February 2010 Archives

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

It was Senior Night at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, and there were flashbulbs and smiles and banners all around.

There were handshakes and hugs, flowers for the moms, pats on the back for the dads.

Oh, it was Senior Night all right.

Except the senior who starred was Tajuan Porter, Oregon's point guard, and the Ducks held off a late UCLA charge to win, 70-68, their first season sweep of the Bruins since 2002-03.

Porter came into the game on a 14-for-57 cold streak, reaching double digits for the first time in seven games with a 15-point performance in a 54-44 win over USC on Thursday.

That was only a preview.

Oregon's diminutive guard had 29 points, including the dagger, a 23-foot 3-pointer - one of seven on the day - with 49 seconds left to break a tie game.

"We just offset their zone," Porter said. "(UCLA had) four up top - they played a 2-3 zone, so they had to bring the forwards up - so we ball-screened, Malcolm (Armstead) came off and made a couple plays, I made a couple plays. We had them on their heels. They didn't know what to do."

Aramide Olaniyan, Scout.com's No. 14-rated outside linebacker, will join us LIVE on the UCLA vs. Oregon in-game chat to talk about new UCLA linebackers coach Clark Lea.

Join the chat and ask away...

UCLA senior forward Nikola Dragovic is sore but could still be available for Saturday's matchup with Oregon, head coach Ben Howland said during today's conference call.

Dragovic doubled over in pain, clutching his shoulder after colliding with an Oregon State player while diving for a loose ball. After exiting the game for a brief period, Dragovic was held scoreless in the first half, but notched 14 points in the second half.

Like teammate Brendan Lane, who is going to test his sprained ankle today, Dragovic will likely be a game-time decision.

UCLA head coach Ben Howland profusely lauded Tyler Honeycutt's rebounding, after the freshman forward had 10 boards against Oregon State, while no other teammate had more than three. Honeycutt added 18 points, five blocks, four assists and three steals.

The latest Inside UCLA Podcast is now available at the podcast blog and via the usual feeds. Go there for details.

Against Washington on Saturday in a 97-68 loss, the UCLA men's basketball team wilted.

Against Oregon State on Thursday, the Bruins sagged, too.

Only this time, they were ahead by 10 and not down by 20, and UCLA held on as the Beavers mounted a late-game charge to defeat Oregon State 65-56, in front of 7,589 at Pauley Pavilion.

Early in the game, the Bruins were running and jumping with energy, defending with tenacity and passing with precision.

In other words, everything they didn't do against the Huskies on Saturday.
"When we lose like that, it really shows you we're inconsistent and what we need to work on," said freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt, who had 18 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, four assists and three steals. "But when we do work on those things, we play pretty good basketball."

Tyler Honeycutt grabbed an errant Roeland Schaftenaar 3-pointer at the end of Oregon State's shot clock, threw a deep outlet pass to Malcolm Lee and Lee dunked it home as the first half expired to put UCLA up 36-26.

Honeycutt wasn't just rebounding and passing, though.

The freshman forward had 13 points on an array of shots, including a thunderous tip dunk and a big 3-pointer as the Bruins put on a show with their hustle.

UCLA looked like polar opposites from the effort on Saturday at Washington, as the Bruins took charges, dove for loose balls and played a harrying zone defense to stifle the Beavers, who are shooting just 11-for-26 and have nine turnovers.

Hey guys,

I went to Chatroll to set up an in-game chat, but there's a new step required that involves registering a web site, and I'm not sure how it works. I'll get this solved before Saturday so we can have a chat then, and I'll try to get a guest to join to make it up.

Oh, and the solo podcast should be up tomorrow. Not easy to talk for 35 minutes straight. Let me know if you enjoyed the podcast Q&A portion, and maybe we can make that a regular feature with Ben and me.

Thanks for understanding,
Jon

I was able to spend a few minutes on the phone with UCLA legend Sidney Wicks, who was just inducted into the National Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, and he had some great things to say about his career, his teammates and his coach.

Wicks was a three-time national champion, a two-time All-American and the 1970 NCAA Final Four most outstanding player. He went on to a 10-year NBA career, in which he was named to the All-Star team four times and the 1972 NBA rookie of the year.

Check out our interview after the jump...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers after the jump...

Hey guys,

I don't think Ben is going to make it in for the Inside UCLA Podcast today, so I'll be flying solo. I'll talk a little about the recent football coaching changes, the position changes and I have an interview with Tyler Honeycutt, but the bulk of the podcast will be devoted to a Q&A. Unfortunately, we don't have the capability for live call-ins yet, so post your questions here, and I'll get to as many as I can.

Thanks
JG

I just got off the phone with new UCLA linebackers coach Clark Lea, who was promoted from his grad assistant position to fill the vacancy left by Carnell Lake. Lea coached the linebackers last season as Chuck Bullough moved up to the defensive coordinator position, and the two worked together as well in 2006, when Lea was a GA for DeWayne Walker.

Lea was linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at South Dakota State in 2007 and 2008 and previously served as a football intern at UCLA and as a GA at Vanderbilt, where he played from 2002-04. Lea is a young (28), fiery guy, and he played a big role in the recruitment of several top linebackers, including Aramide Olaniyan and Eric Kendricks.

Check out the interview after the jump...

UCLA freshman forward Reeves Nelson has not been medically cleared for this week's games against Oregon State and Oregon. Nelson will be re-evaluated early next week to determine his status for the team's regular season-ending road trip at Arizona and Arizona State.

Nelson had laser retinopexy on his left eye to repair a slight retinal tear, presumably suffered when he fell face-first to the court after dunking against Washington State last Thursday.

With Nelson out, and teammate Brendan Lane nursing a sprained ankle, UCLA is effectively down to J'Mison Morgan, Nikola Dragovic and Tyler Honeycutt at the forward positions. Lane is still questionable, but was in a walking boot on Wednesday and will be evaluated today.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers after the jump...

The promotion of Clark Lea not only gives UCLA a stable voice in charge of what will be a very young group in 2010, but it frees Chuck Bullough up to focus on the entire defense as coordinator.

Last year, Bullough also coached the linebackers, and while that group had some spectacular moments, there were times when the defensive unit looked disjointed. With Tim Hundley coaching all defensive backs - and it's not too often the DBs are split between two coaches, so this will also unify that unit - Bullough can focus on schemes and adjustments, two aspects he improved on as the season progressed, culminating in the huge second half against Temple in the EagleBank Bowl.

From UCLA:

UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel announced today that Clark Lea has been hired as an assistant coach. Lea will coach the linebackers and Tim Hundley will coach the secondary. He replaces cornerbacks coach Carnell Lake, who left the staff Monday due to family reasons.

From UCLA:

"UCLA's Sidney Wicks and Duke University's Christian Laettner, both of whom paced their schools to multiple NCAA® championships, are among eight individuals announced today to be enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

The 2010 induction ceremonies will be held on Sunday, November 21, 2010, at the College Basketball Experience (CBE) and the Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Mo.

Wicks helped Coach John Wooden's UCLA Bruins to three straight NCAA championships from 1969-71. He was selected as the tournament's most outstanding player as a junior in 1970 and earned at least one national player of the year award in each of his last two seasons.

"I was very excited when I was informed of my selection," said Wicks, who will be in Pauley Pavilion on Saturday to be honored as part of the 1970 NCAA championship team. "I know this is something very special that doesn't happen to everyone and I am very honored. To be included in the Hall of Fame with all of these great coaches, players and contributors, especially Coach Wooden and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), really leaves me at a loss for words."

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers after the jump...

I'm just curious, UCLA fans, what would you consider to be a "slap on the wrist" to USC?

UCLA freshman forward Brendan Lane sprained his left ankle on the final play of practice on Tuesday and is questionable for Thursday's game against Oregon State.

Lane was expected to start if Reeves Nelson couldn't go because of his left eye tear, and is in a walking boot.

