February 2012 Archives

On living up to John Wooden's name:
UCLA Head Coach Ben Howland: "I hold Coach in such high esteem. Anybody who knows me or who follows the program knows that - and I also said that nine years ago, when I arrived here, the very first thing out of my mouth at the initial press conference -was that there'll never be another John Wooden, and I would never purport to ever be able to live up to him, to what he accomplished, and to who he was as a man and as a coach.
"Of course, I strive to follow his ideals, and to try to support that teaching with our players and in our program. I had a great relationship with Coach Wooden, and that's one of the great blessings of my entire life, both as a coach and as a person for me and my family to get to know him. It was such an honor to be able to talk to him and to learn from him. I just feel so blessed to have had that opportunity. Some of the maxims of Coach - I keep this little book, which he has this little book called "Thoughts and Observations by John Wooden" as a devotional that I look at and read all the time. Be observant and learn from your mistakes and try to improve. And his thing, the number one thing, is always do your very best. And that's I truly believe that I've tried to do and as has my staff, do our very best. And that's something we're always imploring for from our players, whether it be in the class room, on the basketball floor, or in their lives."

On his lack of involvement outside of practice/games:
Howland: "If you talk to my former players, and that may be the opinion of a specific player. No one came forward and said that they said that. But if you talk to former players, my former players, whether they be here, UCLA, the University of Pittsburgh, Northern Arizona, an assistant at UCSB, I would think over the last 30 or 31 years, that actually would not be considered to be accurate. That's hurtful. I feel like I've got a great relationship; one of the great joys of coaching, for me, has been and continues to be the relationships I have with so many of my former players, that I stay in close contact with them and their families, from all those years past. And to me, that's one of the great joys, having those relationships and the love you have because of being involved in athletics, and the closeness that brings to teams and to relationships. So, yeah, to answer your question, I didn't agree with it."

On allegations of physical abuse by players to players and managers
Howland: "The instances you are talking about in the article had to do with hard fouls and cheap shots. Never was there any, during my watching and being there for every minute of every practice, an assault or that I felt it was prudent that there was some kind of assault going on. Often times in the heat of battle, elbows are flying or guys are being physical. And yes, a cheap shot is different than a closed fist punched in someone's face. Or directed at someone. So there's varying degrees of your question. Anything I felt was something that was serious in nature, obviously I would always bring it to Dan and to my superiors and I would deal with it first hand, whichever players were involved."

CBS Sports' incredible college hoops duo of Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish have a blockbuster story today, and it could not come at a worse time for UCLA fans. Shabazz Muhammad's eligibility is in question, and the NCAA has let schools know, they report: Check it out

Ben Howland's opening remarks:
"Obviously this is not a great day for our program, and of course for me. As I said yesterday, I knew some of the details of the Sports Illustrated story, but did not read the entire text until late last night. As you can imagine, I was surprised by some of the assertions that I had no knowledge of, were simply untrue or were taken out of context. I'm responsible for this program and everything that happens in it and if there's any need to make changes, I'll make them. I'm proud of our current and former players and our coaches, and I'm confident in where we're going as we head forward."

On personally changing since the Final Four run:
Ben Howland: "I'm pretty much the same person. You're always trying to improve as a coach as you are as a player. Something that I preach to my players constantly is that you never stay the same. You're always trying to improve and get better. So I hope that I would actually be a better coach than I was during that three year run of Final Fours."

On what has changed:
Howland: I'll tell you this, I'm very proud of our team. We're talking about the last three years, and two of the last three years, we're going into the last weekend of each season, one game behind the leader with a chance to win the conference, so we've been right there. But we didn't go to the Final Four. And again, our expectations at UCLA are very high, the highest in the country. We want to win championships, and championships are what UCLA's about, having won the most championships as a basketball program, or even as an entire athletic department. And, so I understand that, and that comes with the territory of being the coach here at UCLA."

Former UCLA center Lorenzo Mata, a three-time Final Four veteran, took to Twitter to opine on the Sports Illustrated piece. Here is his feed.

1) Whoever the Snitch is talking bad about UCLA Bball and Ben Howland really must have no life... Coach Howland is a great coach and even

2) Better person, if it wasn't for him I would not b the person I am today. He's a Winner and he knows how to WIN

3) The players don't have the winners mentality and are not mentally tough and they choose to party instead of winning, they're not serious

4) If you are at UCLA basketball and want to WIN then be serious and take care of responsibilities, set ur priorities straight!!! SACRIFICE!!!

5) Be smart with decisions you make, Coach Howland can only do so much to help, its up to the players to sacrifice time and effort to WIN

6) UCLA Basketball has to be represented and respected highly... these kids have no heart and no will to win and to sacrifice for the TEAM.

7) I guarantee its not Coach Ben Howlands life, its the fact the the players don't take it serious and rather go out and be selfish

8) They all complain about losing but how do you want to win if you don't sacrifice like we did and do whatever it takes to WIN? We sacrificed

9) and put everything aside because we wanted to be successful 3 final fours in a row was cuz we wanted it and we sacrificed and listened to

10) Coach Ben Howland and he made us Winners and better persons in life. Thanks coach and I know UCLA bball will be at the top soon again

What I'm about to say is one of the most insanely idiotic things you will have ever heard. At no point in my rambling, incoherent response have I even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award myself no points, and may God have mercy on my soul.

Ben Howland is a lost puppy.

George Dohrmann's wonderfully detailed piece in Sports Illustrated - this one, though I'm sure you've already read it - illustrated just how much Howland has lost his way.

Only he can find his way back.

He's done it before, resurrecting a sagging UCLA program that was coming off its worst season in terms of winning percent since 1946. Two years after inheriting a program that had fallen off, Howland had the Bruins back on track, perhaps even ahead of schedule, in the Final Four for the first of three straight years.

His teams were pillars of defensive discipline, hard-nosed, tough. Angry. I didn't get a first-hand view of the teams, but it's impossible not to have caught them even sporadically on TV. Often, during late-March. I actually covered the Bruins' win over Belmont in the first round of the '06 NCAA Tournament for one of my first "big money" freelance assignments - for the Nashville City Paper. I saw the same things that everyone else saw: guys who were dedicated to the system, a coach who instilled a set of principles and trusted his players to abide by them and a program that was quite healthy.

It was healthy, of course, only because the two most vital organs were healthy.

The head: Howland, firm and steady, true to himself and his principles. Convicted.

The heart: UCLA's team leaders, from Arron Afflalo to Darren Collison to Russell Westbrook, guys whose work ethics were beyond reproach.

Even when Howland seemed to go against his identity somewhat with the class of 2007 - Kevin Love, as a one-and-done, was a first for Howland at UCLA (Trevor Ariza was really a Steve Lavin recruit) and Chase Stanback wasn't, and isn't, particularly known for his gritty defense - you could easily attribute that being a product of a small class. After all, if Howland had a few more scholarships, he would've found the next Luc Richard Mbah a Moute or even the next Westbrook, right?

With Love and Westbrook gone - and also Mbah a Moute and Lorenzo Mata - Howland was faced with a difficult dilemma: He could take advantage of the cred garnered by a rarely accomplished three-year stretch or he could continue to assemble classes with varied talent, from superstar to role player.

