The cry that resounded throughout the neighborhoods of Brooklyn
in the late 1940s and early 1950s is the very same cry that
resounds in Westwood today: “Wait ’til next
year!”
In spite of the disheartening finish to Ben Howland’s
first season as coach for the Bruins, most UCLA fans have shown
uncharacteristic patience.
Perhaps their optimism is based on UCLA’s incoming
recruits ““ point guard Jordan Farmar, forward Lorenzo Mata
and guards Arron Afflalo and Josh Shipp. Although they have not yet
received their high school diplomas, the UCLA basketball community
is already anticipating their expected impact in revitalizing a
program that has recently become stagnant.
“It takes a special kind of player to be a part of a
turnaround,” said Afflalo, a 6-foot-five 205-pound guard from
Compton Centennial. “If we do what we hope to do, we’ll
always be known as the first group to bring UCLA back. I take a lot
of pride in that, and I hope that’s what we do.”
UCLA already has a top-ten recruiting class by consensus, but it
could still get even better with 6-foot-5 wing Malik Hairston, who
is considering UCLA, Ohio State and Kansas among others. He plans
to make his final decision on the weekend of March 26, after which
he will head to the McDonald’s All-American game to play with
Farmar and Afflalo as part of the West squad.
“We talk every now and then,” Farmar said.
“The last time we talked, about a week and a half ago, he
told me UCLA was his leader, but he wasn’t quite ready to
make that decision. I’m pretty confident he’ll end up a
Bruin. It’s his decision, not mine or Coach
Howland’s.”
So the McDonald’s All-American game could very well be a
preview of the Bruins’ future.
Even if the Bruins don’t get Hairston, UCLA coach Ben
Howland likes the class he has already signed. Each recruit brings
something different to the table, and Farmar will likely lead the
way.
Already hailed as perhaps the best point guard recruit out of
Southern California since Baron Davis, Farmar has been touted as
the likely starter for the Bruins next season. The demands are
intense, but Farmar is willing to greet them head-on.
“I love the high expectations,” Farmar said.
“It keeps you on your feet and it keeps you working. I
can’t just wait to get to UCLA and get started. I envision my
uniform hanging in my locker with those four magical letters across
your chest and I get goose bumps.”
Afflalo is a “do a little of everything” wing. He
can shoot and loves to post up smaller guards. But, even more
importantly, he plays hard — all the time.
“I’ll bring it on defense,” Afflalo said.
“My offense will always be there, but I know Coach Howland
loves strong guards who play with intensity and strength on
defense.”
Mata is an enforcer and gives UCLA a tough post presence. To be
sure, he’s still extremely raw, both in post moves and
fundamentals. But the desire and hunger are there, and he fits the
prototype of a post player from Howland’s Pittsburgh era.
Shipp, on the other hand, is a scorer in every sense of the
word. Although he is streaky, he has outside range and when
he’s hot, there isn’t a shot he can’t make.
The only possible weakness appears to be in the post position.
With the three stellar guard recruits, it would appear that Howland
is adapting to the weak post recruiting class of the West Coast,
tailoring his efforts to what’s available. For the next
couple of years, the likely selling point for recruiting will be
offering future posts the opportunity to play with this
year’s recruits.Â
“Once we get the ball rolling, things will start to gather
momentum,” Farmar said. “I genuinely believe that, as
we go along, better and better recruits will come. People will come
to play with us.”
Howland’s track record dictates that it takes him at least
a year to rebuild programs, and he does it by bringing in players
who fit his system. By recruiting shooters at Northern Arizona, he
went from nine wins in his first year, to seven in his second, to
21 in his third.
At Pittsburgh, he grabbed tough, physical players, and was even
more efficient, with a wins-per-season statistic that progressed
from 13 to 19 to 29 to 28. And, admittedly, neither Pittsburgh nor
Northern Arizona has quite the prestige of UCLA.
“As a storied program where kids are high-profile
recruits, there are always high expectations,” Howland said.
“For certain kids, that’s really good. It motivates and
drives them. These guys will work really hard. These incoming kids
are really excited about the future and being here.”
To be sure, the members of this group will just be freshmen this
year, which suggests fans will have to practice patience as they go
through the growing pains of their first season in Westwood (see
Cal this year). But, judging by the talent, it’s not hard to
see why UCLA fans can’t wait until next year.
For example, three of the Bruin commits played in the state
playoffs last Tuesday, and came up with the following mind-boggling
numbers: Farmar had 36 points, Afflalo had 28 points, 10 rebounds,
10 assists and three steals, and Shipp had 30 points and five
rebounds. Each led their respective team to victory.
During the City Championship, in the same Los Angeles Sports
Arena where USC has beaten UCLA four out of the past five years,
Farmar displayed savvy leadership abilities in Taft’s upset
over Fairfax, leading his team to win its first City
Championship.
The irony of playing on his future rival’s home court
wasn’t lost on Farmar.
“After the game, I told my coach that USC is going to be
in trouble for the next few years,” Farmar said. “I
play well there. Watching UCLA basketball this year, I just
can’t ever see myself losing like that. I just can’t
help but think that it won’t be this way ever again, that
this is the last chance for teams to beat UCLA the way they did
this season.”
All four plan on arriving on campus this summer to participate
in UCLA’s Freshman Summer Program. During that time, the
recruits plan to train in the athletic facilities and play pick-up
games. But until then, it’s the same old mantra for the
Bruins: “Wait ’til next year.”