

by Rich1996UCLA on Apr 6, 2008 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not going to pretend

to know what you're referring to but I'll take your word for it that you were "threatened" with the ban. It doesn't interest me enough to look it up, but your contention in this case is apparently with some choice words like "bogus" and "garbage". These are words that I associate with posts that lack substance or are unsubstantiated attacks on our players/coaches/school, both of which describe the excerpt N called into question.

You maintain that the excerpt was well thought out despite the evidence presented that showed that it wasn't. The difference here is I care about the attack made on Coach Howland, while you seemingly have some bone to pick from when you were "threatened". I have not the words to make you feel better over your perceived slight. All I can tell you is this: Get Over It. If whatever you posted that drew a "threat" was in the same vein as the excerpt that N took issue with, then I really have no sympathy for you.

by Tydides on Apr 6, 2008 11:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Get over it

by Nestor on Apr 7, 2008 4:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Please save me the violin Rich

This is not a message board where people can get off by writing stupid and baseless rants. If you want to share something base it on substance and facts. Otherwise don't make excuses when you offer takes that are patently absurd as the one offered by 1984 above.

by Nestor on Apr 7, 2008 4:34 AM PDT up reply actions

Then Coach needs to LEARN how to run O better.

Is Ben capable of Coaching/Teaching a more wide open offense? I dunno. But I know this... we've got HORSES on our squad, with more HORSES comming!

My suggestion is that SOMEBODY outta get prepared to better utilize their talent.

Go Bruins!

by class1984 on Apr 6, 2008 11:53 AM PDT reply actions

that's a bogus suggestion then

Coach Howland has gotten most out of the "talent" we have had in our program.

by Nestor on Apr 6, 2008 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Honestly, Did you even know who the

assistants were when you wrote your post? Did you know their backgrounds? Responsibilities?

An across the board attack on the assistants, without substantiation, is certain to be called out here.

That's not a Nazi attack (and by the way, I think any poster using that label here trivialize the real damage the Nazis did) -- that's an attack on the substance of your post.

People here are challenged to support their posts with facts. They are not asked to follow a party line. If you hang out here a while, you will see many of us who have great respect for each other challenging each other's ideas.

One of the things that makes things special, here, is the care and rigor we demand in our posts.

Show it and gain respect. Don't show it and face criticism.

sjh

PS. Around here, most of us have reserved "Coach" for JW. We all think CBH will inherit the mantle. Again, not a criticism or demanding you toe the party line, just an explanation of the protocol many of us use.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Apr 6, 2008 5:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Bruin fans...

I think that the majority of Bruin fans are handling this with class and dignity but some of you may be better suited to joining the Tar Heels community who are in full meltdown. It's hard to believe the way that they are tearing down their coach and players.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=78&f=1410&t=2319566&sto=pagestart

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=78&f=1410&t=2318960&sto=pagestart

by bruindodger on Apr 6, 2008 11:58 AM PDT reply actions

LOL

I am sure there are bozos there writing how Roy needs to bring in a "defensive coordinator" to install some defense!

by Nestor on Apr 6, 2008 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions

one comment on Roy

It made me realize how much better it is to have a coach like Howland who takes a lot of time outs when things are going bad than to have a coach who views time outs as things to save for the final minute of the game. When Roy finally called a time out to stop the KU run, KU was already up 38-12. UNC outscored KU 15-6 the rest of the first half. If Roy had not stuck to the senseless dogma of not calling timeouts to stop a run, he might have called one at 22-10 or 28-10 and stopped the run sooner and actually won the game.

It reminded me how he did the same thing when Georgetown was going on its huge run last year, coming back from a large deficit to tie the game and win in OT. Some guys never learn.

Let's hope Howland learns from what didn't work in these final 4s. But ultimately, what could he have learned other than that he needs better players to win it all.

by BruinsRule on Apr 6, 2008 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions

You Are Absolutely Right

I watched the game with a bunch of KU fans.

I kept saying, "why isn't Roy calling a time out?"

They laughed and said he never does.

CBH is a master of clock management. I cannot think of many times we've been caught short because he used his time outs early.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Apr 6, 2008 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Not to mention

UNC kept playing at a frenetic pace, leading to careless turnovers and more KU buckets.

They don't play any defense, either.

I doubt you'll ever see a Howland-coached team get outscored 40-12 by ANYBODY, much less by a team he is favored to beat.

