The Howland Situation
by jrose94 on Jan 22, 2012 11:44 AM PST
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PrintLast week I would have considered myself one of the aptly named "Howlers." In an argument about whether or not Ben Howland should remain UCLA's basketball coach after this season, I would have been the one pointing to the three Final Fours and number 1 recruiting classes as qualifications for him to stay. I would have argued that its not his fault Reeves Nelson is a moron, its not his fault for losing players such as Mike Moser to transfers, et cetera, et cetera...
This week, my opinion has changed. What has not changed, though, is my opinion that CBH deserves one more season.
There is no questioning the fact that this season has been a disappointment on the court and off the court for UCLA basketball. But on the recruiting trail it has not been. Arguably our two biggest weaknesses this year are outside shooting and the lack of a point guard who can run the offense effectively. Our recruiting class as it stands right now for next year includes one of the best shooters in all of high school basketball and a top-5 recruit who is reminiscent of Magic Johnson. Also, next year PG Larry Drew II will be able to suit up for the Bruins after sitting out this year due to transfer rules.
We cannot afford to lose recruits Jordan Adams and/or Kyle Anderson. If Howland is fired, both players have the option to get out of their letters of intent because of a coaching change. That is within NCAA rules and happens often. If Howland stays, those two are Bruins next year, no doubt about it. Then there is the Shabazz issue. Number one recruit Shabazz Muhammed is strongly considering UCLA and it has been said that he is down to three: UCLA, Kentucky, and UNLV. There is no doubt that Shabazz wants to play for a winner and if he thinks Howland can't coach a winning team he won't be in Westwood next year. Nonetheless, Howland has managed to get his interest. A coaching change will almost certainly kill our chances of landing Shabazz. What will absolutely kill our chances? A coaching change plus Shabazz's best friend Kyle Anderson decommitting from UCLA.
A little about this year's team: Two seniors, both PGs. One junior, Brendan Lane who rarely plays (whether he should play more is a different debate). The rest are underclassmen. The rest are unimpressive underclassmen. My point? No one is going pro after this year. No one. Josh Smith needs to get in shape before entering the draft. The Wears don't play defense. Tyler Lamb, Norman Powell, Anthony Stover? No. All of these players have shown at least flashes of brilliance this season. All of these players will be returning. Getting rid of ball hog Lazeric Jones and "point guard" Jermie Anderson while getting back PGs Kyle Anderson and Larry Drew is a huge upgrade. No matter what this team is better next season.
The last thing that cannot be discounted is the reopening of Pauley Pavilion. There is no doubt UCLA has struggled not having a true home court. I'm not saying we would be unbeaten at home, I'm just saying getting our floor back only helps. The players would also be less tired when traveling to away games.
Ben Howland deserves one more season. Not because of the Final Fours, not because its not his fault his number one recruiting class failed, but because he has assembled a recruiting class that addresses this team's needs and will return pretty much the exact same team with another summer for improvement. There is a strong chance he could get the consensus number one recruit in the nation. Giving Howland one last season, and telling him that its Final Four or bust, makes sense. Firing Howland after the end of this season sets the program back more than an in season firing next year would.
The way this UCLA basketball team is playing is unacceptable given our rich tradition and history of success. We have a standard of excellence that must be lived up to. I call for one more season of Ben Howland, one more season with a top recruiting class, and the first season since the Final Fours in which we don't lose pivotal underclassmen to the NBA draft. If Howland does not succeed next year, if he doesn't make it at the very least to the Elite 8, he should be fired. But not yet.
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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It doesn't matter whether or not Howland gets one year
I could care less if he returns next season. However, if he does return next season the only way it would be acceptable is that if he is returning with a new AD in charge.
Because
we would trust a new AD to make a decision on Howland, while we don’t trust Chianti Dan.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I'm confused...
If we have a new AD (let us assume) and he decides to keep CBH, how does that undo all the FAIL that has happened in CBH’s tenure after the 3 straight Final4s?
I’m only a casual BB fan, but reading BN for the last few months has me convinced that CBH has ran out of time…
by UCLA_beer&mathematics on Jan 23, 2012 10:19 AM PST up reply actions
If a new AD decides to keep CBH
then he is not the right AD.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I think there's some confusion
My post was a response to Nestor’s saying that it would be acceptable for Howland to stay if there’s a new AD.
