Wednesday, February 12, 1997
COMMENTARY:
Lavin’s contract sows seeds for Bruins’ future successMark down
Feb. 11 as the day that the UCLA basketball program avoided a
disaster of unprecedented proportions.
Yesterday’s hiring of Steve Lavin as the permanent head coach
averted the onset of the Dark Ages for the greatest college
basketball team in history.
To illustrate this, join me as we move a year into the future
under the supposition that Lavin did not get the job.
First off, the trauma of losing a head coach would be repeated,
and what was left of this year’s team (those who didn’t graduate or
turn pro) would be struggling through the adjustment period under a
new coach and a new philosophy. Meanwhile, Lavin, who the team had
become comfortable with, would have been removed from his present
role.
UCLA’s recruiting efforts would be dead in the water. While it’s
nice to think that UCLA can sell itself without a stable coaching
situation, the finest recruits will consistently hedge. The
situation of Baron Davis is a case in point. The premier prep point
guard in the country stated on the record that he was waiting for a
final decision on UCLA’s coaching situation before he would commit.
The school would not be selling itself; instead it would be left
with a coaching vacuum, wrecking the program.
The painful lack of discipline that had wormed its way into the
team would be the defining quality for this squad, and UCLA
basketball would be associated on a national level with an
undisciplined rabble.
If this hiring is simply a stopgap to this dreadful future, then
the UCLA hierarchy made a mistake. But let the record show that
this is not the case.
Lavin earned this job, no question about it. This is not an
incident of UCLA avoiding a disaster by any means possible, this is
representative of the administration coming to its senses and
snagging the best man for the job.
Coach Lavin took this team and, in three months, molded it into
an extension of himself and his coaching philosophy, a
hard-working, sleek, sweaty machine imbued with a basketball
morality passed down from coaches like John Wooden, Pete Newell,
Mike Krzyzewski and Gene Keady.
He was able to do this without pounding his dogma down the
team’s throat, which is even more impressive. Lavin has crafted a
team that is comfortable with him and his policies. Four times he
has benched players and every time they have responded  not
with whining and moaning, but with stellar performances. Not every
coach can get that; just ask Bob Huggins and Dontonio Wingfield in
Cincinnati
He has earned the team’s respect and support as coach, and he
has gained verbal commitments from all of his underclassmen to
return for another year. Certainly there have been bumps in the
road. But to take the team we were forced to watch last year, with
its trash-talking, taunting, sloppy play and embarrassing upsets,
and compare it to this year’s team, well, all credit must go to
Lavin.
He has instilled a new sense of pride in this team, and through
being summoned again, Lavin is being allowed to build on the good
from this year. In light of his achievements over the course of
only three months and 20 games, let’s take a look at this new
future, one that UCLA, thanks to this inspired decision, has in
store.
Suffice it to say that next year is going to be scary. Three of
five starters returning, a phalanx of new recruits coming in, a
full off-season for Lavin to integrate his plays, ideas and
philosophy fully, and a team with something to prove. Tournament
bound? You bet. Title bound? Looks good.
Lavin encapsulated this supercharged future yesterday when he
said, "There’s a new era in UCLA basketball and it’s something to
get excited about."
With coach Lavin at the reins, it’s going to be a fun ride. Just
remember to get your tickets early.
Shapiro is a Daily Bruin staff writer who promises not to write
columns on consecutive days again. Responses can be sent by e-mail
to mshapiro@
media.ucla.edu.