http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/news/story?id=3337166 UCLA lost in the Final Four and now it looks like they'll lose two players who got them there. The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that Kevin Love and Darren Collison have both decided to make themselves available for June's NBA draft. Citing sources close to the players, the newspaper said that Love and Collison told coach Ben Howland of their decisions in separate meetings. The newspaper reported that the two will hire agents, making them ineligible to return to the Bruins next season. But Love's mother told The (Portland) Oregonian that Love has yet to make that decision. She told the newspaper that her son planned to travel home to Lake Oswego, Ore. on Wednesday to spend time with his family and discuss his options. "The report is wrong because he hasn't made his decision yet," Karen Love said, according to The Oregonian. "He's coming home this week, and we'll sit down and talk about it as a family, just like we've said all along. Honestly, that's the truth." Collison also denied the report through a UCLA spokesman, saying he hadn't yet talked with his parents about his future plans. Howland has a news conference scheduled for Wednesday. In his freshman season at UCLA, Love led the team in scoring at 17.5 points per game and rebounds at 10.6. The 6-foot-10, 271-pound Love was a first-team All-American, the Pac-10 player of the year and the outstanding player of the Anaheim regional. Love, who has been projected to be drafted in the middle of the first round, was upset by the report, his mother told The Oregonian. "Kevin called me in a panic [Tuesday] saying, 'Mom I have not made a decision yet and I'm coming home to do that,'" Karen Love said, according to the report. "He was really upset that someone had said he declared." The 6-foot, 160-pound Collison scored 14.5 points and added 3.8 assists per game in his junior season. Collison struggled in the 78-63 loss to Memphis on Saturday, scoring two points, adding four assists but committing five turnovers. A Western Conference team official told the Times, however: "I thought he was a mid-first round pick [before Memphis]. I think he still is. That's what his talent says to me." The Bruins will also likely lose sophomore guard Russell Westbrook to the draft, the Times reported. He led the Bruins in assists at 4.3 and added 12.7 points per game. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is April 27.
I don't see why people are so high on Collison. I just don't see him as anything more than a 3rd string PG. And while Love does bring some decent skills and fundamentals to the table he was exposed against Memphis. And guys like Joey Dorsey is light years behind the likes of what he'll see night in and night out. Love needs to get in better shape. As of now I don't see him being any better than Darius Songaila.
Memphis was a bad matchup for Love, I agree he needs to increase stamina. But how easy is that. Also skilled big men look much better in the NBA. Love could use the better spacing and opened up lane he will find in the NBA. Love played very well against other strong frontlines (Stanford, TAMU, Xavier,), Like I said, Memphis was just a bad draw. Especially at their tempo. Collison reminds me of Daniel Gibson. Not in terms of style but in terms of stock. Gibson played well initially then was forgotten about as Aldridge, Tucker, etc... Lead the team. Its not Collison's fault UCLA's talent level went through the roof and his role changed.
I dont think his game will translate very well either. I have a hard time seeing him doing the same things against the Boozers/Cambys of the NBA, hell even Chuck Hayes. We'll see though.
Love is much, much more of an interior presence than Songaila has or ever will be. I cheered against UCLA in the tournament, but big men with the footwork, passing ability and shotblocking ability of Kevin Love don't come around that often. Also, he certainly didn't play poorly against Dorsey. 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks and perfect from the line -- and while the 4-11 shooting looks poor, keep in mind that two of those misses were on treys that Dorsey had nothing to do with. It also didn't help him that UCLA's constant deficit forced them to play a more uptempo, guard-oriented style than usual. Honestly, I haven't seen the slightest problem with Love's "shape" or stamina. He's a bigger guy, which is part of his success. He averaged 30 minutes for the season, and routinely played in the mid 30s and higher down the stretch. He also got much better as the games went on -- note his performance in the final 10 minutes against Texas A&M. I think a couple of you have blinders on based on the fact that he's not the typical 6'10, jump-out-of-the-gym beanpole. He's a very, very good player as is, and I say that as someone who can't stand UCLA. I agree that I can't really see Collison as a legit NBA starter.
