Answers, Part XV
Here is the 15th set:
What do you think was the most surprising development during the draft?
I don't know enough about the NBA to give an educated answers. I can say I was surprised DeRozan didn't go in the top six picks. Does that count?
SCPlaybook (Schrader) reported that PC offerred Uko in his office in Heritage Hall after their camp (a recruiting violation). Overnight, Schrader's story was edited to say that Uko met in Carroll's office to "talk about his impressive camp performance". Schrader hasn't answered requests to clarify why his story changed. Thoughts?
It wouldn't be the first time it happened in a football program. I know UCLA's former staff received a secondary violation for doing it with a couple of recruits.
Any idea how much $$ Shipp and Aboya could make as rookies in Europe?
No, not at all because there is no scale. I'm sure it has to be six figures, but that is just an educated guess.
How much does the fact that this was a weak draft effect underclassmen decisions to leave early this year?
I think it affects a some of the underclassmen, but I don't think it had anything to do with Holiday since there were a lot of point guards in the draft.
There was talk that Jrue fell down to 17 because of concerns over a shoulder injury. Any truth to it?
He had some minor shoulder issues during the season, but nothing that kept him from playing.
Right now, is the coaching staff focusing, in terms of recruiting, on California or do they have a different approach?
I'm guessing you mean football. I know the staff is looking hard at SoCal, but they went heavily out of state early as a way to gauge who was really interested in UCLA.
How hard is the coaching staff recruiting Hawaii?
As long as Norm Chow is on the staff, Hawaii will be a heavily recruited area by UCLA.
I know this is a UCLA blog but given the magnitude of Michael Jackson's death, what are your thoughts of him? Will you remember him for his music or for all the allegations he has endured later in his career?
I think it is sad, especially given he has three young children who now don't get to see their father. I will remember both things about him, but as time goes on I think the music is what will endure. I'm a metal and classic rock fan first, but I always liked Jackson's music.
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About Inside UCLA
This is Brian Dohn's sixth season covering UCLA after spending 4 1/2 years covering the Dodgers for the Daily News and other Los Angeles Newspaper Group papers. He graduated from Rutgers, where the first college football game was played in 1869. Sure, the Scarlet Knights suffered for a long time, but now RU is doing what Jerseyans always thought was possible. Winning at Rutgers also proves winning is possible everywhere else in the nation, so underachieving coaches better be careful. Now, if only men's hoops can turn it around.
With regards to the secondary violations discussed above, I would suspect that the only way those are discovered is through self reporting. It seems to me that UCLA actually self-reports. I have not heard the other school across town doing much self-reporting. When was the last time that they actually self-reported a violation? I have actually read/seen in the media violations that were inadvertantly discovered/reported where that school conveniently changed their story.
With regards to George Uko, I don't believe there any violations there. Schrader probably just misreported. Greg Biggins in ESPN is reporting something completely different. He quotes Uko as saying the following:
"The coaches told me if I came and worked out they would offer and that's what happened. It was just like with UCLA, they had me call them up when I was leaving and they told me they think I'm the kind of player who can come in and play early for them."
He claims they asked him to call them, which he did, at which time he was offered. Check the link.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=West_Recruiting