UCLA is paying the price this season for its three consecutive Final Four appearances.
The Bruins are 3-6, off to their worst start since 2002-03, Steve Lavin's last season as coach. Earlier this week they ended a five-game losing streak, one defeat short of equaling the worst losing skid of Ben Howland's seven-year tenure.
``It's very early in the season,'' he said. ``Everybody acts like we're writing things off here right now.''
They opened the season with a double-overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton. They dropped all three of their games at the 76 Classic tournament, played No. 1 Kansas closely until losing 73-61, and then got beat 72-54 by Mississippi State at the John R. Wooden Classic.
The legendary 99-year-old coach watched his former team for the first time this season at the doubleheader named for him.
``They showed him on the big screen down in Anaheim and we were just like, 'Man, this is John R. Wooden and we're not putting on a good show for him,''' Michael Roll said. ``It was kind of embarrassing for us as a team. It just added that extra kick.''
Wooden has stayed away from his usual seat behind the Bruins' bench this season for health reasons. He has been careful in his public assessments of the team under his successors, both in good times and bad.
Not that Wooden endured anything like the one-and-done climate in today's college basketball. He was 620-147 in 27 seasons in Westwood, winning a record 10 national titles, including seven in a row, with players who stuck around for four years during a time when freshmen weren't even eligible.
``I don't think he's had much experience going through what I'm going through right now so I don't know if he's been able to relate to it,'' said Howland, who can barely recruit fast enough to replace the talent lured by the NBA draft.
At times, the Bruins have heard boos in Pauley Pavilion, where they play under the 11 banners representing the school's national titles.
``It makes you feel terrible,'' Roll said. ``Wearing those four letters across your chest, it's a pride thing and when the fans are booing, it's not good at all. We just need to do 10 times more than we're doing now so that doesn't happen.''
The Bruins get another chance to prove themselves against a good team Saturday when they play at Notre Dame (9-2). But they'll be without starting forward James Keefe, who dislocated his shoulder Tuesday against New Mexico State.
Without him, the Bruins will be challenged to contain Luke Harangody, who's averaging double figures in points and rebounding. Last season, the Fighting Irish lost 89-63 at Pauley Pavilion.
``We played one of our best games against them here a year ago at 10 in the morning,'' Howland said.
Jrue Holiday was part of that victory, but he left after one season to enter the NBA draft. Kevin Love would have been a junior this season, but he's in his second year with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Russell Westbrook would have been a senior, but he left with Love and now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Their departures aren't the only thing testing Howland's patience.
The Bruins' adversity continued with a rash of injuries during preseason practice that prevented the starting unit from working together. Then sophomore Drew Gordon, the third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, quit earlier this month.
``Things happen for a reason,'' sophomore Jerime Anderson said. ``People are always going to be injured on teams. People are always not going to be happy on teams. It's just part of life. You just try to keep going and that's what we're trying to do.''
Fifth-year senior Roll and fellow senior Keefe remember the not-so-distant good times. They were role players on those three straight Final Four teams.
Now they're starters trying to help motivate a passel of freshmen and sophomores, who have been forced to learn on the job with mostly losing results.
``It's been real hard,'' freshman Tyler Honeycutt said. ``I didn't expect this at all when I came here. I knew we had a tough schedule, but I thought we were going to be real competitive, have close games and if we did lose, by just a little.''
UCLA's two worst losses were to Portland (27 points) and Mississippi State (18 points).
``It's kind of helped us actually, kind of set us in our place letting us know that we're not all that and that we have a lot of things to improve,'' Honeycutt said.
The Bruins have two weeks to improve before opening Pac-10 play against Arizona State at home on Dec. 31.
``Like coach always preaches, we just need to get back to practice and get the ball rolling so we can have a good resume come NCAA tournament time,'' Roll said. ``Every day we have to bring our best. That's what we talk about now and hopefully that will produce some wins.''
