This day in Bruin history (April 3) ...

by Achilles on Apr 3, 2008 10:03 AM PDT Comment 32 comments

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Today is April 3, 2008.

It is a great day in Bruin history.

Five years ago today, UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero introduced Ben Howland, head basketball coach at the University of Pittsburgh as the new head coach of the UCLA Bruins.

Howland replaced Steve Lavin, who Guerrero dismissed at the end of the 2002-03 season.

Howland, a Southern California native, grew up a fan of UCLA basketball and an admirer of legendary head coach John Wooden. For the new head coach, the UCLA job was a dream come true (emphasis ours):

"Ben Howland is an outstanding basketball coach, one of the best in the entire country, and he is the man we want to run our program," said Guerrero. "He has built winning programs throughout his career and we expect that he will return UCLA basketball to the nation's elite.

"Ben understands that championships are built on defense, intensity, teamwork and fundamentals and those elements are the foundation of his philosophy. His teams come to play every night and they do an outstanding job on both ends of the floor.

"We are excited about bringing Ben back to the West Coast and we are excited about the future of Bruin basketball," Guerrero concluded.

"I am honored to be the head basketball coach at UCLA and I am grateful to Dan for giving me this opportunity," said Howland, the consensus National Coach of the Year in 2002. "Having grown up in southern California as a Bruin fan, watching the televised replays of the games was special for me. To now be the head coach of this program is something I dreamed about but never thought possible.

"I have an appreciation for what these four letters mean in the world of college basketball. We should be competing for the Pacific-10 title and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament year-in and year out and I look forward to that challenge.

Since his hiring, Howland completely transformed the team, building on the historic traditions while at the same time putting his own mark on the program.

His record at UCLA speaks for itself:

Three consecutive Pacific 10 titles. Three straight trips to the Final Four (with more games to play this season). Three straight seasons of 30 or more wins.

There's more: UCLA now enjoys a national reputation as one of the best defensive teams in the nation, if not the best defensive team in the nation. The team's academic performance is strong. Most importantly, UCLA basketball is again recognized as one of the elite basketball programs in the country.

UPDATE: Also on this day in UCLA history (as pointed out in the comments by uclachuy below:

The UCLA Bruins defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 89-78, earning the school its record 11th National Championship.

Thia has been ... this day in UCLA basketball history.

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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To somewhat quote.......

"Order has been restored in the universe".

by artybruin on Apr 3, 2008 10:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

"Yeah, baby! Yeah, baby! Yeah, baby.".

..to quote another.

God, it's great to be a Bruin!

by whp68 on Apr 3, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

A good place for this link as well

Norwood at the Times actually has a very good piece on Howland.

The big one that got away

Before Ben Howland made a name for himself and Pittsburgh and UCLA, local schools missed out on a chance to hire a fiery young assistant.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-norwood3apr03,1,1623516.story

Enjoy!

by Free the 16 on Apr 3, 2008 11:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Great read

Thanks for posting. I particularly love the quote, "when offense fails, defense can win". I think that sums up one reason our squads have been so successful under Coach Howland. Looking forward to seeing our D put the clamps on the Tigers this Saturday.

Go Bruins!!!

by hspigskinfan on Apr 3, 2008 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You bet we will cage those tigers

Then sell them to the highest bidders for medicinal and aphrodisiac (correct spelling hopefully)
purposes. You know, that helps in the Pauley rennovation project.

Oh my ! What did i just say. Animal rights activists will burn those crosses outside my house any minute.

by Htse005 on Apr 3, 2008 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tying 2 threads together

This posting got my typing flowing....

What always made me so mad about Lavin was his allegation that only championship banners would satisfy Bruin fans. His false claim was based on the fact Bruin fans were not happy with his teams' Sweet 16 and Elite 8 finishes. What he never recognized is to get to the Sweet 16 you have to win 2 games in a row. Not the sign of a program going the right direction. To get to the Elite 8, you have to win 3 admittedly hard games in a row. But it is only 3 wins. Again, not the sign of a program going the right direction.

I love the fact that Howland keeps talking about winning the PAC 10 consistently. I love the shirt that LMR has worn in warm-ups the last 2 games (Defending Pac 10 champs with the 3 years in fine print). The best evidence that the program is going the right way is not the fact that we made it to the Final Four 3 years in a row but rather we have won 30 games each of those years. And, oh BTW, we won that conference championship.

This year has been an ABSOLUTE SUCCESS whatever happens over the next 6 days. This is a great day to celebrate!

And no there should not be any pressure on the Bruins because this is their 3rd Final Four in a row. Did anyone really "expect" us to be in the Final Four 3 years ago? No. We got hot at the right time and won 5 tournament games in a row. Did anyone "expect" us to win last year? Hoped maybe, but I would be surprised if many really expected us to win against a Florida team we did not match up well against. We have a real shot this year and we may win it all. We may miss out but either way it is a success.

Sorry for the rant. And I really do have to do some work sometime today....

Go Team Go!

by bruins grad and dad on Apr 3, 2008 11:40 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Your point about Lavin...

