The Scariest Part About our 0-5 record this year is, in my opinion, how good the other teams in the conference look.  We are battling WSU to stay out of the cellar, while the rest of the conference is playing pretty good football and is both competitive and showing improvement.  Even scarier, it seems the balance in the Pac-10 is the result of some good coaching hires (Chip Kelly and Harbaugh just to name two) and some good young (or new) quarterbacks (Barkley and the kid from Arizona come to mind).

Who knows what UCLA has in store for the next few years, and Coach Neu might turn out to be the best of the best.  But looking around the conference, we have a road to climb, and competing for 10 win seasons seems many years away.  As for our quarterback situation--another huge question mark if you ask me.  I'll let others talk about "silver-linings" and the fourth quarter.  Sure it looked good, but doesn't every team shine at least one quarter in the year? We were due, and TJ Simers nailed it this morning (assuming you can appreciate humor at our expense).  Of course, that doesn't mean Prince isn't our future.  I hope he is.  I just can't put much stock in one decent 4th quarter against a middle of the road Pac-10 team.  Consistent performance and year-long data sets drive my opinions (sometimes unfortunately for my psyche).

The one good thing I can say about Prince and the 4th quarter is that maybe it will end this year's qb controversy.  I say that because, in my opinion, this season will be largely wasted if Prince isn't the guy next year.  Consistency and growth at QB is something we need desparately, and if we go into next year not knowing who the QB is, it's another year of blah if you ask me.  If Prince is the guy next year, maybe 6 wins (or better), a bowl game, and significant improvement is possible.  If not, scary-big question mark.

Congrats to Oregon, though it's too bad the balancing of the Pac-10 hasn't included UCLA thus far.

 

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Another frustrating loss has got me thinking about what really makes good teams.  And the truth is, it isn't necessarily the product of talent, good play-calling, and/or a star quarterback. No, generally a good team creates a family atmosphere where everyone takes their role seriously and professionally, even if the role is a small one.  Players respect each other, fight for each other, and no matter how much playing time each gets, they treat each other as equals.  A good team has everyone on the same page.

I don't know if UCLA has any top-flight talent on offense.  I really don't.  It is shocking how bare the cupboard seems. Nevertheless, the lack of talent doesn't mean that the offense can't play pretty good, game in and game out.  Even without great talent, smart offenses can still put teams in position to win games.  UCLA's offense needs to play smart, stay within themselves, and do what they can do well.  They need to start thinking of themselves like a huge under-dog everyday, and realize they'll have to play smarter than better defenses to score points.  Even without good talent, I refuse to believe they can't play well.  They just need to play together. 

Continue reading this post »

That was an incredibly frustrating game, and I'm not sure what we know or where we are.  I do think we'll be back eventually, and someday we'll be playing games that are fun to watch.  But the last two games tell me it will be a while still before we can expect a good game against a good team.  We may play a good game against a good team this year, and maybe more, but I can't say I expect us to do so at this point.  Are we better than last year?  I don't know.

On Offense:

I'll say it again:  we cannot be competitive without a couple of great skill players.  And I don't see one on offense yet.  Our QBs have not stepped up, and our receivers seem serviceable at best (maybe the QBs are to blame).  And while Franklin has showed some flashes, I haven't seen something from him suggesting he is the skill player to deliver wins for our team (and while Coleman looked good at times last year, I haven't seen much from him this year).

I don't know who should be QB on this team.  Prince looked horrible.  Even before he threw the pick 6, he had at least two similar throws that could have resulted in the same result.  The Pick 6 was surprising only to the extent that I figured he must have noticed that he got lucky twice earlier, and would have learned to stop throwing slow balls out accross the field.  Prince also did not look particularly mentally tough.  Psyche is one of the most important traits of college QBs, and yesterday it seemed like Prince withered when the going got tough.  Still, though Prince had a bad game, I still think he is probably the best bet.  One bad game (first back from injury) should not shoot down all that he has accomplished in earning the starting job.

Brehaut looked ok.  OK, no better.  Personally, I thought it was comical the way the announcers declared him clearly ahead of Prince and Craft.  I certainly didn't conclude that.  Brehaut made some decent throws, and he handled himself ok.  But it wasn't like the ofense started really really humming.  Maybe he deserves some more time, maybe he doesnt'.  I honestly do not know.  What I do know is that it should take time to find a starter, and it shouldn't change on a whim.  Evaluation takes time.  So just as I am always hesitant to say anything about the program at large under new coaches in a short period of time (at least before we start seeing consistent results), I am equally hesitant to say Brehaut should be the guy after yesterday. 

The Coaches need to think long and hard about how to proceed.  I like QB competitions.  But didn't we already have that?  And didn't Prince win?  If that is true, injury + one bad game should not keep Prince out (assuming he is healthy).  If Brehaut is the guy, fine.  But make the decision now, and do it clearly.  The QB problems aren't just about us finding a QB.  Without a defined QB, I do not think the receivers can develop.  Which means, everything stagnates until we figure out who's behind center. 

The real problem here is that it seems like we've been having a QB competition for the last 4-5 years.  Other teams are just wizzing by us with QB talent, and UCLA just keeps stagnating.  Injuries have hurt . . . but when was the last time anyone thought they saw the real deal on the field?  It's been awhile, I'd say Drew Olson.  This PROBLEM is so BIG it warrants an entire blog.  Ask Cal what happens when the team actually has skill on both sides of the ball, but a QB is missing.  Disappoinment.  Period.  And Cal is still ahead of us . . .  Who would think UCLA would have trouble getting top offensive talent, particularly at the QB position?  Not me.

On Defense:

They played ok yesterday.  Some big plays given up, but there is a ton of pressure on them.  But they aren't a top-5 or 10 defense in the country.  They are a top 25-30 defense.  Good, but not great.  Bottom line, we can't expect them to win games for us, except againt weak competition.  They will keep us in a lot of games because they are good.  But winning games is different.

Go Bruins.

Bumped. Let's hope the team is as focused as rfirpo, who in last 24 hours has been en fuego. GO BRUINS. - N

Thursday's game against VCU is going to be the most exciting and intense game of the year--and I don't even think it's close.  Thinking of the CAL, USC, and Washington road games?--think again, those were cupcakes in comparison.

The crowd in Philly will be buzzing with anticipation, waiting to see VCU have its shot to rip into a UCLA team who made it to three consecutive final fours.  People will be there, begging for the little guy to stick it to us.  If VCU hits the first basket of the game-the crowd will roar; if VCU goes on a 5-0 run with a key three pointer thrown in, the crowd will go bezerk.  They will taunt us, shout overrated, and belittle our program.  Make no mistake about it:  this game will be possession to possession of pure intensity and desire.  It is the game of the year to date.

Our recent opening round NCAA Tournament games have been a little slow.  The crowd expected blow-outs, and they got them.  The cheers were muted, and it seemed the fans weren't completely focused.  And that was understandable, as it seemed the games were second to the arena atmosphere, t-shirt booths, and tournament merchandize lines. No one had to be intense--everyone could be relaxed.

Well Thursday's game will be different.  People will be tuning in around the country to watch UCLA lose.  I hate to say it, but Seth Davis started a story-line that will put people in front of the TV hoping for carnage.  Everyone who picked UCLA will be praying for their "I told you so" moment.

I've heard some people talk about the game suggesting that we need to have an "us against the world mentality."  Well, we don't need to try to foster that mentality--because it's a freakin' reality.  It is us against the world.  We are being portrayed as the team who is overrated, as the team who will be surprised, and as the team who won't be prepared.  Seth Davis doesn't like us, Fox Sports didn't like us, and bracket pickers everywhere are taking VCU.  And the President--he doesn't like us either.  They think we are garbage, last years news with DII talent and underperforming freshman.  They don't say it, but based on their picks--they must think Howland forgot how to coach.

