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