It would be a good compromise
In the grand scheme of things, a good new AD is more important for UCLA Athletics than a new basketball coach. But I think what Nestor means is that it would be acceptable for Howland to stay only next year if there’s a new AD, as long as it’s just that year.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I'd qualify that a bit
I think if we get a new competent AD, then Howland gets at least one more year. If we still have Chianti in charge at the end of April, then the seats for all of them are going to get hotter.
Once we get a new AD, Howland IMO should get one more year. He should be gone unless he wins the Pac-12 regular season championship, secure a protected seed in the tourney and advance at least deep into the tournament.
One more thing
Brings in a very good PG recruit.
by Waitingfornumber12 on Jan 24, 2012 11:18 AM PST up reply actions
Another year of Howland is another wasted year.
Time to cut losses and move on. We had no reason to expect mora jr to be a good recruiter yet he seems to be doing okay.
Losing recruits would be dependent on who replaces Howland.
I wouldn’t underestimate the draw of the institution itself or the location.
I think this is pretty fair analysis jrose
I also agree that while Howland’s seat should be getting warm now, next year is make or break for my support. We know he’s a good coach – I think his Final Four runs prove that. But whether he’s the right coach for UCLA is a different story
If he misses the tournament for the 2nd time in three years
he’s not the right coach for UCLA. Period. End of discussion.
Roses are red, violets are blue...f*** $C.
Hey jrose
Do you have any suggestions for a replacement basketball coach? :)
I agree with your some of your sentiments but one thing is clear – the AD must go.
I don't have a replacement coach
that is another big reason why i don’t see firing howland as a good move right now, i just don’t know who would replace him and be more successful
This, in my vew, is the biggest issue. If we had a great, new coach, Shabazz wouldn't be deterred and our current recruits would be excited by it.
But we don’t. What we do have is a coach currently not performing to expectations, but who has a great history of producing great NBA players. It’s just too bad that with a team full of near future NBA All-Stars Coach Howland has been unable to continue Coach’s legacy.
If we can hire a new coach with a track record of producing NBA stars, then I wouldn’t be at all concerned about firing Howland and hiring that new coach.
But we’re talking about Dan Guerrero doing the hiring here. So there is the problem, too.
by BrendonBruin on Jan 22, 2012 2:12 PM PST up reply actions
Howland, Neu, Dorrel are the symptoms ...
Guerreror is the disease.
Relax. Just a metaphor folks. Not wishing ill on anyone.
by uclahy on Jan 22, 2012 12:47 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Based on these comments, I would call for a new AD before any other changes
I don’t think any of us think Guerrero is capable of hiring a good replacement. The next move is firing Guerrero. Until then, I would stand pat. I don’t care about Jim Mora’s recruiting success, I still don’t like the hire.
If all the signs are true...
We can forget about Shabazz, Howland or not…
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Jan 22, 2012 4:41 PM PST reply actions
Shabazz will be one and done..wherever he goes.
He will not fix UCLA Bball. cBH should go now. If recruits go – so be it. It is about the long term health and success of the program – not an elite one and done class.
agree
even an elite 8 run next year would be a band-aid…
what then…another 4 years until CBH can get there….
No thanks
I really like CBH and his tough D, but it just doesn’t work here at UCLA
by UCLA_beer&mathematics on Jan 23, 2012 10:25 AM PST up reply actions
It works
if you recruit the right players. Of course it works. 3 Final Fours is not a fluke. It’s just that Howland started straying from the guys who got him there and started going after glamorous recruits who don’t buy in to his system. But regardless, his game management and player development may be enough to say “Enough!”.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Howland and his defense absolutely worked here at UCLA, without a doubt
The problem is all his teams from 2009-on (with the sort of exception of last year’s team), have been pretty much incapable of playing any kind of defense for 40 minutes a game.
The other issue
Howland himself has gone away from his commitment to defensive-first minset (See PTs for Dragovic, Nelson and Honeycutt in recent years).
+1
At this point, it’s far more important to fix the program than to worry about some one and done. Howland has jumped the shark.
Who might we think could replace Howland ?
I know Brad Stevens is out of the question. He wouldn’t be interested, period.
Nobody in particular comes into mind, that’s the agony. Maybe some NBA assistants can cut it, I don’t know.
