UCLA center Thomas Welsh #40 drives to the hoop against Central Arkansas forward Tanner Schmit #22. UCLAwon 106-101 in overtime. (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Steve Alford walked into the media room at Pauley Pavilion at 11 a.m. on Wednesday as part of a press conference to address the fates of the three freshmen who were arrested in China for shoplifting last week. Twelve hours, three indefinite suspensions and a 106-101 overtime victory against Central Arkansas later, the UCLA men’s basketball head coach walked out of the media room again after commending the Bruins for surviving the scrappy Southland Conference team in UCLA’s home opener.
“It’s not about excuses, it’s about there’s a game today, there’s a practice today, and we gotta get better. That sounds great, but it’s not always easy,” Alford said. “That’s why I appreciate what they’ve done.”
More from UCLA’s win over Central Arkansas, which was the first opponent to score more than 100 points against the Bruins since 2004.
Other links from a busy Wednesday in Westwood:
- Basketball:
- Notebook: Suspensions will test the UCLA’s depth
- Column: There are still lots of questions about the “indefinite” suspensions
- Video: Jonathan Khamis, Jeff Miller and I discuss the punishment for Ball, Hill and Riley.
- Video of the press conference
- How social media reacted to the press conference
- From the New York Times: An outline of President Donald Trump‘s involvement in the case
- Photos of UCLA’s game against Central Arkansas
- Video of Alford, Thomas Welsh and Aaron Holiday after the game
- Football:
- DeShaun Foster wants to “make things right” at UCLA after the abrupt end to his senior season and things won’t be right until the Bruins get a win against USC
- Jedd Fisch‘s bag of tricks is nothing special to the offensive coordinator
- Drop a last-minute question in to our weekly Q&A. Answers will be posted Thursday.
- Video interviews