SB Nation User Blog: BlueReign

Last Snapshot till Signing Day (02/04)

BlueReign — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:59:21 -0000

No matter what the results are, all Bruin fans should be ecstatic about the relentless effort put forth by the entire coaching staff. Our staff has been racking up the mileage heading towards Signing Day. CRN was also at the game last night where there was a contingent of 2010 recruits. In addition, we are going toe to toe for talent against suc. Something that did not happen under the prior regime. There has been a definite transformation of the UCLA FB culture.

Bruin report Online has ~~a free~~ link on the status of the remaining UCLA targets.

Bruins are in still in serious contention for many recruits including Hasek and Te'o. I'm thrilled that we are no longer a Speed Bump but a Road Block to suc. We have yet to prove it on the field, but we should all feel confident that it is only a matter of time. The combination of top notch coaching and increased talent will result in lots of W's for the Blue & Gold.

2009 FB Recruiting: Stretch Run

BlueReign — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:50:27 -0000

Bumped. Great discussion starting post by BlueReign re. stretch run. Would love to get feedback on this from others who are closely following recruiting as well. GO BRUINS. - N

Our staff is looking at roughly a month till Signing Day on February 4th. The class thus far is looking solid and could possibly round out into a very good class with a few additions. With the assistance of varying sources out in the www, I thought a snapshot with some predictions would be interesting.

Verbal Commits (18)

QB: Brehaut
WR: Marvay & Toma
TE: Presley
OL: Hasiak, Capella, Taylor & Johnson
DL: Warner & Graham
LB: Golper & Bowens
DB: Mascarenes, Price and Sermons
ATH: Allmond, Hillard & Williams

My Predictions:

Kennard (DE): No shot. Unless he is 1 of the silent commits? Wishful thinking on my part. I think he goes to suc like Everson Griffin.
Te'o (LB): Had some hope with the Punahou connections but this is a BYU and suc battle IMO. The pull from the Mormon faith will be too much at the end. I hope I'm wrong and he joins Toma/Hilliard and alumnus, Norm Chow.
Su'a-Filo (OL): We had a better shot with Martinez IMO. We could have had a better shot if Martinez verballed to us but now....think he ends up at BYU ultimately. There was talk of wanting to play with Martinez but with suc already having a lot of OL in the class and LSU being so far away, logic says local school wins out.
Phillip (OL): We were supposedly leading but now it's a toss up. Really hope we get this kid and I think ultimately CRN & NC will seal the deal.
Abele (OL): We lead and I think he is a silent commit. Has a good frame and potential. Some talk of him being a DT which Utah is recruiting him for. Utah coming on strong but UCLA bound IMO.
Carroll (WR): As previoulsy noted, we have a shot but CAL (childhood fav) bound IMO.
Flourney (WR): I know N doesn’t agree but I think he comes to Westwood. Whether we like it or not, UCLA has been seen as soft. Local recruits have always viewed suc as the place to go for top notch football. In addition, UCLA didn’t have the "street cred" because we didn’t recruit the City Section hard. Times have changed and continue to. We had a huge contingent of City guys last year and I’m sure Knox & D. Carter are using their influence to lure Flourney.
Wheaton (WR/DB): Has Oregon written all over him. Cousin Kenny (no not that Kenny) played for the Ducks.
Sanders (TE/DE): Think he is one of the silent commits. Gotta help that Dye picked the U at the UA game. UCLA bound IMO.
Tepa (DE): Hawaii verbal but he may be one of the silent commits. CRN has been recruiting him pretty damn hard and we really need some help on the DE position. Tepa realizes the potential for early PT and the job CRN is doing and is UCLA bound.
Van Noy (LB): Has made it well known that it is BYU. Coming for a visit but highly unlikely he comes to UCLA.
Maka (LB): Zona verbal but his parents want him to go to UCLA. Parents ALWAYS win out.
White (S): If qualified, UCLA bound.
Tonga (S): Sticking with Hawaii
McKay (S): UCLA is his dream school but has concerns about depth. It’ll be White or McKay. One or the other IMO.
Pollard (CB): Unfortunately, I see him sticking with ND. If DW was still here, then we had a decent shot in swaying him back.
Eguae (DT): Don’t know anything about him. Undersized for a DT but I doubt that he comes to Westwood. Big 12 bound somewhere.
Hubbard (OL): Elsewhere. I think he is standing in line behind the other O linemen.

