Pac-10 title is third straight
By Bobby Gordon
March 6, 2008 11:21 p.m.
The Bruins have reason to be proud ““ very proud.
For the third season in a row, coach Ben Howland and his team celebrated a Pac-10 regular season title.
While no banners go up in Pauley Pavilion for a conference championship, the Bruins’ achievement on Thursday night puts them in some good company.
The last time UCLA won three conference titles in a row was ’95, ’96 and ’97, and the last coach to win three in a row was the legendary John Wooden, who retired in 1975.
“I’m just really, really grateful that our team has now won three championships in a row in the Pac-10,” coach Ben Howland said. “And this is the best the Pac-10 has ever been (in the past) 25 years. I think everyone would agree with that, top to bottom. There’s just nine really good teams; it’s a dogfight every night. I’m just really grateful we’re able to get the win.”
In order to bring home the title, UCLA had a tall order, taking down second-place Stanford in overtime after trailing by as many as 16 points. The Cardinal had been at the Bruins’ heels all season, never allowing them to get any breathing room in the standings until the very end.
While other members of the team are used to bringing home the conference crown, it was a new experience for freshman Kevin Love.
“It’s big for me,” Love said. “These guys already have three. Russell (Westbrook) has two, and it’s my first time around, and it feels great. … As of right now, we’re going to soak it up, going to have a good night, soak it all up through tomorrow. We know we’ve got to come back on Saturday and through the Pac-10 Tournament and win all those games as well because we want to (not) forget the big picture and be a one seed.”
Earning the conference crown also helps the Bruins’ chances of advancing in the NCAA Tournament. Even more important than the team’s seed is the opportunity to stay out west and minimize travel.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity this year, and to go through the injuries and the things that we’ve suffered through and still come out as Pac-10 champion again is really, really gratifying,” Howland said.
By getting a season sweep against Stanford, UCLA was able to avoid what would have been a convoluted tie-breaking procedure. Instead, the Bruins were able to celebrate sole rights to the title on their home court.
“We wanted to win this Pac-10 championship outright,” junior Darren Collison said. “We didn’t want to share it. I thought coach Howland and the coaching staff did a good job preparing us, showing us what was at stake, and we did a good job of taking it.”
While it would be easy for a team to have a letdown after clinching the conference against a top-10 team in front of a loud home crowd, UCLA has something important to play for on Saturday. The Bruins’ final home game of the season will be the last for Lorenzo Mata-Real, the lone scholarship senior on the roster.
“I told our team after the game, this game … on Saturday is truly, truly special because it’s Lorenzo’s last opportunity to play in Pauley Pavilion,” Howland said. “And I love Lorenzo. He’s been great … all four years. It’s going to be special. And I’m really excited for him to get his just due from our crowd on Saturday.”
