UCLA will arrive at Michigan’s Crisler Arena ready for some Ball-free ball on Saturday afternoon. For the first time in years, the Bruins are entirely out of the Ball business, and it might be the brightest moment for the program since LaVar Ball made his particular Big Baller Brand of foollishness available to the general public.
It still begs logic that the television crew working UCLA’s game against USC last Feb. 18 decided to give Ball a microphone during its broadcast of such an important game. But they probably got even more television magic than they might have hoped.
“Here, put Steph Curry on UCLA’s team right now and put my boy on Golden State – and watch what happens,” LaVar Ball said. “Steph’s going to have problems trying to guard my boy.”
MORE: LaVar, LiAngelo Ball explain shoplifting arrest
At that point, the first of LaVar’s three sons was well on his way to first-team All-America honors even his dad’s burgeoning sideshow could not negate. Lonzo Ball’s efficacy as a player, though, seemed to diminish as his father’s inane celebrity grew. Lonzo’s scoring average and shooting percentage decreased over what remained of the season. His long-range shooting went to hell. And on his biggest stage as a collegian, he was matched in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 against Kentucky freshman De’Aaron Fox and got smoked for 39 points as the Bruins were eliminated.
The folks at UCLA were aware it would get worse from there. Lonzo had been a tremendous addition to the Bruins, but LaVar had not, and he still planned at that point to send two more sons to play for the Bruins.
The older, LiAngelo, was ranked the No. 226 prospect nationally by 24/7 Sports . He joined the 2017-18 Bruins as a freshman, and it was obvious to pretty much everyone he was not going to play significant minutes – and inevitably his father would make an enormous public issue about it.
The younger, LaMelo, was ranked No. 15 in the 2019 class. His father complicated his path to NCAA eligibility by issuing a signature sneaker for his youngest son called the Melo Ball 1 – retailing for $395. And Melo’s approach to the game as a wing player with not even a casual relationship with defense and with a shoot-whatever-I-touch attitude toward offense was sure to present a coaching challenge if he ever joined the Bruins. And, inevitably, his father would make an enormous public issue about it.
DECOURCY: LaVar Ball does what UCLA should have with son LiAngelo
The announcement Thursday by LaVar Ball that LiAngelo and LaMelo had signed with an agent and would be pursuing the opportunity to be paired on the same team in an overseas professional league assured the Bruins were in the clear.
LiAngelo’s participation in a series of thefts while UCLA prepared to open the season in China put this expected disintegration in the Ball/Bruins relationship on a fast track. It led to coach Steve Alford not having to make any tough decisions about how to manage the likelihood of LaVar meddling either now or in the future with LaMelo.
If that were the only repercussion, UCLA basketball would be in the best shape it has been since the day before playing Kentucky in the Sweet 16, or perhaps the day before LaVar began spewing nonsense. But there were two other players arrested along with LiAngelo. And their absences, which may continue to the end of this season, will damage the Bruins’ potential to excel.
This is a team loaded with capable guards and wings, four of them averaging double-figure scoring through nine games. But 6-10 Cody Riley and especially 6-10 Jalen Hill are dearly missed. They could be providing depth, defense and rebounding to help skilled (but slow) center Thomas Welsh cope with opposing big guys.
MORE: Steve Alford 'suprised' LiAngelo Ball is leaving UCLA
It is not certain how long the indefinite suspensions they were handed (along with LiAngelo, whose punishment is now moot) upon their safe return from China will last. But there is pressure in the university community, including from alumni and donors, to stretch it to the end of the 2017-18 season. There are varying accounts regarding who was at fault, with LiAngelo pinning most of the blame on his former teammates during an interview with NBC’s Today show but Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock countering his sources indicated the decline of Ball’s credit card led to the shoplifting spree – and that LiAngelo Ball was the only player who stole from three stores.
Had UCLA never scheduled a game in China to open its season against Georgia Tech, it’s likely LiAngelo Ball still would be out of the program at this point, or perhaps by the end of the semester, or whenever the sight of seeing his son sitting on the bench in Bruins warm-up gear became too much for LaVar to handle.
Alford has the Ball family out of his hair now. If he had a couple more bigs, his Ball-free team would have it made.
