DC, JS, PAA - Thanks for Everything
by Tydides on Mar 21, 2009 12:51 PM PDT
in Basketball
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PrintAnd so we close the book on 3 straight Final Fours as the Bruins lose to Villanova in the second round 89-69 (box score). It is a shame that our three seniors that have given their all for UCLA have to go out like this so far from home in front of a hostile crowd, but the NCAA Tournament can be cruel in that way. Shipp had 18, DC 15, and Aboya 9 and 8 in their final games as Bruins. Thanks for everything guys. We will miss you.
Bilas and Enberg said a little about this near the end of our game, but CBH made it a point to recruit winners and we're seeing off the last of that first group of winners. In some ways there is nothing surprising here - 3s beat 6s, especially when the 3 is playing at home, but it doesn't make it any less disappointing that the Bruins will no longer be a part of March Madness.
All year long we struggled to defend the way that CBH teams of the past have defended, and this proved to be our undoing here, which is again not a particularly surprising conclusion.
Congratulations are in order to Villanova, who came out and played with fire and intensity. They had a great afternoon shooting from the outside, and in the end, that's just too many fires to put out with all their interchangable guards (I still don't know any of their names), especially for a defense that struggles to recover from traps and double teams. I know there's a tendency for us as fans to try and internalize these problems, but I think that's the wrong mentality. Villanova was the better team and that's where it starts and ends. Hats off to them.
In retrospect, yes, this was a rebuilding year. It's not something we wanted to acknowledge during the season and making a run at the Pac 10 Title again, but it's true. We always hoped we could patch up our problems and maybe piece together a run, but the holes left by the 4th, 5th, and 37th overall picks in the NBA draft (all of whom start for their respective teams in the NBA) in the end proved too large to fill.
We will be back, and hopefully we will be bringing Jrue with us. I know that the draft is tempting, but Russell Westbrook never got the chance to hone his PG skills in college and he was fortunate to be drafted by a team that was willing (and has no other choice really) to live with his turnovers from that position. In the NBA, the point is not necessarily to be drafted high. The point is to stick around in the league, past your first contract, which generally doesn't happen on the bench. Not all players are so lucky. If he comes back, he runs the show. Period. We obviously have high hopes for our other freshmen: Anderson, Lee, Gordon, and Bobo. Remember: the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.
Roll will return, another gutty veteran who has given his all. Keefe will be back, and will hopefully flip the switch the way Aboya did this year. Dragovic made some great strides in his defense from last year and will be back (hopefully). He may have been the weak link in the starting 5 which earns him some comments, but we have to remember how he started out on that end of the floor. I hope he continues his improvement at that rate over the summer. And of course we welcome a whole new group of freshmen: Anthony Stover, Mike Moser, Tyler Honeycutt, Brendan Lane, and Reeves Nelson. They will be freshmen too, and I hope we remember to be patient with them the way we were (mostly) patient with this year's group.
Rebuilding is a process, and while the depletion of our roster to the NBA was exposed many times this season, the cavalry is coming. Next year, the "Baby Bruins" moniker will return, and I'm already stoked.
So we go with the same painful refrain that 63 fanbases and teams will hang onto when this is all over: Wait till next year (or till Spring Football)
GO BRUINS!
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I think Roll is my new favorite Bruin
Next year he’ll be the last of the Savior Class. As always, I’ll be rooting for UCLA to win the title, but I’ll be rooting extra-hard just for him.
Yes!
He always seems calm and classy. I’m a big fan of Michael Roll. And I really do hope Jrue Holiday comes back. I bought his jersey for the year and it’ll be a shame to hang it up after wearing it for only one year.
And I had high hopes for Drew Gordon and Malcolm Lee, and I still do.
Tough loss but we have to appreciate what our seniors have done
really they made UCLA back into a consistent national contender.
man im going to miss them
4 years of tough effort and 4 years of never letting me down with their effort.
its going to be weird without them…
On the other hand its going to fun to see a team that basically has a fresh start.
We just got beat by a better team
1. They are more athletic at virtually every position.
2. They played with intensity
3. They played at home.
It makes it a bit easier to handle this loss knowing points 1 &3 – the cards were really stacked against us. Our only shot to win this one was if they came out flat, which they didn’t. Credit Nova, they are quick, athletic, and tough
fresh start
Exactly. Watch Nestors fanshot video of Jrue,DC, and scotty Hopson before the season. Kind of depressing and weird to think that was before our first game ever took place.
Just curious
I don’t know how but I’m sure the managers of this site do.
Can you guys put up a poll on whether you think Jrue will come back for next season?
I will miss these 3 seniors
To see them develop into solid players and people over 4 (5 for JS) years was a treat for all of us Bruin fans. A big thank you to all 3 of you for the great memories that you’ve created for us at BruinNation.
