Tom Arnold greets Ben Howland

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Emcee Tom Arnold introduced UCLA basketball Coach Ben Howland Thursday night at the annual Heroes and High Hopes Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel as ‘the former coach of the Pittsburgh what-you-call-its.’

The joke did not get a big laugh, but Howland, who was honored last year at the banquet, more seriously said he is a big supporter of Boys and Girls Club because it was where he first started playing basketball as a youngster in Goleta.

Howland got hit with some non-basketball questions when he had to smile for the paparazzi’s cameras. Would he keep his money in the stock market, considering the market and all? ‘Yes,’ Howland said. So there’s his investment tip for the day.

While he was being snapped by a photographer who was wearing a Barack Obama baseball cap, Howland sidestepped a question on whom he’d vote for but did suggest that junior guard Mustafa Abdul-Hamid might be interested in going into politics eventually and that Abdul-Hamid reminded Howland of Obama. Don’t think Howland didn’t notice who was wearing what on a baseball cap.

Former UCLA Coach John Wooden was supposed to be at the gala but stayed home because of illness, according to a benefit spokeswoman. Howland said Wooden was feeling fine but that it was hard for him to handle the stress of maneuvering through large crowds in a wheelchair.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero were also at the benefit.

-- Diane Pucin