Not to say yesterday’s UCLA-USC showdown lacked the
aesthetic value of Billy Knight’s buzzer-beating heroics last
February, but the ’03 version of the rivalry seemed about as
watered down as a keg of Keystone Light.
After last year’s Bruin victory featured a finish that was
tighter than the skin across Jerry Jones’ surgically-enhanced
forehead, yesterday’s edition sputtered to a gratifying halt
in a sea of missed jumpers ““ and opportunities.
But while UCLA continues to dig itself a deeper hole, what is
most frustrating is the squad’s utter lack of desperation to
save their season.
A seemingly delusional Ryan Walcott elicited a few chuckles when
he boldly proclaimed, “We could win this Pac-10.”
The Bruins’ starting point guard continued, stating,
“I think we will finish in the top three in the Pac-10. When
tournament time comes around, we’ll be in good
shape.”
Not to be a Gloomy Gus here or anything, but aren’t we
being a bit presumptuous here? I know this is UCLA ““ home to
eleven NCAA championships ““ but since when does a team
that’s won just two of its six home games talk about its
postseason prospects like they are a certainty?
Although I applaud Walcott’s confidence, I’d have to
say the Bruins postseason well has run drier than the state of
Utah.
Consider this:
UCLA will probably need a minimum of 17 victories in order to
draw consideration from the NCAA tournament selection committee in
March. If they split non-conference match-ups with St. John’s
and Georgetown, that still leaves 12 more wins to round up between
the regular season and the Pac-10 tournament.
While the Bruins have pulled rabbits out of their hats in the
past, they might need to suit up the Easter Bunny himself to reach
such lofty goals.
But as the frustration ““ and the losses ““ mount,
neither Steve Lavin nor the squad itself appears to have the sense
of urgency that most fans expect, or even demand.
During USC’s decisive 12-0 run that broke the game
wide-open midway through the second half, the Trojans out-hustled
their crosstown foes again and again, repeatedly grabbing loose
balls and beating the Bruins down the court for transition
layups.
“They outscrapped and outclawed us,” Lavin said.
“They seemed a step quicker, and we seemed a step
slower.”
In another words, USC wanted it more.
While other coaches might have chastised their squad for such
listless play, Lavin seemed unfazed. After the Trojans first
victory at Pauley Pavilion since Harold Miner roamed the collegiate
hardwood, the UCLA head coach referred to the Bruins’ laundry
list of second-half breakdowns as “correctable errors and
things you can remedy.”
What Lavin appears to be unaware of is that time is running out.
The Pac-10 season is not even two weeks old, and UCLA is already
teetering on the brink of postseason extinction.
Unless the squad makes a miraculous turnaround, the only thing
left for Lavin to do at the end of the season will be to hand out
pardons to his friends.
The beleaguered head coach seems almost numb to the rumors that
swirl around him like vultures stalking their prey.
“I’ve been fired so many times that I have lost
track,” Lavin said. “I’m no more or less gone
than I was at any other point in my career.”
Whether Lavin evades the proverbial firing squad yet again will
be determined in the coming months, but last night’s Trojan
triumph cannot help. After all, Dan Guerrero axed Bob Toledo
because of his inability to compete with USC. If the Trojans
complete the crosstown sweep in February, can Lavin be far
behind?
With a talented roster that features as many McDonald’s
All-Americans (four) as the squad has victories, there is no excuse
for the team’s poor performance thus far this season. In past
years, the Bruins have managed to overcome their poor starts, but
this year the hole is too deep.
After watching the Bruins last night, Eisenberg is as delusional
as Ryan Walcott. E-mail him at jeisenberg@media.ucla.edu