Q&A time

Have you heard if RNeuheisel is going to change up the uniforms a bit?

How much have the stocks of Darren Collison and Kevin Love risen in the eyes of NBA scouts over the course of the tournament?

Westbrook's has fallen, I'd assume?

Shipp is obvious

Have you heard anything on the recruitment of Jemremy Tyler? (basketball)

With players like Chase Stanback this year, Jrue Holiday and crew next year, and Reeves Nelson(assuming he stays), do you give UCLA a shot to make the Final Four for the near future?With Neuheisel do we have a shot to put together runs like we have in basketball for football?

Has Ben Howland ever explained to you why he likes to call (or at least has no problem with calling) a timeout immediately after a UCLA score? I know he likes to "fix" things immediately, but after a score is unusual timing. I dont recall any other BB coach who has done that on a regular basis like coach Howland.

What's you take on the Mephis game, how do you see it playing out?

How many people will the Daily News Group have at the Final Four? Who are they and what will they be doing (commenators, reporters, photographers, gophers?)?

In your opinion, who will make the NCAA basketball championship game this year? Who will win it and why?

You have alluded to the idea that UCLA has the clear advantage in regards to coaching versus Memphis. No doubt, Coach Howland and staff are arguably the best, but are you also indicating that Coach Callipari is not a good coach or has some deficiencies? Can you confirm and elaborate?

I was surprised to see that BH awarded a scholarship to Matt Lee for the rest of this year. Where did that scholarship come from? Did we have an unused one available?
When UCLA makes it to San Antonio, how many practice team players travel with the team? I recall that Kelvin Kim did not go to Indianapolis two years back.

Who made the editorial decision for the Pasadena Star to run the AP copy on last Saturday's game while you were assigned a sidebar story? Did you write a game story for UCLA-Xavier that the Star chose not to run?

do you know Coach Neu's take on commited players taking offical trips?? For instance, would he let Pollard or Golpher take offical visits to other schools? thanks.

Brian, do you sense that Howland does not care for Calipari? I don't imagine that someone like BH has much respect for such a whiner.

Two questions:

1. Are there any HS All-Star games besides the Hoops Summit that we can see Jerime Anderson, Malcolm Lee, Drew Gordon or Jrue Holiday?

2. What's your thought on which team is more physical between Memphis and UCLA? I was surprised that Memphis out-rebounded teams like Michigan State, Georgetown and Connecticut this year.

Do you ever anticipate UCLA being able to recruit and compete on the level of the higher-tier pac-10 schools such as Oregon and USC in football, or perhaps even with schools such as Michigan? I recall you saying that UCLA faces problems in evening the talent gap and has to play/recruit against said powerhouses. What would it take for UCLA to overcome these hurdles?

Is it just me or does John Calipari have a chip on his shoulder? Talk about stretching it to motivate his team. Why the schtick of Memphis is an underdog, gets no respect and no one thought they’d get to the Final Four? Wasn’t Memphis ranked in the top 5 all year, only lost one game and was a #1 seed?

Coach Howland seems to have encyclopedic knowledge of basketball statistics and percentages, not only about UCLA, but other teams whom UCLA does not even play. Is this careful preparation for press conferences or is he just a true basketball junky?

Coach Howland used to be more social and get about town (eg presentation of Jim Hill’s star in Hollywood etc). Now, he seems almost a hermit, never leaving the gym and/or always watching film. Have you noticed a singular focus by him to win the NC this season, which was not present in prior years?

Is Coach Howland a hands off type of manager, who delegates responsibility to his assistants, and lets the players improvise within his system? Or is he a control freak, who micro-manages every aspect of the basketball program down to the training table menu? Or is he something in between?

I’ve seen Coach Neuheisel at several basketball games (including in Phoenix), greeting UCLA fans. I only saw Coach Dorrell at one basketball game. Why do you think this is?

Are you an X’s & O’s guy, or do you just care about the final result, irregardless of the process?