JH please come back and lead this team next year, it will benefit all parties involved. I have no doubt if you do come back, you will be a top 5 pick in 2010
if he comes back
Coach has to give him some freedom to create his game
He largely gives that freedom to DC
And he did for Jordan Farmar. I see no reason why he wouldn’t trust Jrue.
Then I'm ready for next season
Come back jrue, let’s work on rebounding, old school ben howland defense, and we’ll be wibni g the PAC 10 and going deep in the tournament next march
VINTAGE CBH DEFENSE!
agree, we seriously have to teach our Baby Bruins that “vintate CBH defense!”
freedom has been given, but...
This was a great column, Tydides. I think as much as we all hated to believe, it was a rebuilding year, and a hell of one it was seeing as we were within one game of winning our conference. Like all of you out there in the nation, I hope Jrue comes back and is running the point. The thing that still scares me (and I echo what Nestor said about how great coach is and how, no matter what, we wouldn’t want any other) how stubborn CBH was this year. His offense was a perfect match for big, strong guys like Love, Afflalo, & Co. Big bodies who could grind it out in the half court and just flat out overpower you to the bucket. The only person on this years team that fits that philosophy is Shipp (I’m assuming Bobo will to, as soon as he gets some more conditioning under his belt). Other than that, we have a bunch of gazelles that love to fly up and down the court. Hopefully part of that freedom you spoke of includes us being able to lace up the track spikes from time to time!
For the 1000th Time
Our offense was fine. One of the top ranked in the nation. Our D failed us this year.
This “CBH is stubborn” stuff is pure crap.
sjh
class breakdown
obviously our downfall came from a young class trying to fill up some major shoes that left for the NBA…can someone chart out how many freshmen, soph, juniors, seniors will be on the team next year?
any of our recruits big men that will fill in the big hole that is our center position?
Thanks for everything DC, JS, PAA! True warriors!
middle of the class
our 2 juniors didn’t play big role this season….did they?
I wish Roll played more. I think he's got "it".
by harveyismyboy on Mar 21, 2009 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions
well 1 junior...
drago did, keefe didn’t contribute as much…but with PAA leaving, I hope Keefe will step up…but he doesn’t have the physical play that PAA had…rebuilding year…but in Coach we trust!
Keefe
had a phenomenal tournament game last season, no? I see no reason he can’t grow into that fully if he’s given an entire year to be the guy. I don’t know why he didn’t step up this year, it was his job coming out of camp to hold onto.
by Seanny Rotten on Mar 21, 2009 1:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Nor did
Westbrook, Stanback, and Love.
I don’t think Howland expected the former 2 to bolt.
by SuperBruinMan on Mar 21, 2009 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions
true, though I believe he expected a guard to leave.
Only it was expected to be DC. As much as I love DC, having Jrue running the point, with Westy at the 2 might have led to a better lineup, certainly a more physically imposing backcourt.
Depends on how you define big
I would say we have 3 in Stover, Honeycutt, and Lane.
And the other guys are 6’7".
as shown by Villanova
you don’t need a middle presence…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
If you mean are we getting another KLove?
No. We aren’t. Josh Smith is a 2010 recruit that according to all sources has a very big interest in UCLA and he’s a center.
no a big presence like a KLove
but even when we have LMR it forced teams to alter shots in the post.
Morgan and Gordon are big time shot blockers
And so is Stover. And Lane had 10 blocks in his high school championship game last night
Forgot to add
That Honeycutt is highly regarded as a shot blocker too, and he plays the 3
pretty close
He was close to half a foot taller than his next nearest opponent, and had a beast of a game underneath at 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks
Stover probably averages 10 blocks
I saw him recently and he had seven, plus there were 3 times where a player got the ball alone next to him, stared at him for a few seconds and promptly passed.
by SuperBruinMan on Mar 21, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Wings
The missing component during the CBH era has been athletic wings with length. We saw today what it can mean to a team like Nova. They are quicker or bigger than whomever is assigned to guard them. In addition, on defense, they can switch without creating a big mismatch.
We saw how effective Ced and Luc were being able to guard multiple positions. Shipp was the only guy that was able to take the ball strong to the rack. ML, Moser, Honeycutt and Reeves are in this mold. I’m looking forward to seeing what type of impact they will have not only defensively but on offense as well.
I love CBH but he needs to loosen up and develop a bench during the season. If you thought we were young this year, we’ll be a hell of a lot younger next year. The cubs need to be broken in. Let them make their mistakes so they can be more prepared come March. The youth may be a blessing in disguise if handled correctly because expectations will not be as high (msm) considering the core that brought UCLA back to national prominence has now finished their college careers.
Really looking forward to next season and beyond.
They might not be ready in practice, but getting them into a game can show them just how much work they need, and practice never replaces game time. I completely agree on taking more risks early in the season, developing your young players.
