Here is the seventh set:
(By the way VB, we are still friends. I hope you are watching my Scarlet Knights when you roll into the Rose Bowl lot tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.)

Is drug testing a school rule or is it an NCAA rule? If it’s a school rule, what’s the reasoning behind testing athletes for non-performance enhancing drugs, but not testing other students?
The rule UCLA instituted is from it’s athletic department. There is an NCAA rule, but I’m not sure if that only deals with NCAA-sponsored tournaments.

Any update on Raymond Carter… he’s still on the team right?
He’s still on the team, still practicing, and still not deemed good enough to help the team on the field.

Any idea how many of the football players voted Tuesday? Did the coaching staff encourage them to vote after Monday’s practice?
I’m not sure about the players, but I know Neuheisel allowed the coaches to come in later so they could vote in the morning. After practice there isn’t much time to vote.

Given what you answered last week about professional satisfaction, does that mean you’d be just as happy covering any of the other Pac-10 teams? Are there any factors about UCLA that make it a good beat for you that you wouldn’t want to give up?
I like most of the people I deal with, I love living in Southern California and covering UCLA is fun for me. As far as covering any of the other Pac-10 teams, I don’t think I would enjoy living in Pullman. The UCLA thing is something I enjoy right now.

Does this team lack leadership and are the recent suspensions evidence of that?
Yes, I believe this team lacks leadership. That’s not to say it is devoid of leadership, because I think a lot of it exists, but I think it lacks leadership. It needs more. And, yes, I believe the suspensions are an example of a lack of leadership. Two seniors and a fourth-year junior getting suspended, to me, smacks of selfishness.

Within the athletic department, what level priority is the Pauley renovation? Seems like one false start after another. . .
When it comes to on-campus projects, it is the top priority. And yes, it seems like one false start after another to me as well, although the school maintains progress is being made, be it behind-the-scenes.

Has Howland ever provided you a coherent explanation of his time out strategy? Why does he seemingly kill momentum with time outs after UCLA scores a big basket?
Yes, he has. His idea is when he sees something wrong defensively, he wants to correct it as soon as possible. In most cases, that comes after a made basket. Other times he says his players need a break, and rather than subbing, he calls a time out.

Can you believe Chick-fil-A is still closed on Sundays?
I know, but I take heart in knowing there are two Chick-fil-A places in Orange County. It’s a bit of a haul, but when I’m down there it is worth the stop.

How come you are not smiling in your bio picture on this site?
If you had to answer 200 questions a week, would you smile? Just kidding. I don’t want a smiling photo up because if I’m writing something negative, I don’t want some guy smiling down from the top corner of a page.