UCLA is currently on a 1-3 skid, which followed a 4-1 spurt, due in large part to ball security issues. The Bruins have averaged more than 17 turnovers per game after a five-turnover effort in a 77-73 win over Stanford on Feb. 4.

In its 97-68 loss at Washington on Saturday, the team's biggest margin of defeat during Howland's tenure and its worst loss ever at Washington, UCLA committed 18 turnovers.

"A lot of times, it's poor decision-making on our own part," Howland said. "In the case of Saturday, guys were trying to drive and there was nothing there. That's what pressure will do to players. That's what a pressure defense wants you to do - it wants you to dribble.

Here's what Ben Howland had to say about Reeves Nelson's left eye injury:

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers after the jump...

Former UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price ranked No. 2 on ESPN's list of top 2009 Pac-10 performers: Price

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers after the jump...

From UCLA:

UCLA freshman forward Reeves Nelson had laser retinopexy on his left eye today to repair a slight tear in his retina. The surgery was done at UCLA's world-renowned Jules Stein Eye Institute by Dr. Steven Schwartz.

He did not practice today and is not slated to practice tomorrow. He will be revaluated on Wednesday for Thursday's game against Oregon State (Feb. 25).

"The retinal tear was very far away from his central and meaningful peripheral vision and should not affect his ability to see the court," Dr. Schwartz said. "He is an extremely tough kid and tolerated the procedure extremely well without anaesthesia."

Check out my brief chat with Alterraun Verner, who is training for the NFL in Arizona after the jump...

Check out the latest batch of the weekly answers...

From UCLA:

"Carnell Lake, who earned All-America honors at UCLA and All-Pro acclaim in the National Football League, is leaving his position as an assistant football coach, Bruin head coach Rick Neuheisel announced today.

Neuheisel said the departure was for family reasons.

"Carnell did a great job coaching our cornerbacks last season and will always be remembered as a great Bruin," said Neuheisel. "Carnell is also a great father and he felt this was in the best interest of his family. We wish him all the best in the future and know he will still be involved in our program as a proud alum."

Lake, 42, joined the staff in January of 2009 and coached the cornerbacks last season. As a unit, UCLA ranked second in the Pac-10 in pass defense and senior Alterraun Verner earned several All-America honors."

Carnell Lake is stepping down from his post as UCLA cornerbacks coach, a source confirmed.

Lake was an all-American at UCLA and an All-Pro safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens before returning to UCLA to coach the cornerbacks, including Alterraun Verner.

Lake also helped with safeties, and Rahim Moore was especially close with him, Moore said.

Check out the first batch of answers for the week...

From UCLA:

The Pacific-10 Conference has announced the wildcard television selections for the final week of the regular season and both UCLA games are among the choices.

The Bruins' March 4 game vs. Arizona in Tucson will tip at 8:30 pm MT/7:30 pm PT and will be televised by Fox Sports Net.

UCLA's regular-season finale on March 6 vs. Arizona State in Tempe will be televised by CBS. The contest will tip at 2:00 pm MT/1:00 pm PT.

Both games will also be on radio via the UCLA ISP Sports Network (KLAC 570 AM in Los Angeles).

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

It was one of those days, and it started early.
An awkward 3-point attempt by Nikola Dragovic on the first possession.
Two missed free throws by Reeves Nelson.

A six-point deficit turning into a 10-point deficit, then 11, 12, 13...

By the time UCLA head coach Ben Howland called his fourth timeout with 5 minutes, 23 seconds left in the first half of the Bruins' ESPN Gameday matchup with Washington on Saturday night, the Bruins were down 20.

By the time the timeout was over, it's a surprise UCLA wasn't down 200.

And too bad the refs couldn't call the fight, as the Huskies continued to put on a show in front of the nationally television audience and buried the Bruins 97-68 at Bank of America Arena, UCLA's worst loss of the Howland era and worst loss ever at Washington.

"The lights were bright tonight and they just came out with a level of intensity that was a lot bigger than our own," said UCLA freshman forward Reeves Nelson, who led the Bruins with 14 points. "It was senior night, and (Washington forward Quincy Pondexter) just made a lot of plays. He's a great player and he put on a show tonight, especially in the first half."

UCLA can't stop Quincy Pondexter.
UCLA can't stop Isaiah Thomas.
UCLA can't stop themselves...from taking bad shots.
The Bruins are down 49-26 at the half in Seattle as Pondexter and Thomas have gone off for 14 and 13 first-half points, respectively.
In other words, one more point than UCLA, which is shooting 11-for-30 from the field and 1-for-8 on 3-pointers.
With Mike Roll and Nikola Dragovic combining for a 2-12 half, the Bruins just can't get it started.

Perhaps the one bit of bright news on Thursday to come from the word that UCLA senior James Keefe would have season-ending shoulder surgery next week: The Bruins seem to have found his replacement rather quickly.

Sophomore center J'mison Morgan saw his most extensive playing time of the season in UCLA's 71-51 win over Washington State on Thursday, and he delivered a miniature triple-triple with three blocks, three assists and three rebounds.

Morgan, who missed seven Pac-10 games with a partially torn quadriceps muscle, saw his minutes drastically reduced in conference play, when he had just 15 going into Thursday's game.

In UCLA's first matchup with Washington, the Bruins held star guard Isaiah Thomas to 4-of-11 shooting and 0-for-5 3-pointers.
What was the trick?

Ben Howland: "Reeves Nelson's eye is swollen. Medically he's cleared to go for tomorrow's game. We'll continue to try to reduce the swelling with ice. He looks like Rocky Balboa, but he should be fine."

Howland later added that he expected to play Nelson his normal minutes, around 25-30. Nelson was a big factor in UCLA's win over Washington on Jan. 21 with 16 points on 6-11 shooting and six boards.

ESPN's Andy Katz sat down with Ben Howland for a great interview about Howland's coaching inspirations. One thing I noticed is how Howland only calls John Wooden "Coach." Such respect.

Here's the link: Video

Here's UCLA's Spring Football practice schedule:

ALL practices are open to public, and all are at Spaulding Field.

This schedule is tentative...

Week One - April 1 (4:00 pm), April 2 (4:00 pm) and April 3 (12:00 noon).

Week Two - April 6 (4:00 pm), April 8 (4:00 pm), April 9 (4:00 pm) and April 11 (11:00 am).

Week Three - April 12 (4:00 pm), April 13 (4:00 pm), April 15 (4:00 pm) and April 16 (4:00 pm).

Week Four - April 19 (4:00 pm), April 20 (4:00 pm), April 22 (4:00 pm)

Spring Game - April 24, 7 p.m., Rose Bowl

After seeing the massive, gruesome bubble above Reeves Nelson's right eye, the first thought immediately is, "Cut me, Mick."

Rocky's fall after a dunk late in the first half against Washington State left him with 15 stitches and an even more menacing look. Nelson returned to the bench midway through the second half with the Bruins' nursing a big lead, but upon advice from team doctors, UCLA head coach Ben Howland kept him there.

One of UCLA's biggest struggles this season has been controlling big leads, but on Thursday, Malcolm Lee and Jerime Anderson combined to prevent a similar melt-down.

The Bruins consistently milked the clock in the second half, utilizing much of the 35-second clock throughout the second half and not once dipping under a 15-point lead.

"That's definitely on the point guard to control the game and that kind of mindset," Lee said. "Knowing when to push it and when to pull it out is a key, and I think Jerime and I did a real good job on that. There were a lot of opportunities toward the end where we could've just took it, but time was on our side. We did a real good job milking the clock and when it was time to score, we finished our thing."

Pullman, Wash. -
Call it stubborn, mulish or downright hard-headed, but on Thursday night at Washington State, UCLA was not about to let itself fall into the same trap it has so often this season.