Moser is a prototype for the athletic wing you speak of reign.
by harveyismyboy on Mar 21, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm high on Moser
but he lacks an outside shot right now and it is asking a lot of a True FR to make such a huge impact. Same goes for the other FR coming in. I think we (in general) got spoiled with seeing a KL, Beasley, Rose, Mayo, Harden, Griffin, etc. come in and dominate the college game. JH was a victim of such this year. It is really tough to make the jump from HS to major D1 ball.
We’re getting the wings though. Guys like Brewer, Douglas-Roberts, etc. have killed us.
I know he wasn't CBH's recruit
but a wing guy like an Ariza?!
Ariza
Even now still isn’t a developed offensive player
Ariza
a guy like Ariza would be a great fit for a Nova and Memphis whose O is predicated on dribble drive penetration. CBH runs a more methodical offense with a lot of set plays and seeks to get in transition when possible. Thus, a guy like Ariza who fits the mold still needs to be able to hit the perimeter J.
We’ll see if the young guys are going to be able to do so. I expect ML to be a huge contributor next year. If you remember, CBH mentioned ML’s ability to shoot from the outside prior to his arrival. He has a good stroke but needs to make it more consistent. Also, needs to slow down which the game will, with more experience.
He reminds me so much of Westbrook sometimes
When he gets that head of steam going, he has made up his mind.
It's the arms
their length. Scouts put more credence on wing span as opposed to height. Just don’t be like Byron Houston and end up being a 6’4 PF. :D
having a big butt helps
Worked for Charles Barkley
I can't completely agree with you
This year we have Tyreke Evans, and Demar Derozan starting to make strong impacts.
This year Jrue didn’t contribute as much, which just goes to show how far pure athleticism / barrel through the defender type will take someone, as opposed to the traditional skill-based / body control player.
that's what i hate to admit
our freshmen class didn’t step up considering how high they were rated and how the other freshmen really stepped up, then again, within CBH’s system this year with the senior play that he had, JH probably didn’t fit in quite as well yet…next year he might get more play whereas the other schools had no choice…i.e. SUC had no choice but to play Demar Derozan…
yes and no
Evans and DeRozan might’ve been rated as high as Jrue, but they were rated for different things. Jrue was rated for having a complete game, Evans and DeRozan for their NBA-ready athleticism. Add on the fact that Jrue is playing out of position, where the real shine in his game is in his point guard ability, and i don’t think we got to see Jrue play up to the same potential
so with so many uncertainties
gonna be exciting to see next season…good or bad…we’ll be watching for potential
I completely agree with you
My main point is that it is not unreasonable to expect freshmen to play well. Tyreke Evans wasn’t performing until he was rotated to the correct position by Calipari.
Few and far
Look at the ratings from scout. Not many are taking the college basketball world by storm. http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&pid=88&yr=2008
JH has made a strong contribution to the team but I think a lot of the disappointment in people is that he didn’t “Dominate”. People were hearing “1 and done” and just assumed that he would be another Rose, KL, etc.
DD and Tyreke as blink noted are different players in different situations. Both DD and Tyreke struggled early in the year until getting some momentum at the end.
Tyreke has TOTAL freedom from Cal and everything runs through him. Our O does not go through JH. It’s a lot harder for kids to learn to play off the ball as opposed to having the ball in their hands.
NBA drafts on potential with JH has plenty of. However, I would tell him to come back. If he wants to be another Gerald Green or another hyped kid that doesn’t stick in the NBA, then that is up to him. Westy would be the best example of why he needs to come back. From FR to Soph, Westy made exponential improvements.
My Heart Goes Out
To the seniors. I know this isn’t how they wanted their last game to end. Still, I couldn’t help but smile when the freshman took the floor for the last three minutes. We all knew that this team was what is was after the WSU game, and I am not surprised that this game was such a blowout. The bottom line was that even with 3 seniors starting and DC returning, this was a rebuilding year. We have a very talented group of freshman, but as we saw today, they are still freshman. This year has never been about a national championship or a final four, and I think the criticism against Howland this year is completely unwarrented. Our team this year is comprised mainly of freshman and former bench players, and us making it this far is a true testament to CBH’s skill. He now has his next core of starters in place (hence the reason I smiled), and I think with them the future looks even brighter than the JF, AA, KL days
thanks sideout!
I was going to say but we have 3 seniors…but it’s true these 3 for the most part started out as bench players that became starters as more talent left. I hope they all find success…
Same here
Aboya really stepped up huge this year and I salivate at the thought of him being able to play like that from the 4 and not the 5. Still, he played his heart out as did all of the seniors and I will always be grateful to them for what the did here
Nice intro T
Agree with the hats off to Nova. They looked very good today. Hopefully they are good and it wasn’t just us making them look that way.
Looking forward to the Baby Bruins next year. Remember 81’ with Holton, Foster and Daye starting as freshman. Maybe history will come full circle next year.
