A Bruin In Winter

Murry Bartow may coach his last basketball game tonight

Today may be the last game of a former ETSU men’s basketball coach’s career, so it’s worth noting that UCLA plays Arizona State in the Pac 12 Tournament tonight.

The Bruins are coached by Murry Bartow, whose 12-year Buccaneers tenure was the longest in their history since Madison Brooks.

Bartow is not a candidate to be retained as head coach by the Bruins, who are 10–9 under his guidance after starting their season nationally ranked under Steve Alford. Alford was fired with a 7–6 record before conference play started.

Yes, five of those losses were to teams that will make the NCAA Tournament and the other was to Belmont, who locals know is also a top mid-major program who received Top 25 votes this season.

But UCLA just seems like yesterday’s program, so the son of yesterday’s coach probably isn’t what they have in mind going forward. And with Pauley Pavilion not selling out a single game this season as well as the team’s mediocre record heading into their game with 21–9 Arizona State tonight, it would seem the Bruins need to think forward and not to the past.

Bartow is even coaching his team without fear of reprisal. His star center, Moses Brown, was suspended for a game for violation of the school’s conduct policy as the seven footer likely prepares for the NBA Draft. What difference does it make if you beat Utah if you’re not coming back?