I’m not sure if my figures are accurate but we will have 66 guys on scholarship next year. That leaves us with 19 rides. Only 25 per class unless you mix in some early enrollments (Presley, Brehaut & Taylor thus far) and Gray Shirts. Seeing that we already have 18 verbals, how the math works I have no clue as CRN is actively recruiting these kids. Dohn mentioned that there would be no attrition but we’ll see how this plays out. Juco’s Williams, Johnson and Warner may not qualify. Warner is a MUST get IMO or the DT position will be dire should Price leave early to the NFL. Need the scour the area for some DT’s but it may not materialize in this recruiting class (NOTE: George Uko of Chino is said to like UCLA a lot but he is a 2010 recruit). There are other kids waiting on offers from UCLA but it’ll likely be determined based on what happens with the remainder of the class.

I’m optimistic that the staff can keep the current verbals (especially Hasiak) together and supplement this solid class with some additional names. Hopefully my predictions on the bigger names are off and we see a few surprises come signing day.

Ah....the Humanitarian (Cheatey's failure of an ambush)

BlueReign — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:36:01 -0000

Note to Cheatey: You will never transcend beyond being nothing but a coach. PERIOD. Your PR stunts in the inner city are not genuine in my eyes and stop trying to be Coach Wooden because you ain’t and you’ll never be.

This makes things so much more clearer. It’s all about RECRUITING, RECRUITING, RECRUITING. Everything I’ve said about Kenny stands. He’s always been 6 feet underground for all I care. Lets put everything that has transpired since CRN’s arrival into context.

suc has been dominant, no question about it. They not only owned the city but the Pac 10 and was a juggernaut on the national stage. Their dominance began with the deteriorating Toledo’s years and through the KD years. Cheatey never had any competition nor was there such a credible threat such as CRN. It’s like Auburn (6 consecutive Iron Bowl wins) before Saban got to town. Tubberville was dominating the series and in state recruiting. Now that Bama has a name coach, the script has been flipped. We’re not as psycho (unreasonable) as the southerners who fired Tubberville, but the Auburn boosters who spearheaded the ouster were feeling the “heat” from Bama’s rise. I don’t agree with their decision and I question Chizik but that is a different topic.

Now comes CRN who is a proven winner and who also spanked Cheatey while he was at UDUB. A coach who is intelligent, charismatic, PR saavy, has local ties, way better looking :P, etc. A coach that doesn’t have that deer in the headlights look but can make the necessary adjustments in the heat of battle. Add to this CRN’s ability to convince DW to stay on as DC although DW wanted the HC position. DW is not perfect but he has made our defense relevant and he has been a very good recruiter as well. Kids like to play for him. If this wasn’t enough, CRN reels in NC who has tutored a laundry list of Hesiman QB’s who continued off to the NFL. Not to mention somebody whom Chetey knows wants to kick his arse and who was the true reason for their success. All this adds up to “Instant Credibility” for CRN and the UCLA Football Program. Cheatey is scum but he isn’t stupid. He saw the writing on the wall. He now knew that recruiting would no longer be a walk in the park but a battle in the Octagon. Then we come out with the ad that the “Dynasty is over” (I personally loved it). This was something that we would have never done in the past. Something this confident and fearless that you’re time is slowly coming to an end. Cheatey and scums laughed it off. Rightfully so because we have yet to prove anything nor provide the type of results to justify such. But……..

