Bruin Blue-Bloods Break Cycle Of Success...For Now

Aaaah, the month of March.  The clouds are retreating.  Winter is coming to a close, with spring emerging on the horizon.  That can only mean one thing...

MARCH MADNESS...which UCLA is not a part of for the first time since Coach Ben Howland's first year in Westwood.

After all that success, all those Final Fours, all those Pac-10 championships, who would've thunk it?

Well, if you REALLY think about it, it makes sense.

With every turn of the calendar from February to March, there are bound to be plenty of teams left out of the party, with equally disappointed fans filling out their brackets, still with the possibility of winning their office pool, but without the possibility of picking their team to go all the way.

And just as there are always bound to be some deserving teams left out of the mix, so too must it be that some traditional powerhouses can only watch March Madness from home, unless they are so privileged as to take part in the NIT.

Among the blue-bloods left out this year is UCLA, a school which recently had a run of three consecutive Final Fours and which has sent a laundry list of players to the NBA since 2006, most notably Jordan Farmar, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, and Jrue Holiday, with a number of other Ben Howland disciples sprinkled across rosters around the league.

The fact that so many of these and other Howland-era players left school early (most importantly, Love, Westbrook, and Holiday) has undoubtedly contributed to this year's Bruins performing so inconsistently, losing to such bottom-feeders as Long Beach State and the Pacific-10 cellar-dweller Oregon Ducks (at home, on Senior Day no less).

By the very same token, the way that these defectors have performed at the professional level speaks well of Coach Ben Howland, who has endured his fair share of criticism recently, not only for his team performing poorly this year but for not being able to bring home a championship in any of the three years he guided UCLA to the Final Four.  There are plenty of players from these squads in the NBA today, but the following five have perhaps the best chances for success now and in the future.

Example #1: Kevin Love was the Golden Boy of Westwood for his one year at UCLA at least in part for his incredible basketball IQ and his pinpoint cross-court passes. Nowadays, he is in the hunt for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.  Despite missing significant time earlier in the season, Kevin has managed to average 15 points and better than 11 rebounds per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Though he is far from the focal point of his team like he was during his time with the Bruins, Kevin has managed to work his way into being an important cog in the rebuilding process in Minneapolis.

Example #2: Jrue Holiday, another one-hit wonder, left UCLA after a so-so freshman season, though he often teased the Bruins Den with occasional flashes of brilliance.  After being drafted 17th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, Holiday was not expected to play much, but due in large part to circumstance but also to ability, Jrue has found himself as a starting point guard at the ripe old age of 19.  Though his statistics are modest (less than 7 points and just over 3 assists per game), Jrue has the opportunity to flourish now that he has earned guaranteed playing time.

Example #3: Jordan Farmar, the first of Ben Howland's NBA proteges, has become a staple of a defending-champion Lakers team that is favored to make yet another Finals appearance in June.  Though he may not be having his finest season, with averages of 7.4 points and 1.6 assists per game, Jordan is due to step in as the Lakers' starting point guard should the veteran Derek Fisher depart for free agency after this season.

Example #4: Darren Collison, who played on all three of Howland's Final Four teams, has far surpassed expectations and has put his name in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.  Despite being stuck behind Chris Paul for much of the season in New Orleans and being small for an NBA point guard, Collison has enjoyed a run of recent success, upping his averages to better than 11 points and 5 assists per game and proving that he is capable of being a quality starter.

Example #5: Last, but far from least, Russell Westbrook has made himself a shining example of Ben Howland's ability to develop NBA talent.  Though many would attribute the Oklahoma City Thunder's success this season to the emergence of Kevin Durant as a superstar and an MVP candidate, Westbrook deserves a lion-share of the credit for his team's improvement. His overall performance this season (nearly 17 points per game and sixth in the league in assists) and his recent play (30 points and 11 assists against the Northwest Division-leading Utah Jazz) merit Russell's strong consideration for Most Improved Player as well as All-NBA and All-Star recognition.

Highlighting the successes of alumni may do little to console bereaved Bruins this season. However, at least UCLA fans will have something to smile about long after this year's collegiate champion has been crowned.  They'll have the opportunity to watch Westbrook take the Thunder to new heights, to follow Farmar as he leads the Lakers' second unit back to championship glory, and Collison as he fights to keep the Chris Paul-less Hornets in the playoff chase.

And, of course, while this year's young Bruins squad may have been a significant letdown, there's always next year.  Because though the Bruins may be wary of the Ides of March this time around, perhaps next season they will be the ones to fear.

In the meantime, here's lookin' at you, November.