Answers, Part XII

Do you have access to the professional scout's rating of the current football players' potential for NFL? Who is rated the highest? How about bball?
I do not have access to that information. I just talk to scouts and listen to what they have to say about players.

Do you see any liklihood that Josh Shipp will be supplanted by Malcolm Lee at the small forward position during the season particularly if Shipp goes through an extended shooting slump like he experienced last year?
I do not see that because Shipp does other things well, and can be a calming influence on the court. But if Shipp's shooting is poor, I think Lee could get more playing time.

Would Hillard committing sway Manti Teo in UCLA's favor?
I don't think so. Rarely do things happen like that.

Are the coaches considering giving Dean some carries the rest of the year or are they now set on getting him a medical redshirt?
I don't know the answer to that. I think they believe a medical red-shirt is a long shot but I don't see him getting carries in the near future.

Would it be possible if you stopped be VB's UBTA party before the Oregon State game and bring us some Surf N Turf to eat during the first half? These slow starts make us hungry.
I would, but there is no way I could last that long and not eat it myself. Trust me, it was unbelievable. Those folks know how to tailgate.

Which assistant football coach, in your opinion, has under-performed this year and why?
I won't put it as under-performed, but after blocking a punt against Tennessee and having a special teams coach, I thought the special teams would be better this season.

As the season wears on, do you expect Coach Neuheisel to keep playing the best players or will we see some of the younger guys get more playing time in preparation for next year?
I think he will keep playing the best players because once a coach stops doing that, he has a chance to lose the team, not only for this season, but for season's to come.

Do CRN and CBH talk much beyond any superficial stuff? Any idea what their relationship is?
I don't know. I asked Neuheisel about it maybe a month or so ago, and he said he talked to Howland, but not often. Both are extremely busy.

Ed Kezirian is such a great Bruin and ambassador for the program. And he's a great person. Why doesn't CRN ask Coach K to get out on the recruiting trail? He'd do wonders!
Well, probably because it's illegal. You have to be an employee of the school to go out recruiting, and a staff can only have a certain number of coaches available to recruit off campus.

Earlier you wrote about ranking the basketball team somewhere between 7-12 and mentioned that the relatively low ranking might have something to do with you being so close to the program. Can you expand on that?
Sure, because that is a great question. When you see a program every day, or every game, and are constantly talking with the head coach, who is always talking about what needs to improve, vision can become tainted. I can see UCLA's warts clear as day, but I may not understand the weaknesses of other programs.

Does the team have to declare a freshman player as a redshirt with the NCAA?
Can a redshirt freshman play in a bowl game without losing his redshirt designation?
The player does have to be declared after the season, and playing in a bowl game nullifies any chance of a red-shirt season.