NEW YORK “”mdash; Questions about the basketball team’s lack of depth and inexperience surrounded the program heading into this weekend, but Thursday night’s loss only raised more.
The defeat against an unranked Michigan squad brings up concerns about the immediate future of UCLA basketball and whether they can meet Bruin fans’ high hopes this season.
Is this a legitimate top-five team? Is a fourth-straight Final Four appearance within reason? Are the Bruins even the best team in the Pac-10?
It is the first time since their Final Four appearance three years ago that these doubts have been raised this early in the year.
The Michigan game was one that many thought was simply a stepping stone to a final against Duke. Instead, it was a harsh reality check for the No. 4 Bruins, who did not take the loss lightly.
“I couldn’t sleep (Thursday night),” senior point guard Darren Collison said. “I was extremely mad. I was so disappointed. I wanted to get a chance at the Dukies.”
A UCLA-Duke final would have pitted two of the nation’s most storied programs against each other, but instead the Bruins faced Southern Illinois University in the consolation round.
Though the Bruins did pick up a 77-60 victory, it was certainly not the outcome for the weekend they were looking for.
“The only positive thing is that we left with a win, something to build on,” Collison said. “That’s the only thing I got out of (the trip).”
Thursday’s loss was only the second time since December 2004 that the Bruins lost to an unranked non-conference opponent.
When UCLA lost at unranked West Virginia in February 2007, the Bruins had already compiled a 21-3 record and were wrapping up a conference title. They went on to reach the NCAA title game.
However, this loss has a much different feel.
It is the first time since a loss to Memphis three years ago in the preseason National Invitation Tournament that they failed to bring home an early season tournament title. In 2005, nobody expected the Bruins to be as good as they turned out to be.
Three Final Fours later, the expectations have changed.
It is the first time that UCLA has failed to live up to the hype early in the season in three years.
“It’s still early,” senior forward Josh Shipp said. “Games like that happen.”
Each of the past two seasons, the Bruins have justified lofty preseason rankings by winning tournaments early in the year. UCLA took the College Basketball Experience Classic title last year and in 2006 they won the Maui Invitational.
But so far this season, the Bruins have proved nothing, only four wins against teams they were expected to beat handily.
Thursday’s loss exposed a vulnerable UCLA to the nation, creating doubt that they just may not be on par with the Bruin squads of the past three years. They are undoubtedly one of the most talented teams in the country, and it’s the first time in three years they have three seniors on the roster. But, it’s been years since they’ve had to incorporate so many freshmen into playing roles.
“This team is obviously talented enough to get (to the national championship),” Collison said. “It’s just going to take a learning process.”
Whether they like it or not, Thursday’s loss will prove important. If they go on to take another conference title, people will read this game as a learning experience that forced the team’s maturation. If not, it could be seen as the first indicator of the Bruins descent from the nation’s elite.
“This is about us,” Collison said. “We can’t worry about how (the loss) changes anything. We just got to worry about ourselves.
“Who knows? Some losses are good for you.”
That’s certainly the tack that coach Ben Howland chose to take after Friday night’s win over SIU.
“We’ve only had 20 practices,” Howland said. “There’s a lot of things that we’re going to learn from this trip.”