UCLA Basketball: You’ve Got To Give These Bruins Credit

After everything that went down in the recent Sports Illustrated article that essentially aired the UCLA basketball program’s dirty laundry, I, for one, am forced to happily give these Bruins credit for taking to heart a famous maxim from their legendary coach John Wooden:

“Be at your best when your best is needed.” 

That was particularly the case this weekend at the Sports Arena as Ben Howland’s team shrugged off the controversy generated by the article and stepped up to not only beat Washington State by 32 points on Thursday, but to also score perhaps their biggest win of the season in upsetting the Pac-12 champions, Washington, 75-69 on Saturday, leaving them with a solid 11-7 record in the conference and 18-13 overall – not a great overall mark by any means, but a mark which many teams would love to have.

This was a team that could have folded in the wake of what was said in the SI article; the animalistic and bullying shenanigans by Reeves Nelson and others, the harsh personality and style in which Howland runs his team, the lack of discipline that was portrayed, but the fact that UCLA came together and played their best basketball says much about perseverance and meeting a challenge.

One thing is for sure: the article lit a fire under these Bruin hoopsters and greatly motivated them; anyone who doesn’t think such is kidding themselves.

And I well understand that some may call me a flip-flopper when I say this, but after what transpired this weekend, while I still think that Howland is a mean and harsh egomaniac and, basically speaking, not a nice guy who I wouldn’t want to play for (nor would I want my son to if I had one),  I’m no longer advocating his dismissal by athletic director Dan Guerrero – at least not this year and not at the moment.

Instead, I feel that the Bruins’ coach should be given one more year to turn UCLA’s fortunes around in the new Pauley Pavilion, slated to open this September after renovations are completed. If the team doesn’t make at least a solid improvement  not only as far as their record (i.e., contend for the Pac-12 title if not win it and make a good run in the NCAA Tournament), but also in the way they conduct themselves off the court, then it would be time for a new coach in 2013.

Provided, of course, that the Bruins’ good play continues in the Pac-12 Tournament as they face USC on Wednesday in Staples Center.

Of course, being that the Trojans have finished their regular season with the worst record in their history – 6-25, which includes only one win in the Pac-12 – and have been handled fairly easily by UCLA on the hardcourt this year as the Bruins have already beaten them twice, pretty much everybody is predicting a Bruin blowout. BUT…

It would be the biggest mistake UCLA has ever made if they take their crosstown rivals lightly, for these important reasons:

1.   USC is extremely hungry,

2.   USC will be extremely motivated to beat their Westwood rivals as it would make their season, and…

3.   USC will have this to lose:  ABSOLUTELY AND POSITIVELY NOTHING.

Anyone who scoffs at these reasonings, or at the Trojans’ chances, needs to consider that 20-loss Arizona State scored probably college basketball’s upset of the year over 21-win Arizona on Sunday, 87-80.

The Sun Devils had nothing to lose against their Wildcat rivals, and they played like it – I will expect nothing less from USC this Wednesday.

That’s why the Bruins cannot let down and must take USC seriously, play the way they did this past weekend, as how UCLA performs against the Trojans will be very telling.