UCLA In His (the Standard's) Head ...

by Nestor on Jun 22, 2008 9:25 AM PDT in Basketball Comment 6 comments

bruin8uclap has a FanPost up with some revealing comments from Lute Olson about one of his former recruit. On the frontpage we don't pay much attention to Arizona any more like we used to in the early days of BN. I guess we decided it is hard to keep up with "the Standard" of Pac-10 basketball.

Yet, I couldn't resist linking this "Q&A with Lute Olson" which had the following grafs in Lute's "own words":

On when he became concerned about the team:

"When I saw the UCLA game at UCLA," Olson said, referring to an 82-60 loss in Los Angeles on Feb. 2.

"It just looked to me like the spirit was gone. . . . When they're kids that you have recruited and you know them as I know them, you can read them like a book. I just didn't like the book I was reading. . . .

"There have been games - thank goodness, not many - that we lost like that in my 25 years here, but I don't think there was ever a game where I felt the kids had thrown the towel in.

"It wasn't just the style (of play). It just looked to me like the kids had really tossed in the towel. That was hard to watch."

Just a refresher for poor Lute.

What happened this year at Pauley:

Photo Credit:Richard Hartog/LA Times

Was not any different from what happened the year before (with Lute in charge):

Photo Credit: Daven Hill

Either way we are happy to have Lute back in Arizona.

I am sure it will be fun for the Bruin Den and rest of Pauley to enjoy another standard Ben Ball beatdown performance.

GO BRUINS.

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It's appropriate

The first UA-UCLA game I saw at Pauley featured the Mildcats running up the score on us in Lute’s typical classless fashion. I don’t recall their subs seeing all that much time in that game.

The last UA-UCLA game I saw as a student at Pauley featured the Bruins dishing it right back to the Mildcats, not only tearing up and demoralizing UA, but using the subs (walk-ons) early and often to finish the job. Ben Howland made the classy move that Lute could not, and still was rewarded with an embarrassing margin of victory to send the Cats back to the desert, tail between their legs.

by Tydides on Jun 22, 2008 10:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Classless and Foolish Comments

I’ve never been a Lute fan.

But, I always rooted for Pac 10 teams, including AZ, outside of the conference.

Until, Lute started spewing that crap, aimed at Howland, that we played boring basketball, that blue chippers would never come here, etc.

Funny, Howland has changed the entire conference. And, with NBA titles going to Detroit and Boston, both strong D teams, Howland’s players and players to be understand the value of the lessons he teaches.

Lute is an ant at the picnic. Let’s just brush him away and enjoy our feast.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Jun 22, 2008 11:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think it's a little thing called envy

As I pointed out before, Lute is a no-class crybaby. And I think a lot of the crap he spews aimed at CBH is because the old man is jealous. CBH is the class of the Pac-10, has taken the Bruins to three straight Final Fours and the national media is singing CBH’s praises as a tough defensive coach who has reshaped the run-and-gun flashy Pac-10 into a conference where you have to play defense.

Lute isn’t getting the love and people are beginning to see that the Mildcats in the 90s was more an abberation (due in large part to a void in Westwood, thanks to the Lizard) than the establishment of a legitimate, perennial contender. The old man is jealous, because for a long time in this conference, he was the Pac-10’s “Golden Boy” and annually winning the conference title. He’s lost his throne and he doesn’t like it.

And as much as it pains me to say it, Lute is right. There are blue-chippers who would never come to Westwood. Guys like Budinger, Bayless, and Jennings. Guys who are either too stupid to get into UCLA (and struggle with their Mildcat tests) or who don’t have the testicular fortitude to play Ben Ball defense. Yeah, Lute gets his blue chip guys. Guys who are interested in playing flashy basketball, running-and-gunning away.

That shit worked when Lavin was here. Because, well, it’s not hard to beat a team without a coach. But now that CBH has established defense as the cornerstone of winning the Pac-10, the Mildcats and their flashy crap just doesn’t work anymore.

Let Lute have the blue-chippers who would never come to UCLA. They’re the kind of kids who are more interested in playing flashy ball and making a name for themselves than playing tenacious defense and winning trophies.

by norcald503 on Jun 22, 2008 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lute the Coot Ranting and Raving

The guy really seems to have lost it.

What a blessing for our own beloved “Coach” to still be sharp as he approaches his own centenial.

by bru79 on Jun 23, 2008 10:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The UA game at Pauley was great

I had two AZ fans sitting right behind me, talking TONS of smack about how Budinger was going to light us up and how Love was totally overrated and got all the calls from the refs.

Once the game started they were silent. After Love hit that last second 3 and then moments later had that baseline one handed jam, they left Pauley. It was beautiful!

by RealisticBruinFan on Jun 23, 2008 9:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

How Embarrassing For AZ.

Lute has totally lost it, and is now literally attacking young recruits who can smell the crazy on him and are savvy enough to get the heck away from him. I don’t suppose Lute felt he was going back on any (ahem) commitments to his wife or his own team when he took an entire year off to get a divorce?

Thanks just for being you, Coach Howland.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Jun 24, 2008 3:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs