For years UCLA has had good coaches let go (Howland, Alford) for not living up to the old UCLA model, "Wooden" and then you have Barnesy and Dixon turn them down, only to have Mick Cronin, from Cincy bearcat country say yes after a day? WOW!!
UCLA was once a very proud men's basketball power house until schools started getting some parity thanks to big cable TV contracts and the rise of the competition between sporting goods moguls and it will take time for UCLA to build into another 70's power house, but in order for them to do so, they are going to have to compete with the 1 and done power coaches to land the types of recruits to get them to the power house model again imo!
Cronin is not going to do it. He'll develop talent who will play for him 3 years minimum mostly and that's not a bad thing. The way the 1 and done rule comes into effect will screw up UCLA unless Mick can go out and get players of the likes of a Zion or a John Wall or someone of that magnitude, and if the NBA throws out the 1 and done and allows 18 year old High School grads to declare hardship for the NBA, that will dilute the talent pool further and UCLA's model of developing into a power house program goes out the window. UCLA has to face the fact that it's going to take more than a 3 year or 4 year effort to build a power house program. Letting coaches go like Ben Howland and Steve Alford, besides the cheater that was there for a short time before those 2, isn't going to help the program build any continuity which will help build a power program, you just can't build one overnight or in 2 years or 3 years, it takes time UCLA folks!!
Best of luck to Mick Cronin but boy is that job going to be a tough uphill climb unless he can get some 1 and doners!!
OUT!!
WB
Any thoughts?
UCLA was once a very proud men's basketball power house until schools started getting some parity thanks to big cable TV contracts and the rise of the competition between sporting goods moguls and it will take time for UCLA to build into another 70's power house, but in order for them to do so, they are going to have to compete with the 1 and done power coaches to land the types of recruits to get them to the power house model again imo!
Cronin is not going to do it. He'll develop talent who will play for him 3 years minimum mostly and that's not a bad thing. The way the 1 and done rule comes into effect will screw up UCLA unless Mick can go out and get players of the likes of a Zion or a John Wall or someone of that magnitude, and if the NBA throws out the 1 and done and allows 18 year old High School grads to declare hardship for the NBA, that will dilute the talent pool further and UCLA's model of developing into a power house program goes out the window. UCLA has to face the fact that it's going to take more than a 3 year or 4 year effort to build a power house program. Letting coaches go like Ben Howland and Steve Alford, besides the cheater that was there for a short time before those 2, isn't going to help the program build any continuity which will help build a power program, you just can't build one overnight or in 2 years or 3 years, it takes time UCLA folks!!
Best of luck to Mick Cronin but boy is that job going to be a tough uphill climb unless he can get some 1 and doners!!
OUT!!
WB
Any thoughts?
