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"Coach Howland puts point guards in the NBA."

"You go to UCLA to be a better basketball player," Honeycutt said. "Sometimes your offensive game gets put on kind of a hold, but you just become an all-around better basketball player."

Plus, there's that very particular Westwood connection, which UCLA guys always tout as very important and which Baron has always seemed to prize at least as much as he has any sense of team identity since becoming a pro.

"If there's a guy we want to develop into getting more touches in the fourth quarter, it would be Arron Afflalo," coach George Karl said.

JE: One UCLA player who I'm guessing your familiar with is Malcolm Lee, who's from your hometown of Riverside. Have you spent much time with him and what are your impressions of him as a player?

RM: I haven't met him, but I've watched his game. There were so many question marks about his game. Is he a defensive player? Is he a scorer? And the one thing Ben Howland has always done is defined roles and I think Malcolm has accepted his role. I haven't had a chance to speak to him, but I love the way he brings the intensity and gets everyone involved. I think they should make the tournament regardless of what their outcome is in the conference tournament. I'm hoping. You never know though.

There have been 3 30-20 games in the NBA this season; All 3 of those games belong to Kevin Love.

Love had 20 points and 20 rebounds for the Timberwolves, his sixth 20-20 game of the season. Orlando's Dwight Howard led the league with three 20-20 games all of last season.

The Thunder’s Russell Westbrook and Minnesota’s Kevin Love were roommates for one season at UCLA. Westbrook was picked No. 4 in the 2008 NBA Draft, and Love was selected No. 5 that same year, and each envisioned greatness for the other.

UCLA beat Texas 34-12 Saturday. Robin’s alma mater beat Batman’s beloved school. Russell Westbrook’s little-respected Bruins beat Kevin Durant’s Longhorns. And don’t think that didn’t create a hot topic around the Thunder’s training facility.

[K]evin Love hauls in a little more than one in every five rebounds available. That might not seem like much, but that's usually enough to lead the league. At age 21 last season, he pulled in 21.5 percent of all available rebounds, which was a better mark (20.5, sucker) that Dwight Howard(notes) managed at the same age. He is monstrous on the glass.

Also, 14 points per game? On a team with an offense that never worked and point guards who rarely passed? In 28.6 minutes per game? Timberwolves fans, do you remember a play being called for Love last season? I don't, and he still managed a double-double. Those weren't all tip-ins, you know.

Yet, he still doesn't play. And people who are paid to coach or analyze pro hoops -- Love has "gotten better as a rebounder?" That's like saying Yao Ming(notes) has gotten better at being tall -- are seeing something that I don't see. They refuse to appreciate what he does, and instead insist on emphasizing what he doesn't do well. And it's hurting their teams.