A team that has constantly let up on its opponents finally put its foot down, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the second half and ultimately crushing the Cougars, 71-51, at Beasley Coliseum.

Reversing a season-long trend of letting big leads slip away, the Bruins took control with 7 minutes, 30 seconds left in the first half and continued to pressure a Washington State squad that could not spot its top scorers with three binoculars and a spotlight.

After a dunk by Cougar guard Marcus Capers trimmed UCLA's lead to 26-24, the Bruins went on a 14-2 run to close the half with freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt and senior guard Michael Roll leading the way. Honeycutt and Roll each went 5-for-5 in the first half and combined for 25 points, including five 3-pointers, as UCLA took off.

More importantly, the Bruins never landed.

"In the second half, it was more just time and score," UCLA sophomore guard Malcolm Lee said. "We were up by 20 basically the whole time, so we really just had to be smart. We didn't want to take any bad shots - bad shots leads to easy shots for them. We didn't want to give them any kind of momentum during the game."

Here's what UCLA senior forward James Keefe had to say about his decision to have season-ending surgery for his left shoulder.

UCLA senior forward James Keefe will have season-ending surgery on his left shoulder next week.

It is the same shoulder that Keefe had surgery on in August of 2007 to repair a torn labrum that caused him to miss the first 12 games of the 2007-08 season.

"I'm very disappointed to be ending my senior year early," Keefe said. "I would have liked to have been able to come back and finish my final season, but as of now, I'm unable to play and my shoulder hasn't improved."

Check out the latest batch of answers after the jump...

Just got word from UCLA that senior forward James Keefe is out for the season, and will have season-ending surgery on his shoulder in the next two weeks.

Keefe did travel to Washington for the Bruins weekend swing, but was ruled out earlier this week. Upon a doctor's recommendation, he will have the surgery.

Keefe is planning to meet with a surgeon on Monday after UCLA returns.

He was averaging 2.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 20 games, including 13 starts.

A sad ending for a former McDonald's All-American, but perhaps inevitable given his shoulder problems.

Check out the latest batch of answers after the jump...

Also, because of little interest, we're not doing a second Q&A. Stick to once a week and hold your questions to the following week if needed.
Thanks

Good piece on the foundering Pac-10: Story, with working link

UCLA freshman forward Brendan Lane said he found out about his starting nod against USC in the team walk-through that morning, but was surprised to learn he'd start at the five spot.
Normally a power forward Lane had good reason to fear in his first college start: At 6-foot-9, 210 pounds he gave away 25 pounds to USC's Alex Stephenson.

UCLA's free-throw shooting woes continue to confound fans and coaches, as the Bruins have shot better than 70 percent just twice in the last 12 games.
It seems the players don't seem to have any answers for the foul shooting either.

With a quick turnaround from Sunday's loss to USC to Thursday's rematch with Washington State, UCLA has had to refocus its gameplan in accordance.

Twenty-four games into the season, Reeves Nelson says he and his teammates are still trying to figure out their roles on the team, particularly at clutch times. UCLA returned just one starter, Nikola Dragovic, but he was no more than the fourth option at times for the Bruins last season. Michael Roll, meanwhile, has gone from 17 minutes per game and two starts last year to more than 35 minutes per game and the team scoring lead.

So, it seems, as goes Nikola Dragovic, so goes the UCLA men's basketball team.
In the Bruins' wins, Dragovic leads the team at 15 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting, though he only played in nine of the 11 victories.

In UCLA defeats, however, Dragovic slips to 9.1 points per game on 29 percent shooting.
In the Bruins' consecutive losses to Cal and USC, Dragovic had 19 points on a combined 6-for-22 shooting, including 1-for-11 from 3-point range.

Paired with freshman center Reeves Nelson's precipitous dip in losses - Nelson drops from 14 points per game in victory, to 8.7 in defeat - Dragovic seems to ebb and flow with UCLA.
Or do the Bruins ebb and flow with Dragovic and Nelson?

"I wouldn't even say it's about being part of the offense; it's about being into the game," senior shooting guard Michael Roll said. "When they're not playing well, as a team we have a tendency to check out. They have a tendency to not play as hard if things aren't going their way. If we can get them to turn that around - as a team, we all need to play harder if they're not playing well, just to pick up the slack."

Assorted quotes from Tuesday's press conference:

Ben Howland said at Tuesday's press conference that James Keefe was not looking good for this week, after dislocating his shoulder in Friday's practice.
"He's unlikely for this week - he did have the MRI read that he had on Sunday morning, and basically it showed that there's not a lot of new activity," Howland said. "My hope is he'll be able to play in our last four regular-season games. He's gonna need surgery once the season's over - the screws are still in place, but I think it's pretty clear they're going to have to go back in there and take a look."

Check out the first batch of new answers after the jump...

ESPN analyst Andy Katz had a brief phone interview with UCLA head coach Ben Howland, and here's the link: Video

The last batch of weekly redux answers are after the jump...

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

A loss is a loss is a loss, but the UCLA men's basketball team exited the locker room on Sunday night at the Galen Center looking like a different team than when they were crushed by the Trojans at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 16.

After that 67-46 debacle, the Bruins were more shell-shocked than anything, almost dumbfounded by the biggest loss ever to the Trojans at Pauley Pavilion. They were sheepish, ashamed, almost sullen.

On Sunday night, after a 68-64 USC win that was decided with less than a minute left, Malcolm Lee was angry. Maybe a little dejected, but more irritated than anything.

"It's frustrating because that first game, they just came and just took it - this game, I felt that we fought, but we had a lot of mistakes on our end that were controllable," Lee said. "We can only do the things that we can control, and we didn't do a good job on them."

And the award for understatement of the year goes to...

UCLA committed 20 turnovers and shot just 24-for-61 from the field, a 39.3 percent clip, and just 7-of-26 on 3-pointers.

"It's more frustrating to lose close games than to be blown out by 20 to me personally. This was a tough loss. We wanted to come in here and we could've gotten into second place. It was a tough loss."

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Either post new questions on here or in the midweek Q&A.

Thanks
Jon

Preparing for his team's matchup with cross-town rival USC on Sunday night at the Galen Center, UCLA head coach Ben Howland said the short travel might be good for the team.

Certainly Pauley Pavilion did the Bruins no favors in the teams' first matchup, as the Trojans scored their biggest win over UCLA in more than 60 years, heading back up the 101 Freeway with a 67-46 win.

"Sometimes I think when we're at home, they want to get it going, they want to hit a shot to hear the roar of the crowd," Howland said. "Being on the road where it's us against the world really forces you to play good and smart as a team."

Howland's words did not resonate on Sunday.

Falling to the Trojans 68-64 to drop to 11-13 and 6-6 in Pac-10 play, UCLA shot just 39 percent from the field and committed 20 turnovers.

Check out the in-game chat after the jump...

Here's a link to my Q&A with Ben Howland last Wednesday

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Here's some assorted quotes from my one-on-one interview with Ben Howland on Wednesday.

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

This week's Inside UCLA Podcast is now ready at the podcast blog, or you can click the play button above to listen to Episode 9. You can also subscribe through iTunes or via RSS with your favorite podcatching application.

In this week's podcast, Daily News staff writer Jon Gold and former UCLA starting quarterback Ben Olson talk about expanding the Pac 10.

They also cover:

UCLA junior defensive tackle Brian Price's decision to enter the NFL draft and how long players in both football and basketball should stay in college before going pro -- and who do they think will go pro in the next year?

* Jon and Ben look at UCLA's football recruits and what they can do for the Bruins. They wonder, is the team too young?

* Jon and Ben make their predictions for UCLA's record for the next football season

* Ben talks about the 2008 football season and how the team would have done with fewer injuries, and how UCLA can keep the talent level up through better recruiting

Jon and Ben talk about the near and not-so-near future for the UCLA basketball program and the Bruin's Valentine's Day rematch with USC. And ask such questions as:

* Can a freshman basketball player be a team leader?