And so, yes, all those naysayers will be watching.  You can count on it.  They will be drooling for a VCU win.  When VCU scores their hearts will race, and the VCU fans and every other team's but UCLA's will cheer--desperate to see UCLA go down.  And the City of Philadelphia will also be cheering, rooting for the little guy.  And the most desperate cheers-they'll be coming from the thousands of Villanova fans in attendance and at bars all over Philly.  It will be 10'Oclock PM there, but they'll be watching--and praying.  See, for all the talk about UCLA going down early, deep down inside, Nova fans and the Nova team are probably wondering--is UCLA really that bad?  Didn't they go to 3 straight final fours?  Don't they have an all-american point guard?  Don't they have essentially the same record as us??  Don't they have a tradition of excellence which makes ours look like, well, nothing?

That's right.  Of all the cheering against the Bruins, it will be the Nova fans who will be the most desperately in favor of VCU.  Because they know what we know--UCLA CAN BEAT ANYBODY.  They are hoping against all hope that VCU wins, because then they won't have to play us.  Because if they do play us, they will be putting everything on the line against the most storied proram in the Nation.  At home, a higher seed, with the pressure to prove that the Big East is the best conference--that's a lot of pressure on Nova against little old UCLA.  So yea--they'll be crazy in favor of VCU too.

We need to strangle VCU from the opening tip.  And we need to continue doing it for 40 minutues.  It will be difficult, and it will be exhausting.  The most exhausting game of the year, without a doubt.  And everyone, from White House staffers to Philly bar hoppers will be rooting against us.  But if we play from the opening tip like we have something to prove--then we can reap the hard earned rewards.

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

My first NCAA Tournament Game ever was USC-Kentucky.  My second, the Sweet-16 nightcap at the First Union Center--#4 UCLA v. # 1 Duke.  An incredible experience, even though we lost.  Some things have changed since then, like the name of the arena (now it's the Wachovia Center) and our seed (#6 this year).  But let's hope one other thing changes as well--let's hope we can exercise the deamons of our last trip to that arena, and leave this weekend with a couple of wins.

It was my senior year, and I had promised myself that if UCLA made it to the second weekend of the tournament, I would be there--no matter where it was.  And sure enough, there I was watching the final minutes of UCLA's second round game, celebrating a victory and frantically booking southwest tickets to the closest airport to Philly--Baltimore, MD (BMI).  And then, to seal the deal, I bum rushed the CTO the next morning as soon as they opened to put in my application for Tournament tickets.  And then I waited and hoped for the best.

I found out soon thereafter that I got 2 student tickets to the games, and a friend of mine from high school, who didn't go to UCLA but understood the magic of the university, agreed to go.  A borrowed Bruincard later, my friend and I were ready.

We flew into Baltimore late on a Wednesday night (right after a final the day before), and drove what seemed like never-ending toll roads to Philly.  It was a lesson on East Coast driving which annoyed me, but it awesome nevertheless.  In the car there was tournament trivia, and in the rear windows--huge signs in support of UCLA.  "Go Bruins!" they read, and of course "Got Scissors?"

We arrived in Philly, exhausted but content.  We rallied for some cheesesteaks at a dirty drive in at nearly 2 AM, and then slept them off.

Next morning, we cruised around town trying to see some sights, and then headed over to the arena at the first opportunity.  Once there, we learned that only 3 UCLA students had applied for tournament tickets--and we were "2" of them.  Of course, I knew that "one" of us wasn't even a student--my friend went to UC Davis--but it felt good to know we had travelled the length of the country to see our team.  Then we got the good news.  Because there were only 3 student tickets assigned, the athletic department had decided to give us the best tickets UCLA had available.  The result: we sat at essentially mid-court in the third row of the lower level.  Amazing.  Behind us were Bruin parents and stars--and behind them, east coast bruin alums up to the rafters.  It was a sight indeed.

So we all know how that weekend went.  USC completely shocked Kentucky (and hoards of their fans) in the first game behind solid performances by Sam Clancy and Brandon Granville, and UCLA just couldn't stop Duke--as Shane Battier and Jay Williams were just too solid.  It was brutal to watch SC win and UCLA lose, for me as a UCLA fan, and for the rest of the entire arena--as it seemed everyone was praying for an Elite 8 Kentucky v. Duke rematch.  But I'll tell you this.  I don't remember the UCLA loss as much as I remember the experience.  If you are a student at UCLA, and you have not yet traveled to see the Bruins in the NCAA Tournament--you need to do it.  It is a rare experience, and you'll never forget it.

Here's to hoping someone reads this and get to Philly this weekend.  It will be worth it, I'm sure of it.  Plus, since we lost our last game at that arena, it seems we're due.

Go Bruins.

Bumped. GO BRUINS. - N

Frustrating. That was the word I kept coming back to last night.  Frustrating. Another close game, one we had every opportunity to win, but just couldn't pull out. I'm not mad, and the loss wasn't devastating.  But it was incredibly frustrating.

Credit to ASU

Nestor pointed this out already, but I think you have got to give a truck-load of credit to ASU.  They came out ready to play, and stepped up huge in a big game.  Glasser is not even close to Collison in talent, and he took his lumps late in the 1st half.  But when all was said and done, Glasser was hitting a back-breaking shot and getting key assists.  Pendergraph was also huge, rebounding and finishing.  And Harden showed why, unfortunately for guys like Collison, he is the best player in the league.  They were just better.

I also think Sendek deserves a lot of credit, and I think he might have got the best out of Howland last night.  There is no question that Sendek had offensive and defensive schemes ready for us-and they worked.  I'm not sure the open threes were so much poor defense, as they were the result of a concerted effort to definitively counter-attack the double team down low, and then efficiently pass to the open man. It was good offense.

ASU played well under the bright lights last night, and they are deserving of all the accolades.  They were the better team.  And unfortunately, given that we have now lost all of our big games and against the best teams, I am torn as to whether they might not be the better team outright.  If it's us, we'll need to prove it at some point.

Big Games Against Top Teams

If there is one thing this year puts in perspective, it is the undeniably outstanding performances this team has delivered over the past three years in huge games against top teams.  No, we haven't won them all (West Virginia x2, Florida x2), but it always seemed like we were going to get it done-there was just a sense of quiet confidence in late game situations, especially after Gonzaga 2006.  See, e.g. (at USC, Afflalo dagger!; at ASU, Farmar runner; at Oregon, Love Delivers; California, Shipp Horse Shot; Western Kentucky, Keefe is awesome!, Texas A&M, Collison digs deep).  It was easy to take those games (and others) for granted, and easy to assume that our late game magic would just continue indefinitely.  Well, for now, it looks like the magic is waning ever so slightly. However, instead of crafting some sort of criticism of this team, I really think it just highlights the magic and incredibleness of the last three years.

It's not that we are wilting this year.  No way.  This team has played good games against Michigan, Texas, ASU x2, and against Washington.  But, there is a difference between playing well, and pulling out a victory against the best teams.  It takes a little something else, some kind of something which we haven't picked up this year.  Not yet.

We have beaten the teams we are supposed to have beaten this year-and that is a sure sign of discipline and good coaching.  But, when the lights have gone up in a Big Game Against a Top Team, we have been unable to win.  Looking at the Pomeroy rankings, it is so very frustrating to see that all five losses were against Top Teams in Big Games.  According to Pomeroy's rankings, Texas, ASU and Washington are the best teams we've played-and we know each of those was a big game for the Bruins, highly anticipated with a big audience.  And I am also counting Michigan as a Big Game, because it was at MSG and was clearly an early season test that the entire country was looking at.

