Monday, January 13, 1997
BASKETBALL:
Attitudes of players holding the team back, not Lavin’s
abilitiesBy Robert Vasquez
What a mockery UCLA basketball has become! It’s a disgrace, a
poor representative of the school and an embarrassment.
Can we really blame Steve Lavin for the pathetic quality of
playing time our UCLA basketball team has shown? I would go out on
a limb and have to say NO.
Sure, as the interim head coach, he was thrown into the
position, possibly lacking the mystique of former "head" coaches,
but given a team lacking patience, depth and heart, what could be
expected? The real blame should be placed on the players
themselves. Most of the players (those that shall remain nameless,
although, should think twice about heading to the NBA), walk around
campus like they are magnificent.
But what they should realize is that they don’t have anything to
be proud of! I’ve seen better play at the Wooden Center during
pick-up games. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if the IM basketball
champions could beat them.
It’s true. The only significant difference from last years’ team
is the absence of Head Coach Jim Harrick. And Steve Lavin is new at
the job. But, what hasn’t changed is the personnel. I mean, what
happened?
Last year, the team was relatively successful. This year, with
the very same players, the season has looked far worse than
mediocre. I would figure that the same heart and the same attitude
that came from the players of last would hold over to this year.
The sign of a great player in any sport is one that overcomes
adversity with mental toughness, which is something this team lacks
big time. I would rather cheer fanatically for a basketball team
that plays their hardest and loses than a team that is
lackadaisical and wins. To me, effort is worth so much more than
winning, and I am sure a lot of people would agree with me. So my
advice to the basketball team is to stop playing with a "Feel sorry
for me" attitude just because the coach is gone.
Play for the team. Play for the school, not yourselves. As the
great John Wooden wrote in his Pyramid of Success, "there is no
substitute for hard work." I suggest every player looks at that
Pyramid and understand its wisdom. That is, of course, if they know
where it’s at!