As a journalist & AP voter, how do you literally keep up with the plethora of sports info, involving UCLA, Pac-10 & NCAA, each day? Several channels of satellite TV, sports radio, magazines, newspapers, wire feeds, rolodex, email, blogs, press releases? If so, which ones do you find most high-yield?

One thing that really struck me about the ’95 Championship team (Edney, O’Bannon etc), were their humility. Does this current squad strike you as humble, considering their personal and team accomplishments/achievements, or are they arrogant and full of themselves?

Do you find it strange that Darren Collison is a 3rd Team AP All-American and 2nd team All Pac-10? Do you think he deserves higher recognition?

Had you ever seen Josh Shipp defer an open jumpshot and pass the ball to Lorenzo Mata-Real on the perimeter, before last Saturday’s game against Xavier? Does that speak to Josh’s current frame of mind and/or confidence, or did he just want a potential assist?

Can the Bruins just blow off the required NCAA media sessions and shoot-around and spend the extra-time practicing, or relaxing, in San Antonio? Are there any penalties or sanctions?

Xavier split our double-team trap a few times and reversed direction on our perimeter hedge. Are teams “on to us” now?

Is it true Kevin Love was seen on TV mouthing the words "2 more games" to the UCLA crowd chant "one more year," after the win over Xavier?

What do you think of the Alamo?

Are Kevin Love, and safety Glen Love, 4th cousins?

Don’t you find it odd that Bob Lopez abruptly left the football program, after the recent Donor event where Coach Neuheisel said he is very important and was looking forward to working with him?

Is it true Coach Howland and Coach Neuheisel recruited themselves to UCLA, and neither was Dan Guerrero’s top choice, and he had to be convinced to give both of them a shot?

Are you surprised at how well Dan Guerrero has done at UCLA, considering he didn’t oversee D1 basketball or football programs at UCI?

How plausible is it that Dan Guerrero ultimately wants to be President of the NCAA, by positioning himself on several prestigious committees, and his role at UCLA is only a temporary stepping stone to replace Miles Brand?

How good of a baseball player was Dan Guerrero at UCLA?

What is Bob Fields role in the football program?

Who is the short, stout, serious-looking man, with a gray crew cut and dressed in a suit and always holding a walkie-talkie, who ubiquitously accompanies the Bruin basketball & football teams, at home and on the road, and is first off the team bus and stands in the hotel lobby, and scans the spectators unsmiling? Is he a bodyguard or a member of the Athletic Dept?

You’ve said you don’t enjoy Pro sports, why not?

You’ve mentioned that you don’t really watch NBA basketball. How then could you advise ESPN radio, whose game or physique, is more suited to the NBA between Kevin Love and OJ Mayo?

It was heart-breaking hearing that you missed your son’s birthday to cover the Bruins on the road. Why don’t you take your family with you? Aren’t there worse ways to spend a Saturday than hiking in Golden Gate park, shopping in Scottsdale, riding bikes in the Los Altos hills above Woodside/Atherton, or lunching in Seattle’s Pike Place, while you cover a game?

Please describe your life on the road with the Bruins. Do you stay at the team hotel and take the team flight? Do you take your meals & taxi rides alone, or do you meet up with fellow reporters, or eat with the team?

Do you consider other reporters who follow the Bruins, competition for a scoop, or are you friends with them?

Have you considered using a Blackberry to instantaneously blog, rather than carrying a bulky laptop around which needs a constant internet connection and power source?

Since you covered the Dodgers, what are your thoughts on the exhibition game at the Coliseum against the Red Sox? Would you have rather been there than at the Sweet 16?

Please help settle a dispute with a friend. Who is the more likeable sports figure, Kevin Brown (Dodgers) or Aron Afflalo (Pistons)?

All things being equal (eg salary adjusted for cost of living/housing), if a San Francisco paper gave you the job of covering Cal, would you leave your UCLA gig?

How good are UCLA's chances with basketball recruits Brendan Lane and Anthony Stover?