I don't mean to discredit our wins against USC x2, at WSU, and against ND.  I think those were all nice wins which we played well to earn.  They were good wins for us, and in a sense, each of those was a Big Game for us.  But, for better or for worse, those teams just aren't quite as good as the other teams.  I know, USC, WSU, and ND are each statistically better than Michigan according to Pomeroy. But, and partly for the purposes of this argument, I still think the Michigan game was relatively bigger at the time it was played, because of the New York scenery and early season expectations.

Our youth at key positions is a likely factor for some of these tough losses. I don't know.  I, for one, have no idea where or why a team develops magic and pulls out these tough games.  But we do have key seniors, it is undeniable, and I am a little surprised they have not been able to get it done against the best.  That is not a criticism (I'm not sure we can expect to win any 50-50 game, which is what each of our big games probably was), but just something I've been thinking about.

We are a good team.  However, I am utterly without a good reason for our inability to step up against the best this season. We have coaching, key seniors, and talent.  The only thing I can come up with is that our previous good luck is trying to even out, and we have yet to put the correct ingredients into our potion.  Maybe we should add a wildcat leg, or some husky fur to the mix-god knows we could use a little magic.

Mentally Tough

I don't think this team misses anything, so I'm sure they understand that they are now 0-5, or at least 0-4 (taking away Michigan), against the best the schedule had to offer up to this point.  As I said before, this team is still very good, and beating teams we are supposed to beat is a huge accomplishment that most teams can't claim.  Still, it will be easy for this team to hang its head after the ASU game.  It is frustrating when you come up just short in these types of games, and given that the Bruins haven't played poorly in their losses, I'm sure they are wondering (at least in part) what else they have to do to get it done.  I am.  I could be wrong about where the team is mentally this morning, but I feel confident saying that, at the very least, we will need a little bit extra mental toughness today.

Arizona is a talented team, and as Nestor noted, they can easily win on Saturday. Indeed, I'd say this is a 50-50 game for us.  Arizona is at home, and we are dealing with another close loss which, if we aren't mentally tough, has the ability to affect our pysche.  I do think we are better than Arizona, but we will have to dig deep. Even though we've dominated them recently, I'll never be comfortable against them, particularly when we are playing in Tucson.  That is a tough place to play. And while Arizona isn't highly ranked (and therefore can't get us over the big-game-win hump), it is still a huge game for our team right here right now.  Not make or break, not season-defining. But just a big confidence game.

We have won all the games against teams we are supposed to beat because we are well coached and have very good players.  It's going to take some more grit and mental toughness, but let's hope that trend continues.

Good News

Big games against Top teams sometimes are not just about effort and coaching. Sometimes, you need a little luck, or a little magic to get you started-and this team is due for both.  So we got that going for us, which is nice!

Go Bruins!

 

One thing I really appreciate about UCLA's basketball team is the sense of realistic expectations with the simultaneous down-to-earth drive for greatness.  This is a killer combination.

On the one hand, UCLA is a growing team trying to live up to three straight Final Fours and a top-ten ranking.  The resume shows only one win over a NCAA tournament team (USC), and there is some sense that the team hasn't really survived the kind of tests that will push them deep into the NCAA Tournament.  At least not yet.  So, putting top-10 rankings aside, it is hard to argue against those bracketologists (Lunardi, for one)  who have us as a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  That is where we should be right now.  But in what I find to be a breath of fresh air, you don't hear our team talking about how such predictions are "disrespectful," or some other nonsense.  No, I'd bet the team thinks such predictions are fair--and that it's up to them to earn something better.  They are realistic in terms of what has been earned so far, but working hard for something better.

On the other hand, is there any question that UCLA is "obviously good"?  There is a lot of talent on this team, with players improving all the time and getting better.  Drew Gordon, Drago, and Roll have all taken remarkable strides this year, doing all that anybody can ask--making the most of their opportunities.  And J.Anderson and Holiday are also playing great, and getting better.  Indeed, there is no question that UCLA is "obviously good," even if their current resume doesn't necessarily speak to them being a top-seed in the NCAA tournament.  They might not have a bunch of  "quality wins" right now, but there will be opportunities.  Fast and Furious, those opportunities will come over the next three weeks.

Arizona is always a tough game, and it will always mean something--even if Arizona doesn't look like the power of 5 years ago.  And ASU is the opportunity for the kind of quality win the team needs to meet their goals.  And then we are on the road for two more games, WSU and Washington, before taking on Stanford and Cal.  Tough, Tough, Tough, and Tougher.

Three weeks in the Pac-10 are always crucial.  An eternity.  But with this team, teetering on greatness, with only quality wins against quality opponents between them and a justifiable top-5 ranking (and top-3 seed), I think these three weeks are even more exciting. I think this team is relishing the opportunity to play great.  I think the opportunity excites them.  I think under their cloak-of-controlled-emotions is a fire to get back to the Final Four.

We will learn a lot about this team in the next three weeks.  Perhaps more than at any other time this year.  I expect some quality wins, probably a tough loss, but a solid performance night in and night out.  And, particularly after the ASU game, I expect more talk about the Pac-10 player of the year.  Sure Harden might be deserving, but it will be tough to ignore Darren Collison after the next three weeks.  I'm not giving Harden anything until someone shows me that Harden is better and more important to ASU than Collison is to the Bruins.  Same goes to those putative Players of the Year out there:  watch out for D.C.

UCLA plays hard, they don't talk, and they get better every day.  Most importantly, I have a sense that the team demands more out of itself then do its fans, who see the youth and promise and forgive mistakes more easily.  Yes, I like this team:  "Obviously Good," and (luckily) with Something to Prove.

Go Bruins

I ran into an interesting article in today's Idaho's Statemen Newspaper (Boise, ID).  The article purported to be a commentary on the state of college football in the west ("Super Teams:  Who are the Best in the West") , and ranked the top teams from the Pac-10, WAC, and the MWC. 

You have to take the article with a grain of salt, as Boise, ID is Boise St. country through and through, and therefore it is not surprising to see an article discussing (and highlighting) the relative strength of the Mountain West and the WAC conferences as compared to the Pac-10.  Of the 28 teams ranked, UCLA ended up at # 20, behind not only the vast majority of Pac-10 teams, but (gasp) teams like San Jose St. (# 18), Louisiana Tech (# 17), and New Mexico (# 15).

Obviously, I disagree that UCLA in the bottom quarter (or third) of all teams in the Pac-10, WAC, and Mountain West.  However, I think this article isn't completely off either, and I think it highlights what's at stake for the Pac-10 and UCLA.  Other teams and other conferences are getting better, and those teams and conferences are starting to nab top-flight coaches and players.  Utah, Boise St., and Hawaii have been to BCS games, and Boise St. and Utah won a BCS game. 

The Pac-10 and UCLA have a lot to lose if these other conferences do in fact create parity (or even the illusion of parity).  And while competitive balance is great for college football, it ain't good for the Pac-10 in the west necessarily.  It's too bad Cal was never able to deliver on the promise of really challenging USC, and UCLA has been down, Washington horrible, and Washington St, ASU, and Oregon St. inconsistent.  All I can say is, in an election year where change and new blood are sweeping the country, let's hope the Pac-10 can shore up its base and return to our rightful place as the unquestioned power in the West.

