Answers, Part IX | Inside UCLA with Jack Wang

Here is the ninth set of answers, including a few more of the emailed questions I received:

How does Keefe feel about being replaced by Dragovic? Angry? Somber? Understanding?
He understands what happened. I don’t think he’s happy about it, but he’s not throwing a hissy-fit over it. He is trying to work harder to become a better offensive player and regain the spot.

I think we all expected Holiday to be on the caliber of Love, but that clearly is not the case in terms of impact. How would you rate him in comparison to Love?
I don’t compare any freshman to Kevin Love. He was an unbelievably gifted player at a position that is easy to exploit. There is a lot to Holiday’s game other than points scored, including his defense and his court vision. I think Holiday’s impact is lessened because Darren Collison runs the point. If Holiday plays the point next season, I expect his impact to be huge.

There was concern about Aundre Dean during the season, but here he is
hosting recruits. He must be still committed to the program. Any thoughts? And how are hosts chosen?
Dean remains committed to the program and isn’t looking to transfer, which is what he told me after the USC game. Also, I hear he is very good at hosting recruits. The hosts are chosen in a variety of ways, either because of a previous friendship, a commonality between players, players of the same position … There are a lot of different ways hosts are chosen.

any recruits you think we can steal ??
I don’t think UCLA is in that mode, unless you consider getting Joel Gray or Randall Carroll or Stan Hasiak a steal. Not saying UCLA will get any of those three, but I guess I would consider them steals.

mani te’o to ucla chances better now that we have a defensive coach ??
Nope. The recruits where told there was a very good chance Chuck Bullough was going to be the defensive coordinator.

No one seems to want to address the QB situation. Can you update the depth chart and injury status or any other info.
I didn’t know anybody asked about the QB situation. Simply stated, Kevin Craft, Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut will enter spring practice as the favorites, but with Prince and Brehaut given every chance to win the job. Behind them is Chris Forcier, Osaar Rasshan (if he stays at quarterback) and Nick Crissman, who is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Before the season, did you have a chance to discuss with Holiday what he realistically wanted to accomplish this year and is he fulfilling his own expectations to this point?
I did speak to him about it, but he is such an unselfish player, so everything was based on the team winning. I do know he wants to be scoring more, but not in a selfish way. He thinks it would help the team more, but then he passes up open shots to pass to open teammates because he is so unselfish as a player.

Do you think UCLA’s policy of only hanging NCAA championship banners in Pauley creates undo pressure and expectations for the student athletes? Do you think it diminishes winning the Pac 10 and getting to the Final Four?
Honestly, I think it is arrogant, and disrespectful, to hang only NCAA banners. I think the basketball team should be acknowledged for winning conference titles, and to think of everything someone like Darren Collison gave to the program, but if he doesn’t win the title this season there will be no acknowledgement of his Final Four appearances. And, let’s not forget, UCLA has one national title in the last three decades.

Alex18

Where exactly would we hang all of the pac-10 championship banners? There’s no room! I guess you could make one banner with all of the years on it, but then you would have to make that for all the other sports that have banners in Pauley as well, which again might make the rafters more than a little crowded. The only thing I would change is putting the retired numbers up somewhere. Putting faces to the championship years would be great.

I do love the UCLA Hall of Fame, though, and encourage any fan who hasn’t been there yet to give it a look.
ucibruin

No other University in history has achieved what UCLA has over the years. Players like DC know about the banners coming in to the program. In fact, it may be another reason to play here.
LAWYER JOHN

Agree with Dohn. The GOLDEN ERA of John Wooden are long, long, long, long, long, long gone. Heck all of his players are retired from the NBA already and some of them no doubt are probably grandfathers by now.

I am confident that fans will say the same things about Coach Pete Carroll once his coaching days and accomplishments are long, long, long gone.

LAWYER JOHN
awesomebruin

dohn said, “I think it is arrogant, and disrespectful, to hang only NCAA banners.”

spoken like a true non-bruin. lol. its part of our mystique. we luv it, even tho u dont. ask DC, see what he says. he gets it. unless u ask him in a way to influence his response, but we know he gets it. and we luv DC.
OCBruinEsq

Don’t hate, Brian. 1 national title in 30 years is only 1 more than SC has won in football in the past 30 years…. and those aren’t even NCAA championship titles – they’re voter titles.
osezno

Basketball is the one sport where the regular season doesn’t matter. That’s why they don’t bother with the Pac-10 title banners at UCLA or retire the jersey’s of players who don’t achieve that goal.

If you’re going to be a Bruin basketball player, walk with your head high. Play with a sense of entitlement bordering arrogance, like winning the Pac-10 title is an afterthought. Let the lesser schools be thankful for crumbs.
LAWYER JOHN

Osezno, your second paragraph reminds me of how the Trojan Nations speaks about their Football Team.

In addition, I would like to point out that Football is also a sport where the regular season does not matter. Its up to the BCS voters and computers to select the teams who will play in the Championship Game. At least in Basketball and Futbol, they have a tournament.

LAWYER JOHN
The Ghost of VB’s Cat

Titles Schmitles, Im still looking for the Subaru. Can a dead kitty get a ittle love?

VB Posse representing!
LAWYER JOHN

Ghost of VB’s Cat, thank the Holy Name that you made it to the other side. Welcome back. This place just was not the same without you.
Anonymous

except we actually won all of our championships. we’re not like sc who awards themselves phantom nc’s decades later, recognized by no one but themselves.
osezno

…touche, Lawyer John. Touche.