Weekly Q&A

Jon, thanks for all the updates throughout spring ball.

1. Will Neuheisel and Chow go exclusively with the Revolver package or will they still mix in the pro-style sets that Chow had traditionally employed?

2. Who was the most pleasant surprise during spring ball and who came up short of expectations?

3. Is Howland considering holding onto a scholarship or 2 to save for the class of 2011 now that virtually that 2010 recruiting is all but done? In other words, what is the line between ensuring there is adequate depth for games and practices while ensuring you don't give away a spot that could be filled by an immediate impact player coming out of the class of 2011 or 2012?

In general I like the job you are doing. I do however have to ask are you rated by quantity of posts? To cut to the chase I do not enjoy seeing 3 different posts with the same quotes. For example the hiring of Mathews had several posts all using the same quotes. There are many examples from spring practice as well. I'm sorry but it becomes trite to read the same quotes on several posts.

Is Howland a little concerned that he hasn't signed an elite guard or two this season? What is your preditions for the next season...more of the same as last year?

Now that spring is over, now what? What does the players and coaches do now, are they able to workout, or practice together? would love some insight, thanks- Gregg

On a scale of 1-10, what are the chances that UCLA signs a SF during the regular signing period / over the next month?

Anthony Stover said on his Twitter that he played with the team and some recruits over this past weekend. Any thoughts on who those recruits are?

jon -
in a previous post, you mentioned some disdain for athletes as people. what percentage of pro athletes are a-holes? what about college atheletes? does it vary by sport. thank you.

Basketball recruiting - is there one coach (Ben or one of the assistants) that typically is the primary recruiter for a player or do all of the coaches get involved? If there is one person primarily involved, do you know (or can you find out) who has been primarily involved with the PG recruiting the last couple of years (Anderson, Gaddy, McCallum, etc.)?

Great work Jon. What would you grade the offense, defense and special teams this spring? I noticed a lot of bad snaps and muffed punts, do you think that would not be a problem when Kai Maiava and Josh Smith return from injuries?

What is your predicted two deep on the linebackers and the offensive line?

Who is coming in for the Women's Bball team? What is their recruiting outlook? And are there any big targets for 2011?

Do you think Bobo will be more successful at Baylor or is he just not as good as advertised?

Besides Moore who else will likely either test or declare for the NFL?

NCAA ...

Today at 6 p.m.: A press conference updating the NCAA presidential search. Read continuing coverage and watch the press conference live on NCAA.org.

Why does CRN wait so long in the recruiting process to sign players as apposed to how Texas recruits?

It seems the recruiting equation is dependent on equal parts tradition, team momentum (popular new hires, buzz, positive future expectations), and wins. All Ben Howland has at the moment is tradition. Is this enough to right the ship and get back to the level of success he experienced when he had all three working for him? I’m not certain without these things that he can put all of the right pieces together. Additionally, every season like the last two that occurs puts us exponentially farther away from ever getting all three back. Would you agree?

After the run of success that the UCLA basketball program has had recently in the tournament and players going on to the next level to star in the NBA why has it been so difficult to restock the team with top recruits.

Is Norm Chow’s name and reputation still as powerful when recruiting as it was when he first started at UCLA? If the offense continues to underperform for another year, how badly has he tarnished his reputation? Under what circumstances would someone of his stature be let go?

How come we can't rush the field during an epic win in the Rose Bowl? I see other PAC 10 schools do it, how come we can't?
What are the ramifications if we defy the law and rush anyways?

1. How come Geoff Strand wasn't being his rambunctious self and leading 8-claps during the spring scrimmage? Did he decide to take this season off?

2. What happened to coach towel?

Has anyone ever told you, you look like Jonah hill at a distance?

Hey, Jon. I hope the world is treating you well.

FOOTBALL Q: I don't get the F-back position. Is the F-back on the field at the same time as a tailback, or does he take the place of a tailback? Does the F-back stand directly behind the quarterback, or is he positioned someplace else?

Also, when is the next podcast? I really like those.

Thanks.

Hey Jon, I've got a question on football and hoops. Feel free to answer both or pick one if you'd like.
1. I was at Spring Game, and was not impressed by the Revolver, considering all the hype. Was the inability for Prince to show off his running game and size/speed/escapability partly to blame for the lackluster performance on the offensive side of the ball?
2. Have point guard recruits all over the country realized that Howland's system is a talent sucking blackhole for the PG position? Darren Collison and Russel Westbrook were good players at UCLA but they are better pros than they were college players at point guard, and there is no reason to not believe that Jrue Holiday will be the same. Are there any PG recruits, perhaps from City or Southern Section, that could potentially add depth next season even if they aren't highly touted?

In lieu of McCallum, Ziegler, and Burton signing elsewhere, can you give us specific players that Howland is still recruiting this Spring?

Is Mustafa returning to UCLA next year to play hoops?

Has the departure of Daniels and/or addition of Matthews changed the perception of UCLA in the recruiting landscape?

1) One thing that stood out from watching the defense last year is that Sheldon Price would get schooled by opposing wide receivers and especially running backs. Has he shown an increased ability to tackle?

2) One thing that seemed to plague this team has been fundamentals -- kickoff coverage, snaps, false start penalties. Has this been a focus of the coaches during the offseason?

3) Along those lines, have you seen any type of focusing on defensive schemes that would be effective against spread offenses that have racked up huge gains against the defense? Or is that something that will be improved by the upgrade to the speed of the players on defense.

1. Did Remi Barry visit last weekend? What are our chances of landing him?

2. Does John Loyd hold a UCLA offer? If so what are the chances of getting him?

3. How serious is Ben about going after Emerson Murray?

4. I have heard that Ben is after some foreign players. Are Barry and Murray those players or are there others?

In your chat with Carlino he refers to himself as a PG...is that where Howland sees him? If so, what does that make the 2 deep at both guard positions look like (will Carlino at PG and Lamb at SG make an impact this year or are we looking at Anderson/Jones/Lee in some form at those positions)?

Coach Howland pulled a fast one with Carlino. "The new wizard in town"?

Coach Howland pulled a fast one with Carlino. "The new wizard in Westwood"?

Does Howland intent to use Tyler Lamb at the 3 at all? What do you think?

What do you make of these unnamed international players that Howland is recruiting? Do you think anything will come to fruition?

Coach Howland pulled a fast one with Carlino. "The new wizard in Westwood"?

Any changes to the football road uni's this year?

Any chance you can bring back the Q&As with specific players? These were great to get to know players:
http://www.insidesocal.com/ucla/2008/11/qa-with-taylor-embree.html

We often heard the LT position is key because it protects the QBs blind side. What skills and abilities might separate a LT from a RT?

Will you ask Kevin Prince if he'd consider changing his name to the "Quarterback formerly known as"?

1) Concerns for bruins can lure a top QB recruit for 2011 based on lack of QB success, and lack of offensive identity (Pistol or Air Gun)? 2)Not impressed so far with Chow, and I don't need to wait till end of this season. Do you think it is fair to view Chow as a five star recruit, but unable to produce on the field? Tired of excuses, if he only coach five star recruits...bbbye.

Jon - Sorry if you have alerady covered this before. My question is, are the blocking assignments different when we are in the Revolver scheme than in the "basic" scheme we generally run? Thanks.

Did Howland offer assistant coach positions to Ray Mcallum Sr or Ernie Ziegler?

I live in 2010. At what point will the IT idiots at the Daily News wake up and learn how to put together a website that can actually post comments in less than 15 minutes? This is more annoying than the trolls...

Where is Todd Golpher in the mix at LB?

Jon - Due to the unquestionable downward spiral of the men's basketball program, an abyss from which we will never recover during our lifetimes, isn't the only real question at this point is whether Howland should be shot, hung or simply tarred and feathered ;-)

P.S. You were not around then, but this is a block and copy from many similar questions posed during Coach Lavin's last season.

Jon, great stuff! Thank you.

1. Do you think Norm Chow is being used to the fullest? At the Spring Scrimmage, he seemed to be standing off to the side, while the head coach ran everything. Shouldn't Norm be given control of the offense?

2. How soon do you think Tebow will start as qb for the Broncos?