I think the WAC the Mountain West deserve a lot of respect, because what they have achieved recently is astounding; and I am torn with respect to their rise as conferences.  On the one hand, I love an underdog conference beating up on, and expecting to beat, teams from a so-called BCS conference.  However, if you are the Pac-10, I think you've got to be a little pissed-off by the rise of the WAC and the Mountain West.  Like it or not, some of that rise has come at the expense of the Pac-10 (particularly at the bottom of the conference). 

Not sure how good these other conferences are?  Judge for yourself:  Boise St. (#3 Super Team in the West) v. Louisiana Tech (# 17 Super Team in the West) are on ESPN tonight, primetime.

 

 

The Pac-10 Conference has some really good players.  Great players actually.  But is there any question that one of this conferences strengths is its coaches?  I don't think so.  Howland has transformed UCLA, Bennett is working wonders at Washington St., and Sendek is starting very strong in Tempe.  Oh, and Kent, Johnson, and Floyd aren't bad either.

Anyway, according to news reports this morning, the Pac-10 coaching circle is getting even better, as it appears that former Stanford and Golden State Warriors head coach Mike Montgomery is headed to California to replace Ben Braun.  According to espn.com's Andy Katz:

"Former Stanford and Golden State Warriors coach Mike Montgomery has agreed in principle to replace Ben Braun at rival California, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations.

Braun was fired as coach last Wednesday after 12 years at Cal.

Montgomery led Stanford to the 1998 Final Four and helped resurrect the Cardinal into a national program.

I must admit that I am surprised by the story.  Not that Montgomery is getting back into coaching, but that he might be headed to California.  You just don't see coaches leaving one program for a rival program within the same conference.

True, Montgomery left Stanford and went to the Warriors.  But after being fired by the Warriors, Montgomery has been working as some kind of consultant for Stanford--so he really is leaving Stanford for Cal.  Crazy.

Putting aside the Stanford to Cal story, I think this move is good for the conference.  California will get better, and with that, the entire conference is better.

The San Francisco Chronicle was beat to the story and still hasn't filed an official report.  However, Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News has this bit about what is now, still just a strong rumor:

Which brings us to Berkeley.

Would Montgomery take the Cal job if offered? Would Mr. Stanford Basketball really wear blue and gold? He's not talking about it - that alone makes me think something's brewing - but longtime Montgomery watchers believe he would seriously consider it. He might not take it, but he would seriously consider it.

The big hurdle - the reason I wonder if he'll ever jump back in - is the recruiting. Montgomery wants no part of the seedy side of college basketball: pandering to teenagers and their families, AAU coaches and assorted handlers.

On The Farm, he rarely had to. The players who were interested in Stanford, and could be admitted to Stanford, were generally well-grounded kids from middle-class, two-parent homes. That's one of several reasons it was the perfect job for Montgomery.

There's also the rivalry issue. Montgomery has spent 19 of the past 21 years at Stanford, but I don't think that would stop him - if everything else felt right - from working for the Golden Bears. He's not a Stanford alum and always has had great respect for Cal as an institution.

Of course, all this assumes interest on Cal's part. If Montgomery's not a bright flashing dot smack in the center of the Bears' radar, he should be. He beat them to a pulp time and again while working with a much smaller pool of recruits.

As stated at the top, Randy Bennett and Mark Fox seemingly make much more sense as successors to Ben Braun at Cal, just as Johnson makes much more sense as Stanford's coach next season.

But both alternate-universe possibilities are pulsating through the West Coast branch of the coaching grapevine - home of speculative scenarios that often seem preposterously farfetched.

Until they happen.

I have been to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds the last two years, and I had a blast each time.  It's great meeting other bruin fans, opposing fans, and traveling around with the team.  For die hards, it is a must-do experience.

This year, I thought I might try to give a relatively-real-time look into the experience.  I'm not sure how often I will be near the computer, but hopefully I can contribute enough posts to give those out there a sense of what it was like this year to be in Phoenix on the road to the Alamodome!!

6:00 P.M. -

Finished crafting jury instructions for the judge I work for in San Diego.  Thank god, this is one trial that can go on without me.  My girlfriend just picked me up, off to the airport.

7:00 --

Flight is delayed until 7:35 P.M.  Hopefully it won't be too delayed too long.  There are a few UCLA fans who appear to be heading to Phoenix for the games, but not many.  I suspect most people traveling to the games will arrive in Phoenix on Thursday.

My girlfriend and I are meeting my mom and sister (and possibly other family members) in Phoenix, but we don't have tickets to the games yet.  Good news, however, is that there is free wireless access in the San Diego airport.  I just checked craigslist for the phoenix area, and it looks like there are definately some tickets available.  Hopefully my sister and mom rented a car.

7:20 P.M. --

GOOD NEWS from Phoenix.  My mom and sister just called, and they are in Phoenix.  They just checked into our hotel - The Hilton Suites in Phoenix - and immediately saw Ben Howland sitting somewhere near the lobby.  My sister is star struck, and my mom is apparently worried that we are acting like roadies following around the team.  I can't wait to get there.

My sister informs me that they didn't rent a car, which disturbs me a little.  I think we might need to get a car to assist with buying tickets to the games.  When buying tickets on craigslist, it always helps to have a car to go pick up the tickets.  We'll see.

7:35 P.M. --

Takeoff.

8:50 P.M. --

We made it to Phoenix.  The plane ride went pretty well.

9:25 P.M. --

We made it to the hotel, and I am so glad we are staying at the official UCLA team hotel.  For starters, when you walk in the front door of the hotel, you are greeted with a GIANT UCLA banner hanging from the rafters like championship banner.  Awesome.  And there are UCLA folks milling about everywhere.  Lots of blue.  It's weird, but somehow staying here you feel like you are part of a close knit group of bruin supporters.

9:50 P.M. --

My sister and I have officially changed the desk in our room into what we are calling "The Ticket Center" or "Our Office."  We just scoured craigslist for tickets, and we e-mailed a few folks.  Someone offered a pair of tickets for Thursdays game only for $400.00.  Too steep for us right now.  However, it does look like ticket prices are coming down.

10:00 P.M. --

Looking into tickets more the last ten minutes, i can tell you that ticket prices are coming down since Monday.  Craigslist has tickets for tomorrow's game in the lower level for $125.00, which I don't think is that bad.  This is the NCAA tournament after all.  Upper Level tickets should be available for around $50.00, maybe $75.00, if you keep looking.

10:10 P.M. --

We MIGHT have just got tickets.  We'll see.  We checked in at razorgator.com, which I believe is the official NCAA ticket resaler, and there were quite a few very affordable tickets to be had.  We sprung for 4 tickets in the lower level for a bit less than $120 per ticket.  Well worth it for the peace of mind in my opinon.  However, it is not clear how they (razorgator) can deliver them in time.  So we are worried about that.  Apparently, the tickets are not guaranteed until they e-mail us tonight or tomorrow with a guaranteeing e-mail, at which point they will charge my credit card.  Until then, I can only say we might have bought tickets.

I think our ticket plan is to call razorgator.com in the morning to see what the status is.  If they can confirm tickets, great.  If not, we'll go back to craigslist and stubhub, and if we have to, we'll go to the arena with cash in hand.

10:28 P.M. --

Here is kind of a shocker.  The players seem to be meeting in the meeting areas near the lobby, and it is 10:40 PM at night!  I certainly don't say that in a negative way, I am just surprised.  Seems kind of late to me.  But I'm sure this isn't the first time.  Also, I sort of had the sense that Howland would have the team on lockdown.  But that doesn't appear to be the case.  The players are cruising around near the hotel lobby.  Just saw Josh Shipp and, I am almost positive, his brother Jerren.

The players seem loose.  Prince Luc was smiling, and and everyone seems happy and healthy.