...is well taken. He would talk about UCLA fans not being satisfied with anything less than a national championship while he couldn't do better than third in the Pac-10 (except for his first year when he inherited a team that was run by Dollar and Charles O'Bannon). He was the one who put that false UCLA fan mentality out in the national media and now people throw it around as if it is accepted fact (another reason to loathe Lavin). Lavin would ignore the fact that his Sweet 16 runs didn't come with corresponding conference success - a clear lack of consistency which comes back to poor coaching.

Howland has it right - focus on winning the conference and tournament success will come along with it. I wouldn't want anyone else coaching the Bruins, win or lose. Is it Saturday yet?

by McNown to Farmer on Apr 3, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Unfortunately

There are still lot of idiots in the MSM like Mile Celizic who are still pushing Lavinisms like this:

Coming close works for a while, but if you're going to coach at a program that claims to be one of the greatest ever, sooner or later you've got to be the last program standing at season's end. At Pitt, Howland could have stayed for decades without ever winning a title and, if he'd snagged just one, he could have been coach-for-life -- like Jim Boeheim at Syracuse.

But at UCLA, he doesn't have that luxury. If he's going to keep going to the Final Four, he'd just better win one. Only that will make him a coach worthy of the franchise. Another one or two after that will qualify him for greatness.

Howland's been fortunate so far in that he's lost to teams that have been seen as being better than his. But this year, if he gets to the final game, he's not going to get the benefit of that doubt. This year, the perception is that his Bruins are right up there with Roy Williams' Tar Heels. If he loses this year, it's going to be on him.

But it won't be on the program. The UCLA brand is as secure now as it's ever been. In the minds of its fans, the reason it's won only once in 32 years is because its coaches let it down.

Get to the Final Four at Pitt but lose the title, and you're a great coach who overcame a humble program. Do the same at UCLA, and you've let down a great program and joined the list of coaches who couldn't live up to the standards set by John Wooden.

If Howland doesn't know that now, let him get knocked out of the Final Four early again. It doesn't matter how it happens, it's going to be his fault.

Obviously we shredded that notion earlier in the week. If anyone wants to respond to this clown and shred him in the diaries, he or she is more than welcome.

GO BRUINS.

by Nestor on Apr 3, 2008 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Quotes, guys, quotes

It looks like Celizic just sat at his desk and assumed Bruins are all a bunch of ingrates.

Can anyone find a piece that actually quotes Bruin alumni or fans griping about a lack of National Championships?

I'm guessing that such a column doesn't exist, because I can just sit at my desk and be glad that Howland has put together a clean program that consistently plays well. We can look forward to deep tourney runs as long as CBH wants to stay in Westwood, and even if he has an off-year or two, there's no denying what he's accomplished.

The post about Lavin's consistency was dead-on. I transferred to UCLA in time for his final three years at Pauley and recall being able to beat highly-ranked teams like Cincinnati while suddenly becoming ineffective against the rest of the pack.

I don't know how (or if) Mr. Celizek researched this column, but I'd like to invite him to actually come to Westwood sometime and find out what real alumni and students think about the program.

by FreewayBruin03 on Apr 3, 2008 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just talk about him

makes my blood boils, period. He is really a scam artist of the first order, rips UCLA off those seven long years pretending to do something he never has in him since day one.

I blame Pete Dalis for that.

He got off easy with the severance money and now earns his keep by talking through another orifice in his lower anatomy.

by Htse005 on Apr 3, 2008 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

what a coincidence...

that today happens to be my bday! Now I have Howland's hiring and Marlon Brando's birthday on the same day as mine. Now let's bring banner #12 back to Pauley!

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the 1995 National Championship won on April 3rd??

by uclachuy on Apr 3, 2008 11:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You are ...

correct!!!

Go Bruins

by Achilles on Apr 3, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well then, would you please

pray to the late great Godfather about Lavin and see if Marlon can summon " from the other side " a hitman who can slip a cobra in Lavin's mailbox ?

by Htse005 on Apr 3, 2008 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

A Viper

would be more appropriate

by Bruin in Denver on Apr 3, 2008 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another cool Howland link...

Just found this one, though it might be old...

http://www.pe.com/sports/college/ncaa/2006/poster_wallpaper/howland_wallpaper.jpg

by Free the 16 on Apr 3, 2008 11:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

NICE!!!

by uclachuy on Apr 3, 2008 12:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Happy Birthday ...

chuy

Go Bruins

by Achilles on Apr 3, 2008 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Happy B'Day!

and Long Live Howland!

by bluestreet on Apr 3, 2008 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

5 Years with many more to come

Everything aligned perfectly to bring Howland to westwood. How often do you get a coach whose dream was always to become the head coach at your school? He understands what UCLA and the program are all about. It's amazing what he has done in five years. Order has indeed been restored. Thank you coach!!!

by Bruins095 on Apr 3, 2008 1:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's hoping the stars have aligned TWICE

CRN has also always dreamed of coaching here (at his alma mater no less) and clearly gets what this magical place is about. We're fortunate to have both these guys. I feel the same excitement about CRN today as I did about CBH five years ago -- maybe even more, because I was a student when we were routinely winning Rose Bowls, including CRN's MVP performance in '84. Ah, those nostalgic, golden days ... when it was still fashionable to cheer for Coach Toledo's Successor, because all he did was catch TDs.

