Q&A time

You said in a previous Q&A that UCLA had a few silent commits. Were those the commits that came out and make it public this week?

What are your thoughts on the "USA 2 ESP 0" victory? Greatest win in USA Futbol history?

Given the Donovan Edwards and Branden Warner debacles the last two years, do you think the football staff has or will sour on trying to get JC transfers? Or do desperate times call for desperate measures?

Any reaction from the UCLA hoops staff as to the O'Neil hire at SUC? Did Howland get along with O'Neil the year he was the UA coach?

Are you looking forward to watching Hasaik and/or Su-a-Filo trying to block Brian Price in scrimmages? Your best prediction, having seen neither of them play yet?

Did Aboya get his graduate degree? Is he still planning on playing in Europe?

Have the freshman basketball players arrived on campus yet and, if so, how do they look? Will they be participating in pick-up games this summer?

You said that you would give an update on Josh Smith this week. Is he any closer to deciding?

What do you think fair expectations should be for the football team this season?

I can't believe the question i submitted is getting so much attention!!
Anyway, Do you think some big name guys like Seantrel Henderson, Sean Parker, and Malcolm Jones will wait it out till signing day?

Are you allowed to report on the 7 on 7s? Not asking you to go out and write about it - but you've obviously got your sources. Can you report anything they're seeing or hearing?

Do you see O'Neill as a long term guy or someone to fill in?

Do you think Eric Kohler and Chris Ward will end up at UCLA?

Thanks for all of your great info Dohn. On to the question: Does UCLA have a legitimate shot at either George Uko or Ricky Heimuli?

Area you aware of any more offers, besides Nottingham & Flowers, that went out after the 3 day camp?

I've seen a lot of complaining about our recent commitments being 3 star and not 4 or 5 star guys. Do the coaches ever use any of these recruiting star systems in their recruitment of players, or do they have there own kind of grading scale? thanx!!

Having watched spring practice, are you standing by your 8-win prediction for football?

Your thoughts about the O'Neill hire? Only person that would take the job?

Just had two questions. 1) Is ucla looking at another quarterback to take in the class, possibly shrieve or kasdorf? 2) Chances we get j.james and/or malcolm jones in your opinion?

Are the coaches recruitng Epenesa and Laguifina the two hawaii DTs hard, they look like they're ours if we were to recruit them hard and would probably play immediatly given their size

Most likely to happen in the 2009/10 school year: UCLA football with 7+ wins, UCLA basketball w/20+ wins or UCLA football with a Top 10 recruiting year?

FB Recruiting---too early to worry? And why does UCLA wait so long to announce game times?
I want tickets but need to know kickoff times before I buy them--I can only attend day games.

A)Do you personally believe Mayo accept money at USC?
B)Do you personally believe Floyd knew about the payments?
C) Do you personally believe Floyd facilitated the payments?

Does UCLA have a chance of landing Seantrel Henderson, or is it a total pipe dream?

Who works their men harder, Cap Sig or Coach Howland?

Yeah, but what about Cassius March? okay, that was a joke. sorry.

How many silent commits does UCLA have at this point? Are any of them highly regarded recruits?

Do you feel the coaches settled on Nottingham (QB)? E.g. do you feel they were more or less forced to grab him based on him being the "next available guy" on their board, or was he somebody they legitimately wanted?

How many DTs do the football coaches want to bring in with the 2010 class? The more the better as far as I'm concerned.

Does DT David Carter have a chance to contribute this year? How has he looked?

Using the eyeball test just how big were Stan Hasiak and Xavier Su'a Filo?

Is freshmen Reeves Nelson as ugly in person as he is in his scout and rivals profile pics?

Do you think DeMar DeRozan has more pro potential than OJ Mayo? People seem to be praising his attitude and comparing him to Trevor Ariza - meaning a player who (still) has a huge upside.

What type of pro-potential do you see in the current crop of Bruins heading into the NBA draft?