* Should lesser football players leave a school like UCLA for better playing opportunities at a smaller school?

* And could Jon have been a prep football star at a different high school?

* Jon interviews Bruin freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt and senior shooting guard Michael Roll on their thoughts about facing USC on Sunday, Feb. 14 at the Galen Center.

UCLA senior forward James Keefe will be a game-time decision for Sunday's 7 p.m. matchup after dislocating his left shoulder in Friday's practice. He is sitting out practice tomorrow and is listed as questionable for the game.

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today named an elite list of players, coaches and teams as finalists to be considered for election to the Hall in 2010. Gaining the honor of being named a Hall of Fame finalist is one of the true highlights of a career in the sport of basketball.

Included on the list is UCLA's Jamaal Wilkes. A three-year starter at UCLA, he twice earned All-America honors while hellping the Bruins compile a record of 86-4 and win the 1972 and 1973 NCAA championships. He won the first 75 games of his career, helping UCLA establish its NCAA-record 88-game winning streak. He also earned Academic All-America honors for three straight years.

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Here's my feature preview from today's paper about Sunday's UCLA-USC matchup, as the Bruins try to avenge a 67-46 loss:

Story Here

Hey guys,

I've appeared on Yurkdog Sports Radio with Kevin Yurkus a couple times to talk UCLA sports. Now I've been asked to co-host tonight from 7-10 p.m.

here's the link to the station: STATION

The call in number is 877-883-0830.

Thanks guys
Jon

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

UCLA safety Rahim Moore ranked 10th in ESPN's final 2009 Pac-10 player rankings, after leading the nation in interceptions with 10.

So far only one other UCLA player has been named to the list, cornerback Alterraun Verner. Expect Brian Price to be in the top 3.

Link after the jump....

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Alright guys,

Time for any follow-up questions from the Sunday Q&A. Don't post questions there, post them here.

Thanks
Jon

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

*And an explanation for the radio silence: I had a long 1-on-1 interview with Ben Howland for out feature Q&A in Sunday's Daily News. I'll sprinkle a few select quotes over the next few days.

ESPN's Ted Miller ranks UCLA at No. 8 on ESPN's Pac-10 Spring rankings.

UCLA at No. 8

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Still integrating into the point guard role with sophomore guard Jerime Anderson working his way back from a hip flexor and groin issues, UCLA sophomore guard Malcolm Lee took responsibility for the Bruins' 72-58 loss to Cal on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA jumped to a 14-point lead midway through the first half then put things in cruise control.

Only one problem: the Bears went into overdrive.

Join the random mid-week chat with special guest Aramide Olaniyan after the jump...

Hey guys,

A quick reminder we'll have a mid-week chat this afternoon at 4 p.m., which will include a special guest.

Thanks,
Jon

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Former UCLA star Ed O'Bannon's suit against the NCAA was furthered along on Monday, when a circuit judge denied an NCAA request to dismiss the case.

Yahoo.com's Dan Wetzel had a great column on the issue, after the jump...

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Palo Verde (Nev.) running back Brandon Wright (Rivals.com recruiting profile right here: Wright) told my boy Ray Brewer of the Las Vegas Sun that he was very interested in UCLA.

Hey guys,

I've been getting a lot of emails about technical issues with the blog, and I talked briefly with our main computer guy - and podcast engineer! shameless plug! podcast! - Steven Rosenberg, and he suggested I go to shorter posts.

Anything breaking or short enough will stay in the same format, but longer posts - such as the chats, the Q&As, game stories, etc. - will go after the jump. Basically, I want to unclutter the page and make it easier on everyone. Also, it will allow people to skip over posts they are uninterested in. For some, that is every post.

Thanks
Jon

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Check after the jump for this round of Answers...

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Either post new questions on here or in the midweek Q&A.

Enjoy the Super Bowl!

Thanks
Jon

A sneezing two-week old kitten.
A puppy on Prozac.
A baby lamb struggling to take its first steps.
Answer: What are things meaner than the UCLA men's basketball team?

The Bruins once again struggled to put their foot down, once again refused to keep a big lead, once again looked on helplessly as a struggling team righted itself and left them in the dust.

UCLA watched an 11-point lead turn into a 7-point deficit in just eight minutes to close the first half, and Cal cruised down the stretch to a 72-58 win at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday afternoon.

"When we get big leads, we kind of get too comfortable, then they start to chip away at it," UCLA freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt said. "We think we can just turn it on when we want, and we haven't been able to do that. We need to keep the pressure on them."
Instead, Cal was the one that put on the pressure.

Freshman forward Reeves Nelson said he suffered a concussion on his first touch of the game, but told trainers he was fine and continued playing.

"Me and the big guy (Markhuri Sanders-Frison) head-butted the first time I got the ball," Nelson said. "The doctor said it was a concussion so I'm going to have to be out for a few days. I was lying to the trainers just to stay in the game. Obviously I didn't play as well as I would have liked but I tried to stay in there for the team."

UCLA head coach Ben Howland said in his post-game press conference that he was giving the players two days off to rest, but Nelson said he might need additional time.

"They said it's a day-to-day thing," Nelson said. "I'm definitely going to take the two days off that the team gets and maybe I'll be able to practice Tuesday but I'm not sure."

Nelson had six points on 2-of-5 shooting and two free throws, a far cry from his team-high 18-point performance in Thursday's win over Stanford.

Hey guys,

Check out the chat after the jump if interested...

Wow. What a kid. Can't say much about him that you won't be able to tell in this interview.

Better yet, he really wants to do a chat next week *he's one of the special guests I was talking about* and we have it tentatively planned for Tuesday night at 4 p.m.

Check out my interview with Olaniyan after the jump, and click on his name for his recruiting profile...

Hey guys,

From now on we're going to do two Q&As every week, one on Sunday morning, one on Wednesday morning. Readers continue to post new questions in the Answers section, and it will be much easier to just save the question for the following Q&A.

If I don't get to a certain question, repost it on the following session. You can also email me questions at jon.gold@dailynews.com, and I'll try to get to those as well.

Basically, I just don't want some good questions to get lost because I don't go back and read the comments for every post.

Some other issues after the jump...

All season long, UCLA men's basketball coach Ben Howland has fended off questions about the Pac-10 tournament, about the conference standings, about the future.

Coach-speak be damned, he has stuck his chest out, his chin up and repeated, time in and time out, that his Bruins were still in this thing.

Reporters scoffed, fans shrugged, even the players at times didn't seem to believe.
Now they do.

With Thursday's 77-73 win over Stanford and losses by Arizona and Cal, UCLA is now tied with four teams for first place in the Pac-10 standings at 6-4.
A late-season push with four road games - at Washington/Washington State and at Arizona/Arizona State - could leave the Bruins in prime position come Pac-10 tournament time.
Who woulda thought?

Well, UCLA, for one, which is not caught by surpised by the recent ascension.

"Not really, because we as a conference have underperformed," junior guard Mustafa Abdul-Hamid said. "There's some great players in the Pac-10. You look at Washington's Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter, Landry (Fields) tonight and (Jeremy) Green tonight, we've got great players, a lot of future pros. But as teams, the Pac-10 has underperformed. It really doesn't surprise me. We knew this was how it was going into it. That's what we did, we set our goal as whatever it takes, whatever that record is going to be, to be first, to get good positioning going into the Pac-10 tournament."

Here's a link to the latest Inside UCLA Podcast with Jon Gold and Ben Olsen on National Signing Day.

Today's show includes Jon's exclusive interview with head football coach Rick Neuheisel on UCLA's incoming freshman, so go to the podcast blog to listen to the show or subscribe via iTunes or your favorite podcatching application.

