The 2009–10 UCLA Bruins Men's Basketball Season: A Season of Transition

The 2009-10 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) during the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by head coach Ben Howland, the Bruins played their home games at Pauley Pavilion. This season marked a period of transition for the team, with a mix of returning players and promising newcomers.

Season Overview

The Bruins concluded the season with an overall record of 14-18 and a conference record of 8-10 in Pac-10 play. Their journey in the 2010 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament ended in the semifinals.

Roster Composition

The team's roster comprised a blend of experienced players and highly touted recruits.

Key Players

While specific details about individual player performances during the 2009-10 season are not provided in the text, the information highlights several players who were part of the team: Mustafa Abdul-Hamid, a senior guard, contributed experience to the team.

Incoming Recruits

The Bruins welcomed a promising class of freshmen, including:

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Tyler Honeycutt: A versatile 6-foot-8-inch guard/forward from Sylmar, California.
Brendan Lane: A 6-foot-10-inch forward from Rocklin, California.
Mike Moser: A 6-foot-7-inch forward from Portland, Oregon.
Reeves Nelson: A 6-foot-7-inch forward from Modesto, California.
Anthony Stover: A 6-foot-10-inch center from La Cañada, California.
Tyler Lamb: Mater Dei's shooting guard.
Josh Smith: A center from Kentwood.
Lazeric Jones: Of John A.

Recruiting Class

UCLA secured a highly regarded recruiting class for the 2009-10 season. Several recruiting services ranked the Bruins' incoming class among the top in the nation.

Season Highlights and Key Events

Pre-Season: The Bruins began practices on October 18, preparing for their exhibition game.
Early Season Tournament: The Bruins participated in the 2K Sports Classic.
Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series: UCLA competed in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
John R. Wooden Classic: The team also participated in the John R. Wooden Classic.
Drew Gordon's Departure: On December 1, 2009, head coach Ben Howland announced that sophomore forward Drew Gordon had left the team by mutual agreement.

Schedule and Results

The 2009-10 season schedule included a mix of non-conference and Pac-10 conference games. Here's a glimpse of their schedule:

November 16: Loss vs. Cal State Fullerton
November 20: Win vs. UC Irvine
November 23: Win vs. Long Beach State
November 26: Loss vs. Kansas State (Neutral)
November 27: Loss vs. Boston College (Neutral)
November 29: Loss vs. Creighton (Neutral)
December 6: Loss vs. Pacific
December 12: Loss vs. BYU (Neutral)
December 15: Win vs. Cal State Northridge
December 22: Win vs. Pepperdine
December 27: Win vs. Wyoming
December 31: Win vs. UC Riverside
January 2: Loss vs. Washington
January 16: Loss vs. Arizona
January 21: Win vs. Oregon State
January 23: Win vs. Oregon
February 4: Win vs. Washington State
February 6: Loss vs. Washington
February 25: Win vs. USC
February 27: Loss vs. Arizona State
March 11: Win vs. Oregon (Neutral)
March 12: Loss vs. California (Neutral)

Reflections on the 2008-09 Season

To provide context, it's helpful to consider the preceding 2008-09 season. The 2008-09 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team opened the season on November 3 when it took on Cal Baptist in an exhibition game in Pauley Pavilion. The team opted not to have an October 17, 2008 Midnight Madness celebration this year. Practices began on Saturday, October 18, as they prepared for the first exhibition game on Monday, November 3. Three players from last season's team, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute were chosen to play in the NBA. The team finished the season by losing to Villanova 89-69 in the second round of the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. During half-time of the January 31 game against Stanford, the Bruins' 1963-64 and 1964-65 National Championship teams were honored, along with their 98-year-old former coach John R. Wooden, who told the crowd that he can still remember those years. The game also marked the Coaches vs. A week later at the Notre Dame game, Troy Aikman was honored for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame and for having recently completed his courses for a degree in sociology during half-time.

2008-09 Season Highlights

Darren Collison's Accolades: Darren Collison was an honorable mention in the 2008-09 AP All-America basketball teams. Additionally, he was named the 2009 recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
NCAA Tournament: In the NCAA National Championship tournament, Alfred Aboya scored two free-throw points with 48 seconds remaining in the game to help UCLA get by VCU in the first round at the East Regional in Philadelphia's Wachovia Center. In the second round, with six Wildcats scoring double-digit points, Villanova ended UCLA's hope of going to the Final Four for the fourth time in a row.

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