Among college sports rivalries, where do you think UCLA-USC ranks in terms of animosity between the fans?

I have yet to read that Brandon Warner has actually enrolled or signed with NMSU or any other university. Is UCLA still trying to win him back, or has that ship sailed?

I think I'm behind, who is Cassius March?

I'm only asking this because I'm too excited about today's result. Frankly, I'd ask anyone who knows anything about soccer really. Anyway, what do you think about the US team now? One game, yes. But it was a huge game. Huge result.

Is there significant concern that Williams, Maka and Abele will abandon UCLA and go to a university where they would be allowed to enroll immediately without any further coursework?

Do you think USC has a shot in H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks in repeating as Pac-10 Tournament Champions?

Is it fair to say that UCLA's FB recruiting for this year is going to be largely (more than most years) dependant on the results on the field?

If UCLA were to post a winning season would that be enough to propel them to an outstanding class or would a 8-4 or better be the target?

Do you get a chance to watch major sports for leisure like the NBA finals? Do you get enjoyment out of it or is it hard to watch without having to write about it?

You have previously indicated that the UCLA admissions people showed more flexibility than usual with regard to the 2008 recruiting class? Did the added flexibility continue with respect to the newly enrolled 2009 class?

With four soccer players on the national team, doesn't it speaks volume about our program?

What have you heard are Nottinghams strengths and areas where he needs to improve the most?

Did Brett Nottingham get an offer from USC? Do you see him getting one now?

After watching the interview with the Capt. of the Katmai this week, it really puts all of our UCLA sports fanaticism in perspective. Thoughts?

Will Nick Crissman ever play? Is his injury career ending?

Out of the four recent football transfers out of UCLA, which one, if any, do you see as having the greatest upside potential and success at his new school?

Describe the professional and non-professional (Outside football if there is one?) relationship between Norm & Rick?

Do you think the coaching staff is sorry to see E.J. Woods leave? Was he likely to ever be a key contributer?

Regarding Flowers, is the "Neuheisel allowed me to pick what position I want to play" just recruiting talk on Neu's part? The coaching staff surely has an idea which position suits him better, right?

Brian, does UCLA have a good shot at landing either Hawaii DT, Lawrence Lagafuaina or Sealii Epanesa?

should we fans be at all concerned with the fascination our coaching staff seems to have in recruiting DB's? How many are we looking in to bring this class?

Do you think the academic issues with the two incoming freshman are legitimate? Or is CRN simply trying to turn them into greyshirts in order to avoid having to encourage more players to leave the program?

Do we have a real shot at Kenny Stills or is the only thing that pulls him away from USC an out of state school?

Without including the obvious #1, Mr. John Wooden, who do you think the athletic world looks to and admires for their integrity, thoughts, and ethics?

When you're sitting in the bleachers of Spaulding Field on a warm, slightly breezy fall afternoon, do you ever find yourself leaning back in your seat, gazing up at the bright blue sky, grinning from ear to ear reveling in the fact that you get paid to cover UCLA Football?

KD made some good in-roads recruiting at Crenshaw HS. What State, Region and Schools has Coach Rick made the most in-roads? With Flowers and McD making non-binding Verbals do you see the Fresno Valley as an area where he has made strides in?

would you consider revising your weekly Q-and-A into a "top 30" (or 40, or 20) format? i.e., something that would allow YOU the liberty to dismiss out-of-hand questions that are particularly stupid and/or silly?

assuming he stays four years, would you project morrell presley at tight end or wide receiver in 2012?

Joseph Fauria will not be with the Notre Dame football team this season, any chance UCLA enters into the picture?

what do the coaches think of Sean Sheller and has he nailed down one of the tackle spots?

So has US Soccer solved all it's problems in the course of two games, or do all the concerns raised after the Italy and Brazil fiascos still stand?

Kind of a duplicate, but are Abele and Maka NCAA qualified or is there just a specific issue with qualifying at UCLA?

