UCLA up Ten, then Falls on Howland

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The Bruins really answered their critics this Thursday when they brought the same aggressiveness that they did against Colorado last week. They pressured the ball on defense, swarming and helping. They were organized on the offensive end, ran their sets and made shots. After being overshadowed by the Wears last game, Josh Smith followed his ineffective performance with a career high 24 point effort. He was agile on both ends of the floor and innovative in the way he attacked the basket. That’s why the Bruins beat the Pac 12 leading Washingt. . . wait, wait wait. . . UCLA lost? But they were up ten with less than seven minutes to play. Seriously they lost? But they were playing their best basketball. What happened?

Immediately following a stretch where UCLA’s relentless defense made it impossible for freshman Tony Wroten to lead any sort of attack, and UCLA made two threes; the Huskies went on to make up the lead in what seemed like an instant. Starting with a few CJ Wilcox free throws, then a series of breaks, buckets, turnovers, and calls and UW was up 68-65. Terrence Ross was lights out scoring 10 of the Huskies last 12 points. The Huskies turned over the Bruins down the stretch. Those are the facts and events of what Washington did to win the game down the stretch, but they weren’t as obvious as what UCLA didn’t do down the stretch.

UCLA literally stood around on the offensive end. The Huskies fell back into a zone, and all of the structure and motive and intent UCLA possessed minutes earlier dissipated. Jerime Anderson dribbled the ball nearer to half court than the passive Husky zone, waiting for the game to end I guess. After holding onto the ball for almost the whole shot clock, UCLA didn’t keep possession. At least if they had a shot clock violation Washington wouldn’t have gotten those baskets in transition and been able set up their press, a press which apparently rattled UCLA enough to wait out the whole next possession to do the dance over again. UCLA wasn’t fighting over ball screens on defense either. If Lazeric Jones hadn’t earned his 4th foul with more than 5 minutes to go, then possibly UCLA would have actually run some offense, or at least got out to the shooter Ross.

Why didn’t Ben Howland call a timeout to refocus his team and quiet the raucous crowd? Typically, Howland had burned through all of his timeouts but one. Seemingly he was saving it for a late game situation. The Bruins got a defensive rebound down two with 20 seconds to play, but Howland let the ineffectual Bruins play it out. It led to a baseline jumper by Norman Powell with 4 on the clock, and the defensive rebound ended the game.

This was a microcosm of UCLAs season. There is no maturity and consistency on the team. Playing their best basketball up ten with 7 minutes to play, then they wake up and realize where they are, and if you can call what they did the rest of the game “playing,” played like a team that did not want to be there. That falls squarely on the coach.

It’s the first time its been necessary, but a serious look if Ben Howland is still the right man for this job is necessary. Howland’s down the stretch x’s and o’s is never what he is praised for. It’s not every coach’s strength. He routinely burns all his timeouts well before halftime to make points to his team—a tactic that works well with the recipients have the maturity to carry it out. Darren Collison is not walking through that door. Arron Afflalo is not walking through that door. This team does not have the late game savvy and determination of Howland’s first Bruin teams. And Howland’s inability to change his style to match this team’s strengths will be his undoing this year or another.

The refs did not help UCLA’s cause down the stretch either. Huskies got a little home cooking as the applause and enthusiasm from the crowd seemed to sway the refs and determine the fate of the game. The refs fell in line with the whims of the crowd, particularly with a charging call on Tyler Lamb on the baseline. There are officiating problems in every college basketball game. But officiating was hardly the reason UCLA lost this game.

The clock stopped, the horn sounded, and the on floor camera went straight to the frustrated young face of Josh Smith. The loss stung worst for him. He answered his critics with his best game (9-13 from the field), but losing to the team and the floor of his home town fans he snubbed when he bolted to Los Angeles was devastating. If I had any faith in his or his teammates maturity I’d say they will bounce back Saturday and the remainder or the season—but that just wouldn’t be a mature thing to say.

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