I'd say Ben Howland is out of a job sooner rather than later.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncb/s...cording-report
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I'd say Ben Howland is out of a job sooner rather than later.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncb/s...cording-report
I just scanned the article but wasn't shocked by anything in it. I am also think this happens with programs all over the place. I think its a mixture of the mandatory year in college along with prima donna athletes in today's society. I have heard rumors of similar stuff happening with the two local programs in town as well. To be honest, if you think it doesn't happen with your school your probably wrong. Maybe not at the UCLA level but still there.
FWIW I think Ben Howland is one of the better college coaches in todays game. I was wondering why UCLA had been down the last couple of seasons. I guess we now know why.
dp
One and dones are very damaging to the college game. The player invests next to nothing in the team and fans don't develop the same attachment to players they once did. I don't like the mandatory year rule at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by bucksfan2
They should adopt the Baseball rule.Quote:
Originally Posted by reds1869
You must not have read the article if you think Ben Howland is one of the better college coaches in today's game.Quote:
Originally Posted by bucksfan2
False, False and False.Quote:
Originally Posted by reds1869
And what does the one-and-done rule have to do with the garbage that was going on at UCLA? One has absolutely nothing to do with the other.
I came away with two opinions after reading that article this morning. 1) Reeves Nelson is nuts, and 2) Ben Howland is gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by WVRed
I was wondering the exact same thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by New York Red
Kevin Love and Jrue Holiday are really the only one and dones who played at UCLA under Howland.
I don't dispute the one and done rule. It needs to be done away with (and I am a Kentucky fan to boot), but this argument is apples and oranges compared to what is going on at UCLA.
It's going to be interesting for sure with Howland. UCLA is currently sitting on a top 5 recruit in Kyle Anderson and in the mix for another in Shabazz Muhammad. Whoever does ultimately replace Howland is going to have to keep Anderson in fold (I think Muhammad is a lost cause even with what his father said).Quote:
Originally Posted by New York Red
One thing is for sure, John Wooden is rolling in his grave right now.
I agree. I think it should be more like baseball or make players stay for at least 2 years. I think the one and done run has helped out the NBA but has been a failure at the college level. There are a lot of players who realized they weren't cut out to head towards the pros after their HS year. But I also think there are two many players in college right now who really have no business being there. Off the top of my head guys like Rose, Irving, Wall, Mayo, Born Ready, etc. all were one and done, two brought sanctions on their programs, and even though guys like Irving and Wall were good citizens in college, their endgame was obviously NBA after their season ended in March. They don't really have a chance to embrace the university and tradition of college basketbal which is an inmportant facet of college sports.Quote:
Originally Posted by reds1869
Why should an adult who has the ability to make millions playing in the NBA have to spend any time risking injury (and the ability to provide for their families, in many cases) playing for free? So that fans can enjoy college basketball tradition? It's absolutely ridiculous, IMO, that any of the professional leagues do this.
Because the labor unions and management agree that it is good for both of them for this to exist. It allows fewer players into the pool so player careers are longer and it allows management to get more information on the players before they are forced to give them millions of dollars. It isn't a decision made with the 18 year old in mind that is true.Quote:
Originally Posted by top6
As far as the UCLA stuff I thought the article was ok. Howland comes off as a prick and he probably is one. He probably could have handled several of those situations differently and probably wishes he had. I find it difficult to judge him because we don't have all the information and it's also easy to use hindsight to criticize Howland. I don't blame him for the player stuff in terms of partying and drugs and all that. It sounds like he tried to do bed checks and all that to stop it. Players are responsible for their actions.
He definitely doesn't come across as a good coach.
This level of a lack of control over your team and players is beyond unacceptable and that is a primary facet that your head coach is expected to uphold at the college level. There was zero accountability in this program.
Showing up when practice starts and leaving before guys shoot free throws is not indicative of a good coach.
Telling on Westbrook to a ref instead of standing up to him is one of the most bizarre, petty things I have ever read.
The player conduct in practice stuff, especially the stuff with Reeves Nelson, is just abhorrent. Purposely injurying a teammates' surgically repaired shoulder is about as low as it gets. But he got away with that and more because, as Howland said, "He's producing." :rolleyes:
I read this article last night. JMO, but I thought this was a hatchet job that just preyed on the UCLA name.
Yes, the program has problems and some bad characters and some bad things have happened and sometimes the coach acts weird, but I think you could write a similar story about 1/2 of the Div. 1 teams.
Everyone wants NCAA Div. 1 hoops to be pretty cheerleaders and devoted skilled players and wise coaches but its just not that way. Teams have issues and many of them have a lot of issues.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there anything in the article that is an NCAA violation?
I understand the fascination with it, but, really, this is a non-story, IMO. Kids are kids.
The only real story here is Nelson. (If true.)
That said, UCLA may now have a hard time landing not only Muhammad and Parker, but Anderson as well. If none of those three are signing LOIs for LA, Howland is gone, no matter how much he's owed.