Here is the story I wrote on former UCLA hoops coach John Wooden being named the greatest coach of all-time by The Sporting News, as well as a football notebook.
Also, I will have plenty of updates from today’s Pac-10 media day.
Incoming freshman linebacker Jared Koster has a sports hernia and told me he likely will have surgery to repair it and defensive end Chinonso Anyanwu has a hip injury that likely will require surgery and keep him out at the start of training camp.
Freshman linebacker Taniela Maka of Long Beach Jordan will not enroll at UCLA in the fall because he has not achieved a qualifying SAT score. His plan is to get the necessary score and enroll in January 2010.
Former UCLA coach John Wooden was feted during a two-hour luncheon in which he was named by the Sporting News as the best coach American sports history, regardless of sport.
Among those in attendance were former players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Marques Johnson, Ken Heitz, Jamaal Wilkes, Fred Goss, Gary Cunningham and Kenny Washington.
Bill Walton was hoping to attend, but back problems kept him from it.
“The thing that’s really special to me is coach is probably the greatest person that I know outside of my mother and father in my lifetime,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “His integrity, his honesty, the way he lives his life, is a model for all of us.”
I talked to UCLA coach Rich Neuheisel and he said UCLA defensive back Tony Dye was suffering a bit from turf toe, but that it shouldn’t be an issue when training camp begins Aug. 10.
Neuheisel added he didn’t think incoming freshman Dalton Hilliard (DB/RB) would be ready for the start of camp, but should participate in camp towards the end. Hilliard had knee surgery earlier this month
The Sporting News is honoring former UCLA hoops coach John Wooden as the “Greatest Coach of All-Time,” in any sport, during a luncheon today. I will there to talk to with coach Wooden, as well as other dignitaries attending the event.
According to the Sporting News, the “recognition was not determined by our editors, but rather by a voting panel of over 117 former and current college and pro coaches. The panel who participated in the voting is a literal “who’s who” in the coaching community, including the likes of Jim Boeheim, Scotty Bowman, Dale Brown, Larry Brown, Tom Crean, Lou Holtz, Don James, Chuck Knox, Tom Osborne, Dan Reeves, Mike Shanahan, Jim Tressel, Roy Williams, etc.”
UCLA tight ends Ryan Moya and Logan Paulsen are on the watch list for the Mackey Award, which is awarded annually to the top tight end. Here is the release about it:
Here is the story I wrote on receiver Josh Smith’s plans to transfer from Colorado to UCLA.
Also, I know scholarship counts have been done and folks are concerned whether there will be enough to accommodate everyone. I talked to a few of my sources at UCLA and was told there are enough scholarships to get Smith and Notre Dame transfer Joseph Fauria, a tight end who committed to the Bruins recently.
I wrote a story for Wednesday’s paper that former Colorado receiver Josh Smith is transferring to UCLA. He will sit out this season and have two years of eligibility remaining.
I talked to the agent of former UCLA center Alfred Aboya, and was told Aboya had an offer to play in Japan but likely was not going to accept it. Aboya wants to play in Europe, and he could help his cause with the Cameroon National Team.
Aboya is playing in the African Championships, which begins Aug. 5 in Libya.