Extravaganswer, Pt. 10
Check out the last batch of answers...
1) u$c fired some initial salvos on 2011 FB recruiting. Do you know about UCLA's chances on any of the following: WR Victor Blackwell, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, DT Todd Barr and RB/CB DeAnthony Thomas? Also, what's it look like for QB- too soon to know? - Tim Warren
I'm hearing good things for UCLA on all four, but Thomas is going to be a huge battle. UCLA is looking hard at Cody Kessler, Brett Hundley and Marquise Williams. Expect one top QB this year, if not two.
2) Which do you think is a bigger challenge for Howland: Cleaning up Lavin's mess when he took over or cleaning up his own mess now? (Please explain your answer.) - Anonymous
Wow, fantastic question. I had to think about this one. Now. Now is my answer. With his success at Pitt and the UCLA name, he could come in with a blank slate, and really, he put his stamp on the program early. Lavin left the cupboard pretty bare, but that also gave Howland the opportunity to start his guys early and really make it his own. Now, though, it's entirely on him. The perception is down, the support is down just when they need it to be at its best given the Pauley renovation, and the roster appears pretty thin. But I really think he learned his lesson with the '08 class, and he'll be better served by it. I'm not sure that means national championships, but I can say with absolute faith that last year was an aberration.
3) Jon, Considering the QB recruits that we are after currently, would it be safe to assume that we are commited to the Pistol long term? Not seeing alot of pocket passers being offered outside Wittek. - Jed and Gold
I think the natural trend of the position is going in that direction, and UCLA is trying to catch on early. It's a risk, but it's the kind of risk they need to take I think.
4) Jon, considering the lack of shooting range from deep with next years team. Do you consider it a blessing in disguise? last year we hacked up the three's to what seemed like an absurd amout of attempts.This year it seems we would get back to offensive basics. do you see it that way? - Jed and Gold
Absolutely. It's a pity Mike Roll doesn't have one year left, because he would be so important to this team.
5) Do you think that the academic set backs of some of the football players will make it more difficult for Coach Neuheisel to recruit in the future? - Bruinball
No, he's done a pretty good job so far.
Excuse me, Mr. Gold, a little research music please...
"Cupboard Bare" when Howland Arrived?
Here was your Bare Wear:
TJ Cummings 6'9" Senior power forward
True never realized potential but a solid
big body senior with talent and 4 years experience
Trevor Ariza - you know that guy in the NBA w/the ring
Ryan Hollins - soph late bloomer (coaching took a while to find the light switch) but still a mega- athletic 7 footer, currently drawing an NBA paycheck.
Dijon Thompson - talented Jr. who scored 39 points (v.ASU) and become a team leader as a senior ... made NBA rosters for two seasons..not chopped liver
Ced Bozeman - jr. Ced Bozeman was ...Ced Bozeman
yeah...an enigma in an injury pretzel whose ball handling probably served as an a model for Jerime Anderson...was the weak link on this team which also
had a good shooter in NC transfer guard Brian Morrison who unfortunately was injured for 4 weeks after some
eary promise..Morrison actually seemed to get worse
under Howland's coaching..
Had a big body center in stone hand Fey off the bench
While perhaps not vintage elite UCLA, there's no way, JG, that you see a "bare cupboard" here...maybe not a
20 win team but DEFINITELY not a losing record team,
including an all time national tv blow-out vs. (ironically) a St. John's team that had 5 total wins late in the season when they hosted Howland. More likely, this season was a red flag about how Howland loses control in the face of adversity and his own stubborness (if such a word)..in a pinch RESEARCH!
=Old Mother Cupboard
I asked the question about which is a bigger hole to climb out of, and I tend to agree with Gold. Yes, the cupboard was pretty bare...but Hollins and Bozeman turned out to be key players in the 2006 Final Four run. But don't forget it was sophmores Farmar and Afflalo and Freshman Luc Richard that really got the Bruins there.
Clearly, Howland struck gold by getting Farmar, Afflalo, Collison, Luc Richard, Mata, et al to save the program. Thinking about how good those guys turned out..and the luck involved..makes me wonder if our current crop will get back to that level.
Honestly, I think Howland has to approach this season and the future with Honeycutt and Nelson as the building blocks. Anything he gets out of Lee and Anderson should be considered gravy...just like how Bozeman and Hollins' contributions turned out to be a bonus in 2006. One hopes that Josh Smith is as advertised, but stays around at least three years, and that Lamb develops into a top-flight contributor.
And...if the Wear twins materialize, I could see UCLA back in the Final Four in 2012. That's how big their possible transfer is.
@anon... you're kidding, right?
anyone who watched that team knew that dijon was the only one who could score consistently. that same roster from a different point of view:
tj cummings: big bodied senior that had ONE move... the jab step fake to the awful jump shot just inside the 3point line. couldn't rebound. couldn't defend. couldn't pass. slow. the only talent he showcased was when he was in missy elliot's video back when she was large (in every sense of the word).
ariza: an immature freshman that a) had NO shot (3pt, 2pt OR ft), b) played defense for maybe 25% of the time, and c) went in the 2nd round with no guarantee of an NBA future. kudos to him for working hard to succeed despite the odds against him.
hollins: late soph bloomer? more like HUGE beneficiary of our first Final Four run, when he FINALLY learned how to catch the ball and dunk over everyone else. Do i need to remind you that he was REPEATEDLY blocked by people shorter than him because his shot was so dysfunctional and slow? if anything, he owes his entire NBA CAREER to Howland... learned how to actually play defense without fouling and the value of rebounds and putbacks. as a sophomore, all he did was shot fake in the key until he got stuffed or he got a 3 second violation. i know because i saw every excruciating second of it.
dijon: had offense, no defense until howland came along. no hustle period until howland came along. friends used to joke that it looked like he was sleeping half the time.
ced bozeman: sucked UNTIL he was moved to the 3 and became a defensive stopper, where he was actually very good during his senior year. thanks howland.
and PLEASE don't tell me that you are citing B-Mo as a player with promise... all b-mo did was shoot ridiculous "falling out of bounds" 3 pointers during warm ups and then suck during the games. he was terrible. slow, no defense, no offense.
I went to every damn game during this span and was in the second row of the student section. I watched every away game. no one on that team would have sniffed a starting position at Arizona or hell, even any top 25 team during that time. to think that Howland actually was able to get to the final four 2 years later is a freaking miracle. seriously, stop hating.
Thank you, Drew. Always nice to have a little reality check around now and then.
Nice to see that Mrs. Lavin reads the blog.
Reality check?
drew you spent a lot of time in your "dissertation" just to prove that anon was correct. The question wasn't about the players under achievement and lack of development under Lavin, but about the "cupboard" being bare. Clearly, per your argument it wasn't?
And you even have a co-signer. How cute!
What part of cupboard was bare don't you understand bigDbruin? Not a single player who could step up and carry the team in crunch time, a grossly overrated power forward with the moves of a fire hydrant, a couple of modest role players and a kid who didn't develop until he'd graduated. I'd say the cupboard was pretty freakin' bare. If Farmar, Afflalo, Collison, Luc Richard and Mata were in the program at the same time as this bunch none of them would play. Cupboard bare.