sigh this sucks we are going to lose westbrook as well and even though we have the best freshman class coming in next year it wont matter there isnt going to be enough experience for the team to advance well and also big men upfront. Love leaving isnt a surprise I wish he wouldnt but thats just my selfish reasons of course. i think he will actually have a very productive nba career. he isnt athletic but he has a great nose for the ball and his timing is amazing, not to mention his bball iq. i still feel he can learn a lot more with one more year of college ball but i would do the same thing i was him. he can be a legit starter i think he will be able to shed some of the baby fat he has and actually become a bit stronger with the nba strength conditioning and all. collison i am not too high on i think he is a good point guard and he is quick but he isnt explosive with that first step. he is a great defender for his size but the quicker nba point guards will eat him up. he isnt nearly as aggressive as i wish he would be offensively he seemed to be able to get into the lane whenever he wanted but hardly ever would. i dont know if that was howlands offensive scheme or what it was really frustrating. a good shooter but a very slow release which may make it easier for guards to block. collison does have a lot of poise though and his defense is great i can see him having a good nba career as a backup pg. much like howard eisley did. westbrook has the most potential to be a star though in the nba, very athletic, attacks the rim, good handles, can play point, great defender...his jump shot is still suspect but has improved tremendously since his freshman year...right now its like a 80/20 that he will leave ucla (i havent heard anything concrete) but he can be the player that will probably have the most impact in the stats for a team. i can see westbrook making an all star team (not consecutive but like one year or two) if he continues to work on his jumper.
Love will be probably be the next Sean May, or worse. Guys like Love and Glen Davis (overweight, undersized big men) are nothing more than bench players. Heck, he might just become another Scalabrine or Matt Bonner (okay im exaggerating).
Comparing Kevin Love's weight in college to Glen Davis is just silly. As for May -- a version of Sean May with more stamina and better shotblocking ability (what Love appears to have) can certainly be a starting quality player.
Collison? What a horrible time for that poor guy to come out. Man, he might not get drafted at all. Linear sprinting speed is so so different than lateral quickness. Everyone they played got right around him, whenever they wanted. He looked like a little kid on both ends of the floor. Not trying to hate on him, but I think he should stay at UCLA a year. He could rack up some mad stats next year and that would help him.
i think collison and westbrook maybe leaving because of the class coming in. We have 3 guards and one g/f coming in. two of the guards are all-americans and one of them is a point guard. if westbrook stays he will most likely be the starting point guard since you can have him off the bench and the other all-american guard holliday is going to be a starter (would have gone to the league if not for the rule) as well but he can be the 2 guard. i am not too concerned with collison leaving the team will miss his experience and poise in tough/close games. the team will be ridiculously thin and not very talented up front next year. this year was a much better balanced team in terms of talent (love/luc/aboya/mata/keffe) up front and in the back(shipp/westbrook/collison) next year all the talent is going to be in the backcourt
Yeah the image of Rose just having his way against him is not the last one Collison would like to leave in the minds of scouts.
Sean May is the real deal he just can't stay healthy. He's 20/10 in the right situation, "good". With Love coming out, the worst part about this news is the fact that a potential rival of ours could scoop him up in the later first round. As i've mentioned before, he looks to me like the PF equivalent of Battier. A guy that simply just knows how to play the game and win. He'll crash the boards, play defense, value each possession and give you the intangibles. No, he probably won't be a star but he could develop into a solid NBA player. Collison doesn't really impress me as a pro. He looks to me like a Hollis Price or somebody along those lines. Great college players that don't translate well in the pro's. Westbrook definitely has potential to be the best pro of this trio. He looks to be capable of playing both guard spots, has a nice jumper and the quickness and upside that NBA scouts drool over. He definitely looks like another Devin Harris.
Dear Darren, Thanks for your continued reading of our posts and the high priority you give our advice. Now go beast up for next (NCAA) season!
Fixed it for you. If Sean May could stay healthy, he can be a very effective NBA player. Love will not do well. He's a classic case of what works in college will not work at the next level. He won't be blocking shots and he won't be posting people up and dominating them. Love will wish for the days of Joey Dorsey.
This is eerily reminiscent of your Jason Collier (RIP) and Jerome Moiso fetishes almost a decade ago. Love will be a total non factor in the pro game.
Kevin Love could make a great living in Europe where the game is played below the rim, but in the NBA he won't matchup athletically at all.