So Cheatey is feeling safe because scum was still getting the top guys while we were struggling to establish the foundation of our program. But the face of recruiting started to changed and in less than a year since CRN has arrived. Pressley who I believe orally committed during the summer before his jr year saw the light and switched. Carroll and Flourney are openly looking at us as well as other schools. We’re in a dogfight for Manti, Martinez, etc. All guys that scum targeted and I’m sure they believed they were going to get. CRN is making inroads at programs that have tranditionally been strongholds for scum (Mater Dei, LB Poly, Oaks Christian, etc.). Players at scum are telling recruits on their official vists that they regret going there because they are sitting on the bench. In the past, if recruits wanted to stay local, they really had no choice but to go to scum. Even with full depth charts, nobody in their right mind was going to put their future in the hands of KD. But not anymore. Recruits now have a legitimate and viable option at UCLA. Playing time is available, top notch coaching is available, top notch education, a campus where you’re not going to get mugged, etc. Especially if you’re an offensive recruit, who would you rather be coached by? CRN (Rose Bowl MVP/coached College & NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman/NFL experience) & NC (Too many Heismans/QB friendly offenses/NFL experience) or some guy named John Morton. The answer is easy and the recruits are beginning to see this IMO.

During a time where their sole focus should be on a very good Penn St. team, they’re wasting their time & energy on something so fickle and unsubstantiated as this? For real? It’s the Dead Period so maybe this is scum’s way of letting the recruits know that their staff is intact since Kenny’s main responsibility is the LA area. Oh, they’re definitely feeling the heat and tide turning. The logical thing for them to do was to contact CRN and then hash this out. But of course, that would mean that they had class or integrity. Remember, this is the guy that unilaterally decided that scum was going to wear ketchup jerseys although both coaches were discussing this. Cheatey really loves the spotlight. If indeed recruits were being told things about Kenny (no way this happened), something so trivial like this should have been left up to Kenny to address privately. Cheatey will never say it, but reading his comments, he may not be shaking in his boots but he definitely feels the threat that CRN & UCLA Football has become already.

I’m lovin every single minute of this because not only do we feel the momentum, but so does the Humanitarian at Fig Tech. CRN will get the job done. I’m ABSOLUTELY sure about this. Why? For CRN, this is a labor of love. For Cheatey, this is for his own personal glory. People achieve much more when they believe and enjoy what they are doing. The Dynasty is not over but you can be damn sure that it will be over sooner rather than later.

State of the Program

BlueReign — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:15:05 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

I'm as excited the day CRN was hired, Walker was staying and Chow was coming on board. I have seen nothing to date to waver my confidence that UCLA will be back with the coaching staff that CRN has assembled. Sidebar...Walker is interviewing for the SD State job but I hope he remains in Westwood to see the rebuiding through.

I saw a comment about the lack of "Creativity" in our offense. I don't see it that way. If you've followed CRN and Chow during their careers, creativity is something they've never lacked. Their decision to go with a vanilla offense was not a CHOICE but a NECESSITY. They recognized that they were working with a patchwork OL, a mistake prone QB, injuries and youth. They believed they were going to have 2 senior QB's with extensive experience leading the offense but were left with a JC transfer that is more comfortable in shotgun rather than under center. They made a strategic decision (no outscheming of our staff happened) to rely on the defense and hope to make some plays at key moments to garner W's. This was evident from Fall practice when CRN kept mentioning that we just wanted to keep the game close entering the 4th quarter.

Secondly, KD did not do our current staff any favors. It is obvious to anyone that we lacked topend playmakers, talent throughout our depth chart and just plain depth in general (ie buring of RS and not RS guys). I love our guys but a lot of them would never have garnered a schoolie under the current staff. Last years class was a good start. CRN is off to a solid start and I hope he can close strong. The talent must also be coupled with experience and physical maturation. Programs like Ole Miss & GTech got new coaches like us but the difference in their situations was that the prior coach left a lot of experienced talent. We're on our way but patience is needed. CRN never used the word "Rebuild" because he didn't want to shortchange the seniors but that is what we are exactly in the midst of. Keep an eye on how long it takes for UDub & Syracuse to rebuild their programs.