Howland took advantage. And then some.

While UCLA's 2005-2007 classes ranked 13th, 21st and 12th, respectively, the Bruins reeled in the country's top class in 2008. Five players, 22 stars between them, and they believed it should've been 25. They followed with the No. 9 class of 2009.

By Year 2, when all but Jrue Holiday remained - the top recruit, the smartest recruit and the most upstanding recruit of the '08 class - from the first class and Tyler Honeycutt, Reeves Nelson, Mike Moser and Brendan Lane were added, the cancers had taken hold. Drew Gordon was run out after six games, J'Mison Morgan followed after the season. UCLA finished 14-18, and it was quite the dysfunctional year.

Nelson became a media darling for his tenacity, everyone overlooking the Glare, that scary look that he had all the time. It was a scary look. Fans thought it was just intensity. Clearly, as Dohrmann reported, it was more than that. The atmosphere created by Nelson and fostered by Howland was one of a playground at recess. The bully thrived and the teacher was either too busy - or to afraid himself - to punish.

We thought that Howland had gone back to righting the ship last season, when the Bruins rebounded to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. We thought Howland had reeled Nelson in a bit and with Joshua Smith taking a massive leap in 2012 - instead of just being massive - and the addition of the Wears and two senior guards, UCLA could be back in the Sweet 16 at the very least. The media voted the Bruins the preseason conference favorites, and who could blame them?

Only the culture permeated. And spread.

Over the summer, a UCLA assistant coach told me, I thought in jest, "Watch what happens when Reeves doesn't start." I kind of blew it off. Yeah, like Howland wasn't going to start a returning all-conference player. We all know how that worked out. Nelson was booted less than two months into the season. The Bruins regressed, and now stand at 16-13 with two games left in a season, potentially the second time in three seasons that they'll miss the NCAA Tournament.

And then, this.

Howland must look at himself long and hard in the mirror. Self-reflection doesn't even begin to describe the level of ownership that Howland must take for the failures of the program. Because that ownership can lead to the success of the program.

Howland has found out that he is not John Calipari. UCLA fans don't need him to be John Calipari. They need him to be Ben Howland. The Ben Howland that found Mbah a Moute and Afflalo and Collison. The one that turned good high school prospects into great college players into valuable NBA commodities. The one that can teach defensive principles like Stevie Ray Vaughn taught guitar lessons.

He'll likely get another chance.

Reaction to the Sports Illustrated piece has been a mixture of outright shock, righteous indignation and a bit of sadness that a once-mighty program had fallen, but overall the vibe is, "It could've been worse." The Morgan Center is up in arms - they've hired a crisis management team - but unless some major catalysts push for change, it's still a longshot. Howland is not out of the woods by any stretch, his records in 2009-10 and 2011-12 cement his status on the hot seat.

Only he can cool it off.

By most accounts, the players he has either brought in for the 2012 class or hopes to bring in - the already-signed Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams, and the up-for-grabs Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker - are not just quality players but quality guys.

This is a tough game, this college basketball thing, and it's only going to get tougher. It's on the head coach to maintain a sense of direction, guided only by his compass. Howland did it for a long time. But now...

He's a lost puppy.

He just needs to find his way.

(pause)

Knibb High Football Rules!

UCLA just sent out an email that informed us of a midday teleconference, and with reactions from several involved:

From Chancellor Gene Block:

"It is disheartening for our Bruin community to be confronted with the type of assertions contained in the Sports Illustrated story. We take seriously any challenge to who we are and what we are about, and I am confident that any issues in our men's basketball program will be rectified."

From Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero:

"I have discussed the Sports Illustrated story with Coach Howland and Chancellor Block and we will continue to address any issues and concerns. Like many in the Bruin family, I am disappointed. That said, I know that we have, and will continue to provide, the necessary resources, education and support for all of our coaches, staff and student-athletes."

From Head Men's Basketball Coach Ben Howland:

"Like everyone else, I am always looking forward to improving as both a person and as a coach. I am proud of the coaches, staff and student-athletes in our program, and I look forward to our future."

I didn't feel comfortable posting a link to the article until it officially went live, but here it is : Check it out

I'll have a column up on it later, but I'm going through some personal stuff that matter more right now.

Post your thoughts to the story here.

FROM UCLA:

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Jeff Gelalich of the UCLA baseball team has earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 20-26, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.

Gelalich batted .500 in four games last week, going 7-for-14 with three home runs, five RBI and seven runs. The junior outfielder from La Verne, Calif., totaled a .611 on-base percentage and 1.143 slugging percentage and did not strikeout in 18 plate appearances.

Gelalich captured his first-ever Pac-12 Player of the Week award after belting two homers in a 19-7 win at Cal State Northridge last Tuesday before going 5-for-10 in UCLA's three-game series victory over Baylor last weekend.

In the Bruins' 9-3 triumph on Saturday, Gelalich put UCLA on the board with a towering two-run home run in the first inning. He went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run in that game. Gelalich went 2-for-4 with two runs, including the game-tying run with two outs in the Bruins' four-run eighth inning, in Sunday's 8-6 comeback victory.

Gelalich becomes UCLA's first Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week selection since Beau Amaral earned the weekly honor May 10, 2010, during his freshman campaign.

UCLA returns to action this week, hosting Long Beach State on Tuesday night (6 p.m.) before playing a three-game series at home against Sacramento State from March 2-4.

Throughout the week, I'll be bringing you some of the opening words from the new UCLA assistant coaches. A very energetic group, with a common purpose. We'll start with new UCLA wide receivers coach Eric Yarber, who came to the Bruins from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

JG: UCLA receivers have seemed to have a case of mistaken identity year in, year out. There has been a lot of griping about "roles." How do you address that?
"I look at them and I just want them they to be the best THEY can be. If the best they can be is a 40 or 50 catch receiver, so be it. But I want them the best they can be. If they give me everything they can, and they're doing everything I tell them to do, very coachable, I know I can take them off their mark. Find the buttons to push, what not to push. How he responds to certain kinds of coaching. I'm not going in with expectations. I have an open mind to try to find some guys to help us win some games. Who are going to be the warriors?"

JG: Shifting from the Pistol to Noel Mazzone's spread, what kind of technique has to change? Is it good to inherit such a young class to be able to break their bad habits?
EY: "I wouldn't call them bad habits - different offenses have different skill sets, but what I see in them in this offense is we need guys who are great athletes who can beat people in space and one on one. Seeing those guys in high school a couple years ago, all those guys had those skill sets. Jerry Johnson, he was a great deep threat, a great outside guy who could get to the ball, who could run by guys. I saw Devin and Shaq when they were young with a unique skill sets - guys you could get the ball to in space. That translates in this offense. That's the philosophy and the basis of this offense. If we do that, we've done our job."

Throughout the week, I'll be bringing you some of the opening words from the new UCLA assistant coaches. A very energetic group, with a common purpose. We'll start with new UCLA wide receivers coach Eric Yarber, who came to the Bruins from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

JG: How worried are you about your depth?

EY: "In this offense, four guys are going to start, but the backups are going to have to be just as good as them. They'll be starters themselves. We'll play so fast, we can't have a drop off. Those guys have to play at a consistent level and be just as good, fundamentally."