I struggle with that too
But a good AD would have a good list in mind and would have tested the backchannels already. Get a new AD, give him a year, he’d figure it out.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
That is essentially my point
The more I read and think about this it is hard to give Howland another chance. But I’d rather give him one more year and hire a new AD this year and give that competent AD a year to conduct a search.
So, I say fire Guerrero now, obviously, give CBH one last season and unless he wins it all fire him to be replaced by someone our new AD has been looking for all year.
That's really the only way
that another season of Howland would be palatable.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Larry scott anyone?
JK but seriously someone like that would be awesome!
by UCLA_beer&mathematics on Jan 23, 2012 10:26 AM PST up reply actions
ugh I hate the idea of hiring an unproven assistant coach
we deserve better, the hard part is that I can’t imagine anyone successful willing to leave their position except for those that have UCLA as a dream school (Howland fell into this category years ago and that’s probably the only reason DG hired him)
I cannot foresee the possibility of a current elite coach leaving his situation
Without a dumptruck of money being involved in the process. And given that the athletic department’s affilation is with Adidas and not Nike, I also can’t see a dumptruck of money being available either.
Since the question was brought up here, I'll add these thoughts I posted on another thread
I’m pretty much at the end of my Howland support
With every game, his decision making gets harder and harder to defend, much less understand. But as many others have noted, I absolutely don’t trust Guerrero to make any kind of decision concerning the basketball program. And given its historic significance to the university, I absolutely don’t want him involved either.
That said, what candidates are out there?
Certainly Brad Stevens will come up as a suggestion, as will Shaka Smart. I think casual fans should understand the reality of Stevens’ and Smart’s coaching styles. It’s very much the same as the good Howland days. Stevens is very much a possession-by-possession, halfcourt offense, defensive-oriented coach. So for all the fans whose problem with Howland was aesthetic, Stevens and Smart are not your guys.
People who I wouldn’t be interested in (underachivers or inexperienced):
Lorenzo Romar, Mark Few, Cameron Dollar (Seattle), Dan Monson (Cal State Long Beach), Marvin Menzies (New Mexico State)
People who I would be interested in:
MIke Dunlap (St. John’s, asst.), Steve Fisher (San Diego State), Rick Majerus (St. Louis), Brad Stevens, Shaka Smart, and to a much lesser extent (mostly due to aesthetics — I hate run-and-gun basketball), Dave Rice (UNLV)
People who aren’t going anywhere but will be mentioned anyway: Izzo, Matta, Donovan
No idea on any of these guys as to their contract situations. Also, FWIW, Howland has a large amount of money left on his contract, though I’m not aware of what his buyout provision is.
I think the most likely candidates who would accept UCLA are these capable mid-major coaches such as Fisher, Rice, and such who would be looking to upgrade. Then again, given the quality of the Pac12 vis-a-vis the WAC, maybe it isn’t an upgrade! Still, I would think the prestige that goes with coaching at a major school in a major conference is worth it, I would think.
I never thought I’d be at this point. I absolutely loved Howland’s Final Four teams. But it’s quite obvious that he’s very much gone away from the principles that not only assembled those teams, but in coaching them as well.
Talking about Steve Fisher
He won it at Michigan, proved he can recruit. His age now might be a problem as to how many more years can he still coach, let alone at a combustible pressure cooker like UCLA.
No Lorenzo Romar, period. He didn’t apologize on the flagrant foul on Lorenzo Matta. I closed the book on him already.
Rick Majerus is made for mid major programs. He will wilt under the bright light of a stellar program like UCLA. Even USC proved too much for him. This was before he ever coached a single day yet.
I am with you on Howland. He is just about reaching the end of his line at Westwood.
Maybe we can use backchannels with KiKi Vandewedghe, and see what he says about some NBA assistants.
SMH...
Can’t believe that didn’t lead to a fight. LMR did a great job of controlling his emotions. I for one would have thrown haymakers.
by Waitingfornumber12 on Jan 24, 2012 11:19 AM PST up reply actions
I think
you guys are talking about the ball being thrown to Aboya’s face in the inbounds pass. It wasn’t LMR.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Putting tongue into cheek....
How about Chris Petersen?
Allright guys
We have had a lot of fun w that. :) But we appreciate how jrose has been a good sport!
by Nestor on Jan 24, 2012 4:39 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
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