This is going to be a good week.

10:45 P.M. --

My sister reports that busloads of basketball fans are arriving downstairs.  The hotel seems quiet right now, but I imagine it will be crazy tomorrow.

11:00 P.M.  --

See you tomorrow.  Unless something bruins up tonight.

Update [2008-3-27 14:13:8 by rfirpo]:

March 27, 2008 7:45 A.M. -- It is a beautiful day in Phoenix, and it is going to be hot! I got an e-mail from razorgator.com last night, and apparently my tickets for the games today are confirmed. The only problem is that I need to pick them up somewhere in Pheonix. We are headed out right now for coffee, to pick up the car, and then to try to get the tickets into our hands. The hotel is quiet.

Update [2008-3-27 14:13:8 by rfirpo]:

10:58 A.M. --

Beautiful and Hot day in Phoenix. Scorcher actually.

We just picked them up somewhere a couple miles from the hotel. God, its nice to have tickets in hand. Turns out the razorgator buying experience was a very successful one. Tickets are in the lower level, section 123. Not bad actually. We paid $120 a piece. pricey, but worth it.

Update [2008-3-27 14:13:8 by rfirpo]:

11:07 A.M. --

The team is starting to meet downstairs. Just saw Abdul-Hamid in the elevator.

Someone asked what Howland had for breakfast. I can't answer that question. The area where the team eats and goes through walk-throughs is behind a curtain of blue velvet. But my guess is Ben got something good to eat.

Also, dropped by the Hyatt Regency hotel this morning to pick up a rental car. Looks like the hyatt (which is right near the arena) is the official media hotel. We were able to snag a couple media guides with quotes and pictures and information for the Bruins. I will drop some quotes later.

Update [2008-3-27 14:27:43 by rfirpo]:

11:25 A.M. --

You should see the motorcade preparing to take the team over to the arena. One big bus, a couple cars, and four motorcycle police. Rolling in style, as they should.

Hopefully I can figure out how to get some pictures of this stuff up on this site.

Hopefully this is no big deal.  Hopefully it truly is "just precautionary."  However, the fact is that Prince Luc is having an MRI today.

LOS ANGELES -- UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was set to undergo an MRI on his sprained left ankle and Josh Shipp was recovering from strep throat Monday, putting two of the Bruins' starters at less than full strength.

Coach Ben Howland said the MRI on Mbah a Moute was being done as a precaution.

"His ankle was swollen pretty severely yesterday," he said. "I was surprised and a little bit down by it. We [didn't] anticipate there being any issue."

Mbah a Moute returned Saturday night against Texas A&M after missing two games. He had two points, eight rebounds, six turnovers and four fouls in 32 minutes of the Bruins' 51-49 second-round victory.

"It hurt his timing that he hadn't practiced," Howland said. "His rebounding, defense and double-teams created a lot of havoc that helped us. I don't think we can advance much further without him."

Howland said the junior forward would play Thursday "barring any unforeseen abnormality on the MRI."

Also, apparently Josh Shipp is sufferring from strep throat.  Honestly team, get healthy!  I'd say, "can we get a break," but that would probably incense those who think all the breaks are going our way.  

With all the Texas A&M post game talk, it's easy to forget that we are still not at full stength.  I can't say enough about how Roll being hurt has affected this team, and regardless of how Prince Luc played on Saturday, is there any question that he is one of our most important players?  Every team suffers injuries, and it is part of the game.  But our run is special considering our setbacks.  People can complain about how UCLA is getting all the calls, but for every call (or non-call) I will show you a bump, bruise, tear, or rupture.

Let's hope we get healthy (again).  

And Go Bruins!

Let me first say, UCLA didn't deserve to win.  How we were in the game in Seattle is beyond belief, because (a) we couldn't rebound, (2) we couldn't play defense, and (c) Collison just played horrible.  We deserved to lose.

However, with 47 seconds left, we still could have won that game.  If Morris takes the 5 second call, we get the ball with a chance to cut it to 2 points--and with Washington's free-throw shooting, we could have won.

It doesn't matter which school you are a fan of; NO ONE CAN WATCH THAT PLAY (Morris essentially punches Aboya) AND NOT COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS INTENTIONAL.  No one.  I mean, the play speaks for itself.  Morris throws the ball directly at Aboya's face, and then practically dives away because he knows the ball is going to come back at him!  Insane, filthy, classless--that's all there is to say about it.

What is worse is Lorenzo Romar trying to defend the play.  Bottom Line--there is no defense.  Romar needs to step up and take responsibility for a very dirty play.  Romar needs to admit that his player opted for unsportsman like conduct to preserve a victory.

I am further incensed with Romar saying the following:

"I know Tim is not one to just go out and bean someone," Romar said. "It was in the heat of the moment and Tim made a quick decision and it happened. If I had thought Tim was trying to hurt someone I would have had an issue ..."

Please.  Anybody who watched the play can see that that is exactly what Morris was doing.  It was intentional and dirty.  

There is only one reason why Romar is protecting Morris:  they are family. This from The Daily (University of Washington's newspaper):

Even though six players on the UW's roster have been here longer than Morris, his relationship with Romar began well before anyone else wearing purple and gold.
Romar and Morris are second cousins (Morris' dad is the brother of Romar's mother, for those of you scoring at home). The two met when Tim was 2 years old.

As Romar described with a laugh, back then balance wasn't quite Morris' strong suit yet.

"There's a picture at my house of Morris and my oldest daughter when he was 2," Romar said. "They were hugging for the picture, and they both fell."

Before too long, it was Morris' jumpers that began falling. He caught Romar's attention the first time he saw him play, when Morris was an eighth grader visiting Romar's basketball camp at Pepperdine, where he was coaching at the time.
"That's when I knew. I told his dad, `He's going to be really good,'" Romar said. "We've stayed in touch ever since."

That's right, Romar is protecting his family.  

This is so disgusting and disingenuious, I just am beside myself.

Let's not forget, Morris used to be at Stanford.  But he couldn't cut it there, and because he selfishly wanted more playing time, he traded in a Stanford degree for a UW degree, and abandoned his team to help himself.  This is not a smart kid.  I have no doubt that his behavior and attitude problems (which he clearly has) got him booted from Stanford.  And the only person willing to take this kid in was his second-cousin, Lorenzo Romar, who Morris refers to as his "uncle."

It was more like an uncle relationship," Morris said.

Someone needs to step in an apologize.  We can't expect Romar to do the right thing, he's Morris' uncle or cousin or whatever.

But some unconflicted person needs to do the right thing.  It is clear Romar gave a dirty player a scholarship after he blew other opportunities, and now, Romar is trying to protect that player.  Who else in the world would protect a Dirty Filthy Mangy Stray Dog but family.

This situation is exactly why Athletic Directors exist.  Sometimes players and coaches are just too close to the situation.

Regardless of an apology, let's hope the Bruins can use this as motivation.  And this final point can't be made too many times:  Alfred Aboya handled the situation brilliantly and with tremendous class.  He made UCLA and Cameroon proud on Sunday, and he deserves a lot of credit.

Bumped. I was going to blog this tonight. But rfirpo beat me to it. Andrew if you are reading this: fantastic work. An epic article that everyone should read. Proud of you as a Bruin alum. GO BRUINS. -N

In one of the finest pieces on the spirit and soul of UCLA and UCLA basketball, UCLA's very own Andrew Howard hits the nail on the head:

Everywhere you look on campus, you see it.

You see it on sweatshirts, banners, backpacks, at the center of Nell and John Wooden Court in Pauley Pavilion.

It's a slogan that has come to personify UCLA, to wrap up the legacy of the university into two words and a three-digit number: First to 100.

