It’s Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. And I, as a UCLA sports fan, have lots to be thankful for with the recent happenings in Westwood’s wide world of sports.
Most importantly, basketball season has begun with a quite promising start. With the Bruins steamrolling their opponents despite an already injured backcourt, the team looks like it could fight for a third straight Final Four.
Now the basketball team’s promising season is only the turkey, but inside this turkey is some delicious stuffing: Kevin Love. Love has lived up to all the hype, leading the Bruins in scoring in all four games this season (and even knocking down some 3-pointers) and showing a strong post-presence.
Bruins also know there is much more success in basketball to come with the extension of Ben Howland’s contract until the 2013-2014 season (long enough for a current freshman to become a super-super-super senior).
Howland made his huge contract extension worthwhile with the recent signing of four top recruits, a class touted as the best in the nation according to three top recruiting services.
Even with the likely departure of Love and Darren Collison to the NBA and Lorenzo Mata-Real’s graduation, Howland’s recruiting ensures that he will have strong teams in upcoming years.
Next to all the forthcoming basketball success sits the gravy on the mashed potatoes: the improving baseball program. Recently, the baseball program caught a second wind in its run to the top of the Pac-10 by landing one of the nation’s best recruiting classes. For a team that has completed an amazing turnaround under coach John Savage, the recruiting success will only push them closer to the level of the nation’s elite.
On top of all the fresh players coming to UCLA next year, two fall teams are among the best in the country and are ready to bring championship No. 101 to UCLA. Women’s soccer, No. 1 in the nation, is currently making a run for No. 101 as well as men’s water polo, currently ranked No. 3 in the nation.
After scoring an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, men’s soccer is ready to avenge a disappointing season with a run for a national championship.
But no Thanksgiving is complete without mention of football. UCLA football is no exception.
After the return of 20 of 22 starters and a season-opening demolition of Stanford, Bruin football was ready to steal a share of the Pac-10 title. But after losing to several bottom-feeder teams such as Notre Dame, Washington State and Arizona, football season is all but over. Even with improbable wins over No. 9 Oregon and No. 11 USC, the Bruins can, at best, finish the season a mediocre 7-5 and hope ASU loses out, which would surprisingly make the Bruins Rose Bowl-bound.
So why be thankful for all this?
Well, the bleeding is almost over. Soon enough the mess of an injury-plagued, under-performing season will be over and we won’t have to wake up to see another embarrassing score.
Surprisingly enough, all the injuries, at least at the quarterback position, can prove to be beneficial for the Bruins. Osaar Rasshan, who spent his first two and a half years at UCLA waiting to play something ““ anything ““ finally got a chance to show his athletic prowess in the six quarters of football he has played.
Though winless in his first starting effort, Rasshan impressed opponents and commentators alike. Rasshan even stands as the probable starter for this Saturday versus the Ducks and is gaining experience that could give UCLA an option for quarterback in 2008.
With all this delicious promise on the table for Thanksgiving, this year looks to be an exciting one for all sports at UCLA. There’s lots to enjoy ““ just don’t fill up on bread.
E-mail Mashhood at fmashhood@media.ucla.edu if you have indigestion from eating too much bread.