LOS ANGELES — In the aftermath of what he called the "most taxing"
season of his 31-year coaching career, UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland
on Tuesday expressed his gratitude for being allowed to continue his journey as Bruins
head coach.
"(UCLA athletic director) Dan (Guerrero)
and I have had lengthy conversations about how we as a program and I as a coach
can improve and we are in agreement that improvements need to be made,” Howland
said in a prepared statement. “In fact, I welcome the opportunity. I want to thank Dan for his belief in me and in our future at UCLA."
The statement came on the heels of Guerrero's announcement that Howland would welcome Howland back next season.
"In consultation with Chancellor Block, I have made the decision that the UCLA
men’s basketball program will remain under Coach Howland’s leadership and
direction,” said Guerrero in a statement. “Obviously, we are aware of the
recent criticisms of our men's basketball program; Ben understands full well
that the management and oversight of the program needs improvement."
During a season in which the Bruins were headed missed the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years, questions began to swirl about
Howland's job status.
The Bruins were ranked in the preseason top 25 never returned to ranked status once games got under way. They finished the year 19-14. The
Bruins were the preseason favorites to win the conference but finished
fifth.
Sports Illustrated
cover boy Reeves Nelson was dismissed from the team at the beginning of the season. The program made a return to SI, albeit in disappointing fashion, as
the subject of an article that depicted the program in a negative light.
It was a brief period in time in which players and Howland acknowledged they
came together.
"I thought it actually made us a little tighter unit," said Howland
after the team's Pac-12 first-round victory against USC.
Home never felt like home for the Bruins this season. At Pauley Pavilion was being renovated, they played 14 of their 18
home games at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The others were played at the Honda Center. Even though NCAA championship banners hung in the Sports Arena rafters,
the feel never duplicated that of an on-campus Pauley Pavilion. Students found
it hard to travel to downtown LA for weekday games.
Still, although they had to get on a bus for every game, it was
the true road games in which UCLA struggled the most. Close road losses
prevented the Bruins from reaching any expectations set for them at the
beginning of the season.
The Bruins had conference road losses at Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State,
Washington, and Arizona. With the losses came the concerns about
Howland's ability to remain the head coach.
"This is UCLA," Howland said. “The expectations are higher than
anywhere, and the amount of success, both in terms of championships and wins, as
well as success off of the floor, is second to none in college basketball. I knew that when I took this job. I know the expectation level, and no one
has higher expectations than I do.
“Two of the last four years, we were one game out of first place
going into the last weekend with a chance to win the conference or have a share
and did not get those done. But that’s not good enough. This is UCLA.”
In a place that displays only NCAA championship banners in is home arena,
just getting to the NCAA tournament is often times not enough. Not
qualifying for the big dance at all usually prompts changes to be
made.
Howland is fully aware that there are things that must change
going forward, including what he calls a "heightened level of
accountability and expectation.”
He’ll welcome highly touted freshmen,
Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams, two top-100 players in the country who have signed
their national letters of intent with UCLA. The Bruins continue to be in the
mix for high-profile players such as Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker.
Equally important, if not more, is the
progression of center Joshua Smith. He has spent his first two seasons of
college basketball wrestling with his conditioning just as much as he has
battled with any of the opposing centers in the Pac-12.
Howland met with Smith and his parents
last week, in a meeting that went well, according to the UCLA head coach.
“Josh and his commitment in the
offseason and him moving forward is a big part of our potential to be a good
team next year, and I think everybody here knows that,” Howland said. “I
think it’s been really clear because he’s gotten so much media attention and so
many questions surrounded what he needs to do and what needs to be done, and
he’s answered a lot of those questions publicly already. And now it comes down
to the nuts and bolts of getting it done.”
Smith is expected to remain in Los
Angeles this offseason after spending last summer at home in Washington.
An improved Smith can improve the Bruins' chances of getting back
on track.
“A lot of people have a lot to say
about Coach Howland, but he’s a good coach,” UCLA guard Norman Powell said. “Yeah, we didn’t win many games. Yeah, some
people are upset about the calls he makes and timeouts and stuff and everything
like that, but he’s been there. He’s been to Final Fours. He’s got players
to the NBA. He knows what he’s talking about.”
