SO IT'S NOT FOOTBALL, BUT A WIN IS A WIN



Yeah, LOST spent many an unhappy November in the late 60's and early 70's sniffling out the spiteful cant "Wait 'til basketball Season." Yes, it was in part because "we" had a Wizard in place in Westwood for the wintertime, and his presence helped counterbalance the gridiron prowess of humoursly evil John McKay in South Central.

Well the more things change the more they stay the same. LOST at 45+ is still saying "basketball season," this time in response to an evil pretty-boy in South Central who keeps beating the Bruin gridders with such regularity that its a wonder A.D. Dan Guerrero doesn't toss out his scheduling notebook and start applying for a restraining order. While Ben Howland and his charges are, ahem, a few steps away from being given Wizard status, they've been passing their compulsory exams at the Hogwarts school of Basketball.

The latest victims were the Michigan Wolverines, a team legendary at least in their own minds (and those of their haughty fans), previously unbeaten on the year, and playing in the fiercely partisan confines of the Crisler Arena in the Ann Arbor snow. These home-cookin' lovin' So-Cal dwellin' basketball players were initially so taken aback by the snow, the loudness of the crowd and the early hour that they spotted the Michiganders a 6-0 lead, and didn't score for nearly 6 minutes, before Aaron Afflalo starting boming them in from downtown Ann Arbor, and the rest of team flipped the switch and clawed to victory. This is the best start for a Bruin team since 1997-8, the first full year of Grease-boy Lavin - when he was still runnin' on the strength of Harrick's recruits.