Ben Ball Roundup: Offseason News & Notes

by Nestor on Apr 30, 2009 5:06 AM PDT in Basketball Comment 16 comments

We will start with some pretty good news. Coach Howland held a teleconference last week during when he shared positive update on JMM's recovery from surgery:

UCLA center J'mison Morgan is progressing quickly a week after having arthroscopic knee surgery.

That's what coach Ben Howland said Friday, predicting that Morgan's right knee should be "pretty good to go" by June.

"Bobo is already very mobile," Howland said. "He's also lifting weights and he looks good."

It sounds like he will not lose much time in terms of off season conditioning and workouts this summer. So that is very encouraging. Speaking of workouts Howland also shared the following:

The Bruins concluded workouts this week, and Howland was enthusiastic about how his returning players did.

One player you can count on not returning is Jrue Holiday. WWL's Chad Forde becomes the first traditional media writer to report what many have been hearing in the background for a while (emphasis added throughout):

Sources close to the situation insist that Evans, Henderson, Holiday and Calathes will eventually hire agents and stay in the draft.

While Holiday is going through the song and dance of "testing the waters" and holding on to his scholarship, UCLA is losing out on potential recruits. The most public example so far is Reggie Moore, a guard from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, who UCLA coaches had expressed interest in recently. Moore just committed to WSU because he was uncertain about the scholarship situation at UCLA:

Moore, a 6-1 guard, averaged 13 points and 10 assists at Beach and then signed with Fresno State. But he requested and was granted a release from the letter and attended prep school.

Moore visited Oregon and Iowa State, and turned down visits to Memphis and UCLA, which apparently is unsure about the status of guard Jrue Holiday, who has entered his name in the NBA draft without hiring an agent.

Thanks a lot Jrue. If the Holidays really cared about UCLA and were looking out for the best interest of the program they would released UCLA from the commitment to his scholarship by now, that would have allowed Howland and his staff to pursue possibilities such as Moore.

Anyway, it sure sounds like Coach Howland is ready to move on (emphasis added):

"We're just going to be really young next year, with or without Jrue Holiday," Howland said.

We should be doing the same. Time to move on instead of holding on to pollyanish/delusional hope of returning of Holiday.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

I think it's a bit unfair to blame Jrue for this

I know he’s said a few things in the media that don’t reflect well on him or the program, but the fact is that we’re talking about his future here. I know that if I were in the same situation I would want to take the time to make the best possible decision for me. This isn’t just about an extra scholarship for UCLA…this is about upwards of a million dollars for a 19 year old kid. Being that age myself, I can see how this might be a tough decision.

I get how people think that he’s already made up his mind, and is gone no matter what – and I agree to a point. If he works out the way he wants to and the feedback is the same in a month as it is now, then yes, he’s gone. But weirder things have happened. If there’s any part of him that still thinks he could return to school, then the option should be left open to him. For example…what happens if he’s working out and injures himself? If scouts are unsure if he can be as good as they hoped, his stock drops, and if he signed with an agent, not only is he out of the lottery, but he’s out of a college education and the chance to improve and dispel any rumors.

I know this is tough for us as Bruin fans, but this decision is more important to Jrue and his family than it is to us. I obviously hope he decides sooner rather than later, but I won’t fault him for taking all the time he is allowed. This is the biggest decision of his life.

by bucknellbruin on Apr 30, 2009 7:51 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs

Its very simple what Jrue should do

If he comes back next year, he should come back without a scholarship, and pay his way, knowing he will be a multimillionare the next year anyway.

If he doesn’t come back, best of luck.

But he can’t have us hold on to a scholarship for him while he spends the next 8 weeks figuring out what he wants to do.

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

by silverlakebruin on Apr 30, 2009 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is Not a Jrue Issue -- It's A Policy Issue

I was going to come back and post a similar suggestion.

I think it proper to condition a scholarship on a declaration that one will return — the declaration to be made within a month of the end of the season.

Those who want to test the waters are free to do so, but the school can protect itself by offering the scholarship to someone else.

Of course, there is a loophole that someone without integrity could walk right through — there is no way to enforce the rule because a player can declare that he is coming back and leave at the last moment.

I tend to think our players would be far more honest than that. And, if we begin to have a problem, we can allow a coach to pull the scholarship if a “declared player” starts to work out with the pro’s or goes to camps OR drops out of school for the spring semester.

The problem here is the one-and-done policy. Bad policies make it difficult to have good practices.

However, this is not on Jrue. He’s doing exactly what a lot of kids have done.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Apr 30, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jrue

There has been an immense amount of discussion about Jrue. Whether he’s ready for the NBA or not, whether we would be better without him, whether he is this or that. It really seems to me that he is the scapegoat for a lot of frustration over how the season went. Yes, Jrue came in with a lot of hype and did not live up to it. Yes, it is frustrating to see him flirt with the draft and not give a definitive answer. Yes, we may be missing in on potential recruits. However, he is still a BRUIN.

I think everyone was aware, CBH included, that Jrue was a potential one and done player when he signed. Part of the risk of a one and done player is this flirtation process, which everyone was aware could happen. Instead of being angry, we should be happy that one of our players has the chance at fulfilling his dream- and making a lot of money doing it.

I highly doubt, as Chad Forde reports, that Jrue has made up his mind. If he had, there would be no reason to wait to sign an agent. I suspect that his draft spot is still up in the air, and there are tough decisions with serious consequences at hand. As soon as Jrue feels comfortable with a decision, he’ll make it. I’ll support him either way.

by AllHailMightyBruins on Apr 30, 2009 8:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This really resonates with me

It really seems to me that he is the scapegoat for a lot of frustration over how the season went.

by Tydides on Apr 30, 2009 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's the impression I'm getting as well

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Apr 30, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you Bucknell and AllMighty

for saying what I was thinking.