I'm including the current verbal commits (*) for this excercise. Hopefully they all ink come signing day.

QB: Craft (RS SR), Rasshan (RS SR), Forcier (RS Soph), Prince (RS FR), Crissman (RS FR) and Brehaut (*)

-I don't know how this competition is going to play out or what the staff is going to do. However, I hope we go young (I think Brehaut, who said he'd enroll early, is the real deal). Let him go through his bumps so we can make a run for the conference title in 2010. Very few RS or True FR make a significant impact. The ones that do have a veteran team surrounding him and yet they still go through their trial by fire. Rasshan and Forcier may not even be a QB come next year. Very big decision for the staff to make.

TB: Ramierz (RS JR), Coleman (Soph), Dean (Soph), Carter (RS Soph), Knox (RS FR), Hilliard (*)

FB: Theriot (RS SR), Moline (SR), Umodu (RS JR), Allmond (*)

-The talent level in this position is Top 25 caliber. Coleman has shown that he is a very capable back and I'm excited to see how he'll develop. Don't listen to the rumors, Dean is staying. Dean is the one that I personally have very high hopes for. I think he'll get his blocking assignments down and I am expecting big things from him next year and beyond. I wish his RS would have been saved though. Carter IMO is still shaking off the effects from his knee injury and I think we'll see the real Raymond next year. Knox has been tearing it up as a scout RB. Ramirez flashed some potential but he along with Hilliard may not be a TB but in the defensive backfield.

-Having 2 senior FB's (both who've proven that they can contribute) will steady the youth at the TB position. Some talk that Allmond may outgrow the position and may end up on the DL.

WR: Ketchum (RS SR), Austin (SR), DJ (RS JR), Embree (Soph), Rosario (Soph), Moutra (Soph), J. Johnson (RS FR), Marvay (*), Toma (*)

TE: Paulson (RS SR), Moya (RS SR), Heater (RS SR), Miller (RS JR), Harkey (Soph)

-The talent at the WR position is solid IMO but I don't see a gamebreaker. I see a lot of possession types but hopefully somebody emerges with the expected development of the OL. I think Austin would be better utilized in the slot a la Stokley/Welker due to his shiftiness. Embree has the best hands I've seen in a long time. Love the size of Rosario who I think will make a jump next season and Moutra. DJ has a lot of talent but for whatever reason, it hasn't clicked for him. Don't know much about Johnson who in the past was possibly going to be moved to defense. Marvay and Toma should RS with the amount of bodies at the position.

-The TE position will be our QB's best friend as all TE's are. A healthy Paulsen coupled with Moya is arguably the top TE duo in the Pac let alone the nation. I think we'll continue to see Moya in the backfield/slot/etc as he is a receiving TE more than a blocker. Think Dallas Clark. Harkey has a lot of potential and is a pro IMO. CRN is actively trying to get a TE (Ertz/Sanders?) because he knows come 2010, we're going to have a serious depth issue because Miller has yet to show anything.

OL: Kia (SR), Ekbatani (RS SR), Dean (RS JR), Savage (RS JR), Tevaga (RS JR), Bennett (RS JR), Sheller (RS JR), Chandler (RS Soph), Harris (RS Soph), Maiava (RS Soph), Baca (Soph), Bradford (RS FR), Johsnon (*JC), Williams (*JC), Hasiak (*), Capella (*)

-I'm not sure if the RS JR OL class was severely overrated or if they didn't develop due to the instability in our coaching staff. Hopefully it is the latter. Well, Palcic will have bodies to figure who can play and mold them into a cohesive unit. They should be a lot stronger with another year under Linn. If Maiava is the real deal, the OL should be much improved as the C is the quarterback of the line. Sheller is on track and I'm eager to see what he can do. Savage has talent and I'm hopeful that it'll click for him next year because we could use a bulldozer of a guard. Coaches raved about Chandler's potential. A year beefing up and learning the position will do him good. Baca would normally have been RS'd but our staff didn't have the luxury. The JC's may not get to Westwood because their rides are contingent upon them qualifying. If Hasiak and Capella are RS'd, I'll take that as a good sign from Palcic that he has the guys he believes will contribute. A lot of "Ifs" but I believe the potential is there and I'm confident in Palcic's abilities.