JG: You talk about instilling confidence, and that's something that has been sorely lacking, particularly at the wide receiver spot...
EY: "It's a lot of it, confidence in their abilities. I put them in a situation that everything is game-like, everything is fast. Fast, fast, fast. Then I put them in an environment where they have success. That breeds confidence. I show them it's working. All these drills we do, let me show you how it carries over into the game.

Throughout the week, I'll be bringing you some of the opening words from the new UCLA assistant coaches. A very energetic group, with a common purpose. We'll start with new UCLA wide receivers coach Eric Yarber, who came to the Bruins from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jon Gold: How do you approach working with a new group of kids, getting them to trust you?
Eric Yarber: "First and foremost, these kids, I genuinely care about them and when they know you genuinely care, when they trust you, they'll go through the wall. First and foremost, I want them to know that. I want them to be successful on the field, in the classroom, in society. I start from there. Start with care, then trust, and then some of my NFL background, some of the guys I've coached, the proof is in the pudding. They'll buy into some of the things I'll be teaching. It has some credibility."

JG: What have you seen out of the guys you inherit, which isn't a big group?
EY: Well Devin Lucien didn't play last year, so I haven't seen much of him on film. You've got Shaq Evans, who played some, looks good on film. Ricky Marvray, who played some; Jerry Johnson who played before last year, doesn't have a lot of playing film. I like what I see, though. I like the athleticism that we have."

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

TUCSON, ARIZ. -

Tyler Lamb was a step behind and Anthony Stover was a second late. The two UCLA sophomores simply looked lost.

In a Fogg, you could say.

Arizona's Kyle Fogg drained a 3-pointer with 53 seconds left among mass UCLA confusion to give the Wildcats a six-point cushion, and they eventually closed out the Bruins with a 65-63 win at the McKale Center in front of 14,724.

UCLA guard Jerime Anderson - who matched Fogg's game-high 20 points - had a chance to tie the game with a second left, but his jump shot clanked off the rim.

It was the Bruins' fifth road loss by less than three points in 2012.

"This one is very tough," a sullen Anderson said after the game. "I don't know if this is the toughest loss we've taken all year...but it's up there."

Particularly after wrestling the lead away from Arizona midway through the second half and maintaining a slight advantage until roughly four minutes remained.
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If not for Fogg, the Bruins might have been in the clear.

Playing to a packed house on Senior Night, the rivalry's biggest recent barometer turned it on just as UCLA did.

Fogg - who has averaged 20 points in the Wildcats' four wins over the Bruins since 2009 and just nine points in three losses - scored 11 of Arizona's 15 points during UCLA's second-half run, never letting the Wildcats fall behind by more than four.
His free throw with 4:06 left gave Arizona a 54-53 lead and the Wildcats never trailed again.

"As he goes, they go," Anderson said. "He started getting it going in the second half, getting to the free-throw line, then he started to find some comfortability, hit some threes. He's a good player, he's always been a good player."

* UCLA head coach Ben Howland said today during a conference call that Tyler Lamb would be back in the starting lineup against Arizona. Norman Powell got the start in Lamb's place against Arizona State after Lamb missed an academic appointment.

* Howland also said that Joshua Smith hurt his back and is unsure of his status for Arizona:
"Josh actually did a good job for us last night. I'm not sure how bad it is, but he tweaked his back today during practice. I don't know if it's a muscle spasm or what."

* Howland on Anthony Stover:
"Anthony played with real good energy. Did a good job with us defensively. He's enthusiastic. Plays real hard when he gets in there."

* Howland on Travis Wear's 20-point performance against Arizona:
"He scored inside. He did a good job scoring using his height advantage inside. We got it to him inside and he got some second shots, but he scored well close to the basket."

* Howland on why it's so difficult to play at Arizona:
"No. 1 it's packed - they do a great job supporting their team. It's a college town, so it's the only show in town and they all show up in Tucson to support their Wildcats. All started with Lute Olson and what he built here and it's years of consistency in terms of being a good team and a good program."

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TEMPE -

For much of UCLA's Thursday night matchup at Arizona State, the Bruins simply could not stick a fork in the Sun Devils.

UCLA pushed and prodded and Arizona State scratched and clawed.

Ultimately, Lazeric Jones and Joshua Smith finally put the Sun Devils away and the Bruins sauntered to a 66-57 win in front of 5,477 at Wells Fargo Arena.

Jones led all scorers with 20 points in 8-of-15 shooting, taking the game over as the Briuns found Arizona State a tough out. Jones had 13 points in the second half, including 2-of-3 3-pointers, as he finally listed to Ben Howland's prodding.

Howland said he spoke with Jones about shooting more often, especially after an eight-attempt performance in the Bruins' three-point loss at St. John's last Saturday.

"We can't win without him taking more shot attempts," Howland said. "Being more aggressive to look to score, especially from three. He was passing up threes to drive to guarded shots. You're open, you're a good shooter, you worked your tail off to become a good shooter in the offseason, don't pass up the threes."

Jones took over in the second half because, for a while, it did not look like anyone else wanted to.

UCLA went into halftime up just 25-24 on the lowly Sun Devils, done in by Arizona State's methodical pace. The Sun Devils appeared willing to keep it a low-scoring game for as long as possible, particularly with Smith out of the game with two early first-half fouls.

Smith had eight of his 10 points in 11 second-half minutes, deftly weaving around an Arizona State zone defense that could not find an answer for his size.

Offensive basketball took a hiatus in the first half of UCLA's matchup with Arizona State on Thursday night in Tempe.

The Bruins lead the Sun Devils 25-24, with both teams attempting just 25 shots, UCLA making 11 and ASU making 10.

Neither team gained any real momentum, the largest lead for UCLA just six points late in the half.

Perhaps the most interesting news so far has been the Bruins' rotation, which has changed up a bit. Sophomore guard Norman Powell got his first start, though he struggled with two turnovers and no poitns in 14 minutes. Anthony Stover played nine first-half minutes as Joshua Smith battled foul trouble.

Lazeric Jones leads UCLA with seven points and David Wear added six for the Bruins.

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From UCLA:

In order to create the best environment possible for our outgoing senior student-athletes, UCLA Pro Day will be closed to the public and media.

"Pro Day is a critical day for all football players looking to continue their careers in the pros," said UCLA Head Coach Jim Mora. "We want our players to be completely focused on the task at hand and able to work in an environment free of distractions."

UCLABruins.com will feature exclusive videos and photos from the day.

UCLA begins Spring Practice on Monday, April 3 on Spaulding Field. Practices will be held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday throughout April and the first week of May, and will culminate on May 5 with the Spring Scrimmage at the Rose Bowl.

Athlon Sports has a very in-depth look at UCLA's 2012 recruiting class, which they ranked No. 15 in the nation: Check it out

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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

NEW YORK -

UCLA was out-savvied by a team starting five true freshmen.

UCLA was out-hustled by a team down to just six players in its rotation.
And UCLA ultimately was outplayed by a team that had lost its previous four games by a combined 87 points.

