Basketball edition looking back on the 2010 season

The 2010 season saw the Bruins go 23-11 on the season and return to the March Madness tournament. Ben Howland after a rough 2009 season saw both his offense and defense progress. Averaging 70.1 points per game while giving up 66.3 points per game. Whereas the year prior the Bruins gave up more points than they were able to score. They had four players average in the double digits. While seeing Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee go on to the NBA following the season.

Reeves Nelson had another good season in the middle as he averaged 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. UCLA was able to grab the No. 7 seed in the Southeast and make it to the round of 32 before losing to Florida. It was an up and down season as UCLA went on two separate six game win streaks but would struggle with losing streaks. They lost to Oregon 76-59 in the first round of the Pac-10 tournament leaving them with many question marks heading into March Madness.

Joshua Smith was a big recruit that the Bruins were able to bring in. He was expected to play a big role in the middle for Howland. As he struggled with his weight, is playing minutes were inconsistent on the season. Averaging 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. When he was in the floor, he was one of the most talented players out there. But it was a matter of trying to keep him on the floor for extended periods of time.

Howland was struggling to find consistency again after his 2000’s teams made some good runs. It seemed that many players would come through and then either transfer due to differing opinions or go to the NBA. It was a rough stretch that just a few years later would lead to UCLA relieving him of his head coach duties. Knowing that the best days for the school were behind them.