Isaac Hamilton’s appeal denied, will sit out season

The limbo ended, but not in the way UCLA had hoped.

Five-star guard Isaac Hamilton’s appeal to play immediately has been denied, the school announced Thursday. The former St. John Bosco standout will sit out the 2013-14 season and play the following year as a sophomore.

Originally signed with UTEP, Hamilton broke his national letter of intent and instead enrolled at UCLA. He loses a year of eligibility for reneging on his NLI, but is allowed to continue practicing with the team. Continue reading “Isaac Hamilton’s appeal denied, will sit out season” »

Five-star forward Kevon Looney commits to UCLA

UCLA pulled off its first major coup of the Steve Alford era on Halloween, landing five-star power forward Kevon Looney.

Not only is the Milwaukee native rated the No. 13 player in the country by Rivals.com, he also fulfills a major need for the Bruins. Last season, UCLA had the worst rebounding margin in the Pac-12.

The 6-foot-9 power forward should start immediately when he arrives for the 2014-15 season. Continue reading “Five-star forward Kevon Looney commits to UCLA” »

Bruins debut at No. 22 in preseason AP poll

UCLA was ranked No. 22 in the country in the first Associated Press poll, slotted as the third-best team in the conference.

The Bruins beat Cal State San Bernardino, 96-66, in a home exhibition Wednesday night, but allowed 14 offensive rebounds and made just one of their 12 3-point attempts. They play a second exhibition on Monday against Cal State San Marcos, and open their season against Drexel on Nov. 8.

Arizona paced the Pac-12 at No. 6 in the AP poll. Oregon was ranked 19th. Colorado, Arizona State, Washington and Stanford also received votes.

Kentucky beat Michigan State for the No. 1 spot, taking 27 first-place votes to the Spartans’ 22. The Wildcats finished out of the poll last season, then lost in the NIT to Robert Morris.

Louisville and Duke also received first-place votes.

See the full poll after the jump: Continue reading “Bruins debut at No. 22 in preseason AP poll” »

Jordon James, Eric Kendricks game-time decisions Saturday

UCLA running back Jordon James and linebacker Eric Kendricks are both game-time decisions against Colorado this Saturday, head coach Jim Mora said.

James has missed three full games since spraining his ankle in a 34-27 win at Utah on Oct. 3. The junior entered that game as the nation’s fifth-leading rusher. Continue reading “Jordon James, Eric Kendricks game-time decisions Saturday” »

Travis Wear could be out a month due to appendicitis

Travis Wear, one of three returning starters for the UCLA basketball team, is expected to be sidelined for two and a half to four weeks after having surgery to remove his appendix Monday, according to a UCLA spokesperson.

The 6-foot-10, 230-pound Wear, the Bruins’ third-leading scorer last season, averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in 32 games, starting all but one. His twin brother, David Wear, had 12 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes of a 96-66 preseason win over Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday.