Next Year: The Beat Goes On

by Nestor on Mar 21, 2009 2:32 PM PDT

Had few mins to check in before we head out and enjoy Philadelphia (as I had mentioned before this is actually a pretty fun city to visit).

I can't add any more to what T wrote in terms of appreciating and showing gratitude to our three great seniors. I am going to miss all of them. Despite the tough loss to a clearly superior team, we were glad to see these three Bruins last game in person.

But I wanted to start a thread to get excited about this guy and his returning class-mates:

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mel Evans

The fire in DG was unmistakable. Watching him and watching ML, we felt like we were watching the AA we all remember from freshman year. Mrs. N has already anointed ML her favorite Bruin for next season.

Still I think next year will probably be a tougher season than the one we experienced this year with DG and his team-mates adjust to new roles as regulars (not role players) for Coach Howland. I expect next year to be somewhat like AA and JF's first season at UCLA when we will pretty much have to break in three or four (I still think JH is gone) new starters. It is going to be tough.

Yet given the energy, effort and passion we saw from DG and ML, I am already excited about next Fall.

We will have more on our end of season thoughts sometime tomorrow and beyond.

Oh and one more thing ... the Bruin contingent that showed up in Philly today ... was solid. We were excited, fired up, and it always gets your heart racing when you hear the fight song and get to the eight clap with hundreds of other Bruins. And at the end of the game we didn't really get a sense of sadness. It was more of a feeling of appreciation of our three seniors and looking forward to next year with this year's freshmen class and incoming Ben Ball warriors. Plus it was just good to be among hundreds of Bruin alums all decked out in Bruin blue and gold.

So cheer up. No need to mope around here on Bruin Nation. We now turn over our attention to spring football, baseball (as we will do our best to complement rye's amazing efforts), and whole lot of other Bruin sports programs contending for banners. The beat goes on.

GO BRUINS.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

Tweet Comment 14 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

AMEN!

I’m f#$ing excited for next year — some growing pains, but compared to this year, I think you’ll see a lot more fire in Westwood

by RLB on Mar 21, 2009 2:47 PM PDT reply actions

OT -- Blocking Drive By Posters

Nestor, can BN be set up so that people who register during a game can’t post for a day or so? It’s no big deal, but hateful posts have no place in our game day threads. That said, the moderators did a good job of throwing them out.

I look forward to your impressions of the game and season.

I am feeling sad only because I won’t see JS, DC and PAA in their Blue and Gold, again. Other than that, I am very proud of this team, our Caretaker, and our fans — especially my BN brothers and sisters.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Mar 21, 2009 2:51 PM PDT reply actions

yeah

I think we have to figure something out. I believe there is an option which makes folks wait 2-3 days before they are eligible to comment. We will look into it for next season for sure.

66 … I am also looking forward to reading your thoughts tomorrow. Your perspective always helps rest of us to get in the right frame. Thanks again for hanging out with us in game threads and sharing all your stories and impressions on all things UCLA. We can never get enough of it.

by Nestor on Mar 21, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions

May Take a Day or So

I feel very introspective about this season.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Very proud. But, still, not ready to talk about it.

Will post when my thoughts become clear — probably after you and others have made all the important points.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Mar 21, 2009 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Good times

While we are all disappointed as to how today turned out, I don’t think the result was all that surprising. I think I’m most disappointed about the sloppy passing—that is something which is an “unforced error.”

Most of us who were realistic about this team never believed they were as talented a group as the teams of the last few years.

I still had fun watching them this year. I saw one game in person (Stanford) during that 4 (or so) game stretch when our defense was just lights out and we were blowing everyone out of the water, including Notre Dame. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sustain that defensive energy all year.

I have to agree—I think DG and ML are going to be a lot of fun to watch. And, personally, I think JH has to return. I’m no NBA scout but if I got to play NBA GM for a day, I wouldn’t take him now. I could be dead wrong, but I don’t think he will be highly projected in next year’s draft. We’ll see. Just please don’t let him ever play for the Clippers.

Next year will be difficult but still fun. I think we are really going to be good in two years. Patience, Bruins, patience.

by Barnes2JJ on Mar 21, 2009 3:55 PM PDT reply actions

We'll be starting over I guess

Hopefully next year’s more like ’06 than ’05.

by SuperBruinMan on Mar 21, 2009 3:55 PM PDT reply actions

Hey

Not just alums! Haha, I was there too!

by YRLBruin on Mar 21, 2009 5:52 PM PDT reply actions

this year was a different kind of sad....

I totally agree with you N. "And at the end of the game we didn’t really get a sense of sadness. It was more of a feeling of appreciation of our three seniors "

…I don’t know what it was. It was tought seeing our Ben Ball Warriors get bounced out of the tournament early, but I didn’t feel the gut check I had when losing in the previous 3 final 4’s. I wouldn’t say that it was due to lower expectation either…I had UCLA penciled in as champs in my office bracket (I’m always hopefuly and behind our guys) I was more sad about never being able to see JS, DC, and PAA suit up in blue and gold anymore.

Glad to hear there were a few hundred solid Bruins there to give them the support and appreciation they deserve. I think you’re right…we have a new generation of BBW coming in and I see the fire in ML and DG eyes. It might be another rough season….but they give us something worth cheering for.

63 teams will soon feel the emotional letdown that comes from not winning it all, but it’s time for us to separate ourselves from the bandwagon jumpers/drive by trolls and support the program after a tough played season…and to support 3 excellent seniors…and to show that we still believe in CBH as the caretaker.

I think I read it somewhere on another post in BN—-you’re either a fan of UCLA or a fan of winning. You can’t be both. I’m still proud to be a fan of UCLA, win or lose.

by BMV268 on Mar 21, 2009 9:49 PM PDT reply actions

Mrs. N and I are on the same page

ML has been my favorite Bruin all year (seniors not included because they’re in a different category for program revival). I love his energy and fearlessness. I’ve been saying this since the first say I saw him. ML is a carbon copy of RW from a mental standpoint and has a lot of the same physical attributes. I think he’s going to have a major breakout year next year.

Regarding DG, I noticed what you did. The fire he had all season and especially at the end of the game makes me really excited for next year. Watching today’s game was brutal, but it wasn’t so bad at the end. When I saw the energy guys like DG and ML had even when we were minutes away from a 20 point victory it gave me hope for the future and at least a little but of the pain from such a beating.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 21, 2009 10:39 PM PDT reply actions

Future

I am ready and pumped for next year.Jrue says he is coming back and we will be very good next year.There will be ups and downs like this year, but in 2011, IMHO, we will be legit title contenders. Go Bruins!

P.S. ML is also my new fav Bruin.He is a really nice guy, my 4 year old bro was talking with ML and ML talked with him for 5 minutes and took a pic with him.

by uclabruin103 on Mar 21, 2009 11:58 PM PDT reply actions