St. John's sent UCLA back across the country with a 66-63 loss at Madison Square Garden in front of 7,305 and many more watching CBS's marquee Saturday afternoon game.

The Bruins' lights flickered out quickly, though, as the Red Storm clearly displayed more energy and emotion.

"They played very inspired," UCLA senior guard Jerime Anderson said. "They played like they've had a tough time the last few games and they really wanted to come out and get the win. They got to most of the loose balls, offensive rebounds - that really hurt us."

The Bruins hurt themselves more:

By turning the ball over with ruthless efficiency, finishing with 16, including eight by sophomore guard Tyler Lamb alone.

By failing to box out, particularly when it mattered most, as Red Storm freshman guard Phil Greene tipped in a D'Angelo Harrison 3-point miss right over Anderson with six seconds left to give St. John's a four-point lead.

And, most egregious, by playing with the gusto of a napping sloth as St. John's played as if the ball was made of 24-karat gold.

"They had the sense of urgency to go and get the rebound and they made it happen," Lamb said. "They made that win happen."

The cross-country flight must have sapped UCLA's energy, because St. John's sure looks springier on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Storm have a 35-30 lead as they lead the offensive rebounding battle 7-2, and D'Angelo Harrison has been the offensive benefactor.

Harrison has 11 first-half points and St. John's overcame 36.7 percent shooting to take the early lead, thanks to nine UCLA turnovers.

Tyler Lamb was the primary culprit, committing five first-half turnovers, but he atoned with a team-high 10 points. Joshua Smith added eight, on 4-4 shooting, but Jerime Anderson started 0-5.

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Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

NEW YORK -
When the college basketball schedule-makers gave UCLA and St. John's a marquee CBS Saturday morning game in mid-February, expectations were just a bit higher.

The Bruins entered the season as the Pacific-12 conference favorites, coming off a third-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament and with a frontcourt that was projected to rival the country's best. The Red Storm, meanwhile, were coming off a wonderful one-season turnaround, the team heading to the tournament for the first time since 2002 with a 21-12 record under first-year coach Steve Lavin.

This was supposed to be Los Angeles and its finest versus New York and its finest in the finest arena in the land, Madison Square Garden. This was UCLA, and its lore, against St. John's, and its lore. Ben Howland vs. Lavin, current Bruin coach against former Bruin coach, a year after the two met at Pauley Pavilion.

Instead? UCLA is 15-11 and 8-6 in Pac-12 play, barely staying above water in a season that ranks among the league's worst in recent memory. St. John's has regressed to 10-16 with Lavin sidelined for much of the year while dealing with his battle with prostate cancer.

But while the game, which tips off at 10 a.m. PST, has lost its luster, don't tell those involved.

"It's special for me," Howland said. "Our players are excited for it, we got to practice in the Garden. So that was a big deal - every great player who has played this game has played in the Garden - that's special. And then to be playing against St. John's, you're talking about the two biggest media markets in the United States of America in Los Angeles and New York. So it's real nice."

It would be nicer for the Bruins if they can duplicate their success from last year.
St. John's stormed into Pauley Pavilion six days after walloping No. 3-ranked Duke at the Garden, and UCLA promptly sent the Red Storm back to New York with barely a drizzle, winning 66-59. Despite 22 turnovers, the Bruins made it to the free throw line 41 times, including 33 times in the second half, while St. John's was given just seven foul shots. More importantly for Howland, UCLA held the Red Storm to under 40 percent shooting.

But that was then and this is now and the two teams could not be much more different. Just a year later, the Bruins are without Tyler Honeycutt, Malcolm Lee and Reeves Nelson and St. John's is essentially a completely different team, with eight freshmen and three upperclassmen, only one of whom contributes meaningful minutes.

"They had an all senior-dominated lineup a year ago, and now they have all freshmen," Howland said. "Of course, with Coach Lavin going through what he's had to go through, first being diagnosed and then going all through the research to find out what was the best path to take, and then finally probably trying to come back a little too soon because he wanted to be there for his team, they've gone through a lot. But Mike Dunlap is a veteran coach, and an outstanding coach, and he's done a great job for this team. I think they've really progressed."

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When UCLA and USC first met on Jan. 15 at the Galen Center, it was not a fair fight, an elephant versus a butterfly.

The Bruins held the Trojans to 24-percent shooting in the first half while building an almost-double-digit halftime lead on their way to a 19-point win, the team's third straight at the time.
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This time around, the butterfly fought back.

UCLA similarly steamrolled USC early on Thursday night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, but the Trojans made a game of it, eventually succumbing to the Bruins, 64-54, in front of 9,064.

"Every time we seemed like we had a commanding lead, they scratched and fought tooth and nail," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "You have to give them credit to them as a team, with everything they've gone through, all the injuries, for continuing to fight."

The Bruins simply outsprinted USC early in the matchup, exploiting Trojan turnovers in the opening minutes to build a sizeable advantage, similar to the two teams' first matchup.
Thursday was not much different for the first 20 minutes: UCLA shot 52 percent, held USC to 24.1 percent shooting, and the Bruins went up by 15 at the half with three players - senior guard Lazeric Jones and sophomore forwards David and Travis Wear - scoring at least six points.

"It's USC, so we really come out with that extra motivation," David Wear said. "We were focused. We had a couple good days of practice and we knew what they were going to do. We were quick to the rotation and we really helped each other."
Much of the second half went UCLA's, as well, as the Bruins built a 23-point lead midway through the second half. USC chipped away down the stretch as UCLA committed egregious turnovers, but the Trojans could get no closer than nine.
With the Wears maintaining a big size advantage, the Bruins were able to fend them off.

The Double-Doublemint Twins combined for 30 points and 24 rebounds, with David Wear pacing both teams with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Jerime Anderson added 14 points and five assists and five rebounds.

"I watched film against Cal where they both played subpar," Howland said. "Looking at them Monday and Tuesday in practice, they were very motivated. They really felt hurt about not playing to our capabilities. They came out with a great sense of purpose."
Added David Wear: "I was really disappointed after the Cal game. That was a tough loss. I only had one rebound that game, and that's unacceptable. I really used that as motivation. I knew in order to turn it around I would have to play harder and come with a different mindset."

Against an injury-depleted USC squad, Howland refused to call off the dogs, even as UCLA's lead grew. With 10 minutes left in the game and the Bruins up 51-30, the team's starters had played all but 22 minutes, and UCLA went with just a seven-man rotation.

"A little bit was fatigue, a little bit it was us not staying as intense as we should have," Anderson said. "Kind of just going with the flow of the game and not forcing the issue."

With the Sports Arena just minutes from the USC campus, Howland was nervous that the Sports Arena crowd would be split, but UCLA fans came out in force, even before the game.

"Our players were excited about the student body being here before the game," Howland said. "I know they were enthused about that. It was important for us. We needed to do that."

UCLA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote, executive produced and narrated an upcoming Showtime documentary and the trailer is pretty awesome. Check it out.

On playing USC:
"Bottom line is if USC beats us tomorrow, that will really be a feather in their cap with everything they've gone through. We have to go out and play really hard. Just like the first time we played them, it's like you throw out all the records.

* Sophomore center Anthony Stover practiced an hour on Sunday and is expected to play against USC.