Recruiting is a fluid, fluid business.
We all know this.
Yes, it seems, as UCLA continues moving up in the recruiting world, fans are going to have to live with some major losses as well as some major wins.
By most accounts, Brighton (Utah) defensive tackle Ricky Heimuli was a UCLA lean for a long time. I'd heard some whispers that he was a silent at one point and generally that he was the Bruins' to lose for a while.
And then he picks Oregon.
We don't know if the Cassius Marsh commitment changed Heimuli's mind, but adding him to Flowers to Epenesa to Yates apparently scared Heimuli off.

Now, that being said: Was yesterday still a rousing success or does the loss of Heimuli dampen the mood?

Former UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price slipped to No. 17 on Mel Kiper's Big Board and No. 19 on ESPN's over rankings.

Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated wrote an interesting hypothetical column about both UCLA and USC. Check it out: S.I. Article

Just got back from recording the podcast, and Ben Olson was awesome. Fascinating recruiting insight, a former player's perspective, and he's really funny about his feelings about the recruiting game.

Should be up later today.

But, a caveat: It's very, very long. Might need to split it into two listens.

Thanks
Jon

Pretty clearly, Rick Neuheisel was heavily affected by the late-in-the-game decision by Brett Nottingham of Monte Vista to spurn the Bruins for Stanford. Forget the swiping of an even bigger Cardinal recruit in linebacker Jordan Zumwalt - Neuheisel wanted Nottingham.

"I was disappointed when we lost our QB during the middle of the class," Neuheisel said. "What happens in QB play, you get a commitment early on and you say no to an entire crop of QBs who look elsewhere. Rather than deal with that, I thought it was prudent to go ahead and use the spot for another position."

UCLA will enter next season with Kevin Prince, Richard Brehaut and Nick Crissman as the major options at quarterback. Say what you will about Prince and underperforming - he was a redshirt freshman competing behind a spotty, albeit improved, offensive line. With more weapons - the Bruins lose main targets in Terrence Austin, Logan Paulsen and Ryan Moya but gain the services of Josh Smith and Joseph Fauria, and a year of experience for Randall Carroll, Morrell Presley and other young offensive players - I expect Prince to make huge strides next year.

How do you feel?
Does the loss of Nottingham still sting?
Should UCLA have poached another quarterback?
Should the Bruins make a major move early for a 2011 elite QB?

It's time to take a look back at Signing Day after pausing to reflect a bit.

Are you satisfied with the offensive needs that were addressed...or are you devastated UCLA didn't get a quarterback to replace Brett Nottingham?
Are you thrilled by the signing-day splashes by Riley, Jefferson, Zumwalt, Owa and Shirley...or are you stung by Ricky Heimuli's decision to attend Oregon?
Are you optimistic that this can be the class that turns it around for UCLA...or are you still skeptical?

Over the next day or so, we'll analyze Signing Day together. The hits. The misses. The major whiffs. The flips and the flops.

Thanks for joining yesterday, and I really hope you enjoy today's podcast, which will include a special exclusive interview with Rick Neuheisel. Just some great stuff there. Ben Olson is very excited to talk recruiting, and I'm stoked to talk to him about it. We'll have it up by tomorrow morning at the latest, but hopefully today.

Again, thanks for joining!
Jon

For as much optimism as Rick Neuheisel had going into Signing Day, even he was a bit surprised by UCLA's windfall.
Given the up-in-the-air status of several key recruits.
Given the recent comments by some key targets who seemed to be leaning toward the Bruins then away then right back.
Given the increasing strength of cross-town rival USC's class, which seemed to go stronger by the hour.

No, Wednesday was going to be a day of unrest for the UCLA coaching staff.
After everything was finished, 22 names planted on 22 dotted lines, the Bruin coaching staff could finally breathe. And nap.

"Well, we're not that far from the season, and we don't sleep during the season so my body can still adjust," UCLA defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough said. "If I had a couple months with normal sleep then it would be a little tougher to throw one of those all-nighters in. I slept on Rick's couch. It's too short, or I'm too tall."

On Signing Day:
"It was pretty cool - it was great to see Zumwalt and Dietrich Riley sign with UCLA. When those were a couple of guys who were there also. I think we have a great recruiting class coming in this year."

Are you excited to be blocking for a pair of running back recruits like Malcolm Jones and Jordon James?
"Most definitely. That's actually going to fire me up to play even harder, so that those guys can shine. The fiture we have at UCLA is going to be great."

Did you act like a fan of UCLA football today, glued to the television?
"I've always been a fan. I was at school all day, so I kind of just hung out. I just went on the internet, actually, and I was watching Coach Neuheisel's press conference. It was pretty interesting."

Was it even a big day for you?
"It was big, but at the same time, it was just another day. I know I get to continue to playing football, I get a great education at UCLA and I grew up a Bruin fan. But it was just another day, even though it was nice to see the guys who I'll be playing with. It was kind of overwhelming."

UCLA senior guard Michael Roll stopped short of saying his team was out for revenge against Stanford tonight, hoping to avenge a 70-59 loss on Jan. 9, in part because he knows Cal will be equally resentful in the team's Saturday matchup, the Bears looking to make up for a Jan. 6 loss.

UCLA doesn't have the time to dwell on any retribution.

The Bruins have to figure out how to stop Jeremy Green.

In the two teams' first conference matchup, Green had 30 points as UCLA was still trying to figure out it's zone defense.

So why should things be any different now? What's changed so much about the Bruins, who at 5-4 in conference play are a game out of the Bears and Arizona Wildcats?

"We're actually playing (zone) now," said Roll, who leads the Bruins at 13 points per game. "Nobody has ever played zone here in a long time; it was just something we did in practice to prepare for a game. Now that we're playing it all the time, we're learning it, we're talking more, we're getting more comfortable as a team."

Sources indicate Marquis Jackson did not have the option of signing with UCLA.

Huntington Beach Edison MLB Jordan Zumwalt - profile here - opened up about not only committing to UCLA, but spurning Stanford. Zumwalt should compete for playing time immediately, but is primarily concerned with his speed.

Interview after the jump...

These six are most prepared to step on the field for UCLA today. A short bio, and their rivals rankings. Also, click on their names for the recruiting profiles.

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel made it clear during a signing day press conference that UCLA's 22 signees would be it.

Where does that leave Julious Moore, Rykeem Yates and Marquis Jackson?

Moore and Jackson are said to be academic casualties, though Jackson is said to be hopeful that he can still attend UCLA as junior college transfers don't sign letters of intent on signing day. Yates meanwhile is thought to be considering a greyshirt opportunity and as of around 5:30 was still up in the air.

Continue checking the blog until midnight every hour on the hour, including reaction from UCLA coaches and new recruits. Also, I'll be updating my Twitter feed at @thecoolsub.

1) Will Jerry Neuheisel be a walk-on like his old man? - AnonymousThat sounds like his plan.

2) In your opinion do you think Prince has the talent to develope into a truly great QB? and also what are David Allens chances of starting next year at LB? thanks - lasportsfan(noSC!!)
I think Prince has it him to be a very good starter, but he needs the talent around him. Great leadership skills, great team guy. That means a lot at QB. Haven't heard much on Allen as a starter.

3) How pumped are you for the new Ben Harper/Relentless 7 Live CD/DVD coming out next month? I know i am. - UCLAWC
I can't wait. Cannot wait. Wish I was at the concert, but I saw him in Brooklyn.

4) With the commitments we have (and purport to have) do you see Chuck Bullough seriously moving to a 3-4? - la_bruin
I'm not sure it will be as easy as just switching to the 3-4. You need a true nose guard for that - which Brian Price would have been - and I'm not sure they have one.

5) It appears Taylor Embree is untouchable, but frankly feel he has under achieved the last few seasons. Does this have more to do with the WR's have underachieved? - Joe Mamma
A little of both. But I like what Embree has become. He works his butt off and he has a great attitude. He doesn't have the speed of a Randall Carroll, but he knows the playbook and he executes it.

Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Scout's No. 8 defensive end and a five-star recruit, discussed his decision to sign with UCLA just minutes ago. He is finally relaxing after a whirlwind day that he is glad is starting to wind down.

Owa is UCLA's most college-ready recruit of the day, and could compete for a starting defensive end spot. His commitment comes as a bit of a shock, as he's told many in recent weeks that UCLA, Oregon State and Nebraska were all tied neck-and-neck. Apparently, he told him mom a little sooner.

Here's his recruiting profile: Owamagbe Odighizuwa

As the excitement of the 1-2-3-4 punch of Owa, Shirley, Jefferson and Riley started to die down, UCLA's cross-town rivals picks up a major commitment in OL Seantral Henderson. Remember, Bruin fans: As good as UCLA's defensive class is, USC's offensive class is also fantastic.

On picking up Josh Shirley:
"He was one of my favorite players to watch. As a junior, as a senior, one of the best pass-rushers I've seen. Early in the season he was slow in that transition to outside linebacker. I've been comparing him to Akeem Ayers for a year."

How is the class shaping up?
"I think if they called it a day on just those days, Neuheisel just has to be completely thrilled. This is probably the best defensive classes they've gotten at least since '98. One of the best overall in years. You throw Riley in there, and that's a pretty strong secondary class."

Who closed better, UCLA or USC?
"Yes. You really have to say both have closed very well. Considering how the week started for UCLA, when Hayes Pullard went to USC, there was the feeling it'd feel like all the signing days of the past. You throw Shirley in who just kind of blindsided everyone. On signing day?"

Grade the class:
"Right now I give it an A-. Losing Heimuli, Di Poalo, Pullard takes it down from an A. With or without Riley, an A-. Still a couple holes. If they would've got Nottingham and one more of the defensive tackles, you're looking at a solid A class."

The third was Pullard. As of Monday afternoon, he was leaning toward UCLA. I'm not sure how exactly the flip went down, but USC got him.

Dietrich Riley commits to UCLA. By my count, that's five today.

His words: "UCLA's back."

From Todd McShay: "You have to say they're taking advantage. UCLA of all the teams in the Pac-10 seems to be cashing in."

PS...of the three I promised on Monday, that's two.

I'm hearing from good sources that as soon as UCLA found out that Hayes Pullard was heading to USC, they put the full-court press on Josh Shirley. I'm told they basically sold Shirley on that spot.

Another note: Brandon Huffman calls Shirley the Bruins' best get of the class.

Inside UCLA: What was it like faxing over your LIO?
Eric Kendricks: "It was just a weight off my shoulders, a big relief. It's the security of where I'm going to go for sure."

Did you turn into a UCLA fan today, glued to the TV all day?
"Not quite - I've been at school. But I do know a couple guys who committed, and we're going to turn things around."

Have you talked with a lot of the UCLA recruits about their decisions?
"Everyone is really excited to get us back on the road, back on the right track. Hopefully we'll get good things going."

How were UCLA coaches focusing on you as signing day came to a close?
"They were checking in, but I was pretty confident in my decision. I was behind it 100 percent. They would check in periodically. All the coaches are really genuine. Some might act a certain way to recruit you. These guys, once they get you, they treat you the same way."

Thanks so much for all who have followed along on this crazy roller coaster of a day. I've been in the chat for five hours now, along with a select few.

Continuing throughout the day, one post an hour, and on twitter at @thecoolsub and on the Inside UCLA facebook page.

Thanks guys,
Jon

UCLA just landed No. 15 cornerback Anthony Jefferson. The worst kept secret for UCLA fans...

picks UCLA. I called this a while ago, but as it got closer to signing day, my thoughts wavered. Here's what Shirley said on Prime Ticket:

Opening thoughts:
"It's where my hear always was, I tried to find reasons not to, but it's where my heart is."

On Rick Neuheisel:
"It's like a partnership, someone who's going to be there for me. It's where my heart came out to finally be."

On the decision:
"I had a tough night sleep. Now it's like a weight is lifted off my shoulder, and I can go play for the Bruins."

On staying local:
"It's important, but you have to grow. You can go anywhere to grow up. I just feel UCLA is the place for me."

ESPN's No. 2-rated defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa commits to UCLA on ESPNU.

"UCLA was the right fit for me because I felt real comfortable with the coaching staff there. I believe in my heart their football is on the rise and I could be a part of that. At the end of the day, I felt most comfortable at that school."

To be fair, it's not all roses and sunshine for UCLA...
St. Bonaventure C Giovanni Di Poalo to USC, Ricky Heimuli to Oregon.

UCLA's flipping of Jordan Zumwalt is the latest in what's been a major up-swing for Rick Neuheisel. At 6-4, 217 pounds, he has a big frame to add some weight before the season, and with Reggie Carter gone, the middle linebacker position is there for the taking.

Many consider Zumwalt the best linebacker on the west coast, and I'd be surprised if he wasn't at least fighting for playing time by year two.

Perhaps more importantly, this is the second major recruiting battle UCLA has won over Stanford, with the signing of Malcolm Jones.

Fresno Edison CB Tevin McDonald is a Bruin.

Jordan Zumwalt is a Bruin.

So are WR Paul Richardson and TE John Young.

1) Jon, which member of the recruiting class of 2009 will have the greatest impact this year? - BruinTran
Isaiah Bowens and Keenan Graham.

2)It seems like football recruiting rankings are in large part dependent on size of a class versus quality. But don't most schools pretty much offer all their unused scholarships? So the size of a recruiting class is mostly a product of how many guys they already have on scholarship, right? - Steve
Recruiting class rankings are almost like total star ranking divided by number of scholarships. I don't think *need* has anything to do with it.

3) Knowing what you know, how high will the class rank? - YouSeeLAI think UCLA ends up at No. 11-No. 13

4) Do you know of any walkons that will be recieving scholarships? Andrew Abbott seems to be the leading candidate? Do you know anyone else that might be getting one? - Anonymous
They haven't decided yet - or at least haven't released the info - but Abbott should get one.

5) Wat transfers do we have coming in? I know there's a kid from Colorado. - bruin661Josh Smith from Colorado and Joseph Fauria from Notre Dame. Both should get extensive playing time.

Cassius Marsh and Wesley Flowers just faxed in their LOI's.

UCLA.

He was one of the big three.

Mater Dei offensive guard Chris Ward has faxed his LOI.

The long wait is over.
UCLA has announced its first signees, and no surprises yet...
Malcolm Jones, Eric Kendricks, Aramide Olaniyan, Shaquille Richardson, Derrick Bryant, Kody Innes, Kip Smith have faxed their letters of intent.

1) What is the blue sleeve that Dragovic wears on his shooting arm? What does it do? - Anonymous
It's called a shooting sleeve, and it's supposedly to help keep the arm warm and keep the form tight. Clearly, it has mixed results.

2) My understanding is that Howland has never used a zone defense prior to this season. Is Howland teaching the players how to do a zone defense, or is someone else in charge of that? - Anonymous
He dabbled with it earlier in his career, but this is the first time he's using it so extensively. He knows basketball defense, and he's the one teaching it.

3) Obviously, fans are curious about the recruitng game this time of year and readers of the blog "expect" you to have some inside knowledge on pending commitments. Given, all your other DN responsibilities, how challenging is it to make inroads with parents, recruits, coaches, etc.? - Jon
I've gotten to know some of the kids quite well, but others have simply been impossible to get a hold of. Ask spedjones. With a year under my belt, I expect to build relationships sooner, and hopefully it pays off.

4) Where do you recommend we look for UCLA baseball news? Is there a site out there that does a good job covering it besides the official site?
One good way is to follow Ryan Rosenblatt on Twitter - it's an official feed, but solid UCLA baseball information.