I hope they get to the NC game or something
that would make me feel a little better…
You'll forget
as soon as we tip off in the winter. I wouldn’t expect next year’s team to get too deep in the tourney.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I am exciting about next year
I am proud to be a Bruin because every year i get to enjoy all UCLA sports, especially basketball. Next year will be a new chapter, and I am sure we are all encouraged about the newcomers. The only thing I hope Coach Howland should be considering is to teach the kids to play zone as well. This year I truely felt that we could get better results by playing zone.
It would be interesting to see
A match up zone like asu’s implemented. Coach howland’s protege at pitt uses a zone at times
No one will fault CBH
if he makes some changes to his schemes. I hope he can lose some of this stubbornness.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
We had another stubborn coach
He refused, absolutely and unequivically, to use a zone. He won several NCAA championships, and has a court named after him and his wife. He was really stubborn about that zone business. He was stubborn in lots of other ways, too.
I’m sure you heard the story about how the full court zone press got implemented. It was actually Jerry Norman’s idea, and Coach didn’t want to do it. Finally, he got his mind changed (not so stubborn) and it worked wonders. To me, stubborn is not changing one’s mind for arbitrary reasons. I suspect that Coach Howland will change things if and when he’s convinced he needs to make a change. I think he’s convinced, not stubborn.
Except for 1968
In the ’68 Final Four, Coach Wooden put a diamond-and-one on Elvin Hayes, and the Bruins beat Houston by 36. It avenged a 2-point loss in the Astrodome earlier in the season. Coach never had to use a zone—other than the zone press—because his talent was so vastly superior and so much better prepared. BTW, it was weird for this Bruin fan seeing Nova use the 1-2-1-1 at 3/4 court against the Bruins. In maybe 1965, SI ran a cover story about the Bruin zone press, called something like, “Can anybody beat the UCLA zone press?” The answer was generally no.
I agree
that in situations like this year or against super-athletic teams it would be nice to see a little zone, but the bottom line is that man-to-man is still the most effective way so stop a team, and with the right player in place no one is better at that than CBH. He just didn’t have those right players this year
Correct on the players
Man to man is a fine defense, but we simply didn’t have the personnel this year. It became obvious when you consider that our best defenders the last 3 years were Afflalo, Farmar, Westbrook, Luc and even Bozeman, and all of them had length or athleticism or size (and downright tenacity) at their positions, which allowed them to dominate in man to man.
It’s probably true that this year, we could’ve used the zone defense, as we were often mismatched defensively at various positions from game to game, but as we get more athletes through recruiting, it might not be necessary
Disagree
Man to man is fine when you are playing a team that plays a standard offense. But when a team plays a spread it out offense like Nova did today, where they spread everyone out then penetrate and kick, the easiest way to stop that is with a 2-3 zone. I’m not saying that we would have won if we played a zone, but basketball scheme matchups would indicate that. It wasnt the players fault as much as our overall defensive scheme meeting an offense that it is ill suited for. Memphis used the same offense to kill us last year as well.
Mixed emotions about the game.
I had to miss it (unavoidable obligation) and am glad that I didn’t have to watch us get beat by 20, but I’m sorry I didn’t get to see our guys one more time.
I think we did a whole lot better than we realistically should have, given that we lost three guys as high NBA draft choices. But we have the new constant – Coach Howland. I have complete confidence that we will never be embarrassed about any team he puts out on the floor, which is certainly more than could be said for what took place previously.
I know we lost a lot of players
and specifically, key players. But Memphis and Kansas also lost as many players and are doing well. I think perhaps Westbrook’s departure took Howland off-guard, and Bobo developing slowly proved quite detrimental.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Yeah
No doubt…that one took many by surprise…no way CBH expected him to leave early. Guess he taught him too well!
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I think for the most part, aside from KLove
the others weren’t really expected to leave so early…but I’m sure we’re glad they did, they’re all doing well
victim of our own success
Let’s face it, if you show that much success in college, you’re going to lose a lot of guys to the NBA now. I love how hard our seniors played, but let’s also be real – their games weren’t as complete as those we lost to the NBA, and it’s hard to expect them to step it up to the next level in their very last year especially when the rest of the team is young
Many thanks DC, JS, and PAA for so many great memories ...
but more importantly, thanks for representing our university with such grace, class, and dignity. Forever Bruins!
I'll add a third to that, too.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
I also like to thank the great job our posters did all year
like Nestor, Class of 66, Blinkshot, Tydides, and Rye, just to name a few. Please keep up the good work! Watching the game with the knowledge of you guys’ comments have added a lot more excitement to the game. Thanks agian.
Glad I read the previous posts
before commenting. Of course, we must acknowledge our Seniors and all that they have accomplished. I am still disappointed at the margin of Nova’s win, but all we can do is congratulate them. We got stomped. Literally.
