Live chat: What’s in store for UCLA on National Signing Day?
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Daily Archives: February 2, 2016
Four-star safety Brandon Burton of Gardena Serra commits to UCLA
Four-star safety Brandon Burton pulled out a UCLA hat and gloves during a SportsCenter announcement on Tuesday night.
Safety Brandon Burton has committed to UCLA, becoming just the third Gardena Serra product to pick the Bruins in over a decade.
The four-star prospect was slated to announce his decision on SportsCenter on Tuesday night, but a pre-taped video was released on Bleacher Report nearly half an hour earlier.
4-Star safety Brandon Burton (@BraandonD1) uses a game of paintball to announce his commitmenthttps://t.co/YxfntDgbDJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 3, 2016
He picked UCLA over Florida State, USC and Arizona.
When he sends in his letter of intent, Burton will become the highest-ranked Serra player to sign with the Bruins in recent memory. Receiver Jordan Lasley and linebacker Dwight Williams, both of whom were three-star prospects, landed in Westwood in 2014, while two-star offensive lineman Tony Lee did so in 2004. (Four-star receiver Paul Richardson also signed with UCLA in 2010, but was dismissed after being arrested on suspicion of felony theft. He signed with Colorado the following August.)
A consensus top-150 national recruit, Burton is ranked the fourth-best safety in the country by Rivals and the No. 13 athlete by Scout. The 6-foot, 185-pounder is just the third defensive back prospect in UCLA’s 2016 class, joining three-star recruits Keyon Riley and Leni Toailoa.
DT Garrett Rand reaffirms commitment to Wisconsin
A little over a week after visiting UCLA, defensive tackle Garrett Rand has reaffirmed his commitment to Wisconsin.
The four-star recruit out of Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton told azcentral that he will fax his letter of intent to the Badgers on Wednesday morning, sticking with the school he picked back in September. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound lineman had second thoughts on his choice after defensive coordinator Dave Aranda left in early January for the same job at LSU.
In the interview with azcentral, Rand also credited New Way Academy in Phoenix for helping him overcome a childhood battle with dyslexia.
The Bruins have a quartet of three-star defensive line recruits in Jake Burton, Marcus Moore, Osa Odighizuwa, and JUCO transfer Nick Terry. They are also in position to add four-star defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa, who will announce his decision a little after 12 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN2.
VIDEO: UCLA coach Steve Alford on USC rivalry, Bruins’ outlook
With just nine regular-season games left, UCLA is still hovering below .500 in conference play. Needing a few more emphatic wins to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins take their next step on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at USC.
Head coach Steve Alford talked on Tuesday about the matchup. A few notes:
» UCLA shook up its starting lineup this past Saturday, playing forward Jonah Bolden ahead of senior Tony Parker in an 83-50 win over Washington State. Bolden seems likely to keep that spot, with Parker continuing to man the backup center position instead of playing next to sophomore Thomas Welsh in a “big-big” frontcourt.
“We played well last game doing that,” Alford said. “I don’t think it’s always going to be etched in stone as to who that is, but I don’t see any changes.”
» Alford lost to USC for the first time on Jan. 13, with his Bruins devolving on defense. Looking back on that 14-point loss, the third-year coach pointed out that the Trojans scored 13 points off of “50-50 balls,” as well as 16 second-chance points.
“When you fuel their transition game by mistakes that you make, that makes it really, really difficult,” Alford said.
USC represents the type of athletic, up-tempo team that has troubled UCLA all season, and offers a good test for just how much Bolden’s presence will improve the Bruins’ defense. Continue reading “VIDEO: UCLA coach Steve Alford on USC rivalry, Bruins’ outlook” »