Q&A time

When will you come out with a preseason prediction? August after summer practice? Earlier?

Did UCLA investigate building a new arena? If so, what factors went against building a new arena (other than can't get rid of Pauley). Too costly to teardown Pauley, no viable location?

Can you give us information on Knoxville, TN? Where should we stay or hang out before and after the game?

Brian, was the coaching staff stunned by Hinder's commitment so soon to Cal?

Are you planning to post a list of recruits at Junior Day?

Will UCLA make a run at Noel Johnson for SG now that he's de-committed from USC?

If Jrue confirms that he will definately leave for the NBA, will Noel Johnson (USC decommit) become a recruiting target? I hope so, because a SG of Johnson's caliber would definately top off our 2009 recruiting class nicely.

With UCLA's top uncommitted QB prospect, Austin Hinder, comitting to Cal and seeming VERY solid, who do you anticipate the Bruins looking at next as their 2010 QB recruit?

Does the coaching staff have a certain number of commits they'd like to get at their upcoming camp or will they just take what they can and continue to work for those commitments down the line?

which offensive player do you believe has the most long term potential to become a star in college?

has the Football fall practice schedule been released. how many prac's will there be & will they be open to the public? wasn't milton knox ultra explosive ala DREW-JONES @ da spring game?

If there were scholarships availbe, would the FB staff consider giving any of them to some of the walk-ons? If so which ones would they be considering?

Its seems like Holiday gets all the draft news, but how is Collison doing? How has his workouts been? Do you think he will go in the first round?

You covered baseball for a while, was wondering if journalists should have suspected/reported the whole steroid issue 15-20 years ago (A’s w/ McGwire & Canseco)? Seems like you’d hear about the “juiced” baseball, year-round training, weight-lifting as the cause for the power surge, when it was probably steroids.

The USC Mayo investigation: smoke, fire, or a lot of both?

Have you ever thought about doing a light hearted Q&A with coaches.. especially during the offseason when things are slow?

How come Dohnster isn't in the Triple Crown? 3 yo this year, right? How's he doing?

In last weeks Q & A, Sec. 7, someone asked you about the Pauley Renovation. You made the suttle remark, "It is because someone highly influential and revered wants it to remain standing." If this refers to Coach Wooden, do you think UCLA suffers from its own success? Can't rebuild because he may not approve?

Any idea whether Tennessee will be a better or worse team than the one that came to the Rose Bowl last year?

How is it that Ben Olson doesn't get an NFL tryout when he was as brittle as Pat Cowan, yet has far superior physical tools?

OT: Man U got dominated...what did you think of the match?

Have you gained any new insight in the last year as to why Maiava was asked to play FB at Colorado, especially since you (and others) seem to think he is our best OL this year?

With Holiday likely leaving, does that make Hamid the backup PG?

Is Marquis Jackson DE eligible for the 2009 season or 2010? What are our chances of getting him?

What are your expectations of Jerime Anderson this year, with the likelihood that he'll go from few minutes last year to 35+ this year? Would you put him in the class of Farmar/Westbrook/Collison as PGs who make a big sophomore jump?

Do you attribute the 3+ year lag in getting Pauley renovated to the organizers waiting for Wooden to pass away so they can scrap renovation plans and then "all of a sudden" decide to demolish it and start a new arena?

In your opinion, if the recent Mayo payment allegations turn out to be true, should Tim Floyd be fired?

When do the UCLA football camps start? Do you expect some commitments after the camps?

did u enjoy the match betweeen man u and barcelona? also will u be attending the mach between barcelona and the galaxy at the rose bowl?

In last week's Q&A, you prognosticated that the starting offensive line would consist of Sheller, Baca, Maiava, (either Ekbetani or Taylor), and Sua Filo. Why not Eddie Williams as a starter since RN seems very high on him?

How many camps for recruits will UCLA hold? What are the dates? Do all colleges hold the same number? Is there an NCAA limit? Thanks.

Last week, you mentioned that Johnson, Dean, R. Carter and Forcier would be leaving the program. Are you aware of others who are leaving and can you share names at this time?

Is Lester White still slated to greyshirt and enroll after the season?

This is a good blog.

I noticed the QB camp in June 6th. When will the camp for other positions be held?

Brian, do you feel Oregon has a recruiting advantage because the school is so closely tied to Nike? Is UCLA still considering a switch to Nike gear?

Do you think you could track down RN and ask him about improvements to our away uniforms in football. Please tell him, UCLA fans are tired of plain white, we need a little zest on the field for our away games.

If you were aware of a persistent pervasive pattern of recruiting violations or questionable recruiting practices at UCLA would you report it?

What, in your opinion, happened to the baseball team? We seem to have great recruiting classes each year.

Given that Holiday will most likely be drafted higher than Collison do you feel that Howland should have started Holiday over Collison at the point?

Brian, you have commented in the past how difficult howland can be with the media. Wouldn't someone with a better personality like a bruce pearl be a better ambassador for ucla basketball and thus improve ucla's chances at raising the money needed to renovate pauley?

Is one day enough to find your QB of the future; I like what UCLA is doing camping some gunslingers to see if they fit their system?

how many shades of blue does UCLA have???? it seems like we have 16 different blues!

How solid is Austin Hinder's commitment to Berkeley?

Do you ever take pictures as part of your coverage assignments?

Is there any sport or league that you've never covered and, for that matter, would prefer never to cover?

