Weekly Answers, Pt. 4
1) Holiday, Gordon, Hasiak, Maiva, et al...why do I feel like it's always one step forward, two steps back at UCLA? - Anonymous
Yeah, it looks pretty bad right now. But major D-1 programs always are in limbo. Two years ago, this team was on the tail end of three straight final fours. I can think of 300 other schools who would die for that. Things will be righted soon, the cycle coming back up. Don't you worry, anonymous.
2) Why didn't you go to South Bend? - Anonymous
Too cold. No, really, with the basketball team struggling and football going on and my focus still on that, my paper decided to save the money. I'll travel again in conference play.
3) Long time reader, first time interrogator. I'm sure you alluded to this at this point, but I can't recall how long you've been in this biz, but ... how much tougher is your job now with the advent of blogs and the ol' 24 hour news cycle? Some people who post here appear to think you (or anyone) should be a one stop shop for all things UCLA, but is that really possible? FWIW, I think you do a great job. - Vin
Thanks Vin, but I knew the pressures of the gig when I took it. Brian Dohn set an incredible standard, and the one thing I hope readers would understand is that I'm trying to live up to that standard while introducing my strengths. With some more time, and an ever-important offseason to work on recruiting contacts, I think I'll come back strong. And still deliver the podcasts and features I love to do. But thanks for the kind words.
4) I heard a recent interview with Honeycutt, and he said he had regretted choosing UCLA. Is he considering transferring? - Anonymous
I haven't heard a word about it, and I've never seen that interview. Doesn't appear to be unhappy, and as some more wins come in, he'll be happier.
5) Where is Drew Gordon going o transfer to? - Anonymous
I'd say SDSU, New Mexico, Nevada or UNLV. SDSU leads, from what I've heard.
6) So I suppose the issue with Hasiak is more than just home sickness...can you elaborate? - Steve
I think he has some issues to work out, and I don't think they are issues that can be resolved while in the midst of a college football season. He needs time away to see if he can handle this level. I just hope the kid gets right.
7) Do you think that the academic requirements at higher institutions (like UCLA) make it harder for the schools to recruit (and get commitments from) the five star type high school players who are looking for quick trips to the NFL or NBA? Do you think the requirements are, in essence, setting us up for failure? Personally, I think we lose out on a lot of players because of it. I doubt very much that lesser schools have the same stringent requirements, thus they can recruit players regardless of IQ or GPA. They seem to have more to choose from. - KDL1984
They don't hurt nearly as much as people think. Many of the lower-tier academic guys have trouble at the college level anyway. Give me a smart, hard-working jock over a dumb jock any day of the week.
8) Is Hasiak free to sign with any school he chooses? Will he be able to play next year or have sit one out? - Vulture
Nothing has been decided. They'll revisit the issue after the new year.
9) Will UCLA pursue a Medical Redshirt for DB Aaron Hester? With such promise, I would hate to see him burn this year - RC3UCLA
From my understanding, he is eligible for a medical redshirt. If they can, they will.
10) What is a greyshirt? - Anonymous
From google: Grayshirt is another new term and is applied to the prospect that signs a letter of intent in February, but doesn't report in the fall with his teammates. He delays entry to college until midyear, i.e. January. That NCAA five-year clock doesn't start ticking until the player enrolls as a full time student, so gray-shirting is really a delayed version of red-shirting. For Example, Texas Tech, signed 34 players in February 2006, but NCAA rules prevent them from enrolling more than 25 to start the fall. Some of those nine other players gray-shirted during the 2006 fall season. They cannot enroll in college as full time students, can't receive their scholarship, nor practice. It is like getting an extra year of practice, because most of these players don't see the game field until two years later and they have the advantage of going through an extra spring practice.
To the guy who asked the Honeycutt question: are talking about the BRO interview with Honeycutt? He never said that and it was a stupid question to ask anyways.
Probably the same person who asked if Malcolm Lee is going pro after this year. Next it will be Reeves Nelson. Just a wishful thinking Southern Cal fan.
Thanks, I asked the greyshirt question.
Stanford and Duke are very good examples of how admission standards don't necessarily hold a team back. Notre Dame is another strong example.
Throw that in with the special admits every school in the Pac-10 is allowed and it's a hard excuse to sell.
I'm buying that. Perennial football powerhouses Stanford and Duke...great examples...great spin...
Stanford was a fluke (good luck w/o Gebhart trees...) ND is in a category by itself...
There is a big difference between having a good year or two and competing for the conference title/being a top 25 team year in or year out...
Step your game up...
Hey Matt, you should keep quiet when you don't know what you're talking about. The people saying Lee is going to go pro after this year are saying it because that's what Lee and people close to him (hs coach, family, etc.) are saying. Honeycutt was also making all sorts of statements about being unhappy he chose UCLA to his hs coach, etc. Keep your head in the sand though and pretend that everything is great; you'll just be horribly surprised when for example the starting center transfers 6 games in the season, not like that's happened though, right?
In the question KDL 1984 mentioned players going on to the NBA.
They play basketball in the NBA, hence the name - National Basketball Association.
Duke is a successful basketball school
Duke has high academic standards.
You're going to have to connect the dots here yourself, son.
man, i haven't read a useful comment on this blog in days
Time to bring back the fake VB posse for the offseason
It's Christmas night and I'm here reading a bunch of comments about my question and I'm thinking to myself...Why does a person who asks a question get blasted for the question he asks? Last time I checked, it was still ok to ask a question regardless of what others thought of it. Give it a break! Pick your nose instead of picking on questions from others. You might get more results.
Gentlemen (and ladies, if there happen to be any), I look across the country (and across town) and see a bunch of studs playing ball, some of which never passed a remedial english course. Compared to our players, they sound like junk yard dogs. My question was very simple and honest. I merely wanted to know whether Jon had an opinion one way or the other. I don't remember asking for yours, but got it as an added bonus anyways whether I wanted it or not.
Personally, I think that some players coming out of high school look at how difficult it is to maintain a decent GPA at UCLA/Stanford/Duke and compare it to buying their way through a school like U$C, either through a scholarship to play ball, driving a friends SUV, or getting a house rent free. I just think that for some players, it's easier to go the path of least resistance.
That's something some of you know very well.