DT: Ward (RS SR), Siewierski (SR), Price (JR), Keane (RS JR), Warner (*JC)

DE: Bosworth (RS SR), Anyanwu (RS SR), Carter (RS JR), Stokes (RS JR), Edison (RS Soph), Jones (Soph), Holmes (RS FR), Davis (RS FR), Graham (*)

-We've historically have had issues stockpiling the DT position. The West usually doesn't produce many high caliber DT's. We played Carter some at DT but he is overmatched physically. We won't have much depth next season even if Warner's verbal holds. There was some talk of moving Holmes to DT but I'm not sure how viable an option that is. If Price leaves after next season (very possible), it'll be real ugly come 2010. CRN is on this like white on rice and I hope he can get some of the guys we're currently recruiting. Price is the only playmaker at this position so teams will double team him to death without Brigham which is not good.

-Plenty of bodies but no playmaker at all. Bosworth has the motor but he is undersized. I hope Datone is the answer and I'm eager to see how he develops in the offseason. Stokes seems like he can contribute. Chinny is way too skinny to be nothing more than a situational speed rusher. I don't know what we have with Carter or Edison. Holmes was a 4 star but if the staff is thinking about moving him to DT, speed may be an issue. Ian Davis (Bruce's lil bro) intrigues me. He has the frame (needs the lbs though) and is a late comer to football but may be a bit much to expect from a raw player. Graham may have to play but he is also on the light side. CRN again is recruiting this position hard and hopefully we get some gems to sign. Walker's scheme relies on pressure which was non-existent from our DE's this year.

LB: R. Carter (RS SR), Schmitt (RS JR), Ayers (RS Soph), Sloan (RS Soph), Westgate (Soph), D. Carter (RS FR), Larimore (RS FR), Golper (*), Bowens (*)

-Carter is filing paperwork with the NFL for his draft prospectus but I personally think he'll return to Westwood. Ayers got a bit carried away today but the positive I take from it is that he CARES. He played very well as a RS FR and I think he'll be even better next year when his physical talent meshes with the mental aspect of the game. I remember Reggie making this transition a couple of years ago. Hopefully Sloan develops because we'll need him next year. I LOVE Larimore. If you haven't heard, he left a message on CRN's VM that he's "ready to destroy" or something to that effect. Gave me a good chuckle. Westgate/D. Carter/Larimore need to get ready because they'll play and will be the backups. We got a couple of verbals but I along with everyone else is waiting to see if we get Manti.

CB: ATV (SR), Viney (RS Soph), Hester (RS FR), Price (*), Sermons (*), Mascarenas (*)

S: Ware (RS SR), Love (RS Soph), Moore (Soph), Dye (Soph), Woods (RS FR), Franklin (RS FR)

-I think ATV will file paperwork as well although there is no news indicating such at this time. In the end, I believe he'll be back. This is a talented unit but experience is at a premium. ATV is ATV. Moore will be the top S in the Pac and one of the best in the nation IMO very shortly. Ware hasn't done much to date. Love has the physical attributes but injuries have held him back. However, I'm not sure if he'll ever be what he can be IMO. Dye needs to get better because he'll be in the thick of things next year quite possibly at the CB position where he was initially recruited. Hester has potential but putting a FR on an island is always a dicey proposition. Interested to see what Woods & Franklin bring considering the accolades they garnered in HS. I think somebody out of the 3 verbals will have to play because depth at the CB position will likely be an issue. A lot of these guys can be flexed to CB or S. In addition, Ramirez/Hilliard/J. Johnson have all played this position in the past and have been discussed as possibly being switched over. In addition, CRN is still recruiting for these positions.