"You don't make it to the Final Four three straight times for no reason..Obviously coaching has something to do with it." Darren Collison

by godblesstyus95 on Apr 6, 2008 8:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Right on, I feel that.

by class1984 on Apr 6, 2008 12:02 PM PDT reply actions

Guys, fan is short for FANATICAL, alright.

FANATICAL means over-the-top.

Admittedly, most of MY comments are over-the-top.
Why? I'm a fan. I'm having FUN. It's FUN voicing my fanatical, (sometimes assinine to others) positions.

Hey, I'm not a sports professional.
I'm not a Real Men Of Genius: Mr. Sports Blog Writer.

I'm just an ordinary fananatic who enjoys an occaisional patty melt, tuna melt and meltdown.

Meltdowns are FUNNY!
I feel those too!

by class1984 on Apr 6, 2008 12:23 PM PDT reply actions

Great, heartfelt post N

But I disagree with the Simers sentiments. The man is a professional contrarian and I can't take anything he says with any legitimacy.

by bruinhopeful on Apr 6, 2008 12:36 PM PDT reply actions

Let's face it:

In any given game, basketball is a weird sport. Teams that can't miss one night have most of their shots rim out or clank the next night. Some of that is certainly due to the opponent. Some may be due to some amnesia of the muscle memory. How do you account for that crazy first half in the Kansas - NC game? Would Kansas win if they played again? Has Williams forgotten how to coach?

Seeing how bad NC looked in their game almost made me feel better. Don't get me wrong. Memphis looked fantastic and perhaps they could have beaten us on our best day. But I don't think we can throw away our system on the basis of one game - even (sadly) a tournament game.

by Offside on Apr 6, 2008 1:02 PM PDT reply actions

Man....

I woke up this morning and for about 2 seconds I thought it was all a bad dream. It wasn't. But for everyone posting how CBH should have done this or that, I say, go get a head coaching job and do it. It's like the movie Groundhog Day where the nurse tells Bill Murray "sometimes people just die" well, sometimes teams just lose.

Nice piece Nestor. Still it hurts. And There is NO shame it what our warriors did this season, NONE.

peace fellow Bruins.

Go UCLA!

by madmaxucla on Apr 6, 2008 1:09 PM PDT reply actions

Good Analysis

Nestor. Very good analysis of the game. Everyone makes so much of the difference between Memphis and us and uses hindsight as being 20/20. The game boiled down to a few key possessions and we came up short. Luc Richard, AA and JK shots at key times were killers. The bad part is that this was happening all year and we didn't get hurt, other than Texas and SC. I would rather have JS shooting and missing than those guys shooting. Obviously, nothing said at practice. Memphis like all other opponents was ready to fold, but we just couldn't make them nervous enough. JK's shot on that possession would have brought it to 2 or 3 and could have turned it at that point of the game. Not a complaint but observation. Did it seem like Memphis was going over our backs getting their hands on all those offensive rebounds? We get excellent position and this shouldn't happen. A couple of calls change everything. Lastly, DC is too good to get shaken. We needed his shot and he has to know that hitting the shot opens up K-Love. His dribbling too much hurts, but that's BH plan. SO, DC hits a couple of shots and scores 10, someone else takes LR, AA and Jk shots, a couple of over the backs and Memphis shots 60% from the line. Happened 35 times this year and we're playing Monday and no talk about how big and athletic and how they dominated us. They didn't.

Go Bruins... See everyone in Detroit in April.

by whittier71 on Apr 6, 2008 1:46 PM PDT reply actions

Bruin Pride

Couldn't post last night -- too tough to see the monitor through the tears. BUT they were tears of pride as much as disappointment. Still hurts just as much a day later, but the expression of pride amid adversity which I have encountered on BN today is the reason I joined this community, and why I refuse to be a "drive-by" poster who disappears simply because we didn't win it all. BN has taught me better than that and 66 and fox 71 brought it home again for me today (I often feel like they're channelling Coach himself). UCLA is a university of winners in every meaning of the word.

Major, major props to Nestor et al for providing detailed and eloquent analysis throughout another unforgettable Final Four run, even on "the morning after". And much respect for the outpouring of articulate commentary across this Nation since the game ended (just spent an hour reading every diary and post from last night and today -- solid diaries by 66, rye and royobruin, a moving tribute to LMR, and the comprehensive roundup of video from tele as usual, among many others). I may be a rookie poster but I long ago stopped going to the MSM for my Bruin sports news and analysis. The highest compliment I can give to this community is that BN has been set as my home page for three years of great memories.

