Moser Departure: Another Reset For UCLA Basketball

I agree on all above. However, I am still focused on CBH’s statement that he did not see sufficient playing time for MM to persuade him to stay. I assume CBH was being honest with MM. As a result, I think (or maybe hope) that CBH has another big time 3 on the horizon. If he does not have another top 3, I think he could have persuaded MM to stay as TH’s backup, with the potential to play a lot when TH has foul trouble or injuries. I think we need MM and hate to lose him. He’s a quality kid.

I mentioned CJ Leslie as that possible recruit. And I know UCLA is not on his list, but why would CBH waste a scholarship offer on someone who has no interest? I agree that Terrence Jones is a very unlikely long shot.

Was actually highly regarded for his length and athleticism on the defensive end, with a very raw offensive game. So he actually could have very well fit the LRMAM role, but we saw so little of him that its hard to formulate much of a judgment

except that the workable scenario can cause problems if we have four role players in the mold of LMR/PAA sticking around for four years together. I don’t want to give out four scholarships to players who don’t project to be potential starters for a championship level squad by the time they are seniors.

Howland was brought in to put UCLA back into the elite status. “Workable” doesn’t do it for me.

His early accomplishments were commendable, but somewhere along the way and for whatever reason he’s lost his touch.

There is no excuse for UCLA to miss the Dance in any year. If UCLA misses again next year, then it would hard to believe he’s the right coach for the program.

there is no such rule in football or basketball.

Scholarships are year-by-year propositions that either side can terminate at any time. If you transfer, you sit out a year regardless of what the school thinks.

As far as I am aware, the only leeway comes for players who have signed letters of intent to play at a school and then decide to back out (e.g. if the head coach is fired / moves to a different school). Then the school can refuse to let them out of their letter, in which case they must sit out a year, or can release them, in which case they are immediately eligible.

I think they also brought in a new rule for kids who have graduated and have eligibility left – the Krueger (sp?) kid graduated from ASU and then went to play for his dad at UNLV and, I think, was allowed to play immediately. May be way off on that though.

and whatever problems he has, they do not exonerate 14-18.

I agree—and most schools seem to be trying to work with this new paradigm—but how do you explain what Duke has done this year in particular?

I don’t think there is anything wrong with comparing UCLA to Duke BB at this point. Coach K and that program is as close to a gold label as there is nowadays. There are maybe 1-2 NBA stars on that team and some potential role players, but mostly because of their experience now winning the NC.

Howland looks far inferior as both a game coach (something I’ve thought for some time), especially on the offensive side, and a recruiter. Coach K put together an impressive group and coached them to their max potential, IMO. Obviously there was some luck and again, IMO, some Duke bias that has helped them out. But the differences with UCLA are obvious to me.

So, the question for me is: who is the real CBH? Did he get lucky or was he good but forgot what got him there? My sense is mostly the latter, with some luck thrown in (since I believe that is always the case). But is he aware enough to reclaim this or is he stuck in trying to fit his old model into the new paradigm, like a child continually trying to force a round block into a square hole?

…are any of the players on the team grateful for the opportunity to earn a UCLA degree, really? Are any of them in the Mustafa camp, that want to use their degree for grad school or just want to work hard and earn a BA/BS from UCLA? It’s a sad state of affairs if you ask me. I’d rather that they all go to a D league than to college, and the actual student-athletes go for college hoops. With the money that is potentially out there, I doubt that genie can ever be put back in the bottle, even with a 3 year rule instead of 1 year. They’ll just take jazz classes and leave after 3 years (and nothing wrong with jazz classes – -I took some myself at UCLA). And don’t rag too hard on the “selling used cars” notion – -Ed O’ (national championship trophy and all) was doing just that, and new ones too – -and enjoyed it (maybe he even still does some of it, while taking a crack at coaching).

if he actually goes there, then I didn’t want him…

one of our players hugging CBH courtside? One thing I kept thinking throughout the tournament as players on the winning team or players seeing their college careers come to an end and hugging their head coaches was, have any of UCLA’s recent players been this emotionally attached to the program or to CBH? I can’t recall it happening, but I haven’t been specifically looking for it either, save for maybe the end of the ’Nova game last year as we said goodbye to DC, JS, and PAA but I distinctly remember being pissed at CBS for not showing our bench area as they left the floor.

I’m not saying that this kind of relationship is mandatory, maybe winning a NC would incite a few player/coach hugs, I don’t know. CBH does seem more detached from his players than the average team/coach I saw during this year’s tournament though.

look at some of the names below him on that list – Kalin Lucas, Jordan Crawford and Nolan Smith, to name three first rounders who I would take in a heartbeat over ML at this point.

So, here’s my follow up for you and BN: doesn’t UCLA deserve someone competitive with Coach K and to have a competitive program? Shouldn’t we be able to have that?

Moser not being able to find time on a 14-18 team is not a good sign for him being a “key component” of an elite team. You are making an interesting point that with the exception of bigs (who take time to develop and can be lesser skilled in college), it is hard to imagine a 1-3 developing from not being good enough as a Freshmen to play to being a key component of an elite team.

But this part I am not sure I can completely agree with:

Let’s see what happens in the rest of the off-season before losing perspective on individual events

Moser is the third transfer, not an “individual event.” That is a lot. I don’t think it is “rats leaving a sinking ship” but it is worth watching. Briefly on all three:

1. Drew Gordon left because he was not happy with the offfense, was a malcontent generally, and had a temper problem.

2. Bobo was dismissed. To his credit CBH is too classy to going into details but it seems likely that Bobo was lazy and not committed to put out an effort. (Although Bobo did show up in relatively in shape 2009.) He was a last minute recruit.

3. Moser, a good kid, left because of playing time concerns. When he was recruited was Moser told to expect to play minutes as a freshmen? (Remember Michael Roll was not and was told so before he came.) Given what happen with injuries etc. it seems that Moser should have been told not to expect to play much his freshman year if he was properly evaluated. Was he upset that bad defenders such as Drago or JA received major minutes while he did not even play?

Obviously, these questions can’t really be answered. Each one individually is not a big deal but three in one season is a cause for concern. Some of the concerns for each.

Why did they recruit Gordon who is interested in playing a fast break offense? Why did someone with his attitude issues get through the screening process?

Was Bobo motivated properly? Was Bobo made to understand the effort and commitment needed to play at the PAC-10 level? Bobo certianly had the size and flashes of ability to be as good as a Zoubek by his senior year. (And a Zoubek presumably would have problems throwing around someone as big as Bobo.)

Did Moser have enough potential to become a 7th/8th man as a Senior? With the notable exception of the Syracuse’s title, most NCAA Champs had some key senior leaders even if they were not their best players. After we lost the second $UC game the season was over, Why not give Moser some sink or swim minutes?

Thus I don’t think you can take these as individual events. There is reason for concern. Nestor and you are right it is not a disaster but there are reasons for concern and they must be looked at as a whole.