UCLA PostGame Links

Steve Lavin returned to UCLA on Saturday and was met with what can best be described as casual indifference.

No boos, no signs, no catcalls.

“Just another day at Pauley,’’ as Lavin aptly described it.

But the team that Lavin brought with him -- a team from the beastly Big East -- with all the muscle and might that being a Big East member implies?

That mattered to some folks, some very important folks.

Read More:
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/22595/bruins-ruin-steve-lavins-homecoming

“This was like an NCAA Tournament game,’’ UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “They allowed us to play. It was very physical, the kind of game where you’re not going to get any calls. But it’s big for us because of where we are. It’s February 5.’’



I have to wonder if Howland was there for the 2nd half?  Let them play?

St. John's drops to 13-9 on the season and squanders an opportunity to notch one more impressive non-conference win, against a team that will probably be sitting alongside it on the bubble come Selection Sunday. And Steve Lavin loses his homecoming game at Pauley Pavilion.

Conversely, UCLA improves to 16-7, and picks up an important résumé-boosting win against a team ranked No. 20 in the RPI coming in.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/colleges/post/_/id/1534/rapid-reaction-ucla-66-st-johns-59

AP Story

Steve Lavin was so busy saying hello and waving at old friends and associates when he walked out of the locker room, he nearly headed to the wrong bench.

"Luckily, Coach K [Gene Keady] reminded me we're at the opposite end," he said.

It was that kind of day for Lavin, who ended up on the losing end at Pauley Pavilion much as he did in his final season coaching UCLA.

"Just another day at Westwood," he said drily.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=310360026

There were a couple of great performances in this homecoming game for Steve Lavin. Dwight Hardy had 32 points after flying across the country, but none of his teammates so much as reached double figures. Nonetheless St. John's had a chance to win this game, just a jump-shot away from a tie ballgame with 1:04 left, trailing 59-62 in Pauley Pavilion.

Then UCLA's Josh Smith blocked a St. John's shot, Tyler Honeycutt grabbed the rebound, and Reeves Nelson -- sporting a faux-hawk -- drained a daring three-point shot to give his team an insurmountable lead. His was the final bucket in a 66-59 UCLA win.


http://college-basketball-blog.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/27394236

In his final season as UCLA's basketball coach, Steve Lavin was badly criticized by Bruins fans for losing games at the team's iconic Pauley Pavilion. Saturday he was cheered for it.

The first-year St. John's coach got to go back to where he got his first coaching job when the Red Storm took on UCLA, but the homecoming was spoiled as the Johnnies committed numerous fouls and failed to defend the paint in a 66-59 non-conference loss to the Bruins that snapped their two-game win streak.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2011/02/05/2011-02-05_st_johns_falls_to_ucla_in_steve_lavins_first_return_to_pauley_pavilion_since_his.html#ixzz1D8IkJTW3

Postgame links + a compilation of Josh Smith dunks: http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2011/2/6/1977977/postgame-media-roundup-josh-smith-dunking-on-st-johns

And postgame recap: http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/2011/2/5/1976956/no-hollywood-ending-st-johns-loses-66-59-to-ucla-bruins

The day before the Super Bowl was hyped as a Super Bowl of sorts for St. John’s for months before the season even started.  When your big-name coach gets a chance to return to the place he called home for seven years as a first-time visitor, not much else can be expected.  While St. John’s players went into Los Angeles with the intent of winning one for coach Steve Lavin, their opponents had other ideas.

Despite a career-high 32 points from Dwight Hardy, St. John’s (13-9) was unable to overcome all the obstacles at Pauley Pavilion, falling to UCLA (16-7) by the final of 66-59. UCLA was led by center Joshua Smith, who paced the Bruins with 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.  Reeves Nelson provided 12 points for the home team, perhaps none bigger than his three-pointer in the final minute that put UCLA ahead 65-59 after the Johnnies had cut a ten-point deficit to three as the second half wore on. Malcolm Lee also chipped in with 15 points for the Bruins, whose NCAA Tournament chances were enhanced about as much as St. John’s dreams were potentially dashed.

http://johnnyjungle.com/game/pac-10-home-cooking-not-so-sweet/

Last weekend the St. John's Red Storm were the toast of college basketball after absolutely humiliating the Duke Blue Devils on national TV at Madison Square Garden.

One weekend later, on the same CBS national television spotlight, the good will the upset over Duke brought evaporated with a 66-59 loss to the sudeenly-bubble worthy UCLA Bruins.  It was a familiar sight for Coach Lavin, watching the Bruins walk out of Pauley Pavillion with a huge victory.  Unfortunately for Lavin, tonight he seated on the opposite bench.

http://marchmaniacs.blogspot.com/2011/02/storm-of-trouble-bruin-for-st-johns.html