K: Forbath (RS JR), Rotstein (RS SR)

P: Locke (RS FR)

-Got one of the best kickers in college football in Forbath. Perez will be missed. Locke comes highly regarded but they all struggle initially. Perez struggled when he first took over for Kluwe too. Chris Sailer deserves some props for sending these highly regarded K/P's to UCLA from his academy.

IMO, the program is heading in the right direction and is on schedule. The Tennessee game caused some Bruin fans expectations to rise but here at BN, we all knew how tough a season this was going to be and the true state of our program. With the anticpated improvement throughout the program, I think the offense will no longer be an albatross but will hold their own. If Carter & ATV return, the defense should be solid once again. If we can find some people to rush the passer and the secondary holds, the defense can be more than solid.

Ok....you can all go back to following our Ben Ball Warriors. :)

Will the real "PG U" please stand up!

BlueReign — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:18:46 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

I read the Lute article in the LA Times just to see how much he continues to “lose it” when I read Arizona being described as “PG U”. It got me wondering a bit if this is still an accurate description. There is no denying that Arizona produced a plethora of high quality PG’s during the 90’s and beyond. Arizona is widely known as “PG U” on a national level due to this. However, I think about all the PG’s UCLA has produced and we haven’t done to shabby ourselves (Actually, we'd blow them out of the water). When I think about what is happening under CBH and what I see in the future, I think “PG U” will be changing hands.

There is no doubt that we produced some great PG’s during the Wooden era but the “PG U” description is related to what has happened in more recent times. Thus, I’m excluding them for this hypothetical. I tried using some concrete parameters such as being “All Pac 10” and/or a high NBA pick but I couldn’t find the information I was looking for and I forgot to program my brain to remember such things.

Thus, I’m just going to include guys that 1) were pretty good (don’t need to be great) in college and 2) made the NBA. I’m also including the “Tweeners” as well just to make it a bit easier although you can argue it either way.

Arizona (8)

Steve Kerr (83-88)

Kenny Lofton (85-89)

Damon Stoudamire (91-95)

Jason Terry (95-99)

Mike Bibby (96-98)

Gilbert Arenas (99-01)

Salim Stoudamire (01-05)

Jerryd Bayless (07-08)

Notes: Lofton would have been a very good pro IMO if he stuck with the roundball. The guy that really started this was Damon IMO. But if you take a closer look, they really haven’t produced anybody of substance since Arenas left because Bayless barely was there and as for his pro potential, who knows what is going to happen. Currently with Jennings heading off to Europe, the de-commit of Gaddy, Nic Wise isn’t going to have scouts drooling over his pro potential. Thus, I don’t see anybody on their roster to carry the mantle unless Gaddy re-commits (very possible) or they go get another stud.

***Jason Gardner (99-03) – Really tough leaving him out considering how good he was and all the accolades he accumulated during his college career but he did not get drafted. IMO he got caught when teams were drafting Euro’s in the 2nd round to stash them away. [See UA's Official Site: 100 Years Of UA Basketball]

UCLA (8)

Pooh Richardson (85-89)

Darrick Martin (88-92)

Gerald Madkins (88-92)

Tyus Edney (91-95)

Baron Davis (97-99)

Earl Watson (97-01)

Jordan Farmar (04-06)

Russell Westbrook (06-08)

Notes: We’ve been a bit helter-skelter due to going through 3 regimes (Harrick, Lavin & Howland). But the PG’s that CBH is producing are top notch kids who know how to play the game the right way. Take a peek at what is being written about RW at the WWL.