It might be helpful to remember that our last banner was hung on the strength of seniors (Ed, Tyus, Zidek) who stuck around the full four. Had they turned pro after the '94 debacle (not sure that was an option), we wouldn't have that banner today. I'm not discounting Toby and Charles or Cameron, but that was a senior moment. I have little doubt that if KL and DC were to stay another year, we'd hang another (as we might have last year or this year had Jordan stayed another year, or AA, etc.)

I get that it's a different era, but my selfish hope (shared by many others) is that just one or two of our NBA-thinking players considers the legacy they might build with another year or two in the Blue and Gold. One reason I believe they actually might, beyond hanging that banner, is that they are student athletes, and there's no better place than UCLA for them. But I couldn't be prouder of them whatever road they choose next. Despite the clowns in the MSM (and thanks to BN), I get that the standard here is to compete for titles. I'm confdent that CBH will continue to reach that standard with every team he builds, and BN will continue to set the standard for college sports commentary.

Thanks again to BN for being the place to come to share the Bruin Pride.

Bruin For Life

by handyman on Apr 6, 2008 2:15 PM PDT reply actions

Same here

I had to avoid anything basketball (including the NBA), for that matter anything sports, last night. Even today. Don't know if I'm gonna watch the game tomorrow.

by Rich1996UCLA on Apr 6, 2008 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Yup.

It's baseball season. Dodger Stadium and Jackie Robinson Field for us now.

Oh yeah. We are a football school now too!

by Joe Bruin on Apr 6, 2008 6:15 PM PDT up reply actions

Other Sports

Don't forget the other spring sports. We have two #1 teams (softball and women's water polo), three other teams ranked in the top 4 (both golf teams and men's tennis), and three other teams ranked in the top 7 (both track teams and men's volleyball). We got to 100 wins with balance across the board- sounds like we might be adding to the total before the end of the school year.

by islandbruin on Apr 6, 2008 7:07 PM PDT up reply actions

love's next step

i think love's next step is to develop a mid-range jumper. He has good form as shown by his ability to hit three's but that's really not his game. If love is able to hit the mid-range jumper, he can really open up driving lanes when double teams come up as defenders will need to guard him farther out.

by eflyer on Apr 6, 2008 2:27 PM PDT reply actions

I thought he had one already.

by Chandler on Apr 6, 2008 11:36 PM PDT up reply actions

Think we really missed AA last night

It's stating the obvious but we would have been better off against Memphis with Arron out there, guarding CDR and giving us more pop on offense. Arron could have even guarded Rose. I hope we can see us step up our efforts in recruiting with these more versatile athletes, guys 6'5'' and above like Bozeman or Afflalo that can guard multiple positions. Memphis seemed to have alot of guys like that. I don't think there's anything wrong with our offense, they just shut our offense down with their personnel. We also can't ignore that even though UCLA was labeled the more experienced team, that Memphis is essentially a team of juniors and seniors (except for Rose). One more experienced guy on our team could have tipped the balance.

Even if Love and Collison leave, we should have enough juice to get back to the final four next year, and I don't see any teams that will be able to just flat out "out-talent" UCLA next year (does anyone else?). If Jrue Holiday has a Derrick Rose like impact (not as flashy, more meat and potatoes) and our frontcourt guys step up, we'll be in good shape. The key is getting Westbrook to stay. Westbrook and Holiday would be a very exciting backcourt.

by ucla21 on Apr 6, 2008 2:48 PM PDT reply actions

You and Handyman Make an Important Point

one I've been trying to make all year. We are a very young team.

Yes, we've had 3 Final Fours.

But, this line up has played together one year. I'm pleased with how well we played, as a team, in spite of this.

We had a major adjustment to make. For the first time, in years, we had a major big man. We've had to adjust to that all year and I'm certain were KL to stay, we'd be a lot better at using his talent (and that's not saying we didn't use it well this year.)

Tournament time is when the teams that have had the same line up for a few years look good. For one year. Then, when they lose their players, they don't show up for a while.

It is remarkable that CBH and this team have put together 3 incredible years with 3 very different teams -- each of which had different strengths and weaknesses based on the talent.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Apr 6, 2008 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Eligibility rules

I think they should let players who haven't used up all their college eligibility -- like AA and JF come back to play on their college teams for the Final Four. Wouldn't that be cool?

by Joe Bruin on Apr 6, 2008 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I Keep Thinking

yesterday wasn't real, just a bad dream. And the FF's actually this coming up week.