On scheduling the St. John's game:
* We did that because I thought it was good exposure for our program; two biggest media markets in our country. CBS, in the garden. It does make it more difficult than an other game.

On the Cal loss:
* We really hurt ourselves during the stretch - we were up 13-8 and got down 23-17, so it was a 15-4 run where we had four turnovers that were all not good plays on our end. Guys trying to do things that aren't within the framework of the offensive end."

On what Stover brings:
"Just a shot blocker and a good defender. When we're plugging screens, that hurt us. Our plugs were not great, they were late and coming right at us."

On Josh Smith:
"He got tired - Josh missed a key defensive play early in the second half where they got a little pick and roll because he didn't see the ball, and i think part of that was he was a little winded."

On Jerime Anderson's late-game turnovers:
"Some of it may have been fatigue for him. He played 35 minutes I think - he had no turnovers int he first half and then he had three and it could've been four. We watched the edits as a team and spent an hour on film trying to learn and carry it over."

On Maurice Jones' 38 minutes per game:
"It says a lot about him that he's able to do that. he's doing it out of necessity because of guys who've been injured, but they've been doing that with him since early."

One of UCLA's top moments of a largely disappointing football season was the three-interception breakout performance by Tevin McDonald against Cal in Week and it did not go unnoticed by ESPN's Pac-12 blog: Check it out

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

Perhaps the finest illustration of the kind of afternoon UCLA had on Saturday afternoon against Cal: Middway through the second half, Bears senior guard Jorge Gutierrez missed a shot, backup forward Roberth Thurman grabbed the rebound, missed the ship shot, grabbed the rebound and awkwardly laid the ball in the hoop while drawing a foul and falling to the floor.

The basket capped off a brilliant start for Cal to start the second half and the Bears snapped UCLA's 12-game conference home winning streak with a 73-64 win in front of 9,001 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

When the two teams met on New Year's Eve, Cal sprinted away from the Bruins with a 24-6 run to open the second half and eventually whisked UCLA away with a 16-point victory.

Call this Deja Blue.

After Bruins point guard Jerime Anderson hit a 3-pointer just before halftime to cut the Bears' lead to 32-26, UCLA was feeling pretty good heading into the locker room. Two quick Cal baskets, and the Bruins started to reel. The Bears eventually got off to a 23-13 run to start the second half and kept UCLA at a comfortable distance for much of the duration.

"They just went on that run and it was tough," sophomore forward David Wear said. "At halftime we'd talked about coming out strong and not letting them jump out on us like they did last time."

The only thing time this time around, the Bruins showed a little moxie in clawing their way back. After falling behind by as much as 17 midway through the half, UCLA went on a run to make it a seven-point game with 3:15 left.

But just as the Bruins had to hurry to catch up, it was that speed that cut their comeback short. Anderson had two crucial turnovers down the stretch and Cal responded to every one of UCLA's late charges.

"We had some turnovers at the end and they capitalized on them," senior guard Lazeric Jones said. "That was pretty much it. We got it real close but we have to keep our composure."

The last time the Bears swept the season series with UCLA, Jason Kidd ran the point to near-perfection. Flash forward 18 years, and Jorge Gutierrez and Justin Cobbs are handling the position with efficiency. The two combined for 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, with Cobbs leading both teams with 18 points.

Working well off of screens, Cal guards typically found themselves with a little extra cushion, and they made the Bruins pay.

"They were really running the pick-and-roll really well," Jones said. "It seemed like the play they were trying to go to. When you're on a roll like that, momentum is on their side."

While the Bears were dishing and dancing and diving, UCLA failed to register even one assist in the first half. The Bruins shot 34.5 percent in the first half, missing a number of chip shots, and shot 1-for-7 from 3-point range.

"What really hurt us, the first half we had a lot of open jump shots we missed," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "Easy shots, layups we missed. Both of their big guys were in foul trouble and they were playing with two backups and we couldn't exploit that well enough. We had some open looks on some passes we just missed."

UCLA started off well against Cal on Saturday afternoon at the LA Sports Arena because Joshua Smith started off well. And he didn't even start.

Smith entered the game less than two minutes in and scored two quick baskets as the Bruins controlled the tempo early.

The Bears, though, took hold of the pace and the game and went into halftime up 32-26.

Jorge Gutierrez was Cal's every-man, scoring 10 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing four assists as Cal went on a late 9-4 run before Joshua Smith delivered a massive screen to free Jerime Anderson for a half-ending 3-pointer.

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If Johnny Dawkins would've jammed his fingers any harder, he might've broken them.
By the time the Stanford head coach called a timeout with 12 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first half, his Cardinal were reeling and the UCLA basketball team was scorching.
Sophomore guard Tyler Lamb's 3-pointer gave the Bruins a 10-point lead in the game's first eight minutes and UCLA barely cooled off in the first half.

Stanford, though, benefited from Bruin sloppiness late in the second half to make it a tight game once more, and two teams whose first matchup went to the wire once more battled it out.

The Bruins, though, pulled out their second-straight win with a 72-61 victory over Stanford on Thursday night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

After falling to the Cardinal in the team's Pac-12 opening matchup on Dec. 29 after senior guard Lazeric Jones' would-be game-winning attempt was blocked by Stanford forward Josh Heustis, UCLA felt like the Cardinal stole one.

"We were upset we got that loss - we fought and stayed in it up there," said Jones, who followed up his 26-point performance in the first matchup with a 21-point, six-assist, six-steal game on Thursday. "But not only did we want this game, the fans were out and supporting us and the fact they packed the house and stayed behind us really kept us going."

If Johnny Dawkins would've jammed his fingers any harder, he might've broken them.

By the time the Stanford head coach called a timeout with 12 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first half, his Cardinal were reeling and the UCLA basketball team was scorching.

Sophomore guard Tyler Lamb's 3-pointer gave the Bruins a 10-point lead in the game's first eight minutes and UCLA barely cooled off, jumping to a 35-27 halftime lead on Thurdsay night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena
.
After falling to the Cardinal in the team's Pac-12 opening matchip on Dec. 29 after Lazeric's would-be game-winning attempt was blocked by Josh Huestis, UCLA felt like the Cardinal stole one.

Apparently they tried to steal this one right back.

UCLA had six steals in the game's first nine minutes and Stanford committed 13 turnovers in the first half and shot 32 percent.

UCLA's increased energy on defense might've been a product of necessity as sophomore forward Travis Wear's high ankle sprain limited his minutes and Joshua Smith was plagued by early foul trouble. The Sports Arena burst out in loud boos when Smith picked up his third foul with 6:07 left in the first half, Smith's second offensive foul of the evening.
Thing is, the Bruins might've been better in a constant state of flux.

The very next play, Anthony Stover grabbed a rebound, passed it up to Jones who found a streaking Travis Wear for the dnuk, putting the Bruins back up 12 after the Cardinal cut it to seven with a 10-2 run.

UCLA's sharp defense lasted roughly 19 minutes and 57 seconds, though, as Stanford's Chasson Randle hit a 3-pointer as time ran out to cut the Bruins' halftime lead to 8.