In addition, we all know DC will be a 1st rounder next year. CBH restoring UCLA basketball and his ability to develop players (no matter how many stars or your ranking) has gotten the preps attention, especially PG’s. We have 3 guys coming in the fall that are being projected as PG’s in the NBA (If they develop and make it) as well as Kendall Williams for 2010. Not to mention being in it for Avery Bradley (possibly another RW) and Gaddy.

UCLA is on an upswing whereas Arizona’s cupboard looks a bit empty. So…..who really is “PG U” again?

Yahoo article on Reggie Bush

BlueReign — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:16:58 -0000

This link takes you to the most recent article as well as a link to view the evidence they have been able to gather. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ys-bushfolo011008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I know we have some attorney's on this board. What do you believe is the hold up in determing that Reggie Bush did in fact violate NCAA rules? At the very least, the receipts should show that improper benefits were recieved. There is likely larger forces at play and the NCAA is a paper tiger but come on. If 1 of our guys can get suspended for taking a bag of groceries left on his doorstep, guys like Bush need to be put in their place. USC has been a money making machine for the NCAA recently. However, seeing how other programs (OU, Colorado, etc) have been dinged, will they stand on the sidelines if nothing is done against USC? I hope there is a huge fuss made by other programs and they pressure the NCAA to remedy the situation. If not, what will prevent others from turning a blind eye towards violations? Why self report anything if the programs that are violating the rules do not get punished?

Secondly, will USC be dinged with the "lack of institutional control"? They are turning a blind eye to this whole situation however I highly doubt that they had no idea what was going on. PC allows agents to come to their practice and roam the sidelines on gameday. Is it reasonable to conclude that PC & his entire staff had zero idea of what was going on? I don't buy it.

Please chime in with your thoughts.

Watch Future Ben Ball Warriors

BlueReign — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:35:02 -0000

Invitation to all Bruin fans to take a look at 2 of our future Bruins Jrue Holiday & Drew Gordon.

Jrue and Campbell Hall will be traveling to St. Edward's to take on Delvon Roe (Michigan St. commit). The game will be televised this Thursday on ESPN 2 @6PM PST.

Mark your calendars because on 01/21, Drew Gordon and his team Archbishop Mitty will be participating in The Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. in honor of James Naismith. It will be televised by ESPNU at 11AM. It is probably EST.

Here is the ESPN link with their HS television schedule and the link for the Hoophall Clasic.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/news/story?id=3127862

http://www.hoophall.com/highschool/index.html

GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS! GO BRUINS!

Loose Canon Recap w/KD

BlueReign — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:53:15 -0000

Total waste of time. Hartman didn't grill KD and they didn't ask any tough questions that I'm sure a bunch of Bruin fans sent in including me.

If you cannot stomach any more Dorrellisms, do not read any further. Not verbatim and not in order.

Vic: What the hell happened there? Was it the flat practices?
KD: It starts with me and the staff. We had some offside and false start penalties that stopped drives. Turnovers. Etc.

Hartman: Defense totally collapsed. Was it senioritis, injuries, etc?
KD: Every area wasn't particularly sharp. There is a number of areas that didn't play well. We had a chance to get back in the game but we had a turnover.

Hartman: Where is the passion like SC game?
KD: That is the goal. We try to play like that in every opportunity we get. We lost an opportunity. What do we do now to play this game in a proper way.

About the week thus far
-Working through it, working through it guys. We can get much, much better.

About Washington
-We are excited about this Pac-10 opportunity.

On Cowan for BO
-It is game 3 and we are not panicking. There is a need to fix the issues in a timely manner.

Injuries
-Tevaga's knee injury will not allow him to play this week/weeks but nobody knows seriousness. Had MRI today and results will be received tonight. Whittington had 2nd concussion and will be out this week. Everett sprained his ankle late in game.

Cited Everett's fumble as momentum changer as we would have only been down by 3. Didn't throw him under the bus but mentioned it.

Response for ryedreadraz

BlueReign — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:43:34 -0000

My response was too long so it wouldn't fit.

You're right & wrong but what's the difference?