As for next year, the young talent just has to develop, especially at center. And of course it can. I have often thought that we could use a zone at times, for specific situations, but I am more than happy to leave the coaching to Ben Howland and his staff, so I will not beat on that dead horse. As always, Go Bruins!
I'm sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine
We were not “literally” stomped. Chase Budinger was literally stomped early this season.
TY JS, DC and PAA!
You’ve always carried yourselves with class on and off the court. I can’t imagine the disappointment you guys are feeling at this time knowing your pursuit of a NC and your careers at UCLA are over. Only NC banners are hung in Pauley but know that you will not be forgotten but will always be remembered as great Bruins.
ARGH!
That hurt to watch. That being said, Villanova did an incredible job sending guys to the glass. I couldn’t believe how many offensive rebounds they pulled down. That was the difference in my opinion.
Much thanks and appreciation goes out to our seniors for giving their all, playing with their hearts like they do. You guys are the best!
A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden
experience counts!
we know Coach is incredible if the players have more years under their belt. Look at where he took Lavin’s team in a year…I think we’ll be back once our Baby Bruins get more experience and become more poised and composed under pressure.
This loss will hurt
Not for the program, but it hurts because now for a year we’re going to have to hear idiocy from BSPN or other MSM like Bill Plasschke talk crap about the program. Not to mention all of those people across town spouting their nonsense about their gap-closers that cheat on to recruit.
In terms of player personnel, next year’s incoming freshmen will be bigger than this season. There seems to be much more balance in the number of guards and forwards. Now they have to improve on their games. There are no clear-cut leaders for next season, so any and all positions will be open. Open competition will bring out the best in the current players and the incoming freshmen. Hopefully that will translate to the players playing the trademark Ben-ball defense that we did not see enough of this season.
Looking forward to hearing what CBH has in store for the team at his next event with the alumni.
Good stuff again guys
But really, is Drago coming back? Everything I’ve heard from other outlets points to him going pro in Europe. Losing him means we likely lose the entire starting five (and thank goodness for Keefe and Roll)
Where have you heard these outlets?
I know supposedly his family has financial troubles, but he’s also been stated he wants to complete his degree. Obviously, family comes first though so I’d understand his situation
Might have been BRO?
It was tied to the family’s issues, not his desire to leave. And to be frank, in this economy, even though I’d love him to stay, he’s gotta do whats right for his family. I’d LOVE to be wrong here though too
by bruinhopeful on Mar 21, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Not sure
but if Drago comes back, I definitely feel he will get drafted and get a shot in the NBA. He has a skill that usually results in getting paid. ie Kapono, Bonner, Bullard, Novak, etc.
He could be on the verge of an NBA look
IF he improves his defense. People say all the time that NBA players don’t play it, but that’s only partially true. They are, by default, better at defending than college players. You have to meet that baseline requirement before any team will give you a look.
NBA players play defense
but outside of insane athletic players, it’s hard to guard an NBA offense. I don’t think Collison, for example, will be a good NBA defender even though he was a very good college defender
Probably
He’s going to see some big guards that are very fast and is going to struggle. That hasn’t stopped teams from using players his size though. It depends on the defensive system his team runs.
Well, Westbrook would be a better defender in any defensive system. I think Collison definitely has NBA game, just illustrating how hard it is to defend in the NBA. The rules favor offensive players in general (e.g. in charging/blocking, it’s much easier to get a blocking call than a charging call) and it’s hard for ANYONE to defend going to go up against Rose, Williams, Paul, Parker, etc. etc.
So true
never really understood that. It isn’t that NBA players don’t defend, it’s the fact that NBA players finish almost everything and are a lot better offensive players than college kids. A guy like Kurt Thomas was dominant in college but is a spot up shooter in the NBA.
He'll be back
By all accounts, Drago loves college at UCLA. He plays intramural water polo, has a girlfriend here, and seems to get along well with everyone on the team. Also, thik about it like this, if he really wanted to go pro in Europe, he would have never come to UCLA to begin with. He was on his national team for 5 years and played for a club (thats why he was ineligible for some of his freshman year) before coming here and could have easily jumped to Euro pro ball if he wanted to. Besides, with how much he improved this year, if he has a solid year next year he could be playing in the NBA where the paychecks are much nicer than the ones in Europe.
I don’t think UCLA offers IM waterpolo?
by thisismitchell on Mar 22, 2009 12:33 AM PDT up reply actions
I'll never forget
the first time I saw DC, I was actually rooting against him in a championship game. Of course this was in high school and he put up IIRC 14 points and won the state championship game against my high school. 4 years later and I’m a senior again, this time at UCLA, and I can honestly say I will never love or appreciate a senior class anymore than I do this one. Since I came into UCLA I’ve watched this class grow, get better, and put everything they have into this team, and it tears me up. I can’t wait to see what team DC lands on next year.