UCLA men's basketball recruit Kyle Anderson and women's basketball recruit Nirra Fields were both named to the McDonald's All-American All-Star Game today. Anderson, top-five prospect, is on the East squad along with Bruin target Tony Parker, while fellow target Shabazz Muhammad is on the West squad.

Check out the teams: Here

Prospects:

Colby Cyburt ; Carl Hulick ; Lacy Westbrook ; Simon Goines ; Alexandru Ceachir

Rankings: 7/10 - UCLA's offensive line class was good, but you have to believe that if Adrian Klemm had a little more time, it could've been great. The talent out west on the offensive line was the best in years, and while the Bruins got a solid haul - and the return of Xavier Su'a-Filo is huge - there were some major prospects who went elsewhere.

Need: 9/10 - Hard not to judge this a 10/10, but the solid depth at center and guard almost outweigh the need at tackle. Three starters are gone in Mike Harris, Kai Maiava and Sean Sheller, but Su'a-Filo's return and Jeff Baca's probable shift back to tackle gives Klemm some options. If Ceachir is advanced enough to step in at right tackle and be better than average in pass protection, allowing Baca to stay inside, UCLA could have its best line in a decade.

Instant Impact: 7/10 (10/10 if you count Su'a-Filo) - For starters, there is none better than Su'a-Filo. If he returns to his freshman year level, it would be sufficient. If he adds to his game, he'll be one of the best tackles in the conference. Ceachir should get a good look at tackle, but the rest of the unit would be wise to redshirt. And that's exactly how you build depth. With Su'a-Filo, Baca, Greg Capella, Chris Ward, Wade Yandall and Jacob Brendel, plus Brett Downey and Connor Bradford, UCLA has enough to let a class with good potential grow into a great one.

Overall Rating: 23-26/30

Heartbreak is not just forgotten in 42 days.

The last time the UCLA basketball team saw Stanford, the Cardinal were erasing a Bruin win with one swipe of the arm, as Josh Huestis blocked a Lazeric Jones jumper with three seconds left to preserve a 60-59 win on Dec. 28.

Unfortunately for UCLA, the conference opener was not a forgettable one.

"We had it at the end and we let it slip," sophomore guard Tyler Lamb said. "It was a good game, both teams played hard - but if we cut down on some of our mental mistakes, it's a different game."

The Bruins (13-10, 6-5) committed 11 turnovers and shot 4-of-15 from 3-point land as they could not capitalize on an even worse performance by the Cardinal (16-7, 6-5), who committed 14 turnovers and shot just 34.5 percent from the field for the game.

"We're not worried about what the games going to be like; we already know what the game is going to be like," sophomore forward David Wear said. "They already know how we're going to play - we got the scouting report on them, they got the scouting report on us - so you basically just have to go out and try to execute a little bit better than you did the game before."

Prospects:

Ian Taubler

Rankings: 7/10 - Taubler was one of Rick Neuheisel's big early gets in the 2012 class and he was coveted by Jim Mora's staff as well. For good reason, as he rates as one of the top tight ends - and in particular, top blocking tight ends - in the country.

Need: 9/10 - For a school that has produced its fair share of impressive tight ends, UCLA is surprisingly thin at the position. Really thin. Joseph Fauria is going into his senior year, and John Young is the only other scholarship tight end on the roster after the dismissal of Raymond Nelson. Walk-ons Jordan Barrett and Luke Gane are both better than your typical walk-ons and could contribute, but getting a tight end was crucial for this class.

Instant Impact: 7/10 - Fauria is one of the top tight ends in the country - rated the No. 1 NFL Draft prospect at the position by CBS Sports - so Taubler should have at least a year to develop. Young has shown promise but has been hampered by injuries, so Taubler's time could come sooner than later.

Overall Rating: 23/30

UCLA new head coach Jim Mora and three of his coaches will head down to Irvine this weekend to speak at the Clinic of Champions this weekend. Mora and assistants Angus McClure, Marques Tuiasosopo and Marcus Patton will head south to talk football along with some other prominent local coaches.

Here's a link to the event: Clinic of Champions

From UCLA:

Sophomore forward Travis Wear (left high ankle sprain) practiced today, but in limited drills, and will be a gametime decision for the Bruins' home game against Stanford (8:07 p.m. tip on Feb. 9 on Prime Ticket).

Prospects:

Jordan Payton ; Javon Williams ; Kenny Walker ; Ahmaad Harris

Rankings: 8/10 - Payton is considered one of the top signing day surprises in the country and his high ratings are no fluke. When he's motivated - something Eric Yarber should be able to handle - he's among the best in the country. Williams is a good prospect with the size of a Nelson Rosario. Walker is a small, shifty wideout, but those are en vogue in the Pac-12 and Noel Mazzone should make good use of him. Harris is a speedster but has little hype.

Need: 10/10 - UCLA's biggest need by a big margin was at wide receiver, and the Bruins added three with the potential for a couple more with a handful of new "athletes." The Bruins return only Shaq Evans, Devin Lucien, Ricky Marvray, Jerry Johnson and Jerry Rice at the position, so getting at least two this year was critical.

Instant Impact: 9/10 - Payton and Williams could both crack the rotation quickly, and Payton - who was verbally committed to three teams, including USC before switching to UCLA - could battle Cal's Bryce Treggs for the conference's most productive freshman wideout.

Overall Rating: 27/30

On winning at Washington State:
"Especially after coming off a tough loss Thursday night, it was real important to come out of Washington with a win."

* Travis Wear (ankle) shot but no practice yesterday, status unknown for today.
Howland on Wear:
"Especially against a team that zones a lot. He's good against teams who zone in particular. I thought David and Brendan stepped up in his absence."

On what led to Josh Smith's big weekend:
"I thought that going home, playing in front of family and friends; He was obviously excited to be playing in front of them."

On the first Stanford matchup:
"I was watching our game today against Stanford and we did not p[lay well up there. Not as well as we can. yet we had a chance to win. I think we're a much improved team since that time."

On the loss to Stanford:
"It bothers anybody any time you lose. Hopefully it motivates you to bounce back and want to get that sour taste out of your mouth."

Prospects:

Paul Perkins ; Fabian Moreau

Rankings: 5/10 - Scout.com's Brandon Huffman said Perkins was probably UCLA's most underrated player in the class, and he looks like a pretty good prospect, from the same high school as Brett Hundley. Moreau has a good frame and is quick but his stats were not very lofty and he comes in ranked in the 100s by Scout and Rivals.

Need: 6/10 - With three running backs on the depth chart after next year, there wasn't a huge need for a major prospect in this class, and given the paucity of talent at the position out west in the class there weren't many from which to choose. Only three of the nation's top 32 running backs committed to schools west of Texas - Barry Sanders to Stanford, D.J. Foster to Arizona State and Bryon Marshall to Oregon - but the class of 2013 is a step up, and UCLA has a chance at a couple big ones, like Deon Martin and Joseph Ajeigbe.

Instant Impact: 4/10 - Between Johnathan Franklin, Malcolm Jones and Jordon James, UCLA is set for 2012. Jones and James and Steven Manfro are a sound unit for 2013, but Mazzone likes to be creative with the backfield, and if Perkins can pick up pass protection principles quickly, he has a shot to move up the depth chart quickly.

