Lee, Dragovic left to lead depleted Bruins through rebuilding year

LOS ANGELES -- Ben Howland has all the financial security he needs, and he is beginning his seventh year of his dream job. As the UCLA coach sat and enjoyed a quiet lunch at Sandbag's restaurant last Friday on a spectacular sunny day in Westwood Village, he looked like a man who didn't have a care in the world.

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Howland's pleasant demeanor, however, belied the seriousness with which he approaches every season. That was apparent when I suggested that it must be refreshing for him to enter a season with such low expectations. "If you're at UCLA, there's always expectations. To think for a minute there's not would be very naive," Howland said. Then he pointed a finger at his chest, right above the Bruins logo on his shirt. "We have 'em. That's the main thing. I have them. We expect to be good every year."

Fair enough. But after watching Howland conduct UCLA's first practice later that evening, I have a message for Bruin Nation: Expect very little from this team. That way, if it does have a great year, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

It would foolish to expect a lot of a team that lost four starters from a unit that fell in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Losing players before their eligibility expires is a fact of life for the top programs, but few schools have had to deal with as many unexpected defections as the Bruins. Jrue Holiday averaged just 8.5 points as a freshman last season, yet he still turned pro and was selected 17th in the NBA draft. Russell Westbrook played nine minutes a game as a freshman, but by the end of his sophomore year was the fourth pick in the draft. Even a guy like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was not thought of as a great pro prospect, yet he left school following his junior season and is now a possible starter with the Milwaukee Bucks.

In all, Howland has lost seven underclassmen to the NBA in the last six years, including five in the last three. "It's a Catch-22," he said. "Every kid wants to be a pro. That's understandable. The fact is, when you get the best players, often times you lose them."

The only way to survive is through recruiting. From what I saw during practice, Howland's current five-man freshman class has a lot of potential, but nobody in the quintet is ready to have a major impact this season. The most physically ready is Reeves Nelson, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward from Modesto, Calif. During one 5-on-5 sequence last Friday, Nelson chased down an offensive rebound in the lane, spun around and dunked over two defenders. It was a big-time play, but even he will play a reserve role at best.

The freshman with the biggest upside is 6-9 swingman Tyler Honeycutt, but he was inactive all summer as he recovered from a fractured vertebrae. Honeycutt, who reminds me a little of Tayshaun Prince, shot the ball very well for the first 30 minutes of practice. As the session wore on, however, he got tired and missed more often. About halfway through the practice, he left the court for the training room. He returned wearing flip flops, with ice bags strapped to his back and both knees and walked like an old man.

The core of sophomores who will form the team's nucleus -- guards Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee, and 6-8 forward Drew Gordon -- averaged 30.2 minutes combined last season. Until the underclassmen get up to speed, UCLA will need its senior trio of Nikola Dragovic, James Keefe and Michael Roll to hold down the fort -- and Keefe is out another three weeks because of a dislocated shoulder. When Howland asked me after practice what I thought of his team, I told him, "Your problem is that your most talented players are not your best players."

The good news for UCLA is that Howland is one of the foremost teachers in America. This could be an enjoyable year for him, because his players will really need coaching. Not surprisingly, the bulk of the first practice was devoted to defensive fundamentals, with Howland focusing on small details. During a drill on perimeter pressure, he told freshman center Anthony Stover, "Don't extend your arm. When we extend our arm, what happens? We lose balance! Keep your arm bent." A little later: "You guys are gonna hear a thousand times this year: Don't jump in the air to pass!"