GO BRUINS!
Thanks DC JS AA!
It would have been a cool for them to get UCLA the 100th NCAA tournament win in Philly (the inspiration for the 100s bills with Benjamin Franklin on one side and Independence Hall on the other side) because whenever they see their 100s bills in their wallet(Does anybody doubt that these guys will be successful in whatever endeavors they chose after fours years of coaching from CBH) they would be reminded of the good times at UCLA. Hopefully, 100s bills dont remind of this loss. No, I dont want to go back to Philly to get trivia/history fact reminder now.
Yeah, I like ML and DG as a good young core for this team. They will bring a new physical with speed D back to UCLA.
Thanks again! Go Bruins!!!
Hopefully, we schedule more better teams and earlier games as a result of this year. Better to play them in the regular season than in the NCAA tournament.
I disagree for next year
We’re going to have a lot of question marks to figure out about our own team, and these guys will need some time to feel each other out. We might as well schedule “warm body” games for that time period because a difficult team wouldn’t benefit us a whole lot more than an easy one at that point.
Yes
Preseason schedule is going to be SUPER interesting. But it’s still going to be a fun ride as always
by bruinhopeful on Mar 21, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Again with this?
We had Michigan, Texas, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and would have had Duke if we had beat Michigan. You want tougher opponents than that? ND underachieved this year. That’s a pretty tough slate buddy. Stop spewing nonsense.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
+1 also, since Michigan and Texas were true away games
not simple preseason tourney ones
by bruinhopeful on Mar 21, 2009 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes
We didn’t have Michigan State (that was two years ago) and we didn’t have Duke. Michigan didn’t look like a strong game until we actually lost to them which propelled their season. Notre Dame tanking was unforeseeable and playing at Texas was our toughest challenge. But other than that we had about about 10 gimmes at home of which the most impressive turned out to be CSUN. It was that lack of a signature win that really dropped us down so far in the seeding and location.
People whining about scheduling
If you want to bring up tired topics and scheduling … that has been debated here over and over again … take it to a messageboard or call in the local talk radio to bitch about it.
Consider that a warning. Thanks.
Our schedule definitely hurt is this year, but it isn't CBH's fault
unless you consider Notre Dame and Texas underachieving his fault. Had those two teams lived up to expectations then our schedule would have been fine. It was just bad luck that our two marquee opponents came up short. The only quibble I had with this year’s schedule is the DePaul game because they were always going to be so bad that no good came of the game, but that’s a minor quibble. Howland’s scheduling system works so long as his two major opponents don’t come up massively short.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 22, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
One more job left for me to do now...
root against SUC on Sunday…sorry PAC-10 fanatics who want to see the PAC-10 represent…
Now that we lost
I really hope Arizona, ASU, and UW advance. But USC I hope gets beat by 50.
I'm a fairweather NCAA Tournament fan now
Don’t really care about it now that we’re not in it. Guess I’ll be watching the NBA now.
Sad to see DC go out like that
As brilliant as DC was at UCLA, I am so bummed that he had to go out with such a terrible performance in his last few games due to that nasty fall.
Think it might have really hurt his NBA stock…I mean many called him one of the best guards in college and doing this bad on national TV the last few games…sucks
He has enough of a resume
to negate that stuff hopefully. CBH will stick up for him and let them know how injured he was the last few games.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
saddest part about it...
was that it had to be in such a blow out game. poor guy i really wanted to see his usual flare his last two games. gotta love the dc floater
by millikinbruin on Mar 21, 2009 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Do you remember how much we were up by in that game?
I think it was like 15 or something. We should really not have had him in …
Memphis with a 29 point lead over Maryland
after Vasquez (Maryland) said Memphis finish be “in the middle of” the ACC
Vasquez is an ass
I really don’t like the guy and I’m glad his team is getting destroyed.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I really hope Howland isn't too conservative in our lineup next year
while our freshmen and sophomores will all likely be very raw, they have much more “upside” than the current upperclassmen. Playing our underclassmen more will give them valuable experience that they won’t get in practice. If we lose a few games as a result of that, it will pay off in the second half of the year. If we lose more than a few games as a result o fthat, it’ll still pay off the year after.
Dokein…completely agree. The young players need to get game experience, make mistakes and then learn from them. Let’s face it…come tournament time, the whole team will benefit from the playing time that the youngsters will get during the regular season.
Now, if we can address the offense. This is a definitely a dilemma. The three years prior to this one, the player personnel allowed the Bruins to get deep in the tournament until meeting more athletic and versatile teams. This year, the offensive system bogged down in games against ASU, UW and then USC in the Pac-10 Tourney. I know that loss to USC was impacted by DC’s health and a motivated Trojan squad, but CBH needs to implement some variations to the offense. After the ball makes its way around the court, it seems more often times than not, a high pick for DC was the only answer we had with the shot clock winding down. The 3 seasons prior to this, that worked until the Final Four. This year, it was painful to watch as teams knew what was coming. Do I have the answer? Heck no! That job is for CBH and his staff. After last year’s Final Four loss, I believe I read and heard that some changes in the O were coming but I didn’t see much change this year. I know a lot of that has to do with the players this year, but I am very hopeful and supportive of CBH and that some change will come…we’ll see! I wish nothing but the best to this year’s Bruins players and for those players next season!
by BigAggie2166 on Mar 21, 2009 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions
i hope Honeycutt starts right away
i see him as a LRMAM type, but better offensively.
What Tydides said
And no need to mope around here … the beat goes on here in Bruins Nation.
See you guys sometime tomorrow.
GO BRUINS.
I'm looking forward to this program in the next 1-3 years
Howland went to 3 final fours with a series of players that weren’t ranked in the very top of their class. When our current batch of players get developed, we have the potential to go really, really, far.
When's that Kick-Off Countdown Clock Gonna Start?
A couple of seasons ago, you guys had it on the Home Page Banner.
When’s it gonna start?
Can it return there?
Go Bruins!
(Yeah, I’m done with Coach Howland for now. I’ll let him to get work.)
Hi Tydides
My Webster’s Collegiate says: Stomp(Stamp) “to extinguish or destroy by or AS IF by stamping with the foot.” That’s what it looked like to me. No offense to your sensibilities intended.
Dictionary definitions
aren’t always literal.
by SuperBruinMan on Mar 21, 2009 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Even under that definition
You STILL meant “figuratively”. In what way do you extinguish someone with your foot in basketball? I can’t believe I have to explain this.
There was only one disturbing post game comment
That’s still kind of gnawed at me. That was that we don’t practice the press. Well, the press isn’t exactly like playing zone D, and I think it’d be a nice tool to have in our belt, especially against teams that are out of control on the handling.
Pressing in this game could not be effective
as we Geezers, who saw Coach use the press every game, have pointed out in several threads, to press you have a “stopper” under the basket to stop easy scores when someone breaks the press.
In this game, all of our potential stoppers had too many fouls to do so. At one time, JS with 4 fouls was playing deep. When they broke the press and came straight at him, he was helpless.
I do believe we have the talent to press — if we practice it BUT it’s not something the Caretaker wants to do. This is his team, he’s done an incredible job with it, and if he doesn’t want to press, we should not press.
sjh
Josh, Alfred, Darren...
Thank you so much for your hard work, sacrifice, enthusiasm and unselfishness. You have been exciting, thrilling, exemplary Bruins. I am so proud you chose my alma mater, and I am looking forward to following your brilliant futures.
I will truly miss each of you, very much. Thank you.
Love My Bruins
OMG! I'm rooting for John Brockman.
He is having a monster game — but it may be too little too late.
sjh
I don't know if this has been posted yet
But according to dohn. He spoke with holiday after the game and as of right now he is leaning towards coming back
Can't Wait for Next Season
First, and unrelated to the title of this post, I wouldn’t put any money on anything that Doh! says. We should let JH make up his mind in peace (we can’t change it anyway). Whichever way he goes, more power to him.
As to the title of this post, the Wall Street Journal (of all places) did an analysis of the most common factors for teams which reach the final four. Their conclusion- be seeded in top 4 in region, play opening rounds and regional finals within 1 time zone of your home, go deep in your conference tourney, be ranked in top 25 in defense, be ranked in top 50 in offense.
Obviously, the George Mason’s of the world will sneak in from time to time, but the above would more likely than not be roadsigns.
Looking back at 2006, we were a 2 seed, played our games in San Diego and Oakland, won the Pac-10 tourney, were 28th in offense (per Pomeroy) and 3rd in defense.
In 2007, we were a 2 seed, played our games in Sacramento and San Jose, got bounced in the first round of the Pac-10 tourney (only factor we did not hit), were 23rd in offense and 2nd in defense.
In 2008, we were a 1 seed, played our games in Anaheim and Phoenix, won the Pac-10 tourney, were 7th in offense and 3rd in defense.
This year, we were a 6 seed, played in Philadelphia, got bounced in the second round of the Pac-10 tourney, were 3rd in offense and 40th in defense.
My contention is that the defensive stat said it all this year, and could say it all (in a positive way) next year. The longer our players are taught by CBH (and he is a teacher), the more effective our defense is.
This year, there were just too many holes to fill, and they could not be filled by players with the benefit of only limited time with CBH. As these players mature and learn from him, we will see results.
With a return to our recent defensive efficiency, everything else would fall into place. We would have a better record, which would translate to a better seed and which would also take away any pretext for the NCAA powers to be to send us packing across country.
And this has nothing to do with playing zones, or whatever else. It has everything to do with the players absorbing CBH’s lessons of toughness and tenacity, and getting it done on the defensive side of the ball.