Yes indeed.  First to 100.

Anyway, apparently as part of ESPN student spirit week (and probably also related to ESPN's visit to campus), ESPN asked one of the Daily Bruin sports guys to come up with a piece which captures our spirit.  Well, let me be the first to say that Sophomore Andrew Howard, newly-dubbed Special to ESPN.com, DELIVERED the goods.

I highly encourage everyone to read his piece, which is linked on the main ESPN college basketball page.

I won't go into the entire thing, except to say that its hard to read the article and not recognize our greatness.  Plus, I love Howard's "five things that make UCLA basketball great."

(1)  John Wooden
(2)  Pauley Pavillion
(3)  The Den
(4)  Cheers
(5)  Ben Howland

I might have included, among the top-5, UCLA's Basketball Alumni (there are just so many great players).  But, again, it's hard to disagree with much.

Hearty congrats to Howard for a great job done.

GO Bruins.

The loss to USC was very disappointing.  We suffered injuries at the wrong time, lost our composure, and lost the kind of game at home which could affect our seeding in the NCAA Tournament.  A tough afternoon, especially when it was our only game of the week.  We had all week to get ready, and instead of slamming the door on USC and ending their post-season dreams, we lost to the then-9th best team in the conference and sent our rival into disgusting revelry.  Painful.  Oh, and O.J. Mayo threw the ball in the air after the game like he just won the National Title.

As Ben Howland said after the game, the USC game hurt-and it needed to hurt because it forces you to get better and reminds you how much you care.  However, at some point we need to look forward.  I think a good time to start looking forward is the day before a game at Oregon.  That is a Big Game.

Looking forward then, here are some notes and comments I've been thinking about.

(1) Russell Westbrook.  

This kid has had a break-out season, and has turned into one of our key players.  He is our most athletic guy, one of our best defenders (if not the best), and has been a consistent scorer.  Forget that he has been coming off the bench--there is a case to be made that he is our most important guy.

Unfortunately, Westbrook has now suffered 1 and a half tough games in a row.  The first half against Washington St. was Westbrook at his best.  He hit mid-range jumpers like they were lay-ups, and played superb defense.  However, his second half against WSU was VERY poor--on offense and defense--and that carried over to USC.  I do not think it is a coincidence that WSU's second-half performance and USC's win coincided with Westbrook's seriously poor play.  In fact, I think it shows just how important he has become.

No longer is Westbrook just a surprising benefit, unnecessary, but always welcome.  No, the last two games show that he is now necessary.  We need him and depend on him.  We missed his mid-range jumper and rim-attacking offense last game, and we missed his defensive prowess the last game-and-a-half.  Can you blame a sophomore for a couple bad games?  No.  But make no mistake about it, we need him to start playing better.  He is now necessary to our success.

Let's hope Oregon sees Westbrook at his best.

(2) Mata

His concussion is too bad.  He is a really tough player, and I hate to see him hurting.  In a lot of ways he is the heart and soul of our team-and I hope he feels better.

That said, I think Mata has become somewhat of a non-factor--And I don't like it.  Putting aside his injury last week, Mata simply hasn't been getting the quality minutes of the past.  During the first 9 games of the season, Mata averaged 23.22 minutes per game, and 5.11 points.  Not enormous production, but important.  During the last 8 games, however, Mata has averaged just 13.12 minutes per game, and only 2 points per game.  Down by half.  To me this is interesting, and not a positive development.

Now, it is not surprising to see Mata's minutes down this year.  Kevin Love's emergence means less time for Mata, and rightfully so (in part).  However, in a year where we have suffered key injuries, it is surprising to see Mata so (relatively) out-of-the-loop at this point.  You'd think that Howland would be sucking more minutes out of Mata, but in fact, his minutes are diminishing.

In my opinion, Mata needs to get more minutes.  We need our guys to be ready, and Mata can play great defense, and at times, has shown an ability to contribute limited scoring.  However, if Mata stays on the bench, he will lose his ability to play at a high level.  I've found his performances of late to be only so-so, but I'm not sure that is his fault.  I think maybe some of that is his reduced playing time, meaning he is not in the flow and as ready to contribute.  

Bottom line-I'd like to see Mata get more minutes so that he will feel like he is in the flow again.  Then, when we need Mata-he will be ready to deliver.

(3) Keefe, Stanback, Dragovic

I believe one of these players needs to step up and start averaging at least 10 minutes per game.  We need that extra player, sans Roll, who can contribute.  It is likely that Keefe will be the guy, but any of the three will do.  Keefe's shot looks really good, and he plays the smartest.  Dragovic isn't scared to shoot (which I like), but he just isn't knocking them down, and we know Ben is suspicious of his defense.  And Stanback-still a question mark.  His body is still getting used to D-1 basketball, but he has an upside.  I don't care who steps up, but it's time someone did.

Finally,

(4) Finishing off the First Half of the Pac-10 Strong is a MUST

We have four very difficult games coming up: Oregon, Oregon St, Arizona St., and Arizona.  Aside from Oregon St., all the games are potential losses, and all the games are very important.

I never thought we'd go undefeated in the Pac-10, and in fact, I think the best anyone could legitimately hope for is 16-2 (and that is asking a lot).  Though keeping conference losses to 2 will be extraordinarily difficult, it is possible.  But it needs to start with us finishing off the first-half of the conference season with only 1 loss--which means we need to win our next four.  It sucks losing to SC at home--but if we can win the next four, we will be in great shape.

It starts with Oregon on the road.  An incredibly difficult game, but one that is win-able.  Howland doesn't lose two games in a row very often, and the players will all remember Brooks hitting the game winning shot last year.  Here's to hoping that we can ride those setbacks to victory tomorrow night, and cleanse ourselves of the USC embarrassment.

Go Bruins.

Two annoying stories out this morning in all the papers and on ESPN.com and cbssportsline.com.

First, there is one of the biggest non-stories of the season--Kevin Love apologizing for missing a Tuesday media session..  Now look, I love that players talk to the media, cause then I get to read great quotes and have more in-depth stories.  However, I could care less if a player doesn't talk to the media--and let me emphatically state that in my opinion, no player should ever have to talk to the media at any time.  And for god sakes, no player should ever have to apologize to the media for missing a media session.

The media just isn't entitled to anything from a college freshman (or seniors for that matter).  They are students who play basketball, not media machines.  Pucin makes reference to "a mini-media crisis" --well that's just crazy.  If you are a member of the media and you are mad, bite your tongue and move on.  STOP GETTING MAD at TEENAGERS!  It's ridiculous.  And now, every news service in the country is covering "The Love Apology."  MEMO to ALL--Love doesn't owe you Jack Sh**!

The second story of the day only highlights the lunacy of the first story.  As we read this morning, apparently Darren Collison got severe food poisoning on Sunday night after the Bay Area trip and had to be hospitalized.

LOS ANGELES -- UCLA guard Darren Collison was briefly hospitalized because of food poisoning after the fifth-ranked Bruins' weekend road trip to the Bay Area.

Collison fell ill Sunday night and visited a hospital near his family's home in Rancho Cucamonga where he was given fluids and an IV, coach Ben Howland said Tuesday.

  This story is annoying because it is so late.  Our star point guard and one of the leaders of this team is in the hospital, and we don't hear about it for three days!  Hopefully DC is better, but I wouldn't mind if the media stopped getting mad at teenagers and started reporting on hospitalizations a little sooner.

Go Bruins.

I have seen some good headlines over the years.  Some really good ones.  However, this might be the best Sports headline I've ever seen.  Period.

