Answers, Part V

How much influence do basketball coaches really have on player development? This is one of the biggest things recruits talk about. Is it right to credit Howland for Westbrook and discredit Coach K for McRoberts, etc?
The coaches have a huge influence. The best examples I can give is look how Ryan Hollins, Cedric Bozeman and Dijon Thompson developed. None were NBA players before Howland came to UCLA, and all three got shots. Howland deserves some credit for Westbrook, but Westbrook has incredible athleticism and was a late bloomer. He also worked very hard at his game in the offseason. I'm not sure about McRoberts because I'm not around that program.

would it be possible for you to set up a Q&A session with Neuheiser or Howland one of these days through your blog?
I really don't like Q&A's with coaches or players because the answers come across as contrived.

Do you have a vote in the AP poll?
In basketball, I do. In football, I vote in the Harris poll, which is used in the BCS formula.

Do you agree with USC jumping both Georgia and Ohio St. based on, what I have read, who they played in week 1?
No, it is one week and I don't think Virginia is very good. That said, I thought USC should be No. 1 to start the season.

What do you think of Berbatov going to my Red Devils? They should just give ManU the title with Ronaldo coming back soon!
It's a little troublesome for my Reds, but right now I'm more concerned about Robinho and Man City.

What current basketball recruits are mutually exclusive? Could we get both Gaddy and Snaer? Snaer and Honeycutt? Honeycutt and Franklin?
Any combination is possible in recruiting.

Is there any information you can give us about the recruits who were at the game? What was there reactions and are any of them leaning UCLA's way?
I listed in an earlier answer segment about the recruits at the game. As for reaction, I'm not really into it since the response is always the same - Joe Blow loved the game, great atmosphere, it was fun, I could see myself playing there, what a great time. Whether a kid has a great time at a game is minimal when it comes to making a decision.

Since you were at the practices and knew what was going on all along, was the overall level of play of the offense, for the entirety of the game as a whole, what the offensive staff was predicting?
First of all, the offensive staff doesn't predict. Overall, UCLA scored more points (17 in regulation) than I thought. The first half was much worse than I anticipated, and Craft played better than I thought he would in the second half. I always thought UCLA had decent talent at receiver, tight end and running back, but my questions were about the offensive line. And nothing that transpired in the game makes me think any differently about the offensive line.
I thought Tennessee was incredibly out-coached, to the point it was embarrassing. And Norm Chow is very good at calling a game.

Anderson, Holiday, Nelson, Lane, Honeycutt (maybe), Williams, Lamb - in theory that could be half our roster in two years all coming from one AAU team. Seems like there's a story there beyond random chance?
Give it a few months, and I believe you will be reading that story in the Daily News.

Number of the Beast or Powerslave?
The night was black
was no use holding back
'Cuz I just had to see
was someone watching me
In the mist dark
figures move and twist
Was this all for real
or some kind of hell
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released