Mike DeCourcy

It only took Ben Howland to his third season — when he guided UCLA to the 2006 national championship game — to restore the Bruins to a position of dominance in college basketball. They made it back to the Final Four in each of the next two years, as well.

He was just as quick at getting Pitt out of the Big East basement after taking over that program in 1999. Thus has Howland, 51, established himself as one of college basketball's preeminent coaches. But he'll go into his sixth year as Bruins coach in 2008-09 still searching for the crowning achievement of a national title.

Mike DeCourcy: Do you reflect proudly on the accomplishment of making three consecutive Final Fours — or does not winning it all get in the way?

Ben Howland: Yeah, I think about that. I'm proud of the three years we've put together. It's very difficult to do, to go to the Final Four three years in a row. Unfortunately we haven't won it any of those three years, and no question I'll always think about that. We want to finish the job, and hopefully we can do that someday.

MD: Is it more difficult to reach three straight Final Fours as head coach at UCLA or three straight Big East title games as head coach at Pitt?

BH: I would say the Final Fours. To get to the Final Four now in this day and age, to win four tournament games — we beat Alabama in the second round three years ago, and it could have gone either way. We beat Indiana last year, we had the lead and they came back and it could have gotten away. Texas A&M this year was probably our most fortunate win. So we've had a lot of wins that could have gone the other way. Even the Kansas win two years ago was a heck of a win over a good team. To be able to get to the Final Four is really difficult. But only one team is happy. Only one team in the last three years — Florida, Florida and Kansas — that's truly happy.

MD: Do you still get chills when you walk into Pauley Pavilion?

BH: I wouldn't say a chill; I'm used to it. It's where I'm at. But yeah, it's always exciting. The history and tradition are just incredible. Once in a while, I look and there's Coach Wooden sitting behind me. But I'm really focused on what we're doing.

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MD: You've now coached one of the "one-and-done" players. What is your view of how that rule works for college basketball?

BH: Actually, we've had two. We had Trevor Ariza before the rule was in place. It's difficult, because it's hard to plan. In Kevin's case, we weren't caught off guard that he could be gone in one year, because he was the national player of the year in high school. And he's big. He's got size, and he's good. We lost two other players — three guys early in one year — plus the seniors. It's a lot to overcome.

MD: What would your solution be?

BH: I'm not sure. There are so many factors. I think it's better for the culture of basketball that kids are going to college, looking toward getting an education, preparing themselves and getting life experience. But it's hard for me to say that a kid can go fight for his country in Iraq when he's 18 but he can't be in the NBA. That's really difficult for me to rationalize.

But I think that really puts a stress on the culture of the game, because everybody's going to emphasize going pro out of high school. So it's a very difficult question.

MD: What's the biggest change in the game from when you were in college?

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BH: The 3-point line. The shot clock. We didn't have either. Those have been great changes in terms of the growth of the game.

MD: What's the toughest visiting arena you've coached in?

BH: (Oregon's) Mac Court is a hard place to play. Rutgers is very loud when they get it going there. The Carrier Dome is difficult because it's different, a dome.

MD: Why are you so staunchly opposed to using zone defense?

BH: A good man-to-man defense is like a zone, where you've got pressure on the ball, you're guarding the man with the ball — one pass away, you're in man-to-man, but the other guys are in a zone. The thing I don't like about the zones is you're going to give up an open shot. I don't like to have shots that are uncontested from a defensive standpoint. In zone, you're going to end up giving up open shots. Moving the 3-point line back, you're going to see more zone because of it. The purpose supposedly was to open the game up. I'm skeptical of whether that will occur. I don't think a zone is as fun to watch from a spectator standpoint.

MD: Who's the best player you've ever coached?

BH: John Stockton. He was a great competitor, and I watched him grow as a player from his freshman to sophomore year.