Bruin Bites: Hoops Roundup Edition

We're all about Ben Howland and the Clippers this week.

• In the SMH category, ex-Bruin Coach Ben Howland withdrew his name from consideration for the Oregon State job. I understand he'd be starting from nothing there, and his old nemesis George Dohrmann just did another hatchet job on him, but after being turned down by Marquette, Tennesse and Missouri and not getting far on the lists at Boston College, UC Berkely and Wake Forest, do you really turn your nose up at Oregon State? Jeff Eisenberg says its not a good fit for Ben.
• What a week for Bruins in the NBA! The Clippers, with our own Darren Collison, Matt Barnes and Ryan Hollins, tied up the series with the OKC Thunder, Russell Westbrook's team, at 2-2. Collison had 18 points, and 12 in the fourth quarter and the final four points in a thrilling come from behind victory, 101-99. Westbrook had 27 points.
• While we're on the Clippers, I'm moved to give this advice: when trying to dig yourself out of a hole, you have to stop digging first and lay down your shovel. Donald Sterling, in an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN, went off on Magic Johnson. Buddy, you picked the wrong man to attack.
• Tying the NBA Bruins and Howland stories together, Achilles wrote about the 2008 Final Four. How do you not win the NC with Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison and Luc Richard Mbah A Mute?
• In recruiting news, Scout has UCLA at number three in its final 2014 team hoops recruiting rankings, behind only Duke and Kentucky. The reasons: they had Welsh and Bolden as big late movers. I'm skeptical. Rivals has them at number eight, and ESPN at #10.
• In more recruiting news, UCLA hosted three potential transfers:  Christophe Varidel from Chaminade/Florida Gulf, Daniel House from Houston and Erin Harris (next week) from West Virginia. All shooting guards. Varidel prodeeded to commit to Alabama. Other names circulating: Namon Wright, shooting guard decommit from Missouri, Tyler Dorsey -- committed to Arizona but seemingly recruited over, and of course, my favorite,  Daniel Hamilton -- committed to Connecticut (come on Lakers, take Kevin Ollie).
• For your amusement, 247 Sports Crystal Ball feature predicts we get the following players for 2015: Bennie Boatwright, Carlton Bragg, Diamond Stone and Chieck Diallo. All big men. Warning -- these predictions are based on nothing. Aaron Holiday, PG/SG, is already committed.
• And finally, here's the latest from Scout on prosepcts and offers. The new offer is to a center from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Caleb Swanigan.

Reading the recruting news, you might wonder about endless string of names floated as transfers and decommits and also about all the out-of-state big men. I do too. I'll have more to say about that shortly.