Overall Rating: 15/30

Prospects:

Devin Fuller ; T.J. Millweard

Rankings: 9/10 - Fuller is the No. 3-rated quarterback, but while Jim Mora really, really, REALLY insists he'll be at the position, I am a little skeptical. Most of his video is of him running the ball, and he's such a great candidate that I just wouldn't be surprised to see him in more of a hybrid role. As a quarterback prospect, Millweard might be even more intriguing, seeing as he's ranked No. 5 by ESPN and much lower by Scout and Rivals. Something's gotta be up.

Need: 10/10 - UCLA really needed a quarterback last season after the Brett Nottingham flip to Stanford in 2010 and got a great prospect in Brett Hundley. But as the Bruins learned the hard way in recent years, quarterback depth is at a premium. Adding two highly quarterbacks for 2012 was big for Noel Mazzone, and so was getting a jump on the Class of '13 with the verbal commitment Eddie Printz.

Instant Impact: 7/10 - With Kevin Prince, Richard Brehaut and Nick Crissman all gone after 2012, the Bruins were looking at a future of just Brett Hundley and Jerry Neuheisel, who also joins the program this year after greyshirting last season. Fuller and Millweard might both end up redshirting in 2012, but either could figure into the starting equation in 2013.

Overall Rating: 26/30

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

*Sorry for the intro, this is Adrian Klemm, not Jim Mora.

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Powell misses late baseline jumper that would have tied it. Rebound batted around, time runs out.

The Bruins led by as many as 10 points, but a UW run has cut the lead to 65-61 with 4:38 left. Never easy for UCLA in Seattle.

Lazeric Jones, scoreless at the half, now has 11 points, including three 3-pointers, to give the Bruins a 60-53 lead with 9 minutes left.

Joshua Smith has 21 points as the Bruins have a 51-47 lead with 11:53 left.

Smith is 8 of 9 from the field and 5 of 7 from the free-throw line. He has three rebounds, one assist, and perhaps most importantly for UCLA, just one personal foul.

UCLA's Joshua Smith, beaten down the court by the Huskies, tried to prevent a layup and ended up in about the third row behind the basket.

The Bruins brought the ball past the halfcourt line and realized Smith was still trying to untangle himself from photographers and fans on the opposite baseline.

Smith limped up the court but was able to make a free throw before getting a breather.

Joshua Smith will start the second half for the Bruins.

The Bruins shot 15 of 36 from the field in the first half (41.7%) and 0 for 3 from beyond the 3-point line.

Joshua Smith has 14 points in 10 minutes of action. David Wear has eight points and Travis Wear has six points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Bruins aren't getting much production from backcourt, as Tyler Lamb and Jerime Anderson have two points apiece and Lazeric Jones is scoreless, having shot 0 for 6 from the floor.

Ross' bank shot gave the Huskies a 35-34 halftime lead.

UCLA is 0-7 this season when trailing at the half.

UW's Terrance Ross made a ceiling-scraping bank shot with 3 seconds left in havel to give the Huskies a 35-34 halftime lead. Ross, who is second on the team with 15.1 ppg, had just four in first half.

Joshua Smith led the Bruins with 14 points, shooting 5 of 6 from the field at 4 of 5 at the line. The Huskies had no answer defensively for him. They even tried putting Austin Seferian-Jenkins, a freshman All-American tight end who is playing in just his fourth basketball game after joining the team following football season.

Joshua Smith has 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting as Bruins lead 32-30 with 1:51 left in half.

OK, so it seems the Husky band also got the memo. Still looking for first fan dressed in '70s garb.

The Bruins made a nifty backdoor play coming out of their last timeout, with Lamb finding Fuller for an alley-oop dunk.

With 3:24 left in half, it's tied 30-30.

Smith and David Wear each have eight points, combining to shoot 6 of 7 from the field.

Bruins lead 22-21 with 7:55 left in half.

The UW's Shawn Kemp Jr. threw down a monstrous left-handed dunk after driving the baseline. The UCLA bench wanted a traveling call, so maybe he does have NBA genes.

The Bruins held Wroten scoreless for the first 10 minutes before he got his first basket on a drive down the middle.

Smith has made a big impact for UCLA, scoring six points inside.

UW up 18-16 with 9:26 left in half.

David and Travis Wear have combined for UCLA's first six points as the Bruins have tied it at 6-6 with 15:53 left in half at TV timeout.

Joshua Smith, from nearby Kent, Wash., about to check in for his first action of the night.

Terrance Ross follows a drive by Tony Wroten with a putback slam, giving the UW a 6-2 lead with 17:29 left in first half. Howland calls timeout.

Wroten, the Huskies' star freshman, went down hard under the basket and limped to the bench.

It's supposed to be '70s night at Hec Ed, although the only ones who seemingly got the memo were the UW cheerleaders, who are wearing white knee-high tube socks with purple and gold rings near the top.

An 11-year-old guitarist performed the national anthem.

A young Mike McCready?

UCLA has lost seven in a row at Hec Ed Pavilion.

Bruins coach Ben Howland is 7-10 against the Huskies, the only Pac-12 team against whom he has a losing record.

Greetings from Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle (no, I'm not going to call it Alaska Airlines Arena).

Filling in for Jon Gold tonight, as he takes a well-deserved break after national signing day.

Been about 15 years since I covered a game in this building ... it has changed.

I'll try to blog as much as I can tonight. Bit rusty, so please bear with me.

- Gene

Less than two months ago, UCLA's 2012 recruiting class looked just about dead in the water. There was quantity but little quality, and most scouting services had the class ranked in the middle of the Pac-12.

Flash forward to Wednesday, and it seems as if two months is an eternity.

Bolstered by a coaching staff full of energetic recruiters, Jim L. Mora and Co. took to the home stretch down a lap and chugged along, bringing the Bruins' class up from the depths.

By the time Mora addressed the media on Wednesday after 25 prospects had signed with UCLA, he looked spent.

For good reason: In just seven weeks, the Bruins turned a forgettable future into one peaking with promise, ranked in the top-12 nationally by both Scout.com and Rivals.com.

"We're tired; it's been a long process," Mora conceded. "We had a lot of ground to catch up, a lot of ground to make up, but we hit it pretty hard. I don't know if we're satisfied at this point."

With a haul that includes the top defensive lineman in the west, No. 2-rated Ellis McCarthy of Monrovia, and the No. 3 quarterback in the nation in Old Tappan, New Jersey's Devin Fuller, perhaps some satisfaction is in order.

The Bruins addressed gaping needs at wide receiver - particularly with a signing day bonanza that included 15th-ranked Jordan Payton out of Oaks Christian - linebacker and defensive back. UCLA also fortified its offensive line with five commitments, including early enrollee junior college offensive tackle Alexandru Ceachir.

"When you think about where the Bruins were the night they carried Rick Neuheisel off the field on that cold blustery night and where they are now on Feb. 1, there's not too many people like us who follow the program that this was going to happen," said Rick Kimbrel of Rivals.com. "What they did is phenomenal. And to think they only did it in five weeks."

