Weekly Q&A

Do you think UCLA ends up with a top 10 recruiting class? How is 2011 looking?

Hey Jon,

In the chat on Monday night everyone was saying Josh Shirley is a silent to UCLA now. However Tuesday morning, Biggins, on ESPN is saying that Shirley is down to 4 schools with SC in the mix and UCLA out of the mix!?!?!

What is going on with Shirley.

Is D. Riley just pulling our chain? Do you think he is really considering UCLA? I know he was in the chat, but everything I've been reading says he has been a USC fan since childhood...?

Do you think Zumwalt backed off his UCLA lean in your interview with him because he is a soft verbal to Stanford and will be visiting there this weekend, thus avoiding an awkward situation? It looks to me like UCLA is such a fit for him and his family...

What is going to happen with Pullard?

What exactly goes on in an in-home visit? Is it done over a dinner, what is being discussed? How does this sways a recruit's decision.

hey joh love your work man but im bored at work so post things up more often...

hey can you tell us how many silent we have and their postions? thanks in advance

What is your (very) early prediction on the Pac-10 standing for the 2010 season in football?

My own biases aside, I have seen way too many seemingly one-sided affairs just like last Saturday. Do you think the officials in the Pac-10 are biased, incompetent, or a combination of both?

hey john one more question. can you tell us when construction is suppost to begin for our new basketball arena?

Any thoughts on George Uko and how his recruiting situation may pan out?

Also, do you know when Xavier Grimble will visit?

Jon, In your Q&A session last week you'd mentioned that UCLA and Shirley "cooled on each other", and one reason was b/c UCLA was drawing interest from many other highly regarded LBs...is this still true? Other than Zumalt (soft verbal to Stanford) & Pullard, are there others and if so, who? Hope so b/c it doesn't seem like a lock with either.

Carroll leaving has left me quite depressed. I even had a fight with my wife when she said she hoped it rained every day in Seattle while Carroll is there. But I will only recall how he brought class, enthusiasm, good looks, national championships, and a sense that college football was the greatest sport on earth to ol' SC. Who will be new coach as 'SC and will the new coach take Norm Chow to 'SC? What have you heard? Thank you.

BE REAL

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE WHAT IS YOUR BEST GUESS ON HOW MANY MORE RECRUITS UCLA LANDS AND WHO ARE THEY?? AND, WHO ARE THE BIGGEST IMPACT PLAYERS NEXT YEAR (INCLUDING RETURNERS AND INCOMING RECRUITS).
THANKS

With the signing period getting near and the glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball with seniors leaving and the departure of B. Price to the NFL can you give us any tidbits on any recruits you think may be headed UCLA's way or even your gut feeling from what your hearing?

Any updates on Barr or Pullard? What are our chances with Grimble?

Hey Jon,

In the chat on Monday night everyone was saying Josh Shirley is a silent to UCLA now. However Tuesday morning, Biggins, on ESPN is saying that Shirley is down to 4 schools with SC in the mix and UCLA out of the mix!?!?!

What is going on with Shirley.

Is D. Riley just pulling our chain? Do you think he is really considering UCLA? I know he was in the chat, but everything I've been reading says he has been a USC fan since childhood...?

Do you think Zumwalt backed off his UCLA lean in your interview with him because he is a soft verbal to Stanford and will be visiting there this weekend, thus avoiding an awkward situation? It looks to me like UCLA is such a fit for him and his family...

What is going to happen with Pullard?

One rumor was that Neueheisel was pushing for Mike Riley's OSU recruits pretty hard back where Riley to USC was still a possibility. Did he make any progress?

Jon you have really settled in and I really enjoy where this blog is headed.

With the possible availability of some big time talent, do you think there will be pressure on some under performers already in the program to head elsewhere??

Do the coaches ever ask the QBs to utilize the pump fake? I can't recall the last time I saw a UCLA QB use a pump fake.

In basketball, does Howland appear frustrated about the team's defensive effort and/or hedging on screens (or lack thereof)? I'm sure he accepts that Dragovic is going to be a liability on D, but it seems like he is missing that one guy (previously Luc) that was able to mask his other teammates' deficiencies.

Thanks for the great job you've been doing on this blog.

If you read D. Riley's facebook you can see a lot of comments on where his buddies think he should play. How big of a role do you think peers and classmates play in a players decision?

The 4-Star JC OT that just decommited from SUC would be a nice plug and play for 2 years while XSF is on his Mission. Any interest in him?

Do the coaches appear to be as concerned as we all are about the DT situation. Even with 2 stud DT recruits, next year would be rough as they grow and develop their game.

This is a huge list of recruits that are supposed to be visiting USC right now.

http://usc.scout.com/a.z?s=15&p=9&c=6&dv=20100115&yr=2010

1. Are their visits still happening?
2. Is UCLA pursuing any of them?
3. Do you know which, if any recruits are wavering?
3. Does UCLA have a legit shot at any of them and who?

Is Norm Chow working with the QB's yet? How soon does QB102 start with Kevin Prince?

Recently I heard there were comments made that there was a lot of negative recruiting going on with Owa in regards to crime in L.A.. Is that all it takes to sway a player? I mean you have Academics, the campus, the weather, women, academic support, nice facilities, expereince Pro-coaches @ UCLA so it seems comical the only thing rival schools can come up with is the crime rate in Los Angeles.

Did Neuheisel make his decision on Hasiak today? We should give him every chance to repent, in my opinion.

Which football recruits are enrolling early?

Jack Del Rio just turned down USC's offer, who do they go after next?

Jon With the 17 commits that we currently have an names floating around everywhere on who could potentially commit could you see Coach Neu oversigning and asking players to greyshirt like many SEC schools do? If that is in fact the case who could you see greyshirting?