What about blogging is different from your normal paper reporting?

Do you reckon Gordon had to get Howland's blessing before being involved in the junior national team?

Do any of Howland's current assistants have the potential to become head coaches elsewhere in the next few years?

Is there a limit to the number of paid assistant coaches a college football team can have?

What do you think are the advantages of a college football team bringing in head coaches or assistant coaches with NFL experience?

Has coach Chow ever expressed concern or offered an explanation for why his quarterbacks seldom go on to have notable pro careers?

I don't see both Roll and Lee starting next year, because it would leave Abdul-Hamid as the only guard off the bench. I think one of the two will win the starting 2 spot and the other will back up both guard spots, with a freshman taking the 3. Thoughts?

Do athletes have to pay for camps put on by UCLA and other schools?

Ben Olsen. I know he hurt himself before a pro day. Will he try out for any pro teams or is he going to settle into a "normal" non-football life? Was a big fan of his in HS.

Who's the best free throw shooter next year, now that Collison is gone? Best 3 point shooter?

Will we be run heavy, pass heavy, or have a balanced attack based on your judgment on how spring ball has progressed?

Is Drew Gordon NBA material?

Where does Chase Rettig fall in the QB recruit hierarchy?

Coaches sound pretty high on Damien Holmes. Does he project as a major contributor this year or am I reading into things a liitle too much?

will you be doing a recap of the football one day camp in june and do the coaches frown on ou reporting about what happens ai those types of events?

Who do you think will have the biggest impact of the football recruits in 2009? Who do you think will have the biggest impact on the basketball team of the 5 freshman in the 2009 class?

Sean

Will you be sharing the results of your Pauley Poll with anyone from UCLA?

Memphis hoops just got charged with major NCAA violations for the season it beat UCLA in the Final Four. A) Do you think Calipari bolted because he knew probation was coming and B) Can Calipari be in any way punished at this point?

what is the first day of fall camp this year?

Are incoming recruits not enrolled in school allowed to come to camps for coaching tips?

Do you believe the coaching staff will bring in another outstanding recruiting class for 2010 or will it depend on the team making a bowl game? Any specific positions you believe the staff should concentrate their efforts on?

Do you hear the name Chase Rettig as a QB prospect the coaches like?

What happens when an NFL team brings in a player and then waives him after a week or two? Do they get one years worth of the league minimum salary or are they just given $100 and a plane ticket home?

Kentucky apparently has no available scholarships, yet Calipari adds three star recruits, then essentially runs three other guys off. Even by college basketball recruiting standards, this seems extreme. Does this have impact beyond Kentucky? Thoughts?

Brian,

What impact will the current financial trouble with the state have on UCLA basketball or football program?

Where does Ryan Kasdorf stand with UCLA? Is he being seriously looked at, or are there more appealing QB prospects that Neuheisel and Chow like better? Does he have what it takes to be a good/competitive UCLA QB?

Given/If there are some flaws with the new Pauley design/proposal, do you think it will be a significant improvement over the current Pauley, and a home arena others will talk about, positively? Like Staples and Galen???

Brian: What is the purpose of pre-season honors for football players (Kai Forbath, Brian Price, etc.) Does this impact their potential for awards or honors in the post season?

What do you think of Randall Carroll now that we've seen several videos of his races?

Do you anticipate any funding problems for the new Pauley renovation due to its controversial nature (no seating/sightline improvement, personal seat licenses, season ticket pecking order, etc.)?

If possible infractions come down on USC football, do you believe it will realy effect the caliber of player USC recruits given how many NFL players they produce?

I know it's early but do you see any of the football players being NFL quality?

Does UCLA have a shot at Noel Johnson if Holiday goes?

Brian , why does it appear that we are slow playing the local kids when it comes to offering a football scholie ? Seems out of proportion, in regards to the out of staters ? Thanks .

Hi Brian-

I've noticed that Ryan Kasdorf's name has not come up recently in 2010 qb discussions. Has UCLA cooled on him? If so, have you heard why? Is there a height issue?

Do you think Neuheisel is pushing the envelope by bringing Embree as a graduate assistant, like he used Tata as a temporary assistant? Isn't this like waving to a recruit from across the street during a no contact period?

I'm just going to go ahead and put my one question per registered user idea out there. I think it will improve the quality of questions.

Is there a reason other than money which could account for Warner's failure to provide his transcripts to UCLA (i.e., his grades perhaps not being what he has orally reported to the coaching staff)?

In last week's Q&A, you mentioned that you knew of "three signees that could become academic casualities." Were you refering to high school signees, JC players, or both? When should we know for sure?

Do you have any update on Bill Walton's broadcasting career? Last I heard, he had serious back problems that precluded travel, but that was a year ago.

Are there any sons of former Bruin players that Howland's got his eye on for recruiting?

Give us a hint. What positions are we looking at loosing these new recruits at? The academic casualties. I assume DT is one. How about DB?

You said that the O-line kids who signed LOI's already(Hasiak, Capella, etc) "passed the eyeball test". Should fans be excited that they have someone more physically able to compete, or should we be concerned over the lineman we have had and have in the program at this point?

Let's assume the allegations are true and Derrick Rose should have been ineligible in 2008...how should UCLA fans feel about losing to a team that essentially was breaking the rules?

Let's say that John Wooden was not part of the Pauley renovation project, would UCLA build a new arena?