Time Off May Have Been Too Much for Bruins

It was a rest stop for the Bruins on their journey through the arduous conference schedule, their only week with one game. So their coach, Ben Howland, gave them three days off, allowing the injured to heal and the fatigued to rest.

But looking back after Sunday's loss to USC, UCLA freshman guard Darren Collison says it might have been too much of a good thing.

"I think, as a team, we got complacent," Collison said. "We didn't play as hard in practice because we were trying to stay away from more injuries, trying to rest up. Then, after Cal lost Saturday," to Arizona State, "we were happy to be playing SC because we had a chance to be in first place in the conference. But it backfired on us.

"This was definitely a wake-up call. We had a sense of urgency at the end of the game, [when the Bruins cut an 11-point USC lead with under two minutes to play to three], but we needed that urgency at the start of the game. The main thing is, we need to get back in the gym and work hard." L.A. Times

(BruinBasketballReport.com)