Ouch

Not only is the headline classic, but note the smaller headline above: "Baby Killer Freed."  As if to say, the only thing more news worthy than the freeing of a killer of babies is news that Roger Clemens "took it in the butt."

Also note the use of the word "probe."  So sneaky, so small, so perfect.

Someone at The Trentonian hit a home run with this beauty, and let me be the first to say that that person deserves a raise.  There are just so many subtlties and nuances.  Even the picture was made for this article.  Just terrific all the way around.  And I know Clemens is denying everything (well, his lawyer is actually doing it for him), but I think we can all admit that the Damage Has Been Done.  Can he possibly recover from this?

Ok Bruin fans, so you want to know what the Bruin angle is on this.  Well, here it is: Things Could Be Worse.  I know things have been rough around here lately, and yes, the coaching search weighs on us all.  However, I can say that my week officially ends on a good note with this headline squarely placed as my desktop background.  And I truly believe DG is going to do the right thing and hire the right guy for the job.  I don't know who that is, but he's out there, and I believe DG will find him.

Go Bruins.

P.S.  I keep thinking of Michael Moore's "Roger and Me" and wondering how many other great headlines there could have been.

Turns out the much anticipated Mitchell Report named quite a few names.  Very interesting.  I highly suggest everyone browse through the report when you get a chance (ESPN has pdf link to the document, which is 400+ pages).

Some of the names are listed simply because they allegedly bought steroids (online and from dealers), but connected to other names are eyewitness accounts of steroid injections into the butt.  Some of my favorite steroid injection accounts involve Roger Clemens (see Report at 167).

In case you can't read the entire report, here are most of the players who were named.  I included some page numbers which correspond to the PDF Report linked on ESPN's website. Enjoy.

[Note:  the accounts of the players listed are not all the same, and differ in many respects.  Players who appear on the following list are named in the report, however they are not necessarily equally culpable]

1.  Lenny Dykstra (Report p. 149)
   
2.  David Segui
   
3.  Larry Bigbie
   
4.  Brian Roberts
   
5.  Jack Cust
   
6.  Tim Laker
   
7.  Josias Manzanillo
   
8.  Todd Hundley
   
9.  Mark Carreon
   
10.  Hal Morris
    
11.  Matt Franco
    
12.  Rondell White
    
13.  Roger Clemens (p. 167)
    
14.  Andy Pettitte (p. 175)
    
15.  Chuck Knoblauch (p. 177)
    
16.  Jason Grimsley
    
17.  Gregg Zaun
    
18.  David Justice (p. 181)
    
19.  F.P. Santangelo
    
20.  Glenallen Hill
    
21.  Mo Vaughn (p. 186)
    
22.  Denny Neagle
    
23.  Ron Villone
    
24.  Ryan Franklin
    
25.  Chris Donnels
    
26.  Todd Williams
    
27.  Phil Hiatt
    
28.  Todd Pratt
    
29.  Kevin Young
    
30.  Mike Lansing
    
31.  Cody McKay
    
32.  Kent Mercker (p. 198)
    
33.  Adam Piatt
    
34.  Miguel Tejada (p. 201)
    
35.  Mike Stanton
    
36.  Stephen Randolf
    
37.  Jerry Hairston, Jr.
    
38.  Paul Lo Duca (p. 208)
    
39.  Adam Riggs
    
40.  Bart Miadich
    
41.  Fernando Vina
    
42.  Kevin Brown (p. 214)
    
43.  Eric Gagne (p. 217)
    
44.  Mike Bell
    
45.  Matt Herges (p. 221)
    
46.  Gary Bennett, Jr.
    
47.  Jim Parque
    
48.  Brendan Donnelly (p. 224)
    
49.  Chad Allen
    
50.  Jeff Williams
    
51.  Howie Clark
    
52.  Exavier "Nook" Logan
    
53.  Daniel Naulty
    
54.  Rick Ankiel (p. 243)
    
55.  David Bell (p. 244)
    
56.  Paul Byrd (p. 245)
    
57.  Jose Canseco (p. 246 and throughout)
    
58.  Jay Gibbons
    
59.  Troy Glaus (p. 248)
    
60.  Jose Guillen
    
61.  Darren Holmes
    
62.  Garry Matthews, Jr. (p. 252)
    
63.  John Rocker (p. 254)
    
64.  Scott Schoeneweis
    
65.  Ismael Valdez
    
66.  Matt Williams (p. 255)
    
67.  Steve Woodard
    
68.  Barry Bonds (p. 112...)
    
69.  Garry Sheffield (p. 112...)
    
70.  Jason Giambi (p. 112...)
    
71.  Jeremy Giambi (p. 112...)
    
72.  Armando Rios

The Idaho Statesman is all over the UCLA opening, and seems to expect Peterson to be interested.  But so far Peterson is not saying a thing.

Boise State football coach Chris Petersen said Monday he is not interested in going to UCLA.
He also disputed a report in Monday's Los Angeles Times saying that the Bruins had contacted Petersen about their job, which became open when the school fired Karl Dorrell on Monday. The newspaper also indicated that Petersen was the Bruins' top choice.

"I'm not interested in that place," Petersen said. "... I've talked to nobody through the grapevine, (or) this guy talked to that guy. It's totally not true."

One school has contacted Petersen about a job opportunity, he said. He would not name the school.

"I wasn't interested," he said.

I don't know.  I guess you never can tell what a coach is going to do, but that is pretty strong language in my opinion.  "I am not interested in that place." -- How do you explain that later if you take the job?

Peterson also makes the classic, "it's that time of the year argument."

"There's nothing out there that I'm excited about," he said. "I'm excited about Boise State. I think that's just kind of how it is this time of year. Everybody loves the rumor game and everybody loves making assumptions that 99 percent of the time aren't true."

We'll see.

From the diaries. God the weather at home is amazing. GO BRUINS. -N

UCLA will hire a new coach this year.  It's going to happen, and it means that UCLA is, or shortly will be, on the road to recovery.  Say what you want about the current state of our football program, but looking to the future, it is nice to have hope.

I think and believe that UCLA will approach the decision to hire a new head coach seriously and professionally.  I think they already are behind the scenes, and I believe the school will hire the best available coach who is willing to take between $1.5 and 2 million per year.  However, there is one thing I am nervous about.  I am nervous about comparing and expecting a Ben Howland type of hire.  In other words, I don't think we can expect the same kind of "Perfect Fit" that Ben Howland was.  Howland was once-in-a-lifetime.

Ben Howland was the homerun hire of all time.  He loved and revered UCLA, he dreamed of being its next head coach.  He had roots in Los Angeles, and everyone knew it.  He was also a tremendous talent, who twice had brought no-name programs into the spotlight, and at Pitt, created a Big East Power.  You simply couldn't question Howland's credentials, his work ethic, or whether he would succeed.  He was destined to succeed, and he was hungry.  At UCLA he had the opportunity to be at the best program in the country, and to win national titles.  He had the opportunity to be a legend.  A risen star who was still rising, Ben Howland was, in sum, a slam-dunk who wanted to be dunked, and he was hired because it was the easiest smart decision that any athletic director could ever have to make.  

Now I've heard a lot of names going around as UCLA's next head football coach, and I like a lot of them, particularly Chris Peterson and Steve Spurrier.  However, there is one thing we cannot control, and that is who is available, and who wants to come to UCLA.  And that is why the Ben Howland hire was so extraordinary.  In Ben Howland, UCLA ousted perhaps the top coach in the best or one of the best conferences in the nation.  We took the Big East Beast and brought him West, primarily because, it was his dream.  (see also, Roy Williams to North Carolina).  But remember, what we did in nabbing Ben Howland is extraordinarily rare.  You don't generally get coaches from one of the top two or three conferences, who are rising stars and very successful, to leave very often - because they are already at or near the top of their profession.  It's just incredibly difficult.