How big and strong do Hasiak, Su'a Filo and Capella look in relation to the other potential starters (Maiava, Baca, Sheller, Ekbatani)? Do they look big enough to start right away?

Any idea where we stand with the following BB recruits?
Keala King
Trey Zeigler
Ray McCallum

What's your take on the recruitment of Robert Woods and Paul Richardson, does UCLA get both or just one (Richardson) from what your sources tell you, also is Milton Knox thinking about transferring....never hear about him much...thanks as always Mr. Dohn

If you've ever had any personal interactions with O'Neill, what is he like and what do you think of him?

When you see Hasiak and Su'Filo at camp in August, what specifically will you be interested in seeing?

what attributes of a defensive tackle does darius savage lack? given ucla's lack of depth at the position, both this year and next, it would seem a natural move. or is he just not a FB player?

What were your thoughts on new DC Bullough during spring practice? How did the players respond to him?

Is there any back story on Woods transferring?

I can make comments from my home computer, but not my office computer. However, I can comment on the USC blog at both home and work. What's going on?

What's the biggest adjustment that freshman FB players have to make once they arrive for college ball?

Do freshman FB players typically room together during the school year? Dorms or apartments? And how are they paired?

If UCLA doesn't land Cassius, if Brutus the fall back?

I know this is a long way off but, I was eating lunch the other day and saw trevor gretzky at the restaurant in all UCLA gear. DO you know if UCLA is his favorite so far?

You said last week that "I am hearing it is likely, but not a guarantee", referring to getting a commitment(s) from the three day camp. Were the players who recently committed, among those that you heard could commit.

hey, mr. dohn
last week you said you played golf growing up. do you still play golf or did you give up the game?

I am fascinated about the "sources" that beat writers have for covering sports. Without giving away names of course, could you explain who these "sources" are and what incentives do they have for giving writers, like yourself, such great information?

so...what do yooooouuu think happened with floyd?
what do yooooouuu think happened with the $c football thing? with ur sources, we all know that u know what we dont know, ya know?

Is RN planning on getting a twitter page just like Howland?

Given that Howland is such a control freak, seems almost impossible that a guy like Guillory would ever make inroads at UCLA--much less hanging around the arena and offices all the time...am I correct?

What does UCLA do to avoid the kind of infractions that seem to be plaguing the USC athletic department?

Are planning a story on Neuheisal's Middle East trip? If not, do you have any brief report on how it went and what Rick got out of it?

Wolf reported that Uko "dominated" at the Rising Stars camp. Did UCLA make a mistake not offering him early? Is there a possibility Uko learned his lesson by not trying hard at the UCLA camp?

At this point do you think Alex Stephenson regrets his decision to transfer to USC from UCLA? To your knowledge he is bound to USC at this point?

Who do you think starts on the offensive line vs. Tennessee?

Would you say Brian Price's odds of returning to UCLA after a good season are below 50%?

Giant Italian
Jersey Mike making me fat
More cardio please

Must say, nice selection Dohn.

Brian,
I have read that the UCLA staff is "mending" relationships with some recruits (Uko, Warner). Do you think they have made some early tactical errors in their approach this recruiting season?

Does UCLA have a chance of landing DE Ronald Powell?

I recently took a tour of the Rose Bowl arranged by a member of the Rose Bowl Commission. He had mentioned that some renovations are planned but did not give detail. Do you know what the renovations are and when they will be?

Is Woods' transfer strictly a PT issue? Are there other issues you are not at liberty to discuss?

Do you think CRN's speech that was online strained relationships w/ his current players? What can you say about current recruits' impressions about the coaching staff?

Any word on where Alfred Aboya will end out?

Thanks,

Steve

How often do you hear from a recruit that they are less interested in the school's impact on their playing career and more interested in the school's quality of education (i.e. more like a typical high school senior figuring out where to apply for college)?

Covering UCLA for 6 years now, on a scale 1-6, how good at least from "what you've seen thus far standpoint" is this year's defense compared to past units? Though the coordinator is from the system, is him being new enough to drop them a spot or two?

