I don't think he improves. He's a decade deep. His two influences are Lute (terrible x and o guy) and Cal (one system, skill development, not an in-game adjustment type.)

The team has improved because Joe Jackson has gotten better. Every summer he's been either on the USA team or deep at the skills camps working on his game. That's Stoudamire's influence. The big men on that team still have no clue and Adonis Thomas is a dumpster fire. If Pastner had improved at all..he'd have had DJ Stephens finding at least two offensive things that he can do well. Maybe he's so bad that he couldn't develop any jumper, but in that case you have him consistently running zipper cuts and such and you teach him how to catch/1-dribble/finish.

He's not coaching against ANYONE worth a damn who runs out 60% of his talent level. Once he hits the Pac 12 and has to schedule a few real non-conf games for TV? Enjoy getting embarrassed by your one marquee opponent, finishing top 3 in the conference and winning every third conference tourney. If that was the existence UCLA wanted then they would have kept Ben. The only difference would be aesthetically.