5) First of all, great coverage of UCLA FB recruiting! Just to let you know, I check this site 20-30 times a day hoping for the latest buzz. This is turning out to be an exciting recruiting year so many, many thanks for all the countless hours you have given to my information addiction on UCLA. My question is about your thoughts on CRN selling UCLA. Not many have brought this up, but last year CRN talked about a group of recruits collectively and consciously coming together to build a new foundation for a program. He said this happened for USC in 2003/2004. Lets suppose we land 4-5 big names like Zumwalt, Riley, Heimuli, Owa, etc in the next couple of days. Do you think the same collective new foundation is being formed at UCLA? Did they call each other up and say, "hey, looks like UCLA has a really strong class already..we can be the class that brings UCLA back to the national forefront if we all decide to go to be Bruins" - DieHardBruin
I think, as Scout's Brandon Huffman already told me, the seeds were planted over the last two years. But with the looks of this class, it appears to be shaping up to be UCLA's best in a while.

QB: Prince, Brehaut, Crissman
RB: Franklin, Jones, James
FB: Coleman (if he switches)
WR: Rosario, Smith
LT: Abele, Baca
LG: Baca, Kia
C: Maiava, Taylor
RG: Williams, Kia
RT: Harris, Baca
WR2: Embree, Carroll
TE: Harkey, Fauria

DE: Jones, Tepa
DT: Carter, Marsh
DT: XX, XX
DE: Graham, Holmes
OLB: Ayers, Sloan
MLB: Golper, Larimore
OLB: Bowens, Olaniyan
CB: Hester, Abbott
S: Dye, Love
S: Moore, McKay
CB: Price, Viney

* I leave the other defensive tackle spot open because honestly, it's way too early to tell.

ESPNLosAngeles' Ramona Shelburne delivered another solid piece, this one on Malcolm Jones and his recruitment of uncommitted recruits to UCLA. Jones is currently on the front of ESPN.com.

Here's the link: Jones Story

I spoke to Scout.com's Brandon Huffman for a while yesterday, and I asked him, of UCLA's current verbal commits, who is ready to make an immediate impact?

1) Reeves Nelson's stats are pretty close to Drew Gordon's (for the six games he played). So did they really lose anything with Gordon? - BruinBall
They certainly lost some talent and depth, but they gained in chemistry tenfold.

2) I have a two part question: (1) Why does your blog (and Wolf's gossip site) frequently cause Internet Explorer to crash? (2) Will you please ask the IT department to look into it? Thanks. - OCRick
My IT guy looked into it, but he said it's probably an issue with your adobe flash. Email me at jon.gold@dailynews.com and I'll pass along the issue. Sorry you're still having issues.

3) What are road trips like for a reporter?- AnonymousRoad trips are so much different than I anticipated when I was a 22-year old college reporter. I thought I'd tear up every town and meet a ton of people. Now...I go to the stadium/arena, dinner and back to the hotel. I got old really fast.

4) On the Fox telecast of the UCLA-Oregon game, they apologized for the language that the student section was using and because it was loud enough that you could hear it quite easily over the broadcast. Are the Oregon fans the crudest basketball fans in the Pac-10? - San Diego Therapist
I've only seen four road games, but yes, so far, they've been the loudest and craziest. I happen to like that, though. Passion is great. If anything, UCLA fans aren't crazy enough.

5) What is your favorite place to eat in Thousand Oaks? I like Lupe's on T.O Blvd down by the auto mall. best Mexican food ever. - bruinbrian
I'm partial to P&L Burger because I worked there, but I just ate at Marisco's on Arboles the other day and it was great.

1) Why is Moorpark so much better than Thousand Oaks? - bruinbrian
Tim Lins is one hell of a coach, and Moorpark has a huge pool of talent to pull from. That being said, I love what Leibin is doing at Thousand Oaks.

2) There seems to be quite a disparity between the different player rating organizations. I realize some of this is just opinion, but some of it seems to be east coast and sec bias. The best example I can point to is Malcolm Jones, who won Gatorade player of the year but who espn has rated surprisingly low. Thoughts? - tommybruin
Some of it has to do with personal preference, and analyzing recruits is certainly not an exact science. However, the disparity is striking, and I don't really know why.
Jon it seems like you are from the Ventura County area and i think you played jc football for Ventura College, what do think of Coach Mack leaving VC for Crespi? Do you think he could build Crespi like he did with St. Bonnies? - Scrubie
Although I liked Jeremiah Ross, I think Mack is going to do big things at Crespi. Mack is a great private school coach, and Crespi pretty clearly wants to give him the means to win.

3) Just a fun thought. I have been trying to visualize having both Barr and Ayers as hybrid OLB/DE on the field together. Does it sound to you like something that may work, is that going to sacrifice size for speed? - Bruin '05
I think both would be fantastic in that role. Ayers played in that role at times last year and was an immediate impact, having two of his best games while in that role (Oregon State, Temple). Barr is cut in that mold.

4) What does TheCoolSub mean? - AnonymousLast year, while I considered becoming a teacher, I subbed. My friend gave me that nickname and told me to use it for my twitter name.

5) Where is Xavier Sua-Filo doing his mission at? I still feel like we arent going to be good without him. - Javy
He's going to Tallahassee, Fla., and you're right, he's going to be tough to replace.
1) Why is Moorpark so much better than Thousand Oaks? - bruinbrian
Tim Lins is one hell of a coach, and Moorpark has a huge pool of talent to pull from. That being said, I love what Leibin is doing at Thousand Oaks.

Here it is, folks, my first Signing Day as UCLA football reporter for the Daily News. I'm a little nervous.

There will be one post every hour on the hour for the next 24.

Some will be Weekly Answers, some recruit analysis, some will be previews of my big signing day recap. I will also be updating the blog with the latest news as it comes, as well as my twitter account at @TheCoolSub and on the Inside UCLA Facebook page. Also, feel free to add me and chat with me throughout the day.

We will have a chat beginning at 8 a.m., and it will remain open throughout the day. I'll be there for hour increments, starting at 9 a.m.

Thanks for coming on the ride,
It should be a good one.
Jon

From a friend:

Dietrich Riley was traveling Wednesday to ESPN Zone with St. Francis coach Jim Bonds and defensive coordinator Mark Gibbons, right before he was going to commit to UCLA, when he continued to be hounded with text messages from USC coach Lane Kiffin about
what his decision was going to be.

Frustrated over the fact that he's not getting any direct response from Dietrich, Kiffin decided to contact ESPN reporter Colleen Dominguez (who lives in Southern California), whose daughter Anna Dominguez (who attends St. Francis' neighborhood rival La Canada High School) has been longtime friends with Dietrich. In an attempt to have her text Dietrich to try to get him to reveal his choice before the official announcement, Kiffin turned off Dietrich even more, knowing that the new USC coach would resort to involving family friends to get an answer.

If Dietrich was at all on the fence on before arriving at ESPN zone, I'm told, that 11th-hour scenario helped confirm his decision to attend UCLA.

Crenshaw linebacker Hayes Pullard told ESPN's Greg Biggins that he's going to USC. Here's the story: Pullard

1) Which of any of the already committed players or any that might commit do you feel the coaching staff is more excited about getting? is there a prized recruit? - theuclan
Offensively, Malcolm Jones. Defensively, Anthony Barr.

2) With the eminent death of print media upon us, where do you see your career headed in the next 10 years? - anonymous
Thanks for that cheerful question. I would eventually like to write for a non-sports magazine.

3) Do you think having Kevin Prince with a year under his belt knowing the offense will give Norm and Rick confidence in the fact that they can take a shot down the feild with Rosario or Carrol. It seemed like last year we were reluctant to do so and just "move the chains"! - Ley
Yes, I think things will open up a ton next season, particularly with a more-seasoned offensive line returning four of five starters.

4) Jon - now that UCLA has established a colossal connection to Oaks Christian, what other high schools which UCLA currently doesn't have a great recruiting relationship with could be improved upon? - RXBruin
The Bruins need more relations with St. Bonaventure, and the interest by Gio Di Poalo is a big step. Also, Crespi could be a gold mine in the future.

