Dribble, dribble, dribble, behind-the-back move, dribble, dribble, dribble, layup, buzzer.
Sound familiar? It’s the cadence of Tyus Edney’s coast-to-coast game-winning basket in 1995, the most famous 4.8 seconds in college basketball history and the defining play of UCLA’s 11th championship team.
Edney, now on UCLA’s sidelines as the team’s director of operations, made his play out of necessity. Every bounce of the ball pushed UCLA closer to elimination, and only he possessed the speed to navigate the entire length of the floor in that time.
This year’s edition of the Bruins returns to Pauley Pavilion with a similar sense of urgency, but with a different motivation. Coach Ben Howland wants his players running the ball every chance they get, clock be damned, because he has the personnel to do it.
In terms of the roster, Howland finally has some depth to work with. The UCLA teams of the last few years haven’t been able to play a game of five-on-five with just the scholarship players. This team goes 10 deep, though half have played in Pauley Pavilion less than I have. (Here’s hoping the pick-up ballers get some open gym time in there again.)
Getting winded out there? No matter. Howland has fresh legs ready to come off the bench. But they’ll have to follow the leader ““ or, more accurately, keep up with him.
The Edney-like catalyst for the pace is Larry Drew II, who is trying to run away from his past while running the fast break for the Bruins.
Drew has a lot of leadership responsibilities for someone playing his first and only year in a UCLA uniform. He’s the only senior on the roster and is relishing the chance to lead, something he never got to do in three years at North Carolina.
The Tar Heels won the national title when he was a rarely used freshman. When the spotlight shifted to him his junior season, he was benched in favor of a true freshman, then summarily packed his bags and left the team with a month to go in the season.
Now Drew is getting the control Howland has rarely afforded his guards in the past. Under Howland, UCLA has produced the likes of Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook, players that wreak havoc running the court in their full-time jobs as NBA starters. It’s a contrast from their college careers, when speed wasn’t their modus operandi.
Howland has always preferred his offense to methodically use the shot clock, but his choice to run an up-tempo offense is indicative of a seismic shift in the sport. Your parents’ UCLA teams could look inside to an Alcindor or a Walton; in 2012, the game is more athletic.
For all the hype that surrounded the Bruins’ size last year, it was clear that lackluster guard play held them back.
Now they have a stable of versatile backcourt players. Drew is the speedster, Jordan Adams is cast as the knock-down shooter, Kyle Anderson is a point guard in a 6-foot-9-inch forward’s body and returners Norman Powell and Tyler Lamb are experienced wing defenders.
If and when Shabazz Muhammad receives his clearance after the NCAA’s lethargic investigation, he’ll only be a boon to the running mantra.
But at this point, it looks like only a presidential pardon will get Muhammad on the court. Don’t rule it out; I hear No. 44 is a big basketball fan. Until then, get your #freebazz shirts ready and write your congressman.
Will running this much work? It’s easy to be skeptical since we’ve seen Howland try it before with little success. This year can be different, since he’s molded the strategy to fit his types of players.
As we ring in the start of hoops season tonight, here are some tips. Keep your neck muscles loose so you’re ready to watch the Bruins run back and forth. Try to blink a little less. And get your ears prepared for Howland’s bellowing call to “PUSH!” the ball, the battle cry of UCLA this season.
If you can eat a whole rib in 4.8 seconds, email Menezes at rmenezes@media.ucla.edu or tweet @ryanvmenezes.