Wait and See -- the State of UCLA Basketball
by Wazl on Feb 9, 2010 4:45 PM PST
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PrintBumped. GO BRUINS. -N
I'll admit, I'm a bit torn at the moment.
On the one hand, it’s hard for me to be pessimistic (or realistic, depending on your view) about our basketball team. I want to want Howland to be the right man for the job, and to be frank, I’m willing to give him a mulligan this season. We were heavily invested in the wildly underperforming stock known as "The (Remedial) Class of 2008," so naturally, it’ll take us a bit of time to get our house back in order. That’s not excusing Howland, of course. He recruited those players; it doesn’t matter if the scouts ranked them highly or not, he should know what type of team he’s trying to build and what players fit that vision.
To me, this season constitutes Ben Howland’s inability to cope with the modern recruiting landscape. He recruited players who saw UCLA as a stepping stone, not as a destination, and I think we’re witnessing the effect of that clash of ideals right now. To succeed, Howland’s going to need go back to what he did before: that is, to recruit top-flight talent while while building around blue-collar grit (like Reeves, perhaps). Unless you’re recruiting Carmelo Anthony, it’s safer (and more stable) to build a college team around Tyler Hansborough (IMO). Hopefully, his brush with the prima donnas of ’08 has taught him a valuable lesson as a coach and as a recruiter. If it has, then our team will be better for it. If not, well — that hot seat will be getting quite a bit warmer.
Now, let’s step away from recruiting and on to the on-the-court issues. Here, I feel for Howland. He’s starting a point guard who looks flustered with the ball in his hands; Lee can’t create with the ball, so Howland needs players capable of stretching the floor. That’s Roll and, unfortunately, Dragovic. I want to make it clear: Even though I understand Howland’s rationale, I don’t agree with it. I want to see Lane and Moser getting significant minutes. In a Pac-10 this weak, they’d gain valuable time to develop and hopefully build some confidence going into next season.
I guess what I’m getting at is… I’m in wait-and-see mode. There are reasons for concern, and it would be silly to shy away from them. At the same time, though, I see genuine reasons to be optimistic: Reeves is playing like a beast out of his natural position, Honeycutt has been developing into a stud (and good God, how about his court vision?), and Howland has shown a flash of flexibility by going with a zone. Hopefully, this season was an aberration, and we can all identify it as such a few years down the line.
As always, 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.
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I agree with your sentiments
CBH needs to focus his energy on recruiting guys who WANT to go to UCLA and love the four letters…much like Mack Brown does at Texas. I think Texas offered 25 scholarships in this last football class, and 22 accepted, with no decommitments. That is incredible. UCLA has enough tradition and prestige to do the same.
To be fair
In football, given that players must play 3 years in college, it’s a lot easier to convince people to show up and play for a good team
In basketball, with a 1 and done rule, players are much more apt to pick a school with media exposure and the ability to highlight their skills and jump ship
Until that changes, it’s a lot harder to convince people to come to a school based on just tradition and prestige
I agree also,
but I still believe that if Lane or Moser had the skills to play, they would be on the court. This is what Howland has been doing for a living his entire adult life. It’s his profession and our opinions are what they are…….just opinions. Howland took this program from the sewer to Final 4 heaven 3 times. More than any other Bruin coach since John Wooden. Hicalliber mentioned that CBH needs guys who WANT to go to UCLA and love the 4 letters. Well, Howland, as a coach, got those 4 letters back in the national spotlite. These recruits today probably know little of basketball in the 60’s & 70’s. They were not raised on the excellence of UCLA basketball. Howland brought that back and actually has had this poor team showing shines of improvement, even if inconsistently.
As for Reeves…..yes he is playing like a beast and we love his banger attitude. But, next year when Josh Smith fills the lane, Reeves will need to show his ability to knock down shots away from the goal. Can he hit that 5-10 ft jumper?? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’m looking forward to next year. It should be exciting. Go Bruins.
Thank you for writing this.
I agree with your sentiments towards CBH but am too tired to write my own lengthy opinion.
Victim of our own success?
I’m wondering if our success is what is hurting us in recruiting. When you are in the sewer it’s real easy to find those players who want to come to UCLA because of UCLA as ONLY those types of players would want to come here during those dark times.
Now that we’ve been shown to be successful and an “elite” program with several first round draft pics, we have every NBA wannabe player wanting to come here and jump on the bandwagon. With more and more players wanting to come here, I’m wondering it it is just more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I don't want to wait for next year.
I would like to see what can happen this year. It’s hard for me to believe that Rag has practices so much better than the other guys such that he gets the majority of the playing time. And he’ll never be in foul trouble because he never gets particularly close to anyone on the court. So he’s in. I don’t understand it. Nonetheless, I still trust Coach Howland – the other guys must be really, REALLY bad.
I am in the same boat
I’ve enjoyed the growing moments this season and been pained by the flat-out embarrassing moments. The 2008 bust class is really hard to believe though…ALL 5 players from the #1 class in the nation turn out to be busts? Yes it’s Howland’s responsibility but that’s pretty bad luck too.
I believe Howland has the skill and experience to get us back on top again but he’s got to prove it.
by RealisticBruinFan on Feb 9, 2010 6:05 PM PST reply actions
How do we know it's just "bad luck"?
Maybe some of them either weren’t or aren’t being developed properly? Honest question. Put the same 5 guys on another program, maybe the outcome is a little different?
"I don't forget very much" Rick Neuheisel, 11/28/09
For the record
I think it’s a combination of a couple of guys not being as good as advertised, and a couple of guys who, for a variety of reasons, either didn’t or aren’t flourishing under Howland. I just can’t buy into the scenario that all 5 guys just simply weren’t as good as advertised.
"I don't forget very much" Rick Neuheisel, 11/28/09
I think it's bad luck
I think it’s bad luck but you’re right in that I don’t know it.
Jrue maybe could have had more impact playing in a different system, but I’m not sure how a different system would have improved his shot or his ability to create on his own.
Gordon’s a bust simply because he transferred. He seemed to have good talent so arguably the system caused the bust but…he’s still a bust.
Lee the jury is still out, I think. Is it the system, is it the point guard duties? Maybe he’s not getting good coaching on his shooting technique?
Anderson…tough to imagine him not being a bust anywhere else.
Bobo…do you see him being an impact player anywhere else? Honest question. I imagine it’s possible, maybe with more PT in a different system?
by RealisticBruinFan on Feb 10, 2010 12:28 PM PST up reply actions
I generally agree with your take
Bobo and Anderson are 2 guys that I can’t see flourishing in any major D1 program. The other 3, I’m not so sure.
"I don't forget very much" Rick Neuheisel, 11/28/09
Bust as sophmores???
Maybe it is US that have lost it. We are grading people on their second year. They may still turn out OK or better.
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Feb 10, 2010 2:46 PM PST up reply actions
ok
BD&G that’s an interesting introspective take and I agree that many people are far too impatient on a lot of things in life.
But I do think that when you get a #1 rated class and NONE of them makes an impact on your program in the first two years, you can call the class a bust. Maybe we’ll call them a “bust for now” and then when Lee, Anderson and Bobo lead us to the NC in a year or two I’ll gladly eat my words and buy you a beer!
by RealisticBruinFan on Feb 10, 2010 4:00 PM PST up reply actions
Can't call 2008
a bust year when one member was drafted in 1st round by NBA (even if we don’t agree with it). Stupid one and done rule has changed the environment for student-athletes (was Kevin Love really a student)? Old guys like me still believe in student-athletes, not “pass through” pretend students on way to NBA. I agree it makes it hard to be a prestige program competing with the likes of Kentucky where academics may not be a concern.
Thank you for writing this.
I agree with your sentiments towards CBH but am too tired to write my own lengthy opinion.
We were unfortunate last year
Last year’s team should have made at least the Sweet Sixteen, but after Collison’s injury on the final weekend the offense fell apart. Then we were given a terrible seed and sent East to play a true road game at Villanova. As a result, last year’s team has been treated as though it was mediocre the entire season.
by SuperBruinMan on Feb 10, 2010 1:06 AM PST up reply actions
I hear you but
I hear you but I consider Jrue a bust because he made no impact at UCLA, certainly not the impact that it most often seen from the Gatorade POY.
So maybe he’s a “bust recruit” but you’re right he’s not a bust in the sense that he’s in the NBA making a ton more money than I do.
by RealisticBruinFan on Feb 10, 2010 12:21 PM PST up reply actions
one and done
I listened to espn this morning on my drive in – and Bobby Knight was saying that a player who has nba aspirations only needs 6 hours of class time and maybe will not even attend class in the second semester? i’m not sure if this is the case for Ucla but if your a high school player who wants to be a one and done? why would you got to school were they might actually make you attend class?
Go Bruins
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's"
John Wooden.....
I appreciate the post
But I have to take some exceptions. You said “It’s safer (and more stable) to build a college team around Tyler Hansborough (IMO).”
It would be safer to do that. It is also foolish to make that your strategy or even a tactic because Tyler Hansbrough was a once in a generation college player.
He was good enough as a freshman to be the NCAA freshman player of the year, yet he stayed 4 years. He is the only freshman of the year since 2002 to return for his sophomore season. The only other freshman of the year to return for all 4 seasons since the award was instituted in 1989 was Jason Gardner of Arizona.
He is the only first-team All-American in the past 4 seasons who returned to college for another year (he did it twice, following the 2007 and 2008 seasons). Only 4 other players made first team All-American in the last decade and returned for another season (Dee Brown, JJ Redick, Jay Williams and Troy Murphy). He is the first 3-time first team All-American since Wayman Tisdale and Patrick Ewing in 1985 (24 years).
He stayed another year after winning Naismith player of the year. Did you realize he was the only player in 26 years (Ralph Sampson 1982) to return to the NCAA after winning that award?
Of course Ben Howland wants to recruit a guy like Tyler Hansbrough. Every coach wants a guy like Tyler Hansbrough. But that cannot be your recruiting strategy. If you wait for the next Tyler Hansbrough, you’ll be unemployed long before he arrives on campus.
You are absolutely right
Although with Lawson and Ellington coming back, I still think UNC would have won the NC even without Hansbrough. They were that much better than everyone else.
"I don't forget very much" Rick Neuheisel, 11/28/09
I was using an analogy, and picking the two most extreme examples I could think of (Carmelo Anthony vs. Tyler Hansborough). My point was: If you’re recruiting a one-and-done prospect, you’d better be damned certain he has world-beater potential. If he doesn’t, then all you’re doing is setting yourself up for a Calipari-esque treadmill sort of career where you’re forced to replace John Wall-level talent year after year after year, which may be a little hard to sustain if you’re a coach with principles or a school with standards.
Obviously, I’d love a recruit like Hansborough to come along. But my point wasn’t that we recruit his equivalent or sit on our hands - I’m saying it’s great to have top-flight talent, but we also need stable recruiting pieces we can build around (A Hansborough“esque” player, if you will).
75NatChamps
What exactly did that comment add to the conversation here? We get it. You have said it like 100 times already here on BN. Do you have anything else to add or are you going to keep spamming with the same comment?
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