The size of the OL and DL recruits are pretty small. Is this the sign of the times, that recruits are fitter but smaller? Or is this a bad year for big bodies? Or is this UCLA's strategy, to be nimble and quick on both sides of the line? I'd personally like to see more beef and push teams around and am disappointed to always be smaller than everyone else.
I don’t know if I would say fitter or not since UCLA brought in a couple of 350 pounders last year. I just instead of looking at the weights, look at the frames. Offensive lineman usually don’t play for a couple of years, so if they are 6-4 or 6-5 and weight 265 or 270, that is not a big deal. The belief is the players will come into the program, hit the weights and put on the weight. The frame is the bigger thing in these instances.

Has there been a deliberate effort by Ben Howland to lighten up the non-conference schedule? Outside of the P10-B10 challenge, are there any marquee intersectional games being discussed for future seasons?
Can he lighten them up any more than in the past? This latest non-conference isn’t any different than the past few seasons? The sad part is, when it is all said and done, UCLA likely will be in the top 10 in RPI because of games against Texas, Michigan and possible CBE games with Missouri, Maryland and Michigan State. It is the state of college hoops, especially in the power conferences, where the idea is to play down the non-league schedule and make your mark and RPI points within the league.

Safe to say that Dorrell is on the hot seat with the fans, but is he really on the hot seat within the UCLA Administration? In your opinion, what does this year's team have to accomplish in order for Dorrell to remain on? Do you think that the fan's expectations are realistic, given the success that USC is having these days or is that simply an added motivator? Old news or not, UCLA did "slay the dragon" last year (13-9). What's your take? Thanks.
Lots of questions, but starting with the hot seat, I think Dorrell’s is warm. The team is set up to win big this season, the staff is making more money than ever and the schedule is favorable. If UCLA doesn’t win at least eight games, there could be trouble. As for the fans’ expectations, yes, I believe UCLA’s fans are unrealistic. They expect to compete with USC, and there are only a few programs (Texas and Florida) that seem capable of doing so. USC has a different playing field, i.e., admissions and coaching salaries, not to mention, according to a few folks I know, a much more supportive alumni and booster base. As far as beating ‘SC last season, I don’t really care anymore. I think UCLA fans are jumping all over that because their football, on a whole, has been bad since the 20-game winning streak.

Has UCLA replaced Chris Carlson? If so with whom? Do you think losing Chris is a big loss? I know he was tremendously popular with most everyone including you news boys.
As you may know by now, Joe Hillock was named as Carlson’s replacement. I don’t know much about Joe right now, other than Ben Howland has been tight with the family for a while. As for Carlson leaving, it is a loss as far as I’m concerned because he understood the media’s job. I’ll give an example: access to players is limited, but each is supposed to be available to the media on Tuesdays. However, many of them do not show up as the season continues, and Carlson was always trying to get the players to attend. The player being there help out the media, who then can turn that information over to the fans.

In these Q&A sessions, you get asked some fairly pointed questions. Examples of which are the questions regarding Karl Dorrell's future at UCLA. I know that your answers are, in many cases, your opinion, which you are certainly entitled to. My question is, as a Journalist and as a UCLA beat writer for the DN, do your answers/opinions ever put you in a bad position in covering UCLA sports? Do they or can they restrict your access if, for example, you say something they deem negative? Do you simply answer with a terse "no comment" or are you free to call 'em as you see 'em?
I don’t believe my answers put me in a bad position because everything I write here I would tell to the coaching staff. I also do not write anything here that I would not tell them in person, or write in the paper. My job isn’t to be a friend of the coaching staff or the program, but to be unbiased in my reporting. And if they restrict my access because of what was written, it will become a bigger story than whatever was written about because of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. I will always call it as I see it with the program. Anything less than that would be unfair to my employer and the readers, and to me the most important things about being a journalist are being accurate, and being fair.

We going to see more playing time for Gavin Ketchum this year?
At the beginning of the season I think so, but that it will depend on him having a good training camp. I thought he was under utilized last season, but the receiving situation was so messed up because of the rotation that is was hard to get a read on anything from the receivers.

Is there an update on how the Pauley renovation is progressing? How is the fund-raising coming along? Is there a chance that this will be delayed for whatever reason?
UCLA is in the “quiet phase’’ of fundraising. It wants to secure approximately half of the $100 to $120 million that is needed before it asks the general public, and things are progressing. I know they want to launch the public campaign this fall, but at UCLA and with raising this amount of funds, a delay is very possible.

How do you think the minutes will break down this year in tight games against traditional teams? Clearly Mata's minutes would decrease against small teams. My guess:
Collison: 34
Westbrook: 18
Shipp: 30
Luc: 30
Love: 32
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Mata: 17
Aboya: 15
Roll: 17
Stanback/Dragovich: 5 minutes for one of them to win.
Keefe: 2

I think Mata’s minutes will decrease against every team. I think you have accurate in most of your prognostications, but I will give it my best shot.
Collison: 34
Shipp: 28
Luc: 32
Love: 31
Westbrook: 15
Mata: 14
Roll: 18
Aboya: 12
Keefe: 8
Stanback/Dragovic 8