After the Pistol offense scared off many a wide receiver recruit during the Rick Neuheisel regime, the Bruins had a severe need at the position going into 2012. Signing Day itself provided a bounty, with Oaks Christian's Jordan Payton flipping from Washington and the Bruins also getting pledges from Randall Goforth and Kenny Walker.
Conversely, UCLA also had a shortage of young defensive backs, with starters Aaron Hester, Sheldon Price and Andrew Abbott all graduating next year. The Bruins corralled Oaks Christian star Ishmael Adams along with talented Marcus Rios and Taylor Lagace.

UCLA found success both with potential immediate impact players and with those who need a bit of seasoning, like offensive tackle Simon Goines. The 6-foot-7 tower weighs just 295 pounds and has the frame to add bulk, and once he grows more into his body, he could turn into a gem. Athlete Paul Perkins had a good connection with Brett Hundley at Chandler High in Arizona, and recruiting experts say Perkins is almost universally underrated. He could thrive in Noel Mazzone's spread offense. So could quarterback T.J. Millweard, who followed Mazzone from Arizona State, and is ranked the No. 5 quarterback nationally by ESPN.com You can't say UCLA is lacking star appeal. Although that might be biggest felt at family meetings, as the Bruins added both Diddy's son, Justin Combs, a defensive back and the nephew of actor Sinbad in No. 3-rated quarterback Devin Fuller. ... UCLA ultimately signed just six players who committed during Neuheisels' tenure. ... The Bruins signed recruits from 10 states and three countries. ... Defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy is considered UCLA's biggest recruit in a decade. ... New offensive line coach Adrian Klemm was named 24/7 Sports' Pac-12 recruiter of the year. Though the Bruins finished with a very good offensive line class, they lacked that one true beast in a loaded class out west. While USC and Stanford sprinted to the gate with five-star offensive line commitments, Klemm wasn't able to bring UCLA all the way back on some highly coveted linemen who lost interest. Getting McCarthy to anchor the defensive line was the biggest coup in years, but the Bruins could have used another big body up front especially given the influx of talent up front at several Pac-12 schools.

FABIAN MOREAU

RUNNING BACK

School: Western (Davis, Flor.)

Ht./Wt.: 6-0, 180

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Video

T.J. MILLWEARD

QUARTERBACK

School: All Saints Episcopal School

Ht./Wt.: 6-4/225

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis

PAUL PERKINS

ATHLETE

School: Chandler (Ariz.)

Ht./Wt.: 5-10/180

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, video

LINEBACKER

School: Lassiter (Geor.)

Ht./Wt.: 6-4.5/223

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Video

UCLA just announced the signing of wide receiver Randall Goforth. Just finished up with the signing day press conferences so I'll have more on Goforth later.

JAVON WILLIAMS

WIDE RECEIVER

School: Chandler (Ariz.)

Ht./Wt.: 6-5/175

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Poll, Video

KENNY WALKER

ATHLETE

School: Richmond Kennedy

Ht./Wt.: 6-0/170

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Video

UCLA head coach Jim Mora just Tweeted word that the Bruins have received signatures from Colby Cyburt and Kenny Walker, putting the team at 23 so far today.

Here is my feature from today's Daily News, about Jim Mora's decision to attack the 2012 class with vigor. Some great stuff from Scout.com's Brandon Huffman. Check it out: The Look

The always-reliable Miguel Melendez of the Pasadena Star-News is reporting that Muir running back Tairen Owens won't be signing with UCLA today and is exploring his options. Could be a situation where the team's class is filling up so fast there just might not be space.

JORDAN PAYTON

WIDE RECEIVER

School: Oaks Christian

Ht./Wt.: 6-2/199

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Poll, Video

K Ka'imi Fairbairn
LB Aaron Porter
DB Marcos Rios
TE Ian Taubler
OL Lacy Westbrook
WR Javon Williams
S Taylor Lagace
QB TJ Millweard
RB Fabian Moreau
ATH Kenny Ojioke
WR Jordan Payton
ATH Paul Perkins
DB Ishmael Adams
DL Eli Ankou
OL Simon Goines
WR Ahmaad Harris
OL Carl Hulick
DT Ellis McCarthy
LB Jeremy Castro
QB Devin Fuller
LB Nate Iese

From Jim Mora:

"LB Aaron Porter, DB Marcos Rios, TE Ian Taubler, OL Lacy Westbrook and WR Javon Williams are also on the way to UCLA #SigningDay"

Jim Mora has just tweeted:

"More new Bruins: S Taylor Lagace, QB TJ Millweard, RB Fabian Moreau, ATH Kenny Ojioke, WR Jordan Payton, ATH Paul Perkins #SigningDay"

So Jordan Payton is officially a Bruin. Recruiting is wild.

UCLA head coach Jim Mora just tweeted that the letters of intent from Ishmael Adams, Eli Akou, Simon Goines, Ahmaad Harris and Carl Hulick have been received.

Javon Williams, the No. 53-ranked wide receiver nationally, has chosen UCLA in a school ceremony.

I'll have a full profile on him up later today.

COLBY CYBURT

OFFENSIVE LINE

School: Mission Viejo

Ht./Wt.: 6-5/265

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Video

I just got a text from a source close to the situation:

His exact words at 9:02:
"Breaking news. Jordan Payton to UCLA now. No one knows."

Given that Payton has flipped more than a pancake in flight, I'm waiting to see if he sends six letters of intent in to different schools, but if the Bruins do actually land Payton, what a coup for Jim Mora and Co.

UCLA has officially announced the first four signings, including the two biggest, as Ellis McCarthy, Devin Fuller, Nate Iese and Jeremy Castro are now officially future Bruins.

IAN TAUBLER

TIGHT END

School: Bullard (Fresno)

Ht./Wt.: 6-4/235

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis

CARL HULICK

OFFENSIVE LINE

School: Esparanza

Ht./Wt.: 6-2/285

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Video

LACY WESTBROOK

OFFENSIVE LINE

School: Compton Dominguez

Ht./Wt.: 6-5/300

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis

MARCUS RIOS

DEFENSIVE BACK

School: Cosmunes Oaks

Ht./Wt.: 6-0/170

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Quote, Video

JEREMY CASTRO

DEFENSIVE END

School: Vista Murrieta

Ht./Wt.: 6-1/240

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Poll

AARON PORTER

LINEBACKER

School: La Habra

Ht./Wt.: 6-4.5/223

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Video

ISHMAEL ADAMS

DEFENSIVE BACK

School: Oaks Christian

Ht./Wt.: 5-10/185

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Poll, Video

DEVIN FULLER

QUARTERBACK

School: Old Tappan (Old Tappan, New Jersey)

Ht./Wt.: 6-0/185

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Poll, Video

ELLIS MCCARTHY

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

School: Monrovia

Ht./Wt.: 6-5/311

Inside: Rankings, Impact, Analysis, Poll, Video

Hey guys,

I'll be updating the blog every hour on the hour for the next 24 hours. Recruiting profiles, instant reactions, videos, etc. All the postings are going to be minimized because I don't want the whole thing to look too cluttered.

For even more immediate news, check out the Inside UCLA Facebook Page and my Twitter account, TheCoolSub.

Thanks for checking in!