When UCLA coach Ben Howland heard that there was an opening for a coaching job at his alma mater, he picked up the phone and called Weber State athletic director Jerry Graybeal with a recommendation.
Little did Howland know that his Bruins would be facing Weber State coach Randy Rahe and his Wildcat squad in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“I hope it doesn’t come back to get us in the back,” Howland said with a smile.
Howland was named the defensive MVP of his Weber State team on two occasions and also led the Wildcats to two Big Sky Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. More importantly, Howland met his wife and Weber State cheerleader, Kim, while he was a student in Ogden, Utah.
Though Howland has fond memories of his time in Utah as a Division I collegiate player and several of his in-laws reside there, he has made sure to put that aside when preparing for the task the Bruins have at hand.
“I’m excited about Weber State getting into the tournament, but the bottom line is I’m all about UCLA,” Howland said.
The Bruin coach also understands that he and his team can’t afford to look further down the bracket at potential matchups with Gonzaga, whom the Bruins ousted in last year’s Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, or Pittsburgh, the school Howland coached at prior to being hired at UCLA.
His attitude toward the opening-round game has trickled down to his players as they have adopted a mind-set similar to that of their coach.
“We’re just taking one day at a time,” sophomore point guard Darren Collison said. “That’s all we’re worried about. Thursday night. No Sweet 16. No Elite Eight. Just Weber State.”
Weber State was able to successfully capture the Big Sky regular season championship as well as win the conference tournament over Northern Arizona 88-80 in the final.
Rahe’s ability to guide the Wildcats to both titles in just his first year earned him the Big Sky Coach of the Year honor, voted on by fellow conference coaches.
Entering the season, Weber State was predicted to finish seventh in the conference by the media prior to the season, and sixth by the coaches of the Big Sky a season after compiling a 4-10 conference record.
“He’s got a great background,” Howland said of Rahe. “Their team will be very disciplined, very smart, very heady, and it will be a difficult game.”
Rahe’s background consists of several years as an assistant to Stew Morrill at Colorado State and Utah State.
But at the onset of the 2006-2007 season, several members of the Weber State team weren’t sold on the hiring of the new coach, and within a week four players chose to leave the program and two were asked not to return to the team.
With six players already absent, Rahe was forced to recruit 10 athletes and also allowed three walk-ons to join the team as well.
“The key to winning is to recruit individuals who are not only good players, but good students and good people as well,” Rahe said. “They need to work as hard in the classroom and on the court. I want players who are not only tough physically, but mentally.”
And after all was said and done, it seemed as though Rahe had found just the right collection of individuals who would accomplish what nearly everyone thought to be unfathomable.
Entering today’s game, however, the Wildcats will have their toughest matchup of the season, going against a UCLA team that is looking to get back on track after losing two consecutive games for the first time all season to Washington and Cal.
“It’s a whole new season now and everyone on our team is really focused now after two tough losses to end our season,” junior center Lorenzo Mata said. “I’m sure this team has the desire to go far.”
Though the Bruins undoubtedly have the desire and unified goal of winning one more game in the NCAA Tournament than they did a year ago when they lost in the championship game, the mentality entering the game is the same for both the players and coaches.
“It’s a clean slate for us and we’re going to have to do the little things that made us a good team for most of the season,” junior guard Arron Afflalo said.
“We have to show up and play our very best,” Howland said. “If we don’t take care of business (today), it’s the end of the season.”