So it begins: TH frustrated by CBH's system
by bruinponcho on Mar 10, 2010 7:39 PM PST
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PrintThe LA Times had what started out being an inspirational piece about TH's work ethic. Then, everything fell apart in one sentence from TH's mom:
"He has been frustrated," Stazel said. "He feels he can contribute more offensively. He would really like for Ben [Howland, UCLA's coach] to cut him loose a little more on offense."
I really don't want to read too much into this because every parent thinks their kid can do more and she might not be the most media savvy person in doing this interview, so I could see her being easily baited into this soundbite. But damn. Its bad enough that ML is likely to declare for the draft in a couple of months (enjoy your non-guaranteed second round contract ML), but to have someone around TH, who was one of the few brightspots of this season and the lynchpin for CBH turning this program around, to publicly make the same complaints we've heard about CBH for forever is not a good sign. I don't see TH leaving this year (next year is a different story), so I hope this isn't NBA draft posturing, but it very well could be.
The strange thing about this to me is that TH is not personally very aggressive on offense. He isn't someone who looks for his own shots which is often quite frustrating because he should. I don't agree with it, but I can at least understand ML, Holiday or Gordon complaining about the offense because they are gunners, not facilitators, but TH's game is the complete opposite. Like I said, I hope this was more of a unsavvy mom getting baited into a question than a true expression of TH's mindset. For CBH's future, it better be.
The most hilarious thing about this is how badly informed/insecure every one of these (not necessarily TH yet) primadonnas are in trying to put themselves in the best light for NBA scouts. Hello!!! Everyone in the NBA already knows that CBH coached players are going to have depressed offensive numbers. They draft them and play them though because they know that they can play defensively at the NBA level. If TH does make the misguided decision to declare for the draft, he will get drafted based on his defense and playmaking, not for his scoring ability. Too many young players think that the way to the NBA is by being a good scorer when the exact opposite is actually true. Unless you are an elite scorer, you need to be a specialist at something (defense, rebounding, playmaking, 3 pointers). The old saying around the NBA goes "A player who is great at one thing will make it into the rotation, a player who is good at a lot of things will be the twelfth man or playing in the D-league."
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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sigh.
This season just keeps getting better and better.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
I would rather have Honeycutt putting the ball up 15 times than Rag.
I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that sentiment, too.
But mom, you don’t help anything by talking. I"ve told this story before. The late Justice David Eagleson told me that on his first day as a judge, before he took the bench for the first time, an old timer from next door told him to take a piece of paper, cut it in fourths, write K on one piece, Y on another, M on the third and S on the fourth. Then put those on each corner of the bench. That was to remind him, no matter where he was looking, of the best advice an old judge could give to a rookie: “Keep Your Mouth Shut.” The same goes for any athlete’s parents, from this mild shot to Craig James’s idiocy that got Mike Leach fired (which will ultimately cost Texas Tech a lot of money.)
Mom and Dad – how much do you contribute to your son’s development by shooting off your mouth? How does ithelp the kid? K. Y. M. S.
Just imagine that
TH and ML sitting together with their family having a press conference at the end of the season.
I want to throw up
"I can't believe I ate the whole thing" Homer Simpson
I've heard this frustration
too many times now. There is something to it. You have to run CBH’s system and his plays. He doesn’t seem to give anyone the green light anytime like some coaches do. Not saying that I want that, but it is attractive to the young guys and they all think they are starts so they get frustrated.
"The entire world that bleeds blue and gold ... they have been dying for this." - Coach Rick Neuheisel
How much greener
could Rags’ light have been?
Not arguing your point, though.
ND’s jack-‘em-up-anytime-from-anywhere mindset really seems to have put a major disruptive damper on this team. Frustration can come not only from not being let loose, but also from busting one’s butt playing a team game, and seeing others prosper in PT while not doing the same.
While ND earned LVBruin’s Undeserved Green Light award, the fault, I think, lies with the one who presents no consequences to green light abusers.
Funny
I was thinking of ND when I was writing that. I should have mentioned him. The way he shoots and continues to play so many minutes is an abomination. I don’t understand Howland on that one AT ALL!
"The entire world that bleeds blue and gold ... they have been dying for this." - Coach Rick Neuheisel
Green light warnings
There was a green light at the end of the dock at Daisy Buchanan’s house. It destroyed the hopes and dreams and future and lives of the young struggling up-and-comers.
Has CBH not been reading?
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Daisy Buchanan
Daisy Buchanan is the epitome of a daughter of privilege. She comes from old money, never wanted for anything, but she has no concept of how it has shaped her character.
Could be a bio for those of Inheritance Hall (credit Fox). The Great Dragsby, by F. Shot Misfiring.
I wouldn't make too much of it
KL’s dad said the same thing. And much more frequently.
by LavinRuinedCollege on Mar 10, 2010 10:29 PM PST reply actions
You can live in denial
At this point Honeycutt is not the first UCLA player to voice his frustration. It has become a full blown trend and it’s a major concern. You can live in denial but not us.
Good and Bad News
Good News – TH has always wanted to be a Bruin and he seems like a pretty sensible young man. I don’t think he will be looking to the NBA this year. I think he knows that with a full off-season of hard work, he will be ready to dominate next year and position himself for the lottery. If the team does well, he has fun/good team chemistry, and CBH reverts back to being a very good coach, then he may even return for his junior year and set himself to be a top 5 pick. At the very least, TH will definitely be back for next season.
Bad News – TH was the top recruit of his Bruin class and a very good national recruit (ranked 28th by rivals). However, TH always wanted to be a Bruin, so I can’t imagine it took much to get him. I now have even less confidence in CBH and his staff’s ability to recruit.
Frustration
Hard not to be frustrated when so many times offense is hijacked by a dumb and selfish basketball player who is also the coach’s pet.
I think that is the issue
All of the wasted possessions in which no one else touches the ball because one player decides to jack up a shot.
It must be terribly frustrating to be on the floor during those moments.
However, that is an issue of too little control and discipline, not too much.
sjh
I hope TH doesn't turn selfish...
and think if Rag breaks from the offense that’s set up by the working effort of the entire team, I should just boost my stats and do my own thing.
It all starts with Howland though. He controls the team and minutes and demands that his players play a certain way or get pulled. But how much can players listen and trust him if he turns a blind eye to Rag doing whatever he wants? How frustrating is that for TH or ML.
Hello ulafan11
Nobody does.
If my darlng cat can talk at all, he’d say the same thing. He curled up beside me and watched plenty of games too. His ears perked up, eyes gazing when something good happened and lately, as soon as the game started, he dozed off.
So there you have it. Even my darling cat doesn’t appreciate Howland’s way anymore.
Another source of frustration
With ND’s No D, other players must be frustrated because:
1. They have to leave their part of the zone/men to cover his — and then their men score; and/or,
2. They pick up fouls trying to cover ND’s part of the zone or man.
BL fouled out of the last game because he had to come over and cover for an Ole!
If that happened to me, over and over, and the coach did nothing, I’d be frustrated/pissed.
sjh
It's time to get the doctor involved.
I’m not sure who the doctor is, but we need one. We all knew that we had a cancerous growth a few years back, and someone performed surgery to excise a horrible Lavinoma.
We also can see that this team is lurching out of control. Instead of five fingers on the hand performing in a coordinated way, there are times when four of the fingers curl up, and the middle one sticks straight out. For shorthand purposes, I will describe this phenomenon as “The Finger.” We have seen too many times when Rag gives the fans The Finger by firing up a three pointer from thirty-five feet out with 25 seconds left on the shot clock. We have also seen Rag give The Finger to his teammates on defense by deciding that he should not get too close to anyone for reasons which he’s never articulated. (We opera people refer to that as the “Escamillo Defense.” If you haven’t seen “Carmen” you have no idea what I’m talking about and you should be ashamed, but that’s a matter for another discussion.)
Other players occasionally give The Finger, but none as much as Rag.
So we are about to excise The Finger by way of loss of eligibility (I would have said graduation, but that may not be accurate.) What happens next year? Will our Coach try to do away with The Finger, and have the entire hand working in a coordinated way? I would ordinarly have said absolutely, but — dramatic pause — my confidence in Coach Howland is slipping a little. I cannot understand why he gave so many minutes to Rag even though Rag’s deficiencies were patent to even the most casual fan. I was a leading ranter at Mr. Guerrero when he refused to acknowledge the unacceptable performance of CTS. If we see a repeat of The Finger being given next year by some player and no action being taken, I am going to join those ranting about Coach Howland.
I never thought I would question Coach Howland about anything relating to basketball. But after seeing Rag give The Finger to the fans all season, I am no longer sure. I think we need to have the doctor standing by. If we see the Finger, we will want to see an early Fingerectomy. I hope Coach Howland is the doctor we need, but I’m starting to wonder.
Honeycutt has already made himself a standout on this team and had a couple of great offensive games. Without understanding exactly what CBH has told TH or the team, I have no idea where TH is being held back unless he means that he should be given an elite star green light to do whatever he wants to do in which case he may be good but elite he is not… yet. I agree I’d rather see TH take the shot at this point versus ND but the kid needs to realize he is still a freshman and the better he plays within the system, the more CBH will lean on him next year. If he means, CBH should just give him the green light because he is planning one-and-done well then I’m sorry but that kind of immaturity and selfishness does not compute in college basketball, and certainly not at CBH or CJW’s UCLA.
That being said, if TH is patient, with ND gone, TH should get a lot more freedom next year… if he can stop fouling.
13-9
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