Cause for Optimism: Listen to Billy Donovan on UCLA's Team

by RogerT on Mar 20, 2011 5:31 AM PDT

If you want to hear an encouraging perspective on UCLA basketball listen to Billy Donovan's post game interview. He was extremely impressed with our team. He began by saying (bold mine):

"I'm going to say, I know people get maybe carried away, UCLA was as good as any team we've played all year long."

That's really saying something given that Florida played Ohio St the #1 team in the nation this year as well as Kentucky in addition to two other ranked teams Kansas St. and Xavier. And in the way he prefaced his remarks he was making clear that he really meant what he said. These were not your usual gracious platitudes, and if you listen to the interview you can see that he was genuinely very impressed with our team. He added that no team this year had been able to out rebound his team like UCLA did in the first half.

He then went on to say (bold mine again),

"I think when you lose really good players to the draft as UCLA has, I think Ben has done an unbelievable job. I mean he's got a terrific team and they are going to be really really good going forward. They're all young, they're all coming back, they're physical, they're strong, they shoot 3's, they're athletic, they can do a lot of different things and certainly we were as tested by them as any team we played all year."

He was obviously very impressed with the quality of our players. (He might not have been correct in saying that they are all coming back.)

It isn't easy getting to the sweet sixteen especially when you have to play a #2 seed in the second round. Look at Pittsburgh a #1 seed who didn't make it today. Even with a truly elite team there's no guarantee of going far in the tournament. Without Darren Collison's heroics we would have lost to Texas A&M in the second round, and that was a team with Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook. And our 1995 national championship team would have lost in the second round to Missouri without Tyus Edney's amazing 3.3 second full court drive and amazing basket at the buzzer. And in both those games we were a #1 seed playing and almost losing to a #8 seed. Today we had to play a #2 seed which is typically a matchup we have seen in the regional finals (elite 8) not in the second round.

I myself was very satisfied with our play in the tournament. After the debacle against Oregon in the Pac 10 Tournament I feared we might lose badly to Michigan St. an experienced team with a great coach that always plays its best in the NCAA tournament. But through most of the game we dominated them except at the end, but we still hung on to win. Against a really good Florida team we played them right down to the wire almost until the last minute in what was essentially a home game for them. Frankly my reaction after watching the two tournament games was that I really didn't realize that we were this good. We looked like we could play with anyone.

If we are better next year, and I think we will be, we should be one of the better teams in the country. We've come a long way forward from last year and ended the season peaking at the right time with our best play in the NCAA tournament where it counts the most. I think we have good reason to be optimistic and excited about the direction we are going.

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 16 comments | 1 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

The future appears bright,

although that doesn’t make yesterday any less disappointing right now.

Good post, Roger. I think we all need to remember how fragile tourney runs can be and how they often rely on amazing plays by amazing players. AA had an amazing shot to get us by Alabama in ‘06. Without that shot there’s no Gonzaga which was, of course, it’s own tournament miracle. Of course there was DC vs. A&M in ‘08 and the big game from Keefe that offset Love’s loss against WKU.

Point is, in addition to solid play and solid players, you need luck in the tournament. Superstars and special players often create their own luck. This year’s team was void of superstars, though I think we could have one or two in the making if they return. FLA’s Walker made those plays yesterday, our guys didn’t. We were a tipped pass and break away dunk away from changing the face of the game at 1:15. It just didn’t happen. We were that close. Those are the breaks in the tournament, agonizing as they may be.

Howland and the team had us in position and sometimes in the tournament that’s all you can do. Sometimes it takes something special to get you over the hump. A steal and slam by Lee on that play would have been special and may have just gotten us over the hump. We’ll never know, and for that you have to tip your hat to Walker who improbably out-timed and out-jumped the longer Lee and made a huge shot.

I’m proud of the way the team played during the tournament. I wish we had seen this kind of fire and consistency the whole season, but this was always going to be a growing year. I think this tourney experience will open the eyes of the guys who return and inspire hard work in the off season and greater intensity all next season. If that’s the case, even without a star PG, there is ample reason for optimism.

by andrewsm78 on Mar 20, 2011 9:44 AM PDT reply actions

You hit the problem on the head, actually

britishbruin said last night something to the effect of “not winning begets not winning”. We ran into a difficult matchup because we continually missed our opportunities in the regular season to avoid such a matchup. Then when we get to the actual game we miss our opportunities within the game.

This year we were bi-not-winning.

by Tydides on Mar 20, 2011 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions

It may be a cop out

but I think a good portion of this year was eaten up by un-learning last year’s unwinning ways. I don’t know that they ever really learned the lesson or gained the confidence they needed until very late in the season (Heck, I dont think they actually got the full message until they saw the intensity of the Pac 10 & NCAA tournaments.) By then we were destined for a low seed and a tough tourney road.

I firmly believe this tournament will be a pivot point for many guys. Next year, they should start from a higher point and have an easier climb. The end of this season is something to build on. Last year’s season was something they had to bury before they could go anywhere.

by andrewsm78 on Mar 20, 2011 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't think they learned much late in the season

They still played poorly too often for that to be the case. Maybe the tournament games, but we won’t really know that until next year.

by Tydides on Mar 20, 2011 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions

Next level

The players now need to learn to get to that next level. They’ve already learned that they can play 1 great half and win a game, but that’s not good enough. They’ve now learned that they can play hard for 40 minutes, but that’s not good enough. Now they have to take it up a notch and learn how to play smart for 40 minutes and execute on both ends of the floor if they want to get to that championship level.

Lee is the key player that needs to return for UCLA. Honeycutt would be great to have to return, but I don’t think he’s sticking around. Everyone returning will need to work hard in the offseason to make their games better. CBH may need to take the offseason looking at some new ways to tweak his philosophy to get the team to the next level.

by UCLA4Life on Mar 20, 2011 10:30 AM PDT reply actions

I couldn't agree more with RogerT

I myself was very satisfied with our play in the tournament. After the debacle against Oregon in the Pac 10 Tournament I feared we might lose badly to Michigan St. an experienced team with a great coach that always plays its best in the NCAA tournament. But through most of the game we dominated them except at the end, but we still hung on to win. Against a really good Florida team we played them right down to the wire almost until the last minute in what was essentially a home game for them.

While short lived, we had a good tournament and played two very good teams. And to make a complete liar of anyone that accuses us of being unhappy with anything short of a National Championship, I got all we’ve ever wanted: A team that fought hard and was in it to the very end.

To echo something that andrewsm78 said, this was a year our guys had to unlearn everything they did last year and that took time. I’m going out on a limb and going to say I’m very satisfied with the team this year. We watched them grow right before our eyes. And, while they lost some unforgivable games; by and large they won many more games and games they would have lost last year. This team has grown and is going to continue to improve. Anybody that leaves for the NBA is going to miss out on something truly special next year.

The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Mar 20, 2011 11:02 PM PDT reply actions

+1

by BruinKing on Mar 21, 2011 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions

Can't say I agree...

… with the “was in it to the very end” part.

Both games gave us a microcosm on this year:

(1) Capable of getting a big lead… and blowing it.

(2) Capable of hanging tough with someone… and making multiple mental errors in crunch time (i.e., the last 2 minutes).

We have talent. We have improvement. We have depth.

We don’t have consistency. We don’t have mental toughness. We don’t have maturity.

I’m optimistic because of the 1st 3, but sorely disappointed because of the 2nd 3.

I believe we can win it all next year if ML, Reeves, and Tyler ALL come back. If Tyler doesn’t, I still think we’re Final 4-capable.

If success is really playing to the best of which you’re capable, though, I think that this team fell short of that goal.

"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008

by Meriones on Mar 24, 2011 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Re Donovan

What else would he say? If he didn’t say we were the best team since Alcindor’s sophomore year, he is left with saying nothing (which is not in the nature of any coach) or he can say, “You know, UCLA really sucked. We have had their number as long as I’ve been here, and we always will. They’re just not as good as their hype.” That’s never going to happen no matter what, because that would be a slap in the face of your own team.

So to Coach Billy, I give a heartfelt “Meh.”

by Fox 71 on Mar 20, 2011 11:06 PM PDT reply actions

Weeeellll...

the Florida coach gets to say whatever he wants because his team won and, if I may say, impressed me a great deal. Those “other two” times we played them had me wondering if Dono van was “all that” as a coach…He answered that on Saturday…His team ran into an intense, physical Bruin team that, I felt, was playing as well as they had in a LONG time….Florida was poised, never showed panic and brought home a hard fought victory…. kudos to Coach Donovan and his Florida Gators ……….. can’t wait for another crack at ’em……… I see big potential for next season Bruins!

by PSYCH84 on Mar 21, 2011 12:37 AM PDT up reply actions

Donovan didn't have to say what he did

Coaches can say a lot of things or nothing about an opposing team they just played. They don’t usually say that a team was as good as anyone they faced this year. They just say that the other team make a good effort or played a good game or “you have to give them credit” or some other standard platitude. I watched Roy Williams interviewed after they played Washington today, and unless I missed something he didn’t say a word about Washington’s team who had just played very well against his team. Donovan didn’t have to say what he did, and if you listen to the interview he makes clear that he really meant it.

by RogerT on Mar 21, 2011 3:53 AM PDT up reply actions