I caught CRN's eye at the Bruin Send-Off yesterday and gave him a thumbs up. Had I gotten closer, I might have said something like "this is gonna be you and your team before too long". Or maybe I would have just stuttered and babbled something incomprehensible out of nervousness. But you get the idea.

Bruin For Life

by handyman on Apr 3, 2008 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is there video anywhere...

of Ben Howland's UCLA introductory press conference?

by bruindodger on Apr 3, 2008 3:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

And another Howland article--on recruiting

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/7984108/Howland's-simple-recruiting-touch-pays-off-big

by Free the 16 on Apr 3, 2008 4:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I Don't Understand the Hate for Lavin

Lavin was a very green assistant who took a job that anyone would have taken in his place. He did an okay job, and we had an okay team, which was not okay with any of us. He has actually been very gracious in giving Howland his due, and continues to be pro-UCLA. He did his best, and justified his performance much in the way anyone would. He certainly was the subject of constant criticism, much of which he deserved. Do you expect him to say, I stunk and the fans were justified in getting on me. Is that what any of you would have done in his place. Let it go.

by 75NatChamps on Apr 3, 2008 5:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Since I started the Lavin comments on this thread

I agree with you 100%. Hate is never a good thing. Focus on the now and the now is good!

Go Team Go!

by bruins grad and dad on Apr 3, 2008 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lavin didn't do an "okay" job

We have rebutted that argument enough times about the nonsense of Lavin doing an ok job and the garbage about him being a decent guy. He is neither. You can look up all the Lavin related threads. So please don't bring that Lavin praising trash here. Thanks.

by Nestor on Apr 3, 2008 6:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You must be one of those Lavinistas

He didn't have in him to be a coach, let alone to have done his own best and then be able to justify it afterwards in his own sleazy fashion. Sure, he has to give Howland his dues in the face of such impressive turnaround. Under Howland, Lavin would not have qualified to even be the gatorade handler.

Yes, admit he let the program down. Admit also he tarnished UCLA's mystique with those horrific, landslides defeats at the hands of other teams when he simply failed to prepare his players but to let them freelance on the court to hopefully ride out " the onslaught " .

If I had the chance he had to be handed the reign of the most storied program in NCAA history, only to have bungled so spectacularly before receiving a handsome severance pay even for my personal failure, why not ? I'd admit all that.

by Htse005 on Apr 3, 2008 8:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Give credit where credit is due...

Lavin as a BROADCASTER has been pretty decent, even entertaining at times (although he did overdo it with the Lazarus comparisons!). Haven't seen much junk come from him compared to what others on the WWL have been spewing out lately. just my 2 cents.

by rickdean on Apr 3, 2008 8:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll say this

Lavin as a broadcaster at least didn't stoop to the level of Marques Johnson when the latter blurted out those " Meyo Mayo " adolescent like response during our Pac10 Tournament game against SC. That guy belatedly made some irrelevant, albeit impressive, moves only at the closing minutes. Then came Marques swooning all over him as if he was a little poodle begging to eat out of Mayo's hand.

It simply flabbergasted me to no ends. Marques, you're a decorated former Bruin, first team All America and the first Wooden Award Player of The Year. Keep your own dignity please !

by Htse005 on Apr 3, 2008 9:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Meyo Mayo"

was disgraceful...

O.A.

by Ollie on Apr 4, 2008 3:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

In my opinion

Coach Howland's predecessor is horrible as an announcer. He's oily, insincere, and not particularly accurate. I had no choice but to listen to him (not my TV or remote) once, and once was enough. He is about as good an announcer as he was in the position he was in just before his departure from employment at UCLA. His tenure in charge of the UCLA basketball team generated zero improvement in any of his players. His announcing has not progressed beyond the banalities that he uttered when he was interviewed while still a UCLA employee.

(Sorry, but I still can't bring myself to use his name, nor can I use the title now bestowed on (and more than earned by) Ben Howland in anything having to do with the Great Pretender.)

by Fox 71 on Apr 3, 2008 9:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He is "entertaining"

in the sense you get enjoy hearing from a jackass who doesn't know anything about the game. His commentary during UCLA games are worthless, off base, self-serving, and has nothing to do with the actual game.

So again ... no one should bring any kind of Lavin praising garbage on this site. Thanks.

by Nestor on Apr 4, 2008 4:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nestor, you are much more forgiving than I am

Mrs. Fox 71 is an afficianado of "American Idle" (no typo) and so I am well aware of that show. Coach Howland's predecessor is a combination of William Hung and Sanjaya, so in a sense there is an element of "entertainment" involved I suppose. Listening to Coach Howland's predecessor is like a root canal, in that both are far more enjoyable under a general anesthetic.

by Fox 71 on Apr 4, 2008 4:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs