June 2011 Archives

From UCLA:

UCLA will open its 2011 pre-season football practice on Monday, August 8. The Bruins will practice once daily from August 8 through August 12 as part of the NCAA acclimatization process.

The first practice in full pads will be Friday, August 12. Two-a-day practices will begin on Saturday, August 13. NCAA rules instituted in 2003 prohibit two practices on back-to-back days.

On Saturday, August 20, the Bruins will hold their first major scrimmage of Fall Camp. The scrimmage will be held at Drake Stadium, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
All practices between August 8 and 20 will be open to the public and all, with the exception of the August 20 scrimmage, will be on Spaulding Field. Practices beginning August 22 will be determined at a later date and will be closed to the public.

Here is the TENTATIVE practice schedule:
Monday, August 8 - 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 9 - 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 10 - 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 11 - 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Friday, August 12 - 3:00-5:00 pm (First day of full pads)
Saturday, August 13 - 9:00-10:30 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 14 -No practice
Monday, August 15 - 9:00-10:30 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 16 -3:00-5:15 p.m.
Wednesday, August 17 - 9:00-10:30 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 18 - 3:00-5:15 p.m.
Friday, August 19 - 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 20 - 5:00 p.m. (Scrimmage at Drake Stadium)

Nikki Caldwell didn't just take her high heels to LSU, she's bringing along something - make that someone - else.

Caldwell announced on Tuesday that the Tigers have signed former UCLA recruit Sheila Boykin, who was granted a release from her letter of intent.

Boykin, who was rated the No. 27 prospect in the country by Hoopgurlz.com, averaged 10 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Jackrabbits last season.

Boykin would've joined a talented UCLA roster under new head coach Cori Close, who will still bring in No 25-rated Kacy Swain, along with Moriah Faulk and Alexis Perry.

What say you, UCLA fans?

The Bruins are ranked 84th in the country by Sporting News, and I had a feeling some of you would have some opinions on that. My take? That's pretty darn low, behind such powerhouses as Troy, Florida International, Toledo and Colorado State. I'd peg the Bruins for the mid-60s as of now, but not 84.

From UCLA:

UCLA second-year freshman walk-on tight end Luke Gane is about to get his wish.

On Wednesday, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Gane will fly to Denver to meet Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow, a wish he had three years ago when he missed his junior season at Edison High while battling aplastic anemia.

When reached earlier today, Gane said the Foundation called his house on Monday to let his family know Luke's wish had been granted.

Why Tebow? "I look up to him as a player and as a Christian," said Gane. "I admire his drive and he is a great example for Christian athletes. I like the fact that he puts God before everything in his life. I am excited to meet him."

Check out the first batch of weekly answers...

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

From UCLA:

It feels like Alumni week here at UCLA.

Earlier, it was reported that Baron Davis and Ed O'Bannon were back on campus attending classes.
Well, basketball is not the only sport with famous alums returning to school.

Gaston Green, UCLA's career rushing leader, is also in school and attended his first classes on Thursday.

Green, who lives with his family outside of Atlanta, will be attending both A and C sessions and will graduate at the end of the summer. During his four seasons (1984-87), he rushed for a school record 3,731 yards. His 40 touchdowns also set a record and still rank third on that UCLA list.

"I'm back in school to get my degree because I'm trying to get into the field of coaching, as well as other sports-related fields which require a college degree," said Green about his return to UCLA.

"As a young student-athlete, sometimes you don't realize the value of getting your degree. However, I can say now that the windows of opportunities are greater with a degree than without one. You give yourself a chance to have options with a degree.

"It's great to be back here on campus. I have a lot of fond memories in my life and many of them were created here wearing Blue and Gold!"

From UCLA:

FULLERTON, Calif. - Rick Vanderhook has been named head baseball coach at Cal State Fullerton after serving as an assistant coach at UCLA the past three seasons. Vanderhook played at Cal State Fullerton in 1983 and 1984 before spending 21 seasons as an assistant coach for the Titans.

Over the past three years at UCLA, Vanderhook guided the Bruins as their hitting and outfield coach, in addition to playing a central role in the program's recruiting efforts.

"Rick did an outstanding job for our program the last three years," head coach John Savage said. "I am very excited for him and his new opportunity, one that is well-deserved."

Vanderhook has spent 26 seasons as an assistant coach - 21 at Cal State Fullerton (1985-1988, 1991-2007), three at UCLA (2009-11) and two at Cal State Northridge (1989-1990).

In 2010, Vanderhook made his 11th trip to the College World Series as an assistant coach, leading UCLA to its third appearance at the College World Series. UCLA advanced to the best-of-three championship series at the College World Series for the first time in school history, posting a school-record 51 wins that season.

In 2011, UCLA earned its first outright Pac-10 Conference title since 1986 and hosted an NCAA Regional for the second consecutive season. Prior to 2010, the Bruins had not hosted a postseason game since 1986.

The past three seasons at UCLA, Vanderhook saw 12 hitters selected in the MLB Draft, including five position players at the conclusion of the 2011 season.

As a Division I assistant coach, Vanderhook has compiled a 1026-469-2 record over 24 seasons. Overall, he has posted a 1095-510-3 record in 26 years as a collegiate assistant coach.

I honestly care less about golf than pretty much any sport on earth - behind jai lai and badminton, though badminton is close - but what this kid Patrick Cantlay is doing has even me interested.

Cantlay - whom Jill Painter profiled here and here - is just torching the field at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn.

After finishing as the low amateur - low as in high, as in good, whatever, as the best amateur - last week at the U.S. Open, the UCLA rising sophomore shot a ridiculous 60 (SIXTY!) in the second round to set a new PGA Tour record for an amateur. He leads the field by four strokes and is trying to become the first amateur to win on the Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991.

Cantlay was recently named the Jack Nicklaus Award winner as national player of the year and also picked up the Phil Mickelson Award as national freshman of the year, going along with his Pac-10 player and freshman of the year honors.

Two days after picking up a verbal commitment from speedy cornerback Shannon Edwards, UCLA caught a big fish today with the news that hulking tight end Ian Taubler has verbally committed.

Taubler told Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman that he was close to a commitment last weekend, and he has long been interested in the Bruins.

Taubler becomes UCLA's highest-rated verbal commit so far, joining Edwards and the Hawaiian Hurricanes, Steven Lakalaka and Psalm Wooching, and he fills a position of need. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Bruins go after another tight end in this class.

At 6-5, 250 pounds, though, a possible shift to offensive tackle at some point wouldn't be out of the question, either. He has a solid, strong frame with good blocking skills, although his skill-position skills could use some work - speed, hands, route-running.

Taubler's commitment, however, is a big one in my book, as UCLA needs to keep working at this tier of prospect until they start showing something on the field. The Bruins can't really expect a five-star to commit right now, and I think Rick Neuheisel learned something last year with the class that the team eventually got. I think the hiring of Mike Johnson and Inoke Breckterfield - two guys who are very familiar with the Oregon State style - was just the first sign that the team was going to change its direction a little.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Tyler Honeycutt
On the draft:
"I'm very excited, ecstatic - there weren't many teams I would've have fit better with. First of all, Tyreke is one of the best point guards in the league. He had an off-season this last year, but people will tell you his potential through the roof. Young team, good foundation, good owners, great coach. I'm going to go out there to try to show a lot of teams they made a mistake today. But I'm not doing it for them, I'm doing it for me."

On potentially not having the summer league because of lockout:
"Not a concern at all. I have great confidence in my ability and what I can do. What I know I can do. It might be a blessing in disguise for me. They've seen me work out, and I can only show them more as far as my athleticism. I think I'm the most athletic people in this draft."

On his draft preparation:
"I don't think I could've done anything better. I did everything to my ability. I was very confident."

Malcolm Lee
On the draft:
"Mixed feelings. I definitely thought I would squeeze in there. I kinda hoped for the best and prepared for the worst. I thought I was going to get in the first. But it is what it is. You can't dwell on it."

On choosing to go to the movies instead of watch the draft:
"Nerves, basically. Just the whole suspense, the feeling of suspense, people hearing their names called. I feel my nerves would be better if I didn't watch it."

On regretting his decision:
"Not at all, I believe everything happens for a reason. Eveyrthing is a blessing in disguise. I'm not a regretful man. I look at it as the perfect situation, believe it or not."

By Jon Gold
Staff Writer

Tyler Honeycutt traveled all the way to New Jersey for the NBA Draft, choosing to watch his future unfold in the spotlight.

Malcolm Lee didn't even bother to flip on ESPN, soothing his already-frayed nerves with more tension, instead deciding to take in the suspenseful thriller Super 8.

Different options, but nearly the same result, as Honeycutt was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 35th pick - the fifth pick in the second round - while Lee went eight slots later, to Minnesota (via Chicago) at pick No. 43.

Honeycutt was projected as a first-round pick for much of the draft process, even rated in the top-20 by some prognosticators, but he his pre-camp workout results were mixed, and he failed to bench press 185 pounds at the combine.

"It was really frustrating, a little nervous; I expected to go earlier," Honeycutt said. "I think a lot of it had to do with my body and wondering if I could play at the next level because of my weight."

Honeycutt, who is listed at 6-foot-8, 188 pounds, averaged 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 35 minutes per game as a sophomore in helping lead the Bruins to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Sylmar High product considered the team's potential for next season before ultimately deciding to declare early and hire an agent, but had no regrets.

"Nope, I don't have any regrets," Honeycutt said. "Once the season ended, I knew it what I wanted to do. I don't regret it at all."

Lee, meanwhile, joins former UCLA star Kevin Love with the Timberwolves, where he should have a chance to stick because of his defensive capabilities, which should complement new point guard Ricky Rubio.

Lee, who was selected in the same spot as former UCLA forward Trevor Ariza in 2004-05, was second on the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game (14th in the Pac-10) and finished fourth in rebounding at 3.1 rpg. He also averaged 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals per game in 2010-11 and was named First Team All-Pac-10 this season as well as to the Pac-10 All-Defensive Team.

"I just have to work from here," Lee said. "I have one foot in the door; I just have to keep it going."

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

From UCLA:

The members of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) have selected UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero to lead the Association in 2011-12. Guerrero replaces Dave Roach, director of athletics at Colgate University, who served as President in 2010-11.

The passing of the gavel took place in conjunction with the 46th Annual NACDA Convention, which took place June 16-18 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.
"NACDA had another outstanding Convention last week and I want to salute Dave for his leadership during the past year," Guerrero said. "It's an honor and privilege to be elected to serve as our Association's President."

Also elected to serve NACDA for the 2011-12 term were 1st Vice President Kevin Anderson, director of athletics at the University of Maryland; 2nd Vice President Mike Alden, director of athletics at the University of Missouri; 3rd Vice President Jim Phillips, director of athletics at Northwestern University; and Don Tencher, director of athletics at Rhode Island College, to the first year of a five-year term as secretary.

Executive Committee members selected include athletics directors Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul University; Ed Matejkovic, West Chester University; Sue Hlavacek, Notre Dame College; Dave Williams, Missouri Western State University; Robyn Daugherty, John Brown University; Bruce Parker, Carroll College; and Vince Otoupal, Cal State Monterey Bay. University of Rhode Island Associate AD/SWA Sue Bergen will also begin her term on the Executive Committee.

The eight administrators listed above join the following individuals on the Executive Committee - Cal AD Sandy Barbour, Denver Vice Chancellor for Athletics Peg Bradley-Doppes, Tulsa AD Bubba Cunningham, Navy AD Chet Gladchuk, Connecticut AD Jeff Hathaway, New Mexico AD Paul Krebs, Buffalo AD Warde Manuel, Southern Maine AD Al Bean, Fayetteville State AD Ed McLean, Mohawk Valley CC Gary Broadhurst, Seminole State College of Florida AD John Scarpino, South Plains College AD Joe Tubb, Sierra College AD John Volek, Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe, Iowa State Senior Associate AD-Administration Julie Bright, NCAA Senior VP-Championships Joni Comstock, Notre Dame Deputy AD Missy Conboy, Baylor Senior Associate AD-Compliance Governance and Risk Assessment Lori Ebihara, ECAC Commissioner Rudy Keeling, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto, Missouri Valley Football Conference/Pioneer League Commissioner Patty Viverito and Georgia Senior Associate AD Carla Williams.

Check out the first batch of weekly answers...

When thinking of headlines for this story, only this one stuck. Why? Could there be anything more relevant?

The news of Stan Hasiak's academic ineligibility and possible transfer, since confirmed by sources in the program, fits: A) This is getting just comical, B) honestly, who IS on the line? and C) now it sure seems like Rick Neuheisel and Bob Palcic are going to have to do some improvising.

Lets start with the first part: At this point, can you do more than shake your head at UCLA's offensive line issues in the last few years? I started covering the team in August 2009; since then: Eddie Williams has broken his ankle, Xavier Su'a-Filo has left for a mission, Kai Maiava has been academically suspended and broken an ankle, Jeff Baca has been academically suspended and broken an ankle, Mike Harris has been suspended once, AND Nik Abele suffers a career-ending injury and Stan Hasiak has been academically suspended three times. That is just...you can't overcome that. That list of guys right there, when healthy, would be one of the best lines in the Pac-12.

Now? Neuheisel and Co. have a mammoth undertaking on their hands, starting simply with musical chairs.

The pre-Spring depth chart was looking pretty solid, the line projected to be one of the best in the conference with solid depth to boot.

Baca/Sheller/Maiava/Ward/Harris
Bradford/Hasiak/Capella/Yandall/Downey

That's a solid line, with good projections going forward, too.

Now Bradford's development becomes crucial, as he could be the key to the line holding up in Baca's absence, which will be at least the first month. So does Yandall's, as he could be moved into the starting lineup, with Sheller bouncing back outside. The anticipated arrival of Albert Cid will be a boost, and any production from Brett Downey, Kody Innes and Casey Griffiths will be a bonus.

And don't forget about the incoming freshmen - a couple of whom might be in for a rude awakening - in Torian White, Ben Wysocki and Jacob Brendel.

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman also put together some quick interviews at the Above and Beyond Lineman camp yesterday at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with more interviews to follow.
Enjoy....

Here's Round 3 with 3-star TE Ian Taubler, video at the end:

Ruffman: You were down here yesterday and you are you here today, what are you thinking about the camps? What are your thoughts on the coaches?
Taubler: "The camp was awesome. I love how young the coaching staff is. They're all energized and ready to go. It's great here, they all make me feel like family."

JR: You were just watching the camp yesterday, did you take an unofficial afterwards?
IT: "Yeah, we just went and checked out all of the academic buildings and toured around the campus. I love the campus, it's amazing."

JR: What is your interest in UCLA as of now?
IT: "UCLA is really high on my list right now. They are one of my top schools."

JR: Are you going to take all of your official visits?
IT: "No, I plan on making my decision this summer and I think I'll just take the official to the school I commit to."

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman also put together some quick interviews at the Above and Beyond Lineman camp yesterday at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage.
Enjoy....

Here's Round 4 with 4-star CB Ishmael Adams, video at the end:

Ruffman: Why did you decide to come out and compete at this camp?

Ishmael Adams: "I just wanted to come check out the coaches and see how they work with the players and what their technique is."

JR: So what did you think of the coaches in action?
IA: "I really like their coaching style. It's different but that doesn't mean it's wrong. I just have to get used to it if I decide to come to UCLA. They aren't willing to show you exactly what they want, they want you to show them - it's cool."

JR: Where does UCLA currently stand in your recruitment?
IA: "They are definitely in the top part of my group with Oregon, Washington, Colorado, ASU and Oregon State."

JR: Do you have any timetable for when you're going to make a decision?
IA: I'm definitely going to take all of my officials. I'm not sure if I'm going to commit before I take them or after or take it all the way to signing day.

JR: Do you know what you want to major in yet?
IA: "Dentistry."

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman also put together some quick interviews at the Above and Beyond Lineman camp yesterday at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with more interviews to follow.
Enjoy....

Here's Round 2 with WR Gabe Marks,">WR Gabriel Marks, video at the end:

Ruffman: How's the recruiting process going for you right now?
Gabriel Marks: "It's been good so far. I have offers from UCLA, Utah, Colorado, SMU, Boston College, Utah State and Idaho."

JR: What is UCLA talking to you about most?
GM: "They are just making sure that my grades are right and that I get out to the campus more and visit."

JR: What are you thoughts on UCLA?
GM: "UCLA is one of the best schools in the nation academically and the team is getting better. I came to a couple of practices in the spring and they are really getting better. I'm just waiting to see how they do this season."

JR: Do you know when you're going to make a decision?
GM: "No, not really. Just whenever I wake up and feel like I'm comfortable making my choice."

Jordan Adams, Scout.com's No. 11-rated small forward in the class of 2012, just committed to UCLA on a live broadcast.

Adams, who played for new assistant coach Korey McCray's Atlanta Celtics on the AAU circuit, becomes the Bruins' first commitment of the class, and it's a big one.

At 6-5, 215 pounds, he has a solid frame and is talented but raw on the offensive end, and he'll probably end up as a shooting guard. The main knock on him right now is conditioning, but he'll have a year to work at vaunted Oak Hill Academy, and he should be able to contribute to UCLA early as the Bruins lose both Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson from the backcourt.

Adams told Scout.com that he committed to UCLA "because of their tradition and history," and added, "I think it's a good fit for me."

It seems that the hire of McCray is already paying off for the Bruins, as Adams told Scout.com: "He impacted me a lot because he was my trainer. He helped me with everything. Nobody would be recruiting me if it weren't for him."

Adams is the first in what could be a huge recruiting haul for Ben Howland and Co., and he gave a personal shout-out to many of the Bruins' top recruits, asking for Shaq Goodwin, Shabazz Muhammad and L.J. Rose to join him in Westwood during his video announcement.

Here's a link to the Scout story: Check it out

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman also put together some quick interviews at the Above and Beyond Lineman camp yesterday at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with more interviews to follow.
Enjoy....

Here's Round 1 with 4-star WR Bryce Treggs, video at the end:

Ruffman: You are one of the top wide receivers in the nation, why did you decide to come out here and participate in the camp?
Bryce Treggs: "It was actually my dad. He wanted me to come out here and work with coach Johnson a little bit and feel out his coaching style."

JR: What did you think of him?
BT: "Coach Johnson is great, I love his style. He's very hands on, he doesn't just tell you what to do he shows you how to do it. I like that."

JR: Where does UCLA stand for you right now?
BT: "UCLA is definitely in my top 4. The main schools I'm looking at are Cal, Notre Dame, Stanford and UCLA."

JR: What is it about UCLA you're interested in?
BT: "It's the balance between academics and athletics. Also it's close to home so friends and family could see me play."

JR: Do you think you're going to take your officials before or after you make a decision?
BT: "I'm going to decide after most likely. I'm getting recruited so I might as well enjoy it."

JR: Are you going to take any more trips this summer?
BT: "No, I think I'm done. I might come up to UCLA a couple more times because it's right down the street but I'm not taking any more trips."

JR: You spent a lot of time talking with some of the other recruits, are there any players you might want to play with in college?
BT: "I would love to play with Ishmael (Adams) because we're both good players on different sides of the ball. We could come in here and make an impact right away. Also Richard Smith, Gabriel Marks, pretty much everyone UCLA is recruiting that's here."

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman also put together some quick interviews at the Above and Beyond Lineman camp yesterday at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with more interviews to follow.
Enjoy....

Here's Round 3 with OT Steven Moore:

Jacob Ruffman: You were out here last year, how did this camp compare to last years?
Steven Moore: "It was much better this year. I wasn't able to finish the camp last year so I wasn't able to compete in the Bruin challenge. This year I was and that was a lot of fun."

JR: UCLA offered you today, how does that change things?
SM: "It was great to get this offer. It's my second Pac-12 offer and I really like the sound
of that."

JR: What schools are you looking at right now?
SM: "I have five offers so far: Nevada, Arizona, San Jose State, Fresno State and now
UCLA."

JR: Do you have any timetable for your decision?
SM: "I plan on taking all five of my officials so I don't think it will be any time soon, but I
definitely will be taking one to UCLA."

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

Hey guys,

Just a reminder to follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Youtube to stay updated, if interested. I post more often there than on here, so you can stay up to date easier.

Twitter: @thecoolsub

Facebook: Inside UCLA page
Youtube: (and my comedy channel, if interested.

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman returns with a recap of today's Above and Beyond Skills camp at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with interviews to follow tomorrow.
Enjoy....

***
There was a little more flash involved in today's UCLA Above and Beyond Skills camp compared to the lineman camp yesterday. There were more oohs and aahs, much more competitive chatter and it a more social environment at Spaulding Field.

***
Most of the top players in attendance were not participating in the camp, but a couple of big names were out there doing drills during the first half, including 4-star WR Bryce Treggs and 3-stars TE Ian Taubler and Richard Smith. Non-participating visitors included 4-star CB Ishmael Adams, WR Gabe Marks, WR Kenny Lawler and two Serra defensive linemen who shined at the linemen camp yesterday, DE Kache Palacio">Kache Palacio and Royce Dodd.

***
One of the top prospects on hand that had yet to receive a UCLA offer was ATH Bryan Harper. He got reps on both sides of the ball, but he looks like he'll end up on the defensive side; he had a smooth backpedal and fluid hips that make him more suited to be a defensive back.

***
Treggs showed why he is one of the top wide receivers in the nation during his stint. He's a refined route runner and he has good quickness with great hands for this level. He didn't compete in the second portion because offensive coordinator Mike Johnson didn't want to risk injury. Treggs spent the majority of the day talking with other recruits and the coaching staff. He has a magnetic personality, the type of recruit who would go out and recruit for you. He spent a lot of time with Adams and is also good friends with Smith and Marks.

Treggs still has Cal in the lead with Notre Dame and Stanford following, but he did say that UCLA is in his top group with those three schools. This is a change because he had only Cal, Stanford and Notre Dame in his top group before the camp.

***
Smith, an Arizona State soft verbal, came out and did his best impersonation of Long Beach Poly's mascot, the Jackrabbit. Though lightning-fast, he did lose focus a couple of times during the drills and dropped some balls and he didn't exactly jump to the front of the line to get more reps in.

If you watch highlights of Rory McIllroy hositing the U.S. Open trophy this morning, check out the golfer in the background, that's UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay. The only golfer among suits on the green. He's forever in the picture of McIlroy winning his first major. Cantlay earned that spot by winning low amateur at the U.S. Open. He'll play in the Travelers Championship this week in Connecticut after earning a sponsor's exemption.

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman also put together some quick interviews at the Above and Beyond Lineman camp yesterday at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with more interviews to follow.
Enjoy....

Here's Round 2 with DE Eli Ankou, video at the end:

Ruffman: This is your first time out to UCLA, what did you think of the school/camp?
Ankou: "It was awesome, there's good weather, good atmosphere. The coaches were great
and they really know what they're talking about. I was really motivated to do my
best and show them what I can do."

JR: What did the coaches do for you during the camp?
EA:"They showed me how to use my hips a bit more and at the end of the one-on-ones I
was able to exploit that more. It was great to get those pointers and use them in live
games."

JR: What schools are you looking at currently?
EA: "I currently have three offers: UCLA, Virginia and Vanderbilt. I also have high
interest from Michigan state, Rutgers, Akron and some other schools up north."

JR: What are your thoughts about UCLA?
EA: "I really like the environment of the school as a whole. When you walk out of here
you walk out with something valuable. Also, the coaches are great and the facilities
are really good as well."

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman also put together some quick interviews at the Above and Beyond Lineman camp yesterday at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with more interviews to follow.
Enjoy....

Here's Round 1 with OL/DL Isaac Seumalo, with video at the end:

Ruffman: What did you think of the camp? The coaches? Your performance?
Seumalo: "Today was great. I thought I did fairly well but it was really tiring. It was fun
though, I had a lot of fun."

You were playing on both sides of the ball a lot today, which side do you think you'll
play on in college?
IS: "I'm not sure yet because I like both a lot. Each one is different and right now I'm
just trying to do as well as I can at both."

Did you get to know any of the guys at the camp?
"I was able to talk a lot with Eduardo Middleton quite a bit. Also I spent a lot of time
with the kids from Serra (Kache Palacio and Royce Dodd), too, during a team drill.
They were good guys."

Are there any schools sticking out to you at this point?
"Not yet. I'm still feeling out the process and going with the flow."

Your dad coaches at Oregon State and he could potentially be your position coach if
you played defense, is that going to have a bearing on your decision?
"No, not at all. My dad is a dad first and a coach second. He's going to let me make
my own choice."

Inside UCLA Campus Correspondent Jacob Ruffman delivered the goods with this FANTASTIC recap of today's Above and Beyond Lineman camp at Spaulding Field. Ruffman is a recruiting enthusiast and a terrific young writer, and I hope to have him as a frequent presence to ramp up our recruiting coverage. This is some great stuff, with interviews to follow tomorrow.
Enjoy....

***
There was a lot of energy at Spaulding Field on Saturday afternoon, which can be credited to the UCLA coaching staff, which was bouncing and yelling up until the last whistle at 4:30.
Among those participating - a group that included four-star prospects Kyle Kelley and Jeremy Castro">DE/OLB Jeremy Castro and three-star recruits in DE Eli Ankou,
Tyler Averill, OT Chad Wheeler and OG Walker Williams - OL/DL Isaac Seumalo stood heads and shoulders above the rest.

***
Brandon Huffman of Scout.com said that Seumalo might be the second best offensive lineman in the western region this year to Joshua Garnett, a surprising assessment, considering there are six 5-star and 10 4-star offensive linemen in the region.
At defensive end, Seumalo blew by literally every offensive lineman - he was not stopped once - by combining advanced technique with an array of moves and impressive bend and balance off the edge.
Likewise, on offense, he was near-impenetrable, denying most every defensive lineman access to the dummy behind him.
It is still very early in the recruiting process and while many believe he's a lock to Oregon State because his father, Joe Seumalo, is the defensive line coach for the Beavers, Issac insists that he is still open. There was a lot of chatter that Stanford
could actually be his leader right now, not Oregon State, but UCLA could be in the picture until the end, thanks to defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield, who is close friends with the Seumalo family because of to his playing days as a Beaver.

***
Castro had a great day but left early because of a shoulder injury. He showed a lot of energy and his speed/size combination is extremely impressive.
As of now, Castro has Oregon on top, but UCLA seems to be closing the gap. The longer Castro waits to commit the better for UCLA. Castro has expressed concern about the Bruins' recent lack-of-success, but a successful start could be just what they need to get the ball rolling on some of these premiere prospects.

***
Kelley was one of the more exciting prospects to watch on the day. He plays really low and utilizes his quickness to elude blockers. He is built to be an outside linebacker in a 3/4 defense, but UCLA would be able to utilize him thanks to his
pass-rushing abilities. Currently, UCLA sits in good position for him thanks to the proximity to home and his ties to the school - both his father and uncle went to UCLA - but his recruitment should last for a while. Kelley has offers from Florida and most of the Pac-12 schools, so he'll probably end up taking all of his visits, but he is a prime target for the Bruins.

Patrick Cantlay shot a 1-under 70 and is 13 shots behind leader Rory McIlroy. Cantlay has a one-shot lead over Georgia's Russell Henley in the race to become the U.S. Open low amateur.

Patrick Cantlay holed out from the sandtrap on NO. 15 for another birdie. He's at 2-under and tied for 12th. He could finish the day in the top-10. Not bad for an amateur.

Even though many reporters couldn't believe it, Patrick Cantlay re-iterated his decision to stay in school, not just next year, but all four years until he earn's a degree. Funny how reporters at the U.S. Open couldn't believe it. He was asked four different ways if he was staying and why he would. Golf is not a contact sport (except for the part of the ball hitting the face of the club). Sure, he could get injured, but staying at school, playing Riviera and Bel-Air and earning a degree before he hits the PGA Tour is a good idea. Why is that so hard for people to accept? This isn't the NBA, where you're guaranteed money. You dont' make a cut, you don't make money that week on the PGA Tour.

Patrick Cantlay will tee off in a pairing with John Senden at 11:40 p.m. Pacific. Brandt Jobe will be in the group behind him, ten minutes later. Rory McIlroy and Y.E. Yang don't tee off until 3:50 p.m. and with yesterday's rain delay and forecast of 40 percent chance of rain this afternoon, well, you see the potential problems.

What's in a name for UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay? Here's my column on Cantlay's sizzling dayat Congressional yesterday, which has him tied for 15th. Players are on the course this morning, finishing up round 2. Should be interesting to see which T15 group Cantlay will play in today.

Patrick Cantlay's 30 on the back nine is the best performance over those nine holes so far in the tournament. Not even Rory McIlroy, who is leading the field by seven shots, has done that well on the back.

Kevin Chappell, the ex-UCLA star, also shot a 4-under 67 today and is 1-over for the tournament, and is tied for 25th. Might be more than just the one UCLA polo and I saw today.

Patrick Cantlay has met Jack Nicklaus, won four college tournaments and the collegiate player of the year via the Jack Nicklaus Award. But nothing can compare to shooting a 4-under 67 and seeing his name in the top-20 of a major. And he's just a 19-year-old college freshman.
Asked what he's learned at Congressional this week, ``just that I can compete and my game is good enough to play the course.''

Patrick Cantlay could be known as the low amateur at the U.S. Open in a couple of days, and that's quite a distinction. He had the back nine buzzing at Congressional as he posted an impressive 4-under 67. The only player to shoot lower than that, so far today, is Rory McIlroy, who's leading the event.
It was an incredible day for Cantlay. I'll have more uddates soon, but as of now, he's tied for 17th.

Patrick Cantlay finished with a 4-over 75 after an impressive start with a birdie on the 10th, a difficult starting hole.
``I started on a good note and struggled the rest of the day,'' Cantlay said. ``I couldn't get anything going. I drove it weird, too.''
As in, he wasn't hitting in the fairways per usual.

Was out on the course for a few hours, so here's your update. Cantlay started his round with a birdie at No. 10. He hit in the water on his second shot but saved par on No. 11 and bogeyed 12 and 13. He's 4-over with four holes to go. So far, I've seen one UCLA cap in his gallery and one USC hat.

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Here are a couple of links from the last couple days about UCLA potential draftees Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee:

The Daily Bruin's (and soon to be Daily News') Sam Strong on Malcolm Lee's Utah workout

CSNPhilly's Dei Lynam on Tyler Honeycutt's Philadelphia workout

Patrick Cantlay will tee off at 9:51 your time... He's playing with Michael Putman (ex-Pepperdine golfer) and Robert Dinwiddie. He's teeing off on the back nine, the most difficult part of the course. If he comes out of that even par, that would be a fabulous start.

Jill Painter here. I'm at the U.S. Open at Congressional, where UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay is playing his first major. Happy to provide updates here if you guys would like. Cantlay won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation's best player and an unprecedented four titles this year.
Thoughts?

From UCLA:

DURHAM, N.C. - UCLA junior right-hander Trevor Bauer headlines Baseball America's 2011 All-America team as the College Player of the Year, the national publication announced Wednesday morning. Bauer led the nation with 10 complete games (nine consecutive) and a Pac-10 record 203 strikeouts.

Bauer went 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA in 16 starts for UCLA in 2011, limiting the opposition to a .154 batting average in a team-high 136.2 innings. He has become the first ballplayer in school history to secure Baseball America's College Player of the Year award.

The resident of Valencia, Calif., has also been named a first-team All-America selection by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Bauer was named National Player of the Year by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball after earning Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year honors.

Bauer established himself as UCLA's all-time record holder in career strikeouts (460), wins (34) and innings pitched (373.1). He also owns the top two marks on UCLA's single-season records list, having logged 203 strikeouts in 2011 and 165 in 2010.

Through NCAA super regionals, Bauer's Pac-10 record 203 strikeouts are 52 more than second-place Danny Hultzen, a left-hander from Virginia. In addition, Bauer currently ranks second in the nation in wins (13) and third in ERA (1.25).

Bauer was selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, June 6.

Baseball America's College Player of the Year Selections

Year Name Position School
1981 Mike Sodders 3B Arizona State
1982 Jeff Ledbetter OF/LHP Florida State
1983 Dave Magadan 1B Alabama
1984 Oddibe McDowell OF Arizona State
1985 Pete Incaviglia OF Oklahoma State
1986 Casey Close OF Michigan
1987 Robin Ventura 3B Oklahoma State
1988 John Olerud 1B/LHP Washington State
1989 Ben McDonald RHP LSU
1990 Mike Kelly OF Arizona State
1991 David McCarty 1B Stanford
1992 Phil Nevin 3B Cal State Fullerton
1993 Brooks Kieschnick DH/RHP Texas
1994 Jason Varitek C Georgia Tech
1995 Todd Helton 1B/LHP Tennessee
1996 Kris Benson RHP Clemson
1997 J.D. Drew OF Florida State
1998 Jeff Austin RHP Stanford
1999 Jason Jennings RHP/DH Baylor
2000 Mark Teixeira 3B Georgia Tech
2001 Mark Prior RHP Southern California
2002 Khalil Greene SS Clemson
2003 Rickie Weeks 2B Southern
2004 Jared Weaver RHP Long Beach State
2005 Alex Gordon 3B Nebraska
2006 Andrew Miller LHP North Carolina
2007 David Price LHP Vanderbilt
2008 Buster Posey C/RHP Florida State
2009 Stephen Strasburg RHP San Diego State
2010 Anthony Rendon 3B Rice
2011 Trevor Bauer RHP UCLA

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In his most recent mock draft, ESPN draft guru Chad Ford has Tyler Honeycutt back in the first round, this time to Chicago at pick 30.

I'd be surprised if Honeycutt fell out of the first round just based on his potential, but there are concerns about his strength and durability issues at the next level. Meanwhile, two of Honeycutt's Pac-10 foes - Washington State's Klay Thompson and USC's Nikola Vucevic - are soaring up the draft ranks. Ford has Thompson at No. 10 to Milwaukee and Vucevic at No. 14 to Houston.

UCLA's Malcolm Lee, meanwhile, seems to be on the outside of the first round looking in, but he has a crucial workout today with Utah, where he'll be joined by Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette.

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Being nestled in as the Sunday starter behind Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer is a bit like lying on the beach in Honolulu, cool breeze on your face, cooler drink in your hand, the faintest hint of pineapple.

It is a relaxing gig, a comforting one, probably a necessary one for a college freshman even if his stats may prove otherwise.

UCLA's Adam Plutko was able to sit back and learn behind two of the best pitchers in the country, the No. 1 and No. 3 overall pick in last week's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. He was a sponge, but a sponge that was able to process information immediately and spit it back out, along with a fastball that baffled hitters to the tune of 92 strikeouts and a 2.01 ERA, second-best in the Pac-10.

All that relaxing has led him to this, a selection on the second-team freshman all-America team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Monday afternoon.

"Being the ace is nice, but it's just a title," said Plutko, who finished with a 7-4 record. "People can say Gerrit's the ace or Trevor's the ace, but that doesn't really mean anything to me. What matters to me is going out and doing my own thing and letting Gerrit and Trevor do their thing."

But those two will do their respective things in the minor leagues next season, and that Friday lot is open, and now it is time.

Plutko will likely slide into the Friday slot next season for the Bruins, who also return talented rising sophomores in Zack Weiss and Nick Vander Tuig, while also adding redshirt freshman Eric Jaffe.

Plutko is ready, he feels, because of the seasoning he got as a freshman, seasoning that Cole did not receive when he pitched under the Friday Night Lights in 2009.

"I wouldn't wish it upon any freshman to be a Friday-night guy," Plutko said. "Gerrit did it as a freshman and I'll tell you what, that's a real tough job. That was one of the toughest things he's done probably in his whole pitching career. Being on Sunday, you get to see the team twice before you even pitch against them. It's been really helpful, and when you do have two completely polar opposite pitchers, you can really pick and choose which way you want to pitch guys."

But now the vacation is over, and the plane's about to take off, and Adam Plutko is ready to soar.

He's ready for the challenge, refreshed and energized.

"Next season, bring it on. I welcome it. I love targets on my back," Plutko said, steely-eyed.

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

From UCLA:

DENTON, Texas - UCLA junior right-hander Trevor Bauer has been named the District IX Player of the Year, as announced Friday by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Bauer logged 10 complete games in 136.2 innings in 2011, finishing the year with nine consecutive complete games.

The talented right-hander from Valencia, Calif., set the Pac-10 Conference's single-season strikeouts record, notching 203 strikeouts to eclipse Mark Prior's previous record of 202 punchouts at USC in 2001.

Bauer went 13-2 with a Pac-10-leading 1.25 ERA, surrendering just 22 runs (19 earned) all season while leading the Bruins into the host role for the 2011 NCAA Los Angeles Regional. Bauer followed Virginia's Danny Hultzen and Texas' Taylor Jungmann into the group of semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy and is a top candidate for the 2011 College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year Award.

Bauer has already been named National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball in addition to earning Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.

Throughout this junior campaign, Bauer established himself as UCLA's all-time record holder in career strikeouts (460), wins (34) and innings pitched (373.1). He also owns the top two marks on UCLA's single-season records list, having logged 203 strikeouts in 2011 and 165 in 2010.

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From UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - UCLA infielders Tyler Rahmatulla and Adrian Williams, outfielder Chris Giovinazzo and right-hander Brandon Lodge were chosen Wednesday on the third and final day of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Rahmatulla, a junior who played second base for the Bruins, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 34th round. Giovinazzo, a senior outfielder, was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 39th round. Williams, a junior infielder, was taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 45th round. Lodge, a redshirt junior right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 47th round.

Rahmatulla batted .250 in 18 games for UCLA in 2011, making 17 starts at second base. After batting .250 with three doubles, six RBI and 12 runs, he missed the team's final 40 games due to academic issues.

Giovinazzo played in 58 games, making 49 starts last season, including 47 starts in the outfield. He batted .250 with two home runs, four triples and 12 doubles as one of the team's four captains. Giovinazzo tallied 18 RBI and 28 runs, leading the Bruins with 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts.

Williams batted .206 in 20 games, including nine starts at shortstop for UCLA in 2011. He went 7-for-34 on the season with four runs, one RBI and two stolen bases in three attempts. In three seasons at UCLA, Williams has batted .231 with one double, two RBI and 10 runs.

Lodge posted a 1.59 ERA in 11 relief appearances and did not record a decision. He recorded five strikeouts and three walks in 11.1 innings. In two seasons out of the bullpen, Lodge tallied a 2.70 ERA in 18 relief outings (totaling 16.2 innings).

In all, UCLA had nine players selected in the 2011 MLB Draft. Junior right-handers Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh) and Trevor Bauer (Arizona) were selected first and third overall, respectively, in the first round of the draft on Monday. Junior catcher Steve Rodriguez (Arizona) and junior first baseman Dean Espy (Kansas City) were taken in the 15th round on Tuesday, before junior left-hander Mitchell Beacom (San Francisco) was chosen in the 20th round.

Through seven seasons as UCLA's head baseball coach, John Savage has had 51 major league draft selections, including 11 ballplayers selected within the first five rounds.

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From UCLA

TUCSON, Ariz. - Freshman right-handed pitchers Adam Plutko and Zack Weiss have secured Freshman All-America honors from Louisville Slugger, as announced by Collegiate Baseball on Wednesday.

Plutko, a 6-foot-3 right-hander from Upland, Calif., excelled as the Bruins' No. 3 starter in 2011, going 7-4 with a 2.01 ERA. He logged 92 strikeouts and 24 walks in 107.2 innings. Plutko limited the opposition to two runs or fewer in 12 of his 15 starts and recorded at least six innings or more in 14 of his 16 appearances.

Weiss, a 6-foot-2 right-hander from Irvine, Calif., served as UCLA's No. 4 starter in addition to contributing from the bullpen. He went 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA, compiling 53 strikeouts and 22 walks in 66.0 innings. Weiss pitched in 22 games, making nine starts.

Both Plutko and Weiss thrived in their one postseason start last Sunday. Plutko threw 7.2 innings of one-hit shutout ball in UCLA's 4-1 victory over San Francisco in an elimination game at the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. That evening, Weiss limited UC Irvine to three runs and six hits in eight-plus innings and did not earn a decision. Weiss struck out six batters and issued three walks in a 4-3 loss to the Anteaters.

Plutko and Weiss have become the first UCLA players to earn Freshman All-America acclaim from Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball since 2009, when Trevor Bauer was named the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year.

From UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - UCLA catcher Steve Rodriguez, first baseman Dean Espy and left-handed pitcher Mitchell Beacom were each selected on day two of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday afternoon.

Rodriguez and Espy were chosen in the 15th round, with Rodriguez being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Espy being selected by the Kansas City Royals. Beacom was taken in the 20th round by the San Francisco Giants.

A three-year starter behind the plate, Rodriguez was superb in handling first-round draft selections Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer the last three seasons. As a junior in 2011, Rodriguez threw out 22 of 54 attempted base stealers, converting at a 40.7 percent clip. At the plate, he batted .196 with five doubles and 17 RBI. In three seasons, Rodriguez batted .215 with 10 home runs, 15 doubles, 64 RBI and 58 runs in 147 games (137 starts).

Espy starred at UCLA at both third and first base after transferring from South Mountain Community College (Phoenix) in the summer of 2009. He led UCLA with a .320 batting average as the only Bruin to play in all 59 games in 2011. He made 58 starts (57 at first base), totaling three home runs, 15 doubles, 40 RBI and 32 runs. In two seasons at UCLA, Espy batted .331 with 12 home runs and 92 RBI.

Beacom excelled the last three seasons as a left-handed reliever, going 1-3 with a 3.49 ERA and one save in 47 appearances out of the bullpen. He logged 74 strikeouts and 16 walks in 59.1 career innings. In 2011, Beacom went 0-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 25 appearances, registering 38 strikeouts and nine walks in 32.2 innings.

Cole was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Bauer was chosen third by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Monday.

Wednesday marks the third and final day of the 2011 MLB Draft, with rounds 31-50 beginning at 9 a.m. (PT).

James Washington, one of the greatest safeties in UCLA history and a two-time Super Bowl champion, has returned to the athletic department in an exciting new role.

The four-year starter has been hired as Director of Scholarship Development for Intercollegiate Athletics. In April of 2010, he was named Assistant Director of Alumni Giving for the University. Successful in that role, he will now concentrate his efforts on raising funds for athletic scholarships.

"Everything James does, he does with great passion. He played with unbridled enthusiasm and my observations of him on campus this year showed that he works the same way," said Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. "I am thrilled that he will be focusing his efforts on raising funds for athletic scholarships as well as playing a key role in generating donor support for our football program. We are proud of his accomplishments and very excited to have him home again."

"Receiving an athletic scholarship from UCLA was a dream come true and one of the most unforgettable moments in my life. In fact, it ranks right up there with winning back-to-back Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys," said Washington. "As Director of Scholarship Development for UCLA Athletics, I have the unique opportunity to 'return the favor' and raise funds to support all 24 sports teams. It is a privilege and an honor. I am grateful to Vice Chancellor Rhea Turteltaub and Mr. Guerrero for this opportunity to foster, enhance and create new relationships for the betterment of UCLA Athletics."

Washington also has a strong presence within the sports media arena. He serves as an analyst during UCLA football games for Fox Sports Prime Ticket and is the host for the Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly show.

A four-year starter (1984-87) as a Bruin safety, Washington played in four bowl games - 1985 Fiesta Bowl (co-MVP), 1986 Rose Bowl, 1986 Freedom Bowl, and 1987 Aloha Bowl - all victories. He still ranks third in UCLA history with 15 career interceptions and sixth with 347 tackles.

Upon graduating from UCLA, Washington was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1988 NFL Draft. He later signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys, where he became one of the hardest hitting defensive backs in the league. In Dallas, he was reunited with Troy Aikman, a teammate at UCLA.

A starter for the Cowboys in four of his five seasons, he led the team in interception each year in which he started. He called the defensive signals for Dallas when it had the league's top-ranked defense (1992 and 1994) and was a standout on the 1993 and 1994 Super Bowl Championship teams.

UCLA head coach Ben Howland today announced the hire of Korey McCray as his third assistant coach, replacing Scott Duncan, who left to join Larry Shyatt's program at Wyoming.

McCray, 32, comes directly from the AAU ranks, where he served as CEO of the Atlanta Celtics, a program that has produced some of the top talent on current NBA rosters, including Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, Amare Stoudemire and Derrick Favors.

"I'm very excited to be announcing that Korey McCray has joined our staff," Howland said in a release. "I'm looking forward to him developing in every area. He will be a great asset in the development and mentoring of our players, in on the floor coaching and in recruiting."

While McCray has collegiate coaching experience at his alma mater, Mercer College, and at Florida State as a graduate assistant, that Howland would dip into the AAU circuit is quite telling. The Bruins have missed out on some key recruits in recent years, and the thought is that Howland needed to find someone in the McCray mold to round out his staff.

With the Celtics, McCray most recently coached two players whom the Bruins are heavily scouting, class of 2011-12 forwards Jordan Adams and Shaq Goodwin.

"I'm extremely excited to be at UCLA," McCray said in the school release. "It is an amazing University and has a great history in basketball, academics and throughout the entire athletic program. I couldn't be at a better place. I believe in education and developing student-athletes into a well-rounded person, including basketball, education, values, morals, personal relationships. There is no place better that represents that than UCLA."

Assorted quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington, Pirates Director of Scouting Greg Smith and No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole and No. 3 pick Trevor Bauer:

Bauer: "It's really a credit to Coach Savage and his recruiting and his knowledge about pitching. Without him, neither of us would've been drafted that high. He's taught me and Gerrit a whole lot in our time at UCLA. I picked up countless amounts of knowledge."

Bauer: "I didn't expect to be playing today. I thought we'd be done yesterday and moving on. That was our expectation moving into regional. After Friday, I hoped we'd be playing today, was very confident we'd be playing today. Today is definitely a little bittersweet. Today is a very individual day and yesterday was a team day, and I wish today was a team day.

Bauer on replacing his hat: "I'm sure I'll have to, even if I stay with the same organization for my entire career, I don't know if the hat can last 20 or 25 years in the big leagues, and I hope to be there that long."

Bauer on what he's doing with his UCLA hat: "I think the UCLA hat is being put in the scrapbook."

Assorted quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington, Pirates Director of Scouting Greg Smith and No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole and No. 3 pick Trevor Bauer:

Bauer: "I throw a four-seam fastball, two variations of a curve, two variations of a slider, two variations of a changeup, splitfinger fastball and two variations of a reverse slider. It's a little bit slower than a sinking fastball and a little faster than a screwball. It's six different pitches with slight variations on all of them, or most of them. I like to pitch with my offspeed stuff. Percentages, it's kinda tough to say, because every outing is different depending on what's working."

Bauer on idols: "Mechanically, Tim Lincecum. Pitch sequencing, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee. Obviously my dad is an influence on my life, as far as baseball influences, the way he raised me and the principles he taught me. Coaches have been involved in my life, my pitching coach Jim Wagner, I got with him when I was 10, been with him ever since. He's here with me at dinner tonight."

Bauer: "It's extremely satifying. It's a credit to all the hard work I've put in, all the hours of preparation, video analysis, conditioning on days you don't want to be conditioning. It's a credit to the Diamondbacks organization that they were willing to sit down and talk to me and get an idea for why I do the things I do."

Bauer: "As a kid I always dreamed of playing in the big leagues, being drafted, getting a chance to play the game I love for a living. I never really planned on it. I don't think too many people have planned on it. But I've always had a plan in place in terms of training. The plan was trying to get better and research what there is out there I can improve on."

Assorted quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington, Pirates Director of Scouting Greg Smith and No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole and No. 3 pick Trevor Bauer:

Bauer: "It was a great day for both of us. I was kinda speechless right after it happened. I think he had my number ready because he called a couple seconds after it happened."

Bauer: "I was very happy about it. I was hoping it would turn out this way. I've wanted to be a Diamondback for a while. Surprised, definitely, because I just don't think with the MLB draft you can ever know exactly where you're going to go. It all gets kinda topsy-turvy as it goes along."

Bauer:"Obviously the organization is based pretty close to home, in the NL West, with good competition and a place that's a warm-weather climate. All the weather we play in is warm-weather climate. I had the pleasure of siting down with Jerry Dipoto and talking with him a couple times, and I got a really good feel of the organization."

Bauer: "That's really up to people higher up in organization than me. I work for them. I play for them. My goal is to go out there and compete every time I pitch."

Assorted quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington, Director of Scouting Greg Smith and No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole:

Cole: "The draft three years ago was obviously somewhat unexpected; I feel like the Yankees handled it with a lot of class. ... But I feel it was the correct decision. I wanted to go to college, go to the College World Series, go to Omaha, play for the Bruins, be a Bruin, win the Pac-10. The Bruins were kinda on and off; we wanted to instill a new tradition, a new way."

Cole: "Once youre a Bruin, you're always a Bruin. We have tight-knit family. Not only the baseball team, but with all the athletes here. One of my many blessings, to be able to exprience all UCLA has to offer."

Cole: "We definitely made a premature exit. I think we all had higher expectations."

Cole: "I think I've grown as a person moreso than as a teammate. I've always viewed myself as a good teammate. One of the greatest parts of UCLA is you show up to campus on first day and you have 35 guys who have your back and are your friends and are going to stick with you through thick and thin. Just going to UCLA and being able to expeirence that, grow up, being able to handle things on your own has really helped me out."

Less than an hour after receiving a phone call that would change his life, Gerrit Cole made a phone call himself, to someone who he knows very well, someone whose life had changed in much the same way, albeit maybe earlier than expected.

Cole was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the first pick of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on Monday afternoon then watched the other half of UCLA's dynamic duo, Trevor Bauer, get tabbed by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the third pick less than 15 minutes later.

The call was a brief one, but a pivotal one, one that they'd been looking forward to for a long time.

"I gave him a call right after he got picked," Cole said. "We were both ecstatic; just kind of congrats back and forth. I had a little more time to think about the conversation than he did, and I kinda jumped on him pretty quick. There really wasn't a lot of substance- both of us were pretty much speechless."

Added Bauer: "It was a great day for both of us. I was kinda speechless right after it happened. I think he had my number ready because he called a couple seconds after it happened."

The phone call over, both guys apparently speechless, they got to celebrating with their respective families, the terrific twosome becoming the first pair of teammates in the top three since Arizona State's Bob Horner (No. 1) and Hubie Brooks (No. 3) in 1978.

Assorted quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington, Director of Scouting Greg Smith and No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole:

Cole: They called me about 30 minutes before the draft happened, let me know they were gonna go with me, wanted to give me the heads up."

Cole: "I actually didn't tell my family. I wanted to keep them in suspense in a little bit. But it was obviously one of the most memorable phone calls I'll ever receive."

Cole: "I'm not exactly sure what specific flaws or anything that was mentioned, but obviously your goal is to get better every day. If there are some flaws you need to correct, I feel I have a lot of aptitude and a knack for learning. Getting after is definitely what I'd like to do."

Cole on Bauer: "I gave him a call right after he got picked. We were both ecstatic, just kind of congrats back and forth. I had a little more time to think about the conversation than he did, and I kinda jumped oin him pretty quick. There really wasnt a lot of substance - both of us were pretty much speechless."

Assorted quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington, Director of Scouting Greg Smith and No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole:

Huntington: "One of the things we really stress with our scouting staff is the vision to see down the road, what the biggest impact can be. Looking at Gerrit, the physical side, the strength - not only the weapons he has now, but how they can be harnessed going forward."

Smith: "With us having the first pick, it allowed us to really target guys at the beginning of the season. Collectively, with our scouting staff, we did not miss a start. I got multiple looks at him, as did our leadership group."

Huntington: "W'ere talking about a guy who had a pretty strong year. Might not have been Strasburg dominance. But in his losses, his team scored just over two runs. He had a very strong year to go along with a very strong package of pitches."

Smith: "A lot of credit goes to Gerrit a lot has gone to John Savage. It's indicitave, look where Gerrit Cole was drafted, look where Trevor Bauer was drafted. Obviously he's done a good job developing young men and developing student-athletes."

Assorted quotes from Pirates GM Neal Huntington, Pirates Director of Scouting Greg Smith and No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole and No. 3 pick Trevor Bauer:

Huntington: "If we were focused on taking the player who performed the best this year, you're right, there might have been other options. Our focus is to find the player best for our organization two, four, six, eight years from now.

Huntington: "We felt he had the biggest impact for us potentially on the board."

Huntington: "Signability is an issue with every player who comes off the board in the first round. We're going to fight to find common ground both sense both sides. We believe we'll get a deal done, No. 1 because it's the right thing to do."

Huntington: "Scouting is about projection, it's about looking into the future. The performance of this year goes into it, but also when we're looking at a big, strong kid with quality stuff."

UCLA pitchers Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer would no doubt love to be playing today, maybe even pitching themselves, against the UC Irvine Anteaters, but alas, the Bruins' season ended last night with a 4-3 loss in the ninth inning.

Still, today shouldn't be too shabby for the devastating duo.

Cole was selected with the first pick in today's MLB Amateur Draft, and Bauer went shortly after to the Arizona Diamondbacks with the third overall pick. They are the first pair of teammates to be drafted in the top-10 since Vanderbilt's David Price (No. 1) and Casey Weathers (No. 8) and tie the record for highest drafted twosome.

While their respective seasons could not have played out more differently, the pair's immediate upside shot them to the top of the draft.

Cole struggled for much of April and early May and finished with a 6-8 record, 3.31 ERA and .242 batting average against while striking out 119 in 114 1/3 innings. Bauer, meanwhile, became the best pitcher in college baseball, with one of the most memorable seasons in recent college history. Bauer went 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA, .154 BAA and a Pac-10 record 203 strikeouts in 136.2 innings. While he racked up complete game after complete game, Bauer set UCLA career records for wins (34), strikeouts (460, No. 2 in Pac-10 history to Washington's Tim Lincecum) and innings pitched (373.1).

Cole joins a Pirates organization that has been among the dreads of the major leagues for nearly two decades. Pittsburgh has drafted in the top-5 in each of the last six years, selecting pitchers in 2006 (Brad Lincoln, No. 4), 2007 (Daniel Moskos, No. 4), and 2010 (Jameson Taillon, No. 2). The Pirates also selected bust Bryan Bullington with the No. 1 pick in 2002.

The Diamondbacks, who also own the No. 7 pick, have fallen on hard times the last two seasons after advancing to the NLCS in 2007. They've selected five pitchers in the first round since 2006.

Cole and Bauer will both participate in conference calls later today, as will UCLA head coach John Savage.

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

Here's my feature from today's Daily News on Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, who are both expected to be drafted in the Top-7 in today's MLB Draft, with Cole likely going No. 1: Terrific Twosome

Throughout UCLA's memorable 2010 postseason run, head coach John Savage touted the team's unsung heroes, the fantastic bullpen that not only kept the Bruins in games, but hpropelled them to victory.

Heading into this season, Savage sounded a bit worried about replacing Dan Klein and the veteran-laden bullpen, if only because of the experience factor.

He had reason to worry.

UCLA freshman closer Nick Vander Tuig gave up two runs to UC Irvine in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium, propelling the Anteaters to the Super Regionals with a 4-3 win and ending the Bruins' season.

"I told him that he's going to be a great Bruin and he needs to learn from this season," Savage said about his post-game talk with Vander Tuig. "I'm sure he'll be one of our starters next year. He got put into a role he wasn't totally used to."

After Vander Tuig replaced fellow freshman pitcher Zack Weiss with no outs and Dillon Meyer on first base following a walk, UC Irvine designated hitter Jordan Leyland smacked an 0-2 offering into left field for a game-tying double. UCLA third baseman Cody Regis misplayed a Tommy Reyes bunt, moving pinch-runner Scott Gottschling to third, and Anteaters No. 9 hitter Ronnie Schaeffer stroked a single to right field for the win.

Sitting at the post-game dais, Savage stared off into the distance, seemingly running over the ninth inning pitch-by-pitch in his head.

"Nick left a breaking ball; we wanted it in the dirt, and Leyland did a nice job and he hit a mistake," Savage said. "But I was thinking about (Adam) Plutko and (Zack) Weiss and Vander Tuig. Those are the New Coles and Bauers."

For much of the game, UCLA kept the Anteaters at snout's length, unable to build on an early 3-0 lead.

Blessed by standout pitching performances throughout the weekend after dropping the first games of the regional to San Francisco - including a dominating performance from freshman Adam Plutko in a 4-1 win over the Dons earlier on Sunday - the Bruins finally seemed to be building some offensive momentum over the first five innings. The big hit? A Jeff Gelalich first-inning home run that came a year to the day after his first collegiate home run.

UCLA, which eliminated UC Irvine from the regionals last season at Jackie Robinson, would later add runs in the fourth inning on a Gelalich fielder's choice that scored catcher Tyler Heineman and in the fifth inning on a Heineman RBI single, but the team also stranded 13 baserunners and struck out eight times.

"That was really the story of the season; we just could not get people in," Savage said. "It seemed like we'd get them on, but at the end of the day, we for whatever reason, did not produce enough runs. It's frustrating. Everybody's frustrated, everybody's trying. Sometimes they try too hard."

Weiss, the team's typical Tuesday starter allowed six hits and two walks while striking out five, only finding real trouble in the fifth inning, when the Anteaters scored two. Weiss settled down, though, inducing an inning-ending groundout that stranded two baserunners.
But after the walk to Jonathan Hurst to open the ninth inning, Weiss gave way to Vander Tuig.

"It was the most pitches he's thrown all year, and I thought he was done after the seventh," Savage said. "Eighth inning, though, he came out guns blazing. I'm so proud of him. The guy stepped up in a major way. I think you saw a pitcher grow up tonight."
More than one, in fact.

From UCLA:

Los Angeles, CA - Coming off of his National Freshman of the Year honors on Friday, freshman Patrick Cantlay has once again been honored by the GCAA with the Jack Nicklaus Award for Division I National Player of the Year.

"It's a great honor to be selected as the Nicklaus Award winner," Cantlay said. "It means a lot to me and I am very happy to have played well enough to receive it. I had a great time this year playing for UCLA and I really enjoyed spending time with Coach Freeman and Coach Sigler and the guys on the team."

Cantlay becomes the first UCLA golfer to win the award since Kevin Chappell won it in 2008, and he joins Chappell, Corey Pavin (1982) and Duffy Waldorf (1985) as the only UCLA golfers to win National Player of the Year honors. He also became the first golfer to win both National Player of the Year and National Freshman of the Year in the same season.

A first-team All-American selection, Patrick recorded a national best four victories during the season. He won at the Gifford Collegiate Championship, USC Invitational, Amer Ani Invitational and the NCAA West Regional. Cantlay also finished runner up at the NCAA Championship this past week. Overall, he led the Bruins with seven top five finishes and set a new UCLA single season record for stroke play scoring average at 70.5, breaking the previous mark held by his teammate Gregor Main. He also led the team in rounds under par (20), rounds under 70 (17) and top 10 finishes (9). Finally, Cantlay was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year and the Freshman of the Year, becoming just the second golfer in league history to earn both awards in the same season.

"Patrick played extremely well the entire year," Head Coach Derek Freeman said. "He deserves all the awards for his hard work and dedication towards his golf game. The Nicklaus Award is a very difficult award to win especially with all the great collegiate players. I am really happy for Patrick and his future is going to be exciting."

Cantlay set another UCLA record as shot 30-under par for the entire season in 37 rounds. He only finished outside the top-10 three times in 13 events this year and was named a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award, given out annually to the nation's top collegiate player.

Behind a standout performance by Adam Plutko and timely hitting from up and down the lineup, UCLA defeated San Francisco, 4-1 in the 2 p.m. matchup today, and now the Bruins will face UC Irvine tonight.

Win tonight, and UCLA plays the Anteaters again tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Plutko allowed just one hit in 7 2/3 innings while striking out six and allowing zero runs, before giving way to Nick Vander Tuig for the four-out save.

Four Bruins had multiple hits - Pat Valaika, Trevor Brown, Cody Regis and Dean Espy - and Esy, Regis and Valaika each had RBIs, as did Jeff Gelalich.

Check out Tom Hoffarth's column in today's Daily News about UCLA giving back...and getting back more

From UCLA:

Several UCLA alumni student-athletes will be honored tonight as the Los Angeles Unified School District inducts the inaugural class of the Los Angeles High School Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony is this evening at USC's Town and Gown Room.

Bruin alums being inducted tonight include Dick Bishop, gymnastics; Tom Bradley, track and field Sheila Cornell Douty, softball; Tom Fears, football; Jack Fernandez, wrestling; Gail Goodrich, basketball; Frank Lubin, basketball; Willie Naulls, basketball; Marques Johnson, basketball; Kenny Washington, football; and Bob Waterfield, football. In addition, Dodger star Don Drysdale, the late husband of UCLA four-time All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale; and assistant gymnastics coach Makoto Sakamoto are also scheduled for induction

To read more about the Los Angeles High School Sports Hall of Fame, click here.

A reader asked me to repost my story following Wooden's passing, so here it is:
Check it out

Forget the filthy, faded hat and the long toss and the curious warm-up routine: Trevor Bauer is challenging baseball conventions simply by his sheer sustainability.

Bauer raised his nation-leading innings pitched total to 136 2/3, raised his nation-leading strikeout total to 203 and, oh, just about raised UCLA from the dead, going the distance for the ninth straight outing in a 3-1 win over Fresno State in the NCAA Regionals at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Bauer allowed six hits and struck out 14 Bulldogs - setting the Pac-10 single-season record in the process - while dominating the heart of the order. Fresno State's 3-4-5 hitters went a combined 0-for-12 against the crafty junior with five strikeouts, including three whiffs by three-hitter Dusty Robinson, whose 16 home runs this season matched UCLA's team total.

"I've been watching him for quite a few years; what separates him is he can throw three pitches for strike on any count," Bulldogs coach Mike Batesole said. "When you can do that in college baseball, you have the chance to win a lot of games, which he's done."

Thirteen on the season for Bauer, to be exact, and 34 in his three-year career, the highest mark in team history. This one was much the same: dominating, succinct, with only a modicum of stress. Bauer struck out six Bulldogs more than once and, aside from a sixth inning jam in which Fresno State scored its only run and left two men on base, he was dealing for all 133 of his pitches, 84 of which were strikes.

"I'm pretty wiped out," a typically stoic Bauer said after the game. "I'm the kind of guy who goes out, gives everything they have. I'm pretty drained. Need to get some food."

The Pac-10 pitcher of the year ought to eat a meal fit for a king.

His batters certainly left a lot on the platter.

The Bruins stroked 11 hits and scored three runs - no small feat for a team that hasn't feasted much all season, particularly in the team's 3-0 loss to San Francisco on Friday that saddled likely No. 1 pick Gerrit Cole with his eighth loss of the season (Bauer has eight for his career).

But UCLA also left 14 runners on base and stranded two or more baserunners in 5-of-8 plate appearances.

"We left 14 guys on base, very frustrating that we didn't open it up a little more," UCLA coach John Savage said. "But that's been our style."

It has been a style without much style, though reserve second baseman Trevor Brown did flash some panache in a 2-for-3 day that included a key seventh-inning RBI single that gave Bauer some cushion.

"Being in that kind of role, I feel like I start every day with a clean slate," said Brown, who usually starts against left-handers, like Fresno State's Josh Poytress, who allowed two runs on seven hits in five innings. "I don't have to worry about the night before. The guys who start every day, if they don't have a good day the game before, they have to flush that and move on."

And that's the mentality this UCLA team has now, its season hanging by a thread. With a first-game loss to the Dons, the Bruins were faced with the task of winning four straight games. One down, three to go.

"We haven't been in this position in a while; losing our first game at home. Then you got Fresno State? It's not an easy task," Savage said. "(There are) still a lot of good baseball teams left in this tournament. We can't win the tourney today."

We all kind of knew when it was coming, but when it finally did, it was like the world stood still.

The sporting world, at least, and it did.

John Wooden's passing a year ago today not only dramatically affected the UCLA sports community, but took center stage on Sportscenter, elicited round after round of praise from NBA players during the NBA Finals and reminded everyone not just about the 10 championships or years of success, but about the man behind it.

I remember the night it happened vividly, being at Jackie Robinson Stadium when the news broke, having to cobble together a story, calling UCLA great after UCLA great and listening to them describe not what it was like to play for Wooden but to know him. John Vallely told me that finally mustered the courage to propose to his wife after a stern talking-to from Wooden. I thought Jamaal Wilkes was going to cry. Jim Harrick did choke back tears. It turned out to be a good story, though are those stories every really good?

I never met the man, but through those stories and the numerous platitudes of others, I feel like I did. Rest in Peace, Coach Wooden, hope you and Nell are enjoying a game of canasta.

ALSO: Check out this phenomenal story from ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne on Wooden's legacy with current UCLA coaches: Trust me, it's worth the time.

Entering UCLA after spurning the New York Yankees in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Gerrit Cole headed to the Bruins amid a torrent of lofty expectations.

His exit was much quieter.

They stood and they cheered a dignified cheer, an ovation clearly representative of Cole's entire body of work, not his performance on an uneven Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Cole surrendered 11 hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings while receiving little support from his offense as UCLA fell to San Francisco in their opening game of the NCAA Regionals, and now the Bruins must win two straight - beginning today at 2 p.m. with Fresno State - to prolong their season.

"We can't be putting our heads down saying, 'Poor me,'" Cole said. "We're looking forward to coming out here tomorrow and Trevor (Bauer) pitching the way he has. We're a long way from out of this thing."

Cole was dominant at times against the Dons, striking out 11 while frequently working out of self-caused jams. But the fastball that has scouts drooling so much - Cole is a projected top-three pick in Monday's MLB Draft - was abundantly hittable.

Cole labored through a long third inning in which he not only allowed the Dons' first run but tweaked his ankle in the process while trying to field a ground ball. San Francisco added another run in the fifth inning when Nik Balog scored Connor Bernatz from second baseman on a single that caromed off the glove of second baseman Kevin Williams, and the Dons sealed the deal with an eighth-inning RBI by Adam Clear that eventually chased Cole.

"When you're going up against a guy like Gerrit, your only option is to keep it as simple as possible, keep your mind as clear as possible," said San Francisco's Nik Balog, who went 4-for-4 with two RBIs. "There's little-to-no-room for error facing a guy like that."

But once again, Cole was on an island, buoyed by just about zero backing from an offense that has struggled to get his back throughout the season. UCLA managed just two hits through eight innings against Kyle Zimmer while striking out 11 times as Zimmer threw his first career complete-game shutout.

UCLA had several balls go to the warning track in the later innings, but the Bruins were never able to break through. They even loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, only to watch Cody Regis stare at a called third strike.

"We just didn't fight enough pitches off with two strikes," Savage said. "You have to fight those pitches off. You can't stand there with your bat on your shoulder and two strikes."
Now momentum is all UCLA could use, with backs now firmly drilled to the wall.

The Bruins must defeat the Bulldogs behind Trevor Bauer tomorrow, with game-time set for 2 p.m., before facing the winner of USF-UC Irvine on Sunday for a chance to advance to the regionals.

"I told the guys afterward: That's why they call it a tournament," Savage said. "It's not won by one game or lost by one game."

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From UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - Pauley Pavilion is in the midst of an unprecedented renovation, and now UCLA fans can see the progress as it unfolds. Athletics has erected a construction camera for frequent updates on the venue's transformation into one of the leading state-of-the-art facilities in the nation.

The camera, sitting atop the southwest corner of the John Wooden Center, gives visitors a view of Pauley Pavilion's north and east sides. The camera, sitting atop the southwest corner of the John Wooden Center, gives visitors a view of Pauley Pavilion's north and east sides. A new photo is taken every 15 minutes and each picture is archived on the site.

In addition to the static camera, fans will also be able to see periodic photo updates of the venue's changing interior, along with exterior shots of the south and west sides.

Pauley Pavilion, which first opened in 1965, is scheduled to re-open to the public in the fall of 2012.

To access the camera and to learn more about the project, please visit www.campaignofchampions.com or go directly to www.uclabruins.com to follow a link to campaignofchampions.com.

Ipad and iphone users will be able access the construction updates via the free OxBlue app. Once downloaded, type in pauleypavilion in the 'Open Link' box upon launching the application.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

FROM UCLA:

TUCSON, Ariz. - UCLA junior right-hander Trevor Bauer has captured National Player of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball, as announced Thursday by the weekly newspaper. Bauer has led UCLA with a 12-2 record, 1.27 ERA and nation-best 189 strikeouts this season.

In addition, Bauer was named as one of 17 first-team All-America selections by Collegiate Baseball.

Bauer, who was named the Pac-10 Conference's Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday, has become the first UCLA baseball player to secure National Player of the Year acclaim from a major baseball media affiliate since 1990, when catcher Paul Ellis was tabbed the Division I Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).

Bauer has thrown eight consecutive complete games, including nine overall this season and 14 in his three-year collegiate career. He has established UCLA's career records this season in strikeouts (446), wins (33) and innings pitched (364.1). Bauer is tied for second on the school's all-time complete games list.

A three-time All-Pac-10 Team selection, Bauer was named as one of 30 semifinalists for the coveted Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, as announced by USA Baseball. Three finalists for that award will be announced Monday, June 6. Bauer earned Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors a record six times this season and was a National Player of the Week selection by Louisville Slugger on seven occasions this spring.

Bauer currently leads all Pac-10 pitchers in ERA (1.27), opponent batting average (.152), strikeouts (189) and innings pitched (127.2). In conference games, Bauer went 8-1 with eight complete games in nine starts, registering 118 strikeouts and 16 walks in 80.0 innings.

Hailing from Valencia, Calif., Bauer enrolled at UCLA in January 2009, graduating from Hart High School one semester early. In the spring of 2009, he went 9-3 with a 2.99 ERA, 92 strikeouts and 27 walks in 105.1 innings to capture Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors. As a sophomore in 2010, he went 12-3 with a 3.02 ERA, securing second-team All-America acclaim from Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America.

Bauer and the UCLA baseball team open their postseason schedule at the NCAA Los Angeles Regional against San Francisco on Friday at 6 p.m.

The always-spectacular Tim Keown has a phenomenal write-up of UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer in Friday's ESPN the Magazine, and I was lucky enough to see a sneak preview and share some of it here. Bauer, who I wrote about last week here, is just a fascinating figure, and Keown gets some fascinating stuff on the recently crowned Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year.

Here's an excerpt:

By the statistical measures that portend professional success, Bauer is the best pitcher on the board for the June 6 first-year player draft. He leads the country in strikeouts with 175 in 118 ²/3 innings and has a 1.37 ERA in the Pac-10, one of college baseball's toughest conferences. His name has been on a steady rise up draft boards, from potential first-rounder at the beginning of the year to potential top five in June. Yet this kid, the most dominant college pitcher since Stephen Strasburg, whose style and stuff evoke legitimate comparisons to Tim Lincecum--isn't even in the mix to be the top pick. Why not? It seems baseball still doesn't know how to handle guys who march to their own drum.

But that wasn't Bauer's main gripe with the tennis coach. The letter to the baseball coach included the phrase, "The unexpected repetitiveness of the ball hitting the fence." This upset Bauer's sense of order. His eyes widen, his voice rises. "How could something be repetitive and unexpected at the same time?" he asks. "If it's repetitive, don't you come to expect it?"

FROM UCLA:

Fox Sports Net has listed two UCLA football games among its 2011 early selections.

FSN will carry the Sept. 3 opener at Houston, although the game time is still to be determined. The regular-season finale on Nov. 26 against USC at the Coliseum will kick at 7:00 pm and will be carried nationally by FSN.

FSN will also make games available to FX and Versus this season. Only six of FSN's 24 Pac-12 Conference home windows have been filled, so there will be opportunities for other UCLA games to be chosen during the season (12 days prior to the game).

UCLA also has two games on ESPN/ABC with other selections possible. ABC will televise the UCLA's home game versus Texas on Sept. 17 (12:30) while ESPN will carry the Thursday, Oct. 20 game at Arizona (6:00 pm PT/MT).

ESPN/ABC has five Pac-12 windows to fill while FSN/FX/Versus has 18. Those selections will be made 12 days prior to the game.

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