How good are UCLA's chances with basketball recruits Brendan Lane and Anthony Stover?

Can you feel it?? Can you smell it in the air?? There's something Brewing in Westwood...

With the success of basketball, and the hype behind the new football program... do you feel it Brian?? BTW...thanks for keeping me updated and feeding my obsession for the Bruins..

Is Coach Howland recruiting any new centers for next year?

With Aaron Ware and Glenn Love at free safety competing for the starting spot do you see Rahim Moore being moved to corner? Or is a possible redshirt likely? Finally what are Glenn Love's chances to beat out Ware?

Neuheisel and D Walker haven't talked much about the incoming freshmen in their recent interviews. Are they against playing true freshmen or do they just want to wait until fall to examine them closer?

Neuheisel completely forogt to mention Terrence Austin while he was talking about the reciever depth. He even mentioned Turner, Graves, and Ketchum ahead of him. What's up with that?

did someone just ask a gazillion questions, or am i just trippin?

1) what do u think about kevin love's full court shot with ease:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ3M4UgXkJQ

2) do u think that "one and done" players may not be truly and wholeheartedly accepted and embraced as being a "bruin" by the bruin family? what do u think are the factors in this phenomenon? trevor ariza bailed after one year, and i dont consider him a true bruin, but maybe thats just me. what does bruin history show us?

This year is going to be pretty important to attract 4-5 olinemen to fill our roster. Is this a good year and what are a few names that are looking at UCLA??
Does Palcic have the abilty to recruit 5* players for the oline??

Great article on Chow's effect on the O. Is there anything else you have heard from your sources that may have been left out of that article, which also pointed to the overloaded robot theory?

Do any of the Pac-10 schools complain that the conference tournament is always held in L.A.? What determines the location and is it scheduled to be held anywhere else?

Do any of the Pac-10 schools complain about the fact that the Pac-10 tournament is always held in L.A.? Is it scheduled to be held elsewhere in the future?

If Shipp scores like he was in the first half of the year we win, if he doesn't we lose. True or False, and why?

Brian -

Why is UCLA spring practice open to the public and USC only allows USC students to attend ? It is prudent to be discussing your game plan and practicing all of your plays in public ?

Great article on Chow. Statements made in the article explain what looked like terrible execution last year.

Any idea what it takes - in terms of $$$ donation - to become a member of the Bruin Touchdown Club?

After one day of spring practice, have you observed any significant differences in the way Neuheisel conducts practices compared to Dorrell.

Do you have a list of the football recruits scheduled to attend this weekend? Do you think we will get any to commit? If so, who?

Do you think that the complexity of Dorrell's offensive scheme was the major reason why the offense failed to function well during his tenure? Is it reasonable to expect that the offense will be more successful this year under the Chow system or will personnel limitations bog the offense down?

You have indicated that the loser of the starting quarterback battle between Olsen and Cowan may choose to transfer. Since both are seniors who have used their redshirt years, it would seem that they would only be able to play for another team if they transferred to a Division II school or if they have graduated before the start of the football season. Do you know if Olsen and Cowan have graduated or will graduate by this summer?

hey brian, excellent blog. Have you heard anything about renardo sidney recently? also, do you know what bb recruits we are targeting for the 2009 and 2010 seasons? also, have you seen anything on kendall williams, and if so, what are your initial impressions?

ive always wondered... who is that woman on the bench that seems like shes medical staff or something? the way she dresses lately with her squatting next to injured players (im not trying to be obnoxious), it just is almost borderline distasteful. do you think she could be a distraction at all to our young players? like honestly.

is she good at what she does? or is it more an "LA/hollywood" image thing like riley/lavin's slicked back hair? maybe help with recruiting?

i apologize for this question, but u gotta know that many people are wondering similar things everytime shes on camera....

Are you planning to write a story on any differences you notice in football practice and the players with the coaching change? If not, can I request it?

Any update on the past recruitment of Sam Demartinis?