I'm going through withdraws.

by Rich1996UCLA on Apr 6, 2008 3:01 PM PDT reply actions

Final from Jackie Robinson Stadium...

UCLA 4
USC 2

And the Dodgers won as well.

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 6, 2008 4:07 PM PDT reply actions

The game

When DC went out with 4 fouls, i think Aboya had a good matchup. Someone had written that we would have fared better at times with a bigger lineup. i would have agreed with that.

I think the biggest improvement next year is outside shooting. We had none last nite. LRMM hasnt developed it. He s better at driving the ball against the power forward. JS hasnt been dependable. Collison has a great shot, no need to improve it, but last nite, he had to shoot over guys who were taller but almost, if not, as quick as he was (think Corey Brewer on AA). So he couldnt get a shot off, i think he tried once and it didnt go in.

We ll see how Jruuue changes our offense with an outside shot. And if Roll, who i havent been a fan of in terms of outside shooting, improves to the point of "automatic" given an unguarded moment.

by 8994 on Apr 6, 2008 4:44 PM PDT reply actions

Great Job. Now step it up!

After yesterday's pain, it was really helpful to click on Bruins Nation. A lot of your comments put things in great perspective and are appreciative of the effort and level of success of the last three years. I agree. Ben Howland has done more with less than any coach in college basketball. Matchups aside, the difference in physical talent showed. All Ben needs is a few more smart guys who can really play!

Great year, but we want more and better. It is now safe to say that recruiting needs to be stepped up. The current team has just two or three highly recruited players. Shouldn't UCLA be able to surpass that level? One difference on the other Final Four teams is they have successfully recruited the entire country, including the hotbeds of Chicago, NY, and California (or in the case of Memphis, the Eastern half of the country).

by bruinball47 on Apr 6, 2008 4:51 PM PDT reply actions

Recruiting already has improved

This year's team had one 5 star player.

This year's recruiting class has two 5 star players and is ranked #1 in the country.

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 6, 2008 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Call me old fashioned

but I would rather not recruit players who can't construct simple sentences, from Chicago or elsewhere. Ben Howland's players bring credit to the institution off the court. That should still count for something.

I agree that we could use more wing players with decent height to counteract what we saw last night. However, we should not stoop to the level of other so-called state institutions (Memphis and Florida) who import talent on a mercenary basis with no apparent thought for their education.

by islandbruin on Apr 6, 2008 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions

No Need to Over React

In my opinion, Howland got the most of the talent this season. Going 35-4 and making it to the Final Four with a team with only two healthy guards the entire season and no reliable wing player after Shipp is quite an accomplishment.

Sure, Howland should have switched DC off Rose earlier; it was fairly obvious that DC was not going to be able to keep Rose out of the lane. I also support the suggestion that DC should have been taken out in favor for a bigger player like JK as a change of pace. But would have it made a difference? Quite simply, Memphis, much like Florida the past two years, was too big, too strong and too athletic.

I wouldn't be surprised if Howland led the Bruins back to the FF next year despite the anticipated loss of KL and DC. If even RW also leaves, I would still think they would be favored in the Pac-10. But let's face it; the Bruins are a long way from having a roster loaded with the type of athletes as Memphis and Kansas.

richramus

by Rich Ramus on Apr 6, 2008 4:58 PM PDT reply actions

So, We Didn't Win It All...

Big deal.

We had a great year.

And we'll be back soon enough.

It feels so good to have a program again.

Can't wait until we can say the same thing about football.

With any luck, that will be sooner than later.

GO BRUINS.

by mcbruin on Apr 6, 2008 6:00 PM PDT reply actions

Media and the future

The media has been waiting for this game for weeks to jump all over Howland and his "ugly" system and with the so called "Buffalo Bills" of college basketball. There has been a lot of great posts about the MSM and their total lack of reality to what is actually happening with our program. Here is what I see about our program as a long time Bruin and former track athlete that was lucky to not only be able to go to UCLA but be on the 1987 and 1988 NC teams.

Trust in Howland. He is a great coach and will make the adjustments necessary to get back to the FF. Last year after walking out of the Georgia Dome I was disapointed but then I thought here we were in the FF with no inside scoring presence and this years team went 35 and 4 with only 3 guards!
The MSM is trying to say in so many words that CBH will never change and it could have an effect on recruits. Again they are so far away from reality it is hard to fathom. CBH will implement the best offense for the team that he has.
We have yet to have a complete team with no weaknesses. That being said we will need find the best recruits that will bring us to the next level. We have the great defense we just need to have a more consitant offense. Again trust Howland. With Holiday coming in and with our returing players the defense will be there we just need to shoot the ball better.