5) In your travels to PAC-10 venues, where, in your opinion, is the best food and why? - RXBruin
I like the Oregon trip a lot with Ringside Steakhouse in Portland. The best press box food I can remember this year was Oregon State.

1) What about our uncommited DE's? WHo do you think plays, who redshirts? - ETOwa can play now. He's the only one.

2) Name your preseason top 5 high impact freshman for next season and what we can expect from them? Including recruits you think might sign...i.e.Pullard, Heimili, Woods etc? - Eric T
Jones, James, Marsh, Barr, Heimuli

3) Will there be any UCLA commits announcing before SD? - H8T SucNot that I know of.

4) We have a good problem as WR next year...if we magically fliped R Woods, would he be #2 or #3 on your depth chart? Would we do have double returns with him and Smith or would we use only 1 return man? - E
Woods would probably be No. 2 immediately, but I think Gansz would still go with Smith as returner.

5) Do you get a sense that players who came in during the Dorrell Era are feeling the change in the caliber of player coming in now? Is there a sense of urgency if they don't perform, they either need to transfer, retire from football, or start performing? - Anonymous
Yes to everything. That always happens when a program improves though.

There was a time when Signing Day meant no more to UCLA than a day to sit back and reflect on the wins and losses of the recruiting period, a day of relative ease and relaxation.

Things are a bit different now.

Last year, the Bruins snagged running back Damien Thigpen, offensive tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo, offensive guard Stan Hasiak and wide receiver Randall Carroll on signing day.
With seven key recruits still up for grabs, Rick Neuheisel and Co. will be glued to the television, as player after player makes his decision known on live TV.

Dietrich Riley, the No. 16 safety from St. Francis, is going live on ESPNU at 1:30 p.m.
Anthony Jefferson, the No. 15 cornerback from Los Angeles Cathedral, is up on Prime Ticket at noon.
Ricky Heimuli, the No. 10 defensive tackle from Brighton, Utah, starts things off on ESPNU at 9:30 a.m.

The UCLA coaching staff will watch with bated breath.
But the fact that the Bruins are even in the mix for these guys is a change.
Put Neuheisel in a pantsuit, give him a snappy comeback and air him on TNT; Kyra Sedgwick isn't the only closer.

"Neuheisel loves a challenge," Scout.com west region recruiting manager Brandon Huffman said. "To him, the living room is his favorite place. To be able to sell mom and dad on the virtues of UCLA is something he thrives on. He loves that part.

"You have a lot of UCLA fans who panic because they didn't have a lot of guys early on. 'What's taking so long?' But it used to be UCLA would have to spend the last four months trying to hold on to recruits; now they're planting the seed early and spending the next four months going after them."

Former UCLA golfer Corey Pavin exchanged gifts with Ben Howland at UCLA's press conference on Tuesday. Howland presented the new U.S. Ryder Cup captain with a UCLA basketball jersey and hat while Pavin presented the UCLA head coach with a Ryder Cup sweatshirt and an official U.S. golf bag.

Pavin, on being named Ryder Cup Captain:
"It's hard to express actually. It's a great honor, a great privilege and a great responsibility that both my wife and I take very seriously. We've been working hard to make sure we do this thing properly. The object is to go over there and win. It's the ultimate competition for us."

I've spoken to several people during the last few hours, and in fact, it seems Crenshaw linebacker Hayes Pullard is headed to USC. He'll announce tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. on CBS/KCal.

By all accounts, this was a last-minute charge by the Trojans to pull him. As of yesterday afternoon, I heard he was all-but-sold on UCLA. Not sure what kind of recruiting magic the new USC coaching staff could've used, but it only happened recently.

I've put in calls and texts to him, but he's gone under the radar. Scout's Brandon Huffman is shocked, he told me.

Not 100 percent sold he's off the UCLA train, but it appears that way.

1) Why are the heights/weights of recruits so varied between recruiting services? Where do the recruiting services obtain their measurables? - Powder Blue Balls
They are collected at different times, and most of the time, they're self-reported. But sometimes kids say different things.

2) Wow this might end up being a program changeing class that can help revive UCLA football like Pete Carroll's that brought in with S Cody and a few other high profile recruits that changed that prgram around. Who starts or plays a lot this season from the recruits we've signed and you anticipate us to sign wednesday? - Anonymous
Of the committed guys: Jones, James and Olaniyan. Of the uncommitted guys: Owa, Heimuli.

3) Is the pastrami at Agoura's better than Langer's? - BruinchickAgoura Deli is the best pastrami I've ever had. Well, no, Carnagie Deli in New York, New York. But Agoura Deli is great.

4) Do you think this class marks that start of UCLA being a TOP 25 team moving forward in another year? - Anonymous
If UCLA closes as I expect, this class and the last class have the talent of a top-25 squad. Easily. Converting talent to production is a different story.

5) We rotate DT's a lot...if we get Heimili can you see Marsh, Heimili, Epenesa, Moore and FLowers all playing this year? WHo redshirts? - ET
The more I see of Epenesa, the more I think he can compete for time. Heimuli and Marsh can definitely compete for time, but I'd expect Heimuli to get the first look, if only because he has said he intends to leave for his LDS mission after the year and the staff might want some immediate returns.

1) Hey Jon this is more of a request than a question. Our firewall blocks facebook,twitter etc for obvious reasons. Would you please post updates as they occur on the blog? I know you mentioned posting them on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks. - UCLAVES
I've had a couple comments/emails about this, and I'm sorry: I didn't imply to make it seem as if the blog weren't a priority. I'll be posting immediately to twitter and following up more in-depth on the blog directly after. I'll have constant updates throughout the day, and Ben Olson wants to have a special signing-day podcast. Not so sure that can happen, but we'll at least have one by Thursday.

2) Jon, Have would be your dream job? Something that you would jump at a chance to do? - Gerry4UCLA
My dream job: Features writer for a major magazine.

3) For what does Q&A stand? - PakistaniBruinQuestion...and...Answer.

4) Is there a list of announcement times for Wednesday? And what station (espn, fsn, etc.) the recruits were targeting set to announce on? - g20bruin
Zumwalt: No set time; Jefferson: noon, Prime Ticket; Heimuli: 9:30, ESPNU; Riley: 1:30, ESPNU; Owa: 11:30, ESPNU; Di Poalo: No set time; Pullard: 5:30, KCal Sports Central;

5) Jon, If Bullough gets an oppurtunity to be a head coach or struggles as a DC in the future, do you think CRN goes after Ken Norton? Is that relationship fixed or has that ship passed? - dan
I think the ship has passed.

Pretty fascinating feature by ESPN's Bruce Feldman from last season. Might take you back:
UCLA Recruiting

UCLA verbal commit Aramide Olaniyan was named Central Virginia Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday, and here's the story to go along with it:

Story

Here's his profile: Olaniyan

That UCLA has sealed the deal with a few major guys. Promised I wouldn't say who. Speculate all you want, but it will be official on Wednesday. You'll be happy.

Take a look at how the Pac-10 teams stand at the moment:

Moving up

St. Francis safety Dietrich Riley spoke with ESPN's Greg Biggins about his official visit and, well, he didn't seem too thrilled. I've spoken with him after former visits and read his reactions to others and...he just wasn't as over-the-top. Combine that with his unofficial visit to UCLA after his official to USC on Sunday night and...

Here's the article, but you might have to be an ESPN insider for it: Riley for ESPN

Also, here's his Scout.com recruiting profile: Riley

* To clarify, Riley had his official visit with USC this weekend, then chose to head to UCLA for an unofficial visit on Sunday night, after his official was complete.

Hey guys,

fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Best question of the week will get 10 questions for a football recruit or hoops player if their choosing (please allow some time for the recruit , if needed.

Thanks
Jon