Ben Howland
Ben Howland
Benjamin Clark Howlandis an American college basketball coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and former player. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Northern Arizona University from 1994 to 1999, the University of Pittsburgh from 1999 to 2003, and the University of California, Los Angelesfrom 2003 to 2013. Howland became the first men's coach in modern college basketball history to be fired shortly after winning an outright power-conference title. He is one of the few NCAA Division I...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth28 May 1957
CityLebanon, OR
I'm indebted to them forever. They have helped start something we think is very special.
We had a seven-point lead at the half, but then we came back out and got off to an unbelievable start against an NCAA tournament team. And although we won by 12, the score is not indicative of the fact that we were pretty much in control the last 16, 17 minutes of this game. It was really fun.
I recruit toughness. In other words, we're not going to recruit soft kids. It starts right there. I want guys that are tough. Mentally tough, physically tough. That's why we are where we are.
I don't think Stanford's streak means that much to most of our players. What it says is how good their program has been over the last 15 years. They execute extremely well, and they come to Pauley with a lot of confidence. We have to be ready for that, as well as the start of Pac-10.
Who we start Thursday (at center) will be based solely on practice the next two days. It'll be based on rebounds, who sets the best screens and blocks.
He was critical. Everything starts with having a point guard.
To be down 11 at halftime (Thursday) and come out and play so well to start the second half - we have to stop doing that.
This program is where it is right now, as the greatest tradition in all of college basketball, the greatest history in all of college basketball. Eleven national championships. It all starts with Coach Wooden.
In competitive athletics, you have to deal with the next set of circumstances. There's always adversity; we have had a lot more than our fair share. But you just have to fight through it. That's just the way it is.
I'm kidding . These guys are great shooters.
The biggest benefit, more than anything that we're excited about, is that the families of our players are able to get here relatively easier.
They've got really good quickness and push the ball well. They force a lot of turnovers with their pressure.
There's things that happened in Oakland that I would assume could be magnified at the Final Four. Both guys were great at talking about the little things.
This is like going into a human fly-swatting machine.