Answers, Part IV

If both Collison and Love go pro, what is the likelihood that Ben Howland has another last minute recruit up his sleeve? (Similar to the way he got Westbrook.)
I don’t think there is someone available at this time. I don’t like the chances of it, although I will not rule it out. UCLA was working Westbrook hard at this time two years ago.

Were you surprised that Ben Braun was fired at Cal?
No, I thought it was long overdue. Cal should be consistently better than it has been.

Do you think that Ernie Kent or any other Pac 10 coach will be fired now that the season is over?
No, I think that is it for this season. However, I do not expect Tony Bennett to be at Washington State after this season. Indiana comes to mind as a possible Bennett destination, and I’m hearing there is some interest from LSU.

Have you heard whether Mike Montgomery is interested in getting back to college coaching?
Yes, and as a matter of fact, Daily News staffer Ramona Shelburne wrote that he is interested in the Loyola Marymount job because it would allow his son, who attended LMU, to join his staff. The plan being talked about is to have Montgomery’s son than take over the program. I also hear California is interested in him, and Montgomery has interest in the Indiana job.

Does Howland ever seem concerned that his half-court offense can be rather stagnant?
No, I never get that sense. Like all coaches, when something doesn’t work, the answer on how to fix it is usually to say better execution is needed. Howland believes in his system.

Do you feel that Coach Howland is a poor offensive coach? While defense is often key to our victories, it seems like time and again our team struggles because of inability on the offensive end. After all, holding an opponent to below 60 points is great, but if you can barely score 60 yourself, is that much better?
I don’t think he is a poor offensive coach, but he is a much better defensive coach than an offensive coach. I thought Kevin Love would get more touches in the half-court set, and far too many times Darren Collison is left bouncing the ball around for 20 seconds before getting into an offensive set. From talking to players, some of that reason is because much more practice time is spent talking about defense.

Why haven't Matt Lee and the other two guys at the end of the bench been suiting up for the NCAA games?
I believe you can only dress 13 players for a game, and with the injuries in the front court, UCLA is choosing to dress walk-ons who play in the front court.

Are you aware of Coach Daniels or any of the other assistants being "hot" commodities for head coach openings, either specifically or in general? Also, does a guy like Daniels have an agent for career advancement purposes?
I am aware of none being a “hot’’ assistant. I do know Daniels is interested in being a head coach again, and he has people trying to help him, but nothing to the point where I believe he will not be at UCLA next season.