It will be an interesting next few weeks. I believe that we will find out pretty what KL DC and RW will do and to see if we will offer Renardo Sindney.

Lastly I slept well last night knowing the man in charge of this great program did not.

by Applegate on Apr 6, 2008 8:22 PM PDT reply actions

The Odds

Just to state the obvious.

A team can expect to win the championship 1 time every 4 times it reaches the final four. Statistically, CBH "should" have a 2-2 record instead of his "paltry" 1-3.

Compare that to the odds of actually making it to the final 4 and that puts things into perspective.

Let the MSM write their stories. They need to pay the bills just like everybody else. We and our UCLA educated warriors are smart enough to realize that the MSM are full of SC.

by Vegas on Apr 6, 2008 8:29 PM PDT reply actions

Criticisms Against Howland

While I'm sure Howland would be the first to note that some amount of criticism is always healthy, there are a few things that everyone should keep in mind.

First, yes, he has taken the team to three straight Final Fours, but hasn't won a championship. However, this was his first one-seed. In the first season he made the Final Four, the team was hit hard by injuries, and wasn't even expected to make it that far healthy!

Second, he did trade some defense this year to have a better offense, despite what many people are trying to say about his unchanging style (check out the playing time for Lo, who is a better defender than Love, Shipp, Aboya or Keefe).

Finally, he didn't try to create the offense through outside shots yesterday. The double teams on Love were effective, but many people are overlooking the real key to the loss: Memphis was the first team all year to render both Collison and Westbrook ineffective passers. There have been games where they didn't score much, but to see them with a combined 6 assists and 8 turnovers is rather unheard of. I think that is exactly what Memphis went into the game trying to do; they knew that if Douglas-Roberts and Rose could take DC and RW out of their normal games, Love wouldn't be a threat because he would never get the ball. Try to find a single instance where either of them missed an opportunity to get the ball inside. Howland and his players know much better than we do that the team needs to play inside-out, and that's what they tried to do last night. Credit Memphis's defense for Love's lack of touches, not Howland's strategy.

Anyway, I'm done venting. I just get frustrated when I hear unnecessary criticisms of Coach Howland. What he has done for the program is simply amazing. He may not be perfect, but he is the best coach in college hoops. Thanks to Howland and the team for yet another amazing season. GO BRUINS

by truebruin on Apr 6, 2008 8:48 PM PDT reply actions

We are the Bruin Family...

It's not just words. We on Bruins Nation are a family and are part of the larger Bruin family.

It's ok to be mad. It's ok to be upset. If we didn't bleed blue and gold this loss wouldn't hurt so much.

It's going to take me a long while to get over this game. This was our best chance of hanging that 12th banner in Pauley and now it's gone. I hope with all my heart that we can get there again next year. I just don't think that team will be as good as this one, unless Love, Collison and Westbrook decide to stay and I don't think they will.

I'm very proud of this team. I still believe that Coach Howland is the best around, but I believe there were adjustments that could have been made, (Especially Westbrook on Rose instead of Collison. Maybe try a zone.) and we didn't make them.

Let's not get down too much. We were still playing when all but three other teams in the nation had gone home and that is important to remember.

Go Bruins!

I may work with the Waves, but I'm still a Bruin!

by BlueWave on Apr 6, 2008 9:49 PM PDT reply actions

Totally agree with the match ups you suggested

I noticed when luc was shifted on to CDR and westbrook on rose, we were much better defensively. I agree that I don't think we'd necessarily have to bench dc, but in retrospect having him and shipp split time, and keeping another big like aboya or mata on the floor seems like it would have worked better. But if you've watched Collison and Howland for the last three years there is great respect between the two, and I can see (based on Collison's excellent past) why Howland chose to stick with his starting lineup for most of the game, even though it wasn't as effective in my opinion.

by stephons on Apr 6, 2008 9:56 PM PDT reply actions

This one really hurts

I was hoping it would be a bit better today, but it has sunk in even more. It's going to hurt for awhile. I decided to get through my emotions as much as possible and reflect before commenting. The attacks from the MSM and bloggers are inevitable. Many will say UCLA is the team that can't finish the deal. Coach Howland can't get them over the hump. These are the same who conveniently forget how many times it took coach K to bring home a banner. If I'm correct, I believe both coach K and Roy Williams coached their teams to four final 4s before winning a championship on thir fifth run. Getting to three straight is an unbelievable achievement. The UCLA basketball head coach will always have to contend with and be measured against the Wooden legacy and 11 national championships.

The turnovers were killers, especially the dropped balls, dribbling off shoes, etc. UCLA could have taken better shots and CBH could have swithed Collison off of Rose. The reality is, Bruins ran into a buzzsaw three years in a row, teams with incredible talent and athleticism. Memphis is dismantling teams right now. Calipari ran some great schemes which eventually left the Bruins frustrated and overwhelmed. The perimiter game wasn't clicking for several games down the stretch. Much is written about CBH being stubborn and unwilling to make changes. I think the offense can be tweaked to make improvements. Ultimately though, it's hard to argue that a coach should change his system after winning 97 games the last three years.

Losing Roll for the season was huge. It's incredible the team went this far without greater depth in the backcourt. We will have to anxiously await DC's, RW's and KL's decisions. Early departures are incredibly frustrating and part of me wonders if it will perpetuate the "missing piece" arguement leave UCLA just short of the ultimate prize. The incoming class is exceptional however. CBH's career has been amazing, turning around three programs. I do not believe he has hit the ceiling by any means, and will become an even better coach. It would be great to see Bruins land some exceptionally athletic bigs, but we know UCLA will be extremely competitive regardless. I have faith this coach will get us there. I wish I could personally congratulate the coaches and players on achieving some amazing accomplishments and thank them for another entertaining ride.

Thanks to all of those who have made exceptional posts and make each season all the more fun and exciting.

by Bruins095 on Apr 6, 2008 10:05 PM PDT reply actions

I never like repeating something I've already said

But I feel that some points I made some time ago are worth making again, because they express why even if we never got to another Final Four I wouldn't trade Ben Howland for another coach, even though I don't agree with all his decisions.

In that earlier post, I said that Coach Howland, the team, and every coach and every team on the campus, they owe us three things. They are:

First (1) (and I know not everyone agrees with this, and I know it is a complicated issue, but I stand by it 100&), our student-athletes owe it to us to be students as well as athletes. They owe it to us to go to class, try their best, and get an education. They also owe it to themselves; even though the commercials are sappy, almost all of them will not make it as pros. And they owe it to the program to leave it in good academic standing. I will note what Kevin Love said in the post-game press conference (and I hope he means it): "As of right now I'm a UCLA Bruin and I will be in class Monday." That made me even more proud of him, and of the type of player Coach Howland recruits.

Second (2), Coach Howland owes both us (as fans, taxpayers, and people committed to higher education), not only to support point 1, but also to run a clean program. I had other problems with Harrick, but this one should have been a no-brainer. Coach Howland, as far as I can tell, recruits solid citizens. And I would not trade that even if it meant ten championships in a row. I am not suggesting that he needs to recruit players who would stay four years (though as as educator I wish they would). But as long as we get good people like Collison, Love, Luc Richard, etc. I will never complain.

Third (3), Coach Howland owes it to us to be a good teacher, to have his players improve as athletes, and hopefully to grow as individuals and as citizens of UCLA, the nation, and the world. Similarly, he owes it to himself and to the program to improve as a coach. This was the biggest problem from the mid-80s through Lavin -- players did not improve (see poor Shon Tarver as a case in point), unless they had their own work ethic (see Ed O'Bannon as a case in point). And we all know Lavin didn't improve. Don't get me started on the Hazzard years. I love Howland's defensive coaching, and coaching in general for that matter. I personally think the offensive schemes could use some goosing. But I know Coach Howland will work on these issues. And even if they aren't the solutions I would choose (or certain recruits would choose), that makes no never mind to me, because I know Howland won't be standing pat. I have seen very few coaches who work as hard as Howland, both teaching and coaching (the combination is actually rare).

Those three things are all I ask of Coach Howland, the Varsity Basketball team, and any team on campus. And so far, they appear to have been met. Then, win or lose, I will be proud of my Bruins, as I am this year without question or hesitation. I do not expect a Championship every year, a Final Four appearance every year, even a Tournament bid (though I will of course be depressed every year that doesn't happen). But if the above three expectations are met, I will ALWAYS carry my head high, and be proud to wear school gear.

Go Bruins!

by BruinSinceBirth on Apr 6, 2008 10:34 PM PDT reply actions