Brian, is there any talk of allowing Eric Scott back on staff to recruit the inner city?

Have you heard any recent updates on Coach Wooden's health?

It seems USC is getting most of the "major" recruits on to their campus for football camp, so why can't we get those same elite recruits to visit?

Is it an NCAA violation for a current defensive player to communicate directly with a top flight defensive recruit to try and sway him to campus?

Who runs a better UCLA recruiting site , Rivals or Scout ?

Do the Bruins still have a recruiting interest in Leonard Rhodes (FB/DE) from Walnut HS ?

How many linebackers does the coaching staff want to get for this recruiting class? Does UCLA have a legitimate chance to land Hayes Pullard?

Do you have any updates on the injuries to the basketball team (Honeycutt, Gordon, Morgan)?

Was E.J. Woods encouraged or counseled to seek a transfer, or is this just a case of a brash redshirt freshman impatient about playing time? Thanks!

A recent poster said that the "star ratings" by various services are not yet relevant because the talent is largely assessed at the combines, which don't take place until the summer. Is that true? I thought most of the combines take place in the spring and are therefore done.

Are UCLA assistants pulling out all the stops to get Seantrel Henderson like we did with Sua Filo and Hasiak? Do we have a chance in hell of getting him? I know it's stupid to compare but this kid reminds me of a young Johnathon Ogden. Must get.

How did Chase Rettig look at the UCLA camp a few weeks ago, worthy of an offer? I know we got Nottingham but with the lack of quality backups in the future may be good to get two right? thanks

Any more silents you've heard about in this week besides the one more you said was out there last week?

Did everyone who attended the 3 day football camp have to pay to attend or were some kids comp'd? What is UCLA's criteria for whether the kid pays to attend or doesn't pay?

In your time covering the dodgers, what was your opinion of Kevin Brown? Was he really crazy, or a jerk, or what was the deal?

I realize that they are only high school juniors, but what is your take on the recruits we have nabbed thus far?

Is EJ Woods considering JC for immediate playing time, or was he another "mis-evaluation of talent"?

Who do you see as being a part of the eight guys that Bullough will rotate on the d-line during games?

Given the number of pac 10 players drafted in the lottery, and drafter overall, should we re-evaluate how the conference fared last season? Seems like more high picks than the previous season

Is UCLA trying to re-define its camps into a pure talent evaluation and recruiting opportunity...along the lines of SC's Rising Stars camp?

Holiday thought he was going in the lottery...what went wrong? Do you personally think he made a mistake leaving UCLA? What do you think he thinks at this point?

What's the status of Eddie Williams? Is he on track for this summer?

Is there anyway they can dim the lights in Pauley so people watching at home don't have to see the empty seats and emotionless faces?

What do you think was the most surprising development during the draft?

Brian, no question here, just wanted to reiterate how much we fans appreciate your hard work. The crap comments that sometimes infiltrate this blog is not representative of the true UCLA fans. Thanks again!

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?

Any idea how much $$ Shipp and Aboya could make as rookies in Europe?

Really enjoy the work that you do providing Bruins with information about UCLA. Do you think that U$C has a course in blogging to other schools,or do they train with Jeff from Tarzana-a bunch of losers who need to get out of their rooms and deal with life.

How much does the fact that this was a weak draft effect underclassmen decisions to leave early this year?

There was talk that Jrue fell down to 17 because of concerns over a shoulder injury. Any truth to it?

Right now, is the coaching staff focusing, in terms of recruiting, on California or do they have a different approach?

How hard is the coaching staff recruiting Hawaii?

Thanks!

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?

What current or "recent" UCLA basketball players (i.e., last 10-15 years or so) could you see coming back as coaches on Coach Howland's staff and why do you have that opinion?

you mentioned Collison would make 2.1 million as the 21st pick, what will Demar DeRozan pull in as the 9th pick?