There is no better coach to keep us on the path to glory than CBH. In Ben we trust.
saw that article also...
loving their new sports page. More useful information there than in most major newspapers. I think you are right about the time in the system factor. But that fact will hurt us next year. Maybe 2011 is our year.
by 84 on Mar 21, 2009 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Two very close games finishing up
Gonzaga has a 2 point lead over Western Kentucky with 29 seconds left (WKU possession), while Texas and Duke are tied with a minute and a half remaining (Go Horns!).
Thank you to our seniors
Now that I’ve had time to get over it, cleaned like I usually do after we lose, and got out of the house before it started to rain.
It has been an awesome last four years, no matter how today ended. We all wanted at least one more game, but all the ones we did get to watch were special.
If you want to talk defense
Lee will probably start next year and he’s now our most tenacious defender. Mike Moser, the wing coming in from Oregon, is also supposed to be a solid, aggressive defensive player, and guys like Tyler Honeycutt, Drew Gordon, and Bobo will be able to alter/block a ton of shots inside with their length and athleticism. I’d feel pretty confident about the defense improving greatly next year.
I am encouraged looking toward next season's team as well
Though it may take until the 2010-11 season for the team to gel enough to make a serious title run, it will be fun to see how that very young team develops. I may write something up in the next day or two looking at the likely rosters for the next couple seasons; it seems encouraging.
Couldn't agree more bruinhoo...
Next year will be the next step in the rebuilding process. If JH stays, he should replace DC fairly seemlessly. Keefe, Roll, and Dragovic will be solid contributors but will not create the kind of match-up problems that we have run into the last 4 years. Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee along with the incoming freshman will need the year of experience to get this team back to the Sweet 16 and hopefully beyond the following year. I believe we are going to take some lumps again next year but it will be worth the short term pain for the long term gain. Go Bruins!
Excellent perspective
The challenge here is that we indeed do need to take the long-term view. CBH needs to think this way too. While it is always about the next opponent, it is also about the next four years. I think over time, our program has had, and will continue to have, a standard of excellence that is superlative. And, yes, with continued improvement — and a little bit of luck — we will see CBH preside over a banner ceremony.
Ah, but today I am giving myself the opportunity to enjoy the fantasy of what this year was like with a four-year requirement before joining the pros. I think Kevin, Luc, and Russell had great years this year, no?
Go Bruins!
Great post
and solid comments. Not much whining, thank goodness. In addition to saluting PAA, DC and JS (can’t believe I won’t see them in a Bruin uniform next year), we look forward to another exciting season next year (hopefully with Jrue at the point). One point about the Pac 10 – it seems like we suffer from small guards (except ’SC). A previous poster mentioned the wings, but the Big East point guards are tall. DC was so good, he overcame the size problem and got big help inside until he ran into Florida, Memphis and today Villanova. Anyway, cannot wait to see what Coach Howland can do next year. Fun, fun, fun and maybe even a good football season to boot!
lack of size hurt us this year
i just want to say the lack of size this year hurt us, as well as a lack of junior and sophomore class hurt us greatly as well…. kansas and memphis were able to reload and make a deep run because they have continuity from the year before (just look at how Duke sucked the past few years since J.J Reddick’s class departure)
UCLA will be great in years to come as we are recruiting long and athletic players (just look at the incoming class), i do think that howland need to mix up his defense a little esp if we want to utilize j’mison morgan as a C, there is no way J’mision will be able to hedge effectively on pick and rolls just because of his lack of footspeed… i think that is also the reason for us losing the 3 previous final 4s because we played against more athletic teams with athletic and fast bigs… playing some zone simply solve the problem because you almost can’t pick and roll against the zone and the bigs can stay low and change the shot without having to run all the way out to hedge on picks….
what do you think will be the line up next year?
I’m thinking
Holiday PG, Malcolm Lee SG, Honeycutt SF, Gordon/Drago/Keefe/J’mision splitting time on PF/C
as good as Roll is, because of his foot speed he is better off coming out of the bench to give the 2nd team some leadership and scoring
Go Bruins
Rebuilding Year
Pretty nice that our “rebuilding year” in Westwood consists of being ranked all season, going down to the final game for the conference championship, getting a #6 seed in the tourney, (which could have and should have been higher), and winning a game before bowing out to a very good team on their other home court 2,400 miles and 3 time zones from home.
We may not see 3 consecutive FF’s very often, but plenty of schools would be happy to have a single season like ours this year. Our program is in a very good place.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
NBAdraft.net
As of now, they have DC going to Oklahoma City with the #26 pick from the Spurs. And yes, the same OKC Thunder that drafted RW last year. I’m “technically” a Blazer fan right now, but if DC and RW are both starting on OKC next year…I don’t know, I’ll have a big choice to make.
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