Here is a video of UCLA’s newest commit, Long Beach Poly defensive end Iuta Tepa.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
Recruiting update
I’m hearing UCLA is still not out of it for Los Angeles Cathedral High receiver Randall Carroll, and also the Bruins made plenty of headway with Kapolei (Hawaii) High offensive lineman Stan Hasiak in the last week.
In fact, I was told Hasiak was leaning toward committing to back to the Bruins. However, in this wacky recruiting season, I expect nothing.
More Tepa
Long Beach Poly defensive end Iuta Tepa talked about why he gave UCLA a verbal commitment tonight.
“It’s close to home, and I felt more at home here,” Tepa said. “I like the campus. It’s beautiful. The coaching staff is wonderful and the players make you feel comfortable being around them. That’s why I chose UCLA.”
And, for those wondering, he was the silent commit I had spoken about before.
Football commit
“Give credit to us”
UCLA point guard Darren Collison was asked if the blowout wins against Cal and Stanford was a product of the Bruins playing better, or Cal and Stanford not being very good.
“Cal was at the top of the Pac-10 and they beat Washington at Washington, which is very hard to do,” Collison said. “If Cal would have (beaten UCLA), everybody would have been talking about Cal. Stanford is good, too.
“I think it’s more of how we’re playing on the defensive end. You have to give credit to us sometimes.”
Post-game quickies
UCLA coach Ben Howland was thrilled with the sweep of the Bay Area teams and said he believed the Bruins were starting to gel.
He said the blowout wins against Cal and Stanford were a product of the offense feeding off the defense, and he said the defensive effort was led by point guard Darren Collison.
Howland also said the Bruins’ freshman were “really starting to get it” and that is why the team is playing well.
Howland also offered this nugget: “We have off until Monday, and go Steelers.”
On the visits
Nothing yet on commitments from the football visitors, but Long Beach Poly defensive end Iuta Tepa and Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, Va.) running back Damien Thigpen were at the basketball game.
I know UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is supposed to meet with Tepa tonight.
Not surprisingly, I was told both are having a great time. I will let everyone know if either one commits, but so far it has not happened.
UCLA rolls
Darren Collison, Alfred Aboya and Jrue Holiday each scored 15 points as No. 17 UCLA pounded Stanford 97-63 Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
It is the most points scored by the Bruins in a Pac-10 game in coach Ben Howland’s six seasons. The previous high was in a 96-74 win against Washington on Dec. 31, 2006.
UCLA shot 63.3 percent from the field, and was 11 for 15 from 3-point range.
Halftime update
Answers, Part XIV (corrected)
It seems like I’m good for one of these a week where i forget to post the answers under the headline. Anyway, sorry aobut that. Here is the 14th set of answers:
*I hope this was good for everyone. I thought the questions were much better this week than in previous weeks.
Don’t forget, I will do a chat during Saturday’s basketball game against Stanford. The chat will begin at 12:30 p.m.
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