Chris Peterson would be a great hire.  He has proven he can win, and has shown that he is a good coach.  I think he is the most practical and wise of all the choices (esp. considering his likely price), and I would be very pleased to call him our next coach.  However, I could not compare him to the Ben Howland hire because Uncle Ben was so much less risky and such a unique opportunity.  Peterson isn't a once-in-a-lifetime type of hire.  However, he might be the best candidate this year, and that is all we can ask for.  

To nab somebody like Howland would be like nabbing the best rising star from the SEC, Big 12, or Big 10.  In other words, almost impossible, and arguably crazy, unless some set of stars align and the moon is just right.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, but it does mean we shouldn't necessarily expect it or be disappointed if it doesn't happen.

My point is this.  I'd like a "Perfect Fit" just like everyone else.  However, I think we need to be wary of expecting a Ben Howland like "fit," cause that simply may not be available.  Howland was Armani-or-Versace-like tailored for our job, and he fit like the tightest pair of jeans on the most attractive model.  That will be hard to replicate.

That does not mean we shouldn't aim high, and go after the best.  We should expect that, and I think UCLA will follow through there.  However, if we come up with a coach, we shouldn't be disappointed if he doesn't fit as snugly as Ben Howland did, because in my opinion, that may not be possible.

Go Bruins.

Reading through the news coming out of Pac-10 media day, I was a little surprised, but nevertheless pleased to read this from cbssportsline.com's writeup:

"It's far and away the best conference in the country," said Arizona coach Lute Olson, beginning his 25th season in Tucson. "It's going to be an exciting year. A lot of Rolaids for the coaches."

Olson attributed the league's resurgence that began last year to the addition of Ben Howland at UCLA, Tim Floyd at USC, Herb Sendek at Arizona State and Bennett at Washington State.

"When I first came in, when somebody had an opening they usually hired an assistant from some other program," Olson said. "Now the schools are hiring the best available head coaches they can get. It's the quality of the coaches that have come in and the recruiting ability of those coaches."

Now, we all know Lute Olson is more than willing to rip the Bruins, and I'm sure he's burning inside that UCLA is on top of the Basketball world.  However, I give him a lot of credit for correctly recognizing why the Pac-10 conference is at the top of the heap:  Good coaches.  Sure, there is a lot of talented players in the Pac-10, but is there any question that we have some decent coahces in the league?

Lute's Comments come at a particularly important momment in the life of UCLA fans, and obviously transcend just basketball.  Why?  Because the UCLA Football Program is on the cusp of the most important decision in the last two decades:  Who can we hire as our next head coach so that UCLA Football contends for national titles.  In my opinion, we cannot make that decision, or even begin to think about that decision, UNLESS and UNTIL we think about, reflect on, and 100% embrace Lute Olson's comments.

The truth is, UCLA's Football program has in the past "hired an assistant from some other program," as opposed to "hiring the best available head coaches they can get," and as Lute Olson correctly pointed out, it isn't until you choose the latter option that you can expect consistent and great success.

So I have this to say to Dan Guerrero.  Dan, listen to Lute Olson, and remember:

Olson attributed the league's resurgence that began last year to the addition of Ben Howland at UCLA, Tim Floyd at USC, Herb Sendek at Arizona State and Bennett at Washington State.

"When I first came in, when somebody had an opening they usually hired an assistant from some other program," Olson said. "Now the schools are hiring the best available head coaches they can get. It's the quality of the coaches that have come in and the recruiting ability of those coaches."

Bumped from the diaries. GO BRUINS. -N

I am so pleased that KD's 4th & 1 call is getting the attention it deserves.  However, I can't resist adding my perspective to the deluge of warranted criticism.

4th & 1 from Cal's 38:  A UCLA Fan's Nightmare

The Rose Bowl was rocking.  UCLA had easily played the best game of its year, and there was a real sense that UCLA was going to get the win.  Energy abounded.

But then KD called the timeout to "think" about this play:  4th & 1 from Cal's 38.  Pitiful.

I'll start my criticism with the decision to call timeout.  What a waste.  

UCLA is down by 1, and is either going to (1) try a really long field-goal, (2) go for it 4th & 1, or (3) punt the ball to Cal.  Think about those options for a second.  If we try the long field goal and miss, we'll be down by 1, Cal will have the ball, and we'll need to think about saving a timeout to try to come back.  If we go for it 4th & 1, and don't get the first down, we'll need the timeout as well.  And if we punt the ball, knowing it's late in the 3rd quarter, we'll need the timeout for later.

I hate to "rush" KD in making a decision, but the timeout just didn't make sense to me, particularly if you are going to punt.  It allowed Cal to set its defense, and burned what could have been a precious saftey net later in the game.  A waste.  You'd think on third down, KD would have alreadly had planned for the likely even of 4th & 1.

I'll continue my criticism by asking this question:  Does anyone want a coach who on the biggest play of the year calls a penalty on his own team even though the team is losing?

I understand the let's draw them off-sides call sometimes.  But generally, you are winning when you make that call, not losing.  It was so cowardly, I am embarassed for our program.  And it was so obvious; after Cowan nodded his head one time I knew exactly what was coming, and so did Cal, and so did an irate Rose Bowl.  People in my section were absolutely screaming at KD, demanding that UCLA snap the ball.  But it didn't happen.  So sad.

Imagine a blimp deflating little by little as a 30 second play clock ticks down to zero.  That was the Rose Bowl as UCLA fans one-by-one realized that KD called a non-play play on 4th & 1.  Deflated.  The momentum that UCLA had earned all game vanished quickly and thoroughly; KD had taken the crowd out of the game.

Even the punt was poorly planned and scouted.  

As many of you know, before the UCLA team takes the field after the first half, Perez and the other punter come out on the field early to practice punts.  Saturday was no different.  In fact, lined up on the 45 yard line, Perez practiced the very punt that KD called later in the game.  5 - 10 times.  And guess what?  Every single one of the pratice kicks (so far as I remember) went into the end zone.  I was even thinking, geez, he needs to angle those practice kicks better so they get out-of-bounds.  But he didn't.  

If any coach had been paying attention, it would have been clear that Perez was not having the kind of day where he was going to put a punt out inside the 10.  And he didn't.

Finally.  I see a parallel between Tedford's call at the end of the game (he went for it by throwing a pass in a run situation) and KD's call to not go for it 4th & 1.

Though I wouldn't have called an out pattern as Tedford did (that was a mistake), I believe he made the right call to pass the ball when he did.  One word: Guts; and you knew it was coming because that is the kind of coach he is.  Tedford was trying to ice the game, going for the knockout, and I like that.

KD was trying not to lose.  As usual.  And it worked because Cal collapsed, called a poorly designed pass-play given the situation, and choked.  UCLA waited for Cal to make a mistake, and with a little over a minute left, Cal did. That is the only thing we can take away from this game.  And who cares:  it was a battle of two overrated teams--only one of which had yet to be fully exposed.  Not anymore.

4th & 1 from Cal's 38 is the kind of call that fully exposes the reason that KD has to go.  UCLA will never contend for National Titles by waiting for other teams to make mistakes.  They'll get some wins against decent teams, and with superior talent, finish off a bunch of 8-4 seasons.  But that is all, and that is reality.  

The Cal game was Gloriously Tragic.  Glorious because we got a win in an exciting Pac-10 game.  Tragic because the exciting victory so clearly exposed the necessity for change in our program.

Bob