I am a big believer in supporting my fellow Bruins even when I don’t agree with their decisions. The alternative is to sound like Cheaty Petey during Sanchez’ press conference. And, that is not acceptable in my book.

The only Bruins I will not ever support again are Henry Bibby and Ken Norton Jr. NOT for joining the ranks of Trojans as you might believe but because of comments they have made disparaging their alma mater. Fuck those guys.

Finally, I will add that despite the strain JH is putting on our program, I feel privileged to once again have a program that lands the kind of talent these One and Doners bring to the table. If anybody is to blame it is the NBA and their stupid rule.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Apr 30, 2009 8:54 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Your right on with the Cheaty example, i think it speaks volumes that as a community we can look beyond the team and realize that a 19 yr. old is making a life changing decision, and while we may not agree with the path he’s seemingly taking, we still support him as a member of the bruin family.

O.A.

by Ollie on Apr 30, 2009 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wish I could post WWL insider stuff

Because David Thorpe (who I don’t like and don’t read…but I was bored) had an insider chat projecting Holiday as a #5-10 pick. Now, he’s working with him personally as an advisor/trainer, so this is a lot of hype, but we’ve all seen enough that JH’s measurables in camps are going to be off the charts.

And about the one-and-dones, they DO work if the system in place allows for it. There’s of course a mugh higher degree of difficulty and there’s a significant rebuilding process thereafter (see: Syracuse) when it does or doesn’t work, whereas a stable program not reliant on these players typically can just reload, not rebuild. CBH’s defensive-minded coaching gives us the best chance to win year-in and year-out as opposed to the “streetball/drive and kick” teams that need elite athletes to compete each year but can count on their players for just 1 season.

Just my 2 cents, because while we all agree CBH puts us in contention each and every year, dismissing one-and-dones as a cancer on the team isn’t necessarily true.

by bruinhopeful on Apr 30, 2009 9:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't really have a problem with Jrue taking his time

I don’t understand the frustration with Jrue Holiday sometimes… the kid has until June to decide, that’s the way the system is set up and that’s his right. Some of us act like these kids owe it to the program to act in the best interest of the program, but let’s face it, take a look at any big time basketball/football school’s budget and it’s clear that these star players are giving more to the program (in terms of revenue) than they get back in scholarship value. That’s the reality of the situation, and as long as we force kids to remain amateurs even though people are willing to pay good money to watch them play, then in actuality it’ll be the program that owes them, not vice versa. I for one am glad that Jeremy Tyler is jumping ship to Europe and I hope others follow. The current system is fundamentally flawed and players jumping ship brings attention to that fact; we can’t deny that these top college athletes are worth a lot of money. Forced amateurism is why we have this whole mess of NCAA rules in the first place.

by gobias83 on Apr 30, 2009 11:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's not Jrue's fault

but I despise this system because it is almost 100% favoring the situation of one single player over the future of the team. That is not fair, I do not understand how a system can be so skewed towards a player who has only one year under his belt, leaving a whole team in limbo. Jrue has absolutely nothing to lose by keeping all of his options open, while the school has to be at his beck and call essentially. Of course that’s the case with any of the one-and-dones and is not specific to Jrue. Any of us would do exactly the same thing.

So let’s get real here and beat up on the system as opposed to a kid who is playing by the rules. Although it is true that I don’t really have an emotional attachment to Jrue (yet), he is a Bruin and he is playing by the rules so we should support him. At the same time, it is not unreasonable to expect a modicum of loyalty on his part, and I for one expect him (and his family) to be a little more respectful of Coach Howland and, for the school’s sake, to make a decision as soon as they possibly can.

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Apr 30, 2009 12:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

HILARIOUS!

Almost as funny as the Benjamin Button comment from another post!

by westwood78 on Apr 30, 2009 2:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with the previous poster’s who say that it’s not Jrue’s fault and that a lot of people on this site, and elsewhere, seems to be taking their frustration out on Jrue. I, for one, will continue to support Jrue. I’ll still root for him when I see him play in the NBA, just like I root for all the other Bruins in the league.

by chenalex on Apr 30, 2009 3:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Someone needs to be blunt

Jrue was a let down, I appreciate his effort, but can he just go and let us stop talking about him?

by buffsnbruins on Apr 30, 2009 5:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

we ask and they deliver...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/news/story?id=4118331

too bad this doesn’t affect this year…

by bucknellbruin on Apr 30, 2009 6:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't have a problem with Holiday's position

I can’t blame anyone for considering something that might leave him and his family financially set for life, but at the same time considering returning to school. He’s being open and honest about things, and I have yet to hear Coach Howland be critical of him.

Obviously the problem is not with Holiday (or Love, or any of the one and done-ers. The problem is that the rules Holiday is operating under do nothing to protect the interests of the school. But until the rule changes (and I can’t see the ncaa growing juevos overnight and changing the rule), then how can we criticize a player for operating within those rules?

I have no insight into what the nba looks for in an athlete, so my opinion on Holiday’s chances is worthless. Having said that, I don’t think he showed enough to guarantee himself a high enough spot in the draft to make it financially worthwhile to him. But again, I have the same insight into his finances. Maybe whatever numbers his advisors are suggesting is enough to sway his decision.

Whatever it is, I don’t think we should criticize him, just wish him success whichever way he turns.

by Fox 71 on Apr 30, 2009 9:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs