Monthly Archives: February 2013

Walton appears on Dakich, talks life and basketball

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Bill Walton appeared on the Dan Dakich Show today, putting in what the host called one of his best interviews ever. Walton doesn’t really talk about UCLA outside of some mentions of John Wooden and Pauley Pavilion, but he does ramble on as few others can.

At one point, he misquotes Neil Young’s “Walk Like A Giant” as he tries to explain how excited he is to be on Dakich’s show:

“‘Breaks my heart to think about how close we came/Think about how good it feels/I want to walk like a giant on the land/I don’t want to float like a leaf in the stream.’ And that’s why I’m honored to be on your show today, Dan. So how are the football players?'”

I don’t think Dakich asks more than five questions, but Walton unsurprisingly manages to talk for 40 minutes. Here are some other excerpts. You can find the full interview here. Continue reading “Walton appears on Dakich, talks life and basketball” »

USC rematch looms after layoff

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Asked this week what it was like watching film of his team’s loss to USC, Ben Howland didn’t mince words.

“It’s depressing,” the UCLA coach said.

The Trojans stunned the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion three weeks ago, debuting in the new stadium with a 75-71 overtime upset. It marked UCLA’s only consecutive loss this season, and sent USC on a four-game winning streak that made interim coach Bob Cantu a legitimate candidate for the full-time job.

Point guard Larry Drew II had the most pointed words that night: “When we play SC again, it’s going to be war.” Continue reading “USC rematch looms after layoff” »

Bruins cutting down playbook

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Ben Howland, long known for his methodical halfcourt offenses, said he once used as many as 45 different sets.

In Saturday’s win at Stanford, the UCLA coach cut that number down to nine. After using around 18 to 20 for most of the season, he wanted to simplify the playbook even further for his young team coming off a quick turnaround.

Two days earlier, the Bruins had shot just 30.3 percent in the first half 76-63 loss at Cal. Against the Cardinal, UCLA shot 54.4 percent from the field.

“It’s all about execution and reading,” Howland said. “You have different reads: ‘If he trails me, I’m going to curl. If he goes ball side screen, I’m going to fade. If he fades, I have to shorten the pass. If he goes underneath, I have to re-screen.'” Continue reading “Bruins cutting down playbook” »

Howland comments on Dr. Buss’ death

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UCLA coach Ben Howland commented today on the death of Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, who passed away Monday morning after an 18-month battle with cancer.

“It was really sad. Jerry Buss was really nice to me during my tenure here,” said Howland, now in his 10th year with the Bruins. “I’ve been in his box a couple of times. What he meant to this city of L.A., with everything he’s done with the Lakers and their organization. He’s been great for basketball. As Magic (Johnson) spoke of last night, and a lot of people, he brought the whole event and ‘Showtime’ really to basketball. It’s incredible.

“I was listening to all the stuff they were doing on it last night. In 1979, the Finals, the year they won it, with Magic, part of that was tape-delayed. Can you imagine? That part of that was tape-delayed? That the NBA Championship? Such a different era.”

A private memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Thursday at the Nokia Center.

Muhammad out with pink eye

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Shabazz Muhammad missed Tuesday’s afternoon practice with pink eye, said UCLA coach Ben Howland. The freshman’s eye was too swollen for him to wear contacts, and he didn’t have a pair of working prescription glasses.

The issue shouldn’t keep Muhammad out of Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. tipoff at USC, and Howland hopes to have him ready by Thursday. The Bruins are taking Wednesday off from practice after spending the early part of this week focusing on non-contact five-on-five drills.