Farnham’s Outburst Gets Lavin Approval

Coach Steve Lavin applauded Saturday’s outburst by forward Sean Farnham, calling the three-minute screaming monologue after the loss at Oregon a valid reaction in the wake of a terrible second half in a key Pacific 10 Conference game and another inconsistent week.

“I could see it coming,” Lavin said. “He kind of did what every senior at some point has done. I remember Ed O’Bannon had his Vince Lombardi, his Knute Rockne. Cameron Dollar had one. Every senior has their moment to step up. Seniors are counting the days.

“It was good. I thought he demonstrated a sense of urgency, as a senior and a captain and as our only senior. . . . I thought it was great. To me, that’s part of a senior’s job and a captain and an upperclassman, to let his teammates know what’s at stake and the level of urgency they have to play with in this conference.”

Maybe it’s not only a senior thing. Three days after Farnham’s shouts could be heard in the hallways under McArthur Court, junior Earl Watson, also a captain, had a similar get-tough-now line for the Bruins, especially appropriate because Stanford, with its big front line, is coming to Pauley Pavilion.

“We haven’t really emphasized it or enforced it,” Watson said of the increased intensity. “But we will. Trust me.

“It’s got to get to the point that when Stanford comes in Thursday, they have to hurt, have to be beat up, have to be bruised up. That’s the attitude we have to take. My opinion is we play too nice.”