By the Pac-10 tourney, what do you see as the starting 5? Lee at PG still, or will Anderson play his way back in? And what about Honeycutt?

What do you project next year's line up as?

Jon, I told you that really was D. Riley last night. What are you hearing about Milton Knox transferring out...? Can we land Zumwalt, Riley, Uko and Owa....? Thanks.

P.S. I tried to get malcolm to come on, maybe next time... That was cool. Late

Is the monopoly over?

Will Savage move back to DT?

Purely Hypothetical Jon. If USC placed a call to Neuheisel (yes yes, it would never happen), would he even listen?

Jon,
Scout lists Jason Gibson from Serra as a 4 star LB with some interest in UCLA. When I watched the State Championship game, another Serra LB, Woodson Greer, was much more impressive. He's only listed as a 1 star, but seemed a lot better than that and has excellent size and speed. What do you know about him?

Do you think the basketball team will improve over the remainder of the season? Apart from the early departures, what is plaguing this team?

Since it looks like USC is going to hire Herm Edwards, do you think this is a sign that The Monopoly is officially OVER...?

Since it looks like USC is going to hire Herm Edwards, do you think this is a sign that The Monopoly is officially OVER...?

With Carroll & Co. out of LA, who does the recruiting now for 'SC? How will this change the visits recruits will take to 'SC going forward?

Hi Jon,

I have a few questions that I hope you can answer:

1) USC's coaching search seems to be making little progress. Not that I am complaining, but it seems strange that there has not been more interest in the position. Could it be that candidates are really worried about the NCAA investigation, or could candidates be a bit intimidated about replacing Pete Carroll?

2) Considering the situation at USC, do you realistically see any of their committed players switching to UCLA (or any uncomitted players leaning towards us)? Although some recruits says this does not affect their decision, it must be difficult to establish a relationship with a new coach in a short period of time.

Any info on these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Will you be hosting more recruiting chats? That was fun, especially with D4!

Who is the best MLB pitcher of our generation, and why?

Is Howland looking at anyone in particular as a potential assistant for next year? Who do you think he should consider and that we have a shot at?

I think you should get a message board. Any possibility of that happening?

Forbath. stay or go?

Can you please interview Kai Forbath? I'd love to know what he thinks about everything.

Jon, assuming that only seniors leave the team next year how many open recruiting spots are there for hoops next year? How many of those spots does Howland want to fill next year.

Know where the Spring Ball game will be at? It's been at Drake Stadium, but I know the Rose Bowl has hosted some UCLA scrimmages.

Have you contacted Uko's coach now that Pete's left the building?

Since D4 just joined the group "Let's keep the 2010 USC recruiting class together" on Facebook, do we have to just accept he isn't switching from USC?

Will George Uko, Dillion Baxter, and Xaiver Grimble decommit from USC to UCLA?

Whats the best hot dog spot in Socal?

What are the restriction on a coach concerning recruiting before he passes the NCAA required tests? Also, does he need to retake the test everytime he starts a new job at a new university or is it good as long as he doesn't leave the college rank? Thank you

what are your thoughts on the Conan O'brien situation?

1.who is visiting this weekend?
2.update on milton knox?
3.any rumbling on any possible transfers?
4.what is the possibility ucla finishes with a final 8 of owa, shirley, pullard, barr, riley, heimuli, zumwalt, thompson?

DO you see this years signing day being as crazy as least years ?

When did this become the Trojan Q&A?

Do you see CRN pulling a rabbit(s) out of his hat on National Signing Day, like he did last year?

with Lane Kiffin leaving Tennesee do you think e have a chance at any of their commits, I know Markeith Ambles, Jawaun James, and Brandon Willis had UCLA on their list, amy chance we steal one of those guys?

Jon, I am in the minority. I believe this Kiffin hire is excellent for USC because he can recruit with the best of them. He will continue to keep the top kids going to USC, which does not bode well for UCLA. Thoughts?

Why did you take down your post that said:

"Just tried Norm Chow twice and his mailbox is full, just got off the phone with Rick Neuheisel, he says he doesn't know anything yet and is calling me back."

Jon, can you verify if Chow is saying Ciao to CRN and the Bruins.

Scout.com and Rivals use a system of stars to rate recruits. What is the criteria for 5 stars, 4 stars, etc.?

Now that Lane Kiffin has left Tennesse, is Brandon Willis seriously considering UCLA?

Football recruits seem to rave about their official visits to UCLA. What is the weekend agenda/events for those official visits?

Is Hasiak going to remain on the football team?

For official recruiting visits to UCLA, how are the individual player hosts selected?

Will Michael Roll be drafted into the NBA?

What ever happened to the basketball careers of former UCLA team members Ryan Wright (recruited in 2005) and Chase Stanback (recruited in 2007)?

What is your reaction to Lane Kiffin coming to USC?

Where do you think George Uko commits?

Do past UCLA players ever act as special position coaches for the team ie. Kareem or Bill Walton working with the centers?

What governs how much UCLA spends on its coaching staff? Are there regulations on the amount of money it can spend because it is a public institution (Title IX or something else) or is it just based on how much the President of the school allocates to the program?

What is the latest on Prince's shoulder injury that took him out of the bowl game in the 4th quarter?

If Chow were to leave at some time (now or later), is there an assistant that has been working closely with Chow that may potentially take over and keep the continuity of the system? Or would it be more likely that we'd look elsewhere for someone with probably a completely different offensive system?

Can you give me a good joke?

If Norm Chow signs a ten year contract with UCLA but decides in 12 months that he wants to leave and go to a school with deep pockets, could he?