If Guerrero is legitimately looking elsewhere for a new HC, do you really believe that the recruits & their families would not be aware of this? How often is a secret kept in major college athletics or the pro game? We're always hearing ESPN & other media outlets citing an anonymous source who says, "Kentucky has contacted Donovan about their head coaching job" or "Bama has contacted Saban or Rich Rodriguez concerning their HC position". I mean, rumors about Guerrero gauging Mariucci's interest was floated around whether real or not. My point in this is that if we are looking for a new HC, it ain't gonna matter whether he sticks around till the end of the season or not. Recruits will get word of it and it is in their best interest to look around. Some will reserve judgement until the next regime because they verballed to UCLA for UCLA and it won't matter to them who is the HC. Others will bail because it was the staff that attracted them to UCLA. Also, all of the other programs that were showing interest in our verbals will be like vultures trying to snatch them away. So there is no guarantee that this class will stay intact. This is excluding recruits thinking twice about their verbals after seeing a performance like this which happens at least once every year.

We all know what the problem is. Even programs like U-Dub & ASU who have been down are on the upswing. It will only be a matter of time before we are getting cozy with Wazzu, Zona & Stanford if we don't get this guy out the door.

Lastly, an interim coach will not guarantee a better record but who's to say that for a fact? I don't have much confidence in our coordinators but sometimes a coordinator is held back due to the HC (Perfect example would be Ron Prince who worked under an underachieving Virginia program led by Al Groh. Look at the tangible improvements he has already made with Kansas St. People could have labeled him as being inferior just because he was under a mediocre HC like Groh). I'm not saying that it will but who's to say that keeping KD around longer WILL result in a better year? Neither you or I can answer this question. But we do agree that the coach needs to go. As long as he is out the door, I could care less if it was now or at the end of the season. I'll go with whatever is the best option for our program. However, you don't keep KD around just because we have a nice looking recruiting class on paper.

It's like Field of Dreams. If we get a true leader who instills confidence in our kids & programs and who actually knows how to game plan and coach, the recruits will come. Everytime I talk to my friend who is a diehard Huskers fan, he always wonders why UCLA is not a superpower in College Football considering all the talent in our area and natural recruiting advantages.

It's simply the HC.

Alex Legion

BlueReign — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:46:45 -0000

Rumor running rampant on the other boards that Alex Legion (6-4, SG out of Michigan who played this year at Oak Hill) will be seeking a release from Michigan. As you may know, John Beilein was hired as the new HC. Howland was recruiting him pretty hard but he ultimately chose to stay home and suit up for the Wolverines. Supposedly Alex will be heading to Westwood if he secures the release and AA declares for the NBA. We'll have used our schoolie bank with Love & Stanback coming in next year. AA leaving would free up the schoolie needed unless somebody was to transfer.

I personally would rather have AA when compared to Legion. No matter how good Legion may be, he is nowhere close to what AA means to us and what he provides/produces. No freshman is going to reach All-American status as well as be the heart & soul of this UCLA club as AA has. In addition, this will directly affect our current recruitment of Jrue in an adverse way IMO. There will be a log jam of wing players on our roster the next two years.

Should AA leave, it would be very nice late pick up but I'm hoping for 1 more year from AA. ****Editing this post**** The source was Sonny V on Loose Cannons and I listened to it over and over again to figure something out. They were talking over Sonny so it is pretty tough to tell but he said that the player was "really, really, really good that was not committed". If I heard this right, that would mean that Legion is not a possibility as he has a signed LOI. The only2 unsigned players this year is Jai Lucas (Not likely considering we have Jerime & Malcolm in 08), Patrick Patterson (Supposedly a heavy Donovan lean. Wherever he ends up, Patterson is said to follow. Unlikely because we haven't been recruiting this guy much) or it could be Jrue whom Howland has been recruiting very hard. Sonny is currenty in Chicago for the Roundball Classic. Or it could be Legion if my ears are failing me. Sorry for the confusion.