SB Nation User Blog: CPOBruin

Luc Richard gets credit as an Elite NBA Defender

CPOBruin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:39:55 -0000

Bumped. As T pointed out on the comments LRMAM's "surprisingly developed knowledge" re. NBA defense is not all that surprising given how he had 2 years to learn under best defensive coach in college hoops. Wonder if that's a factor Jrue Holiday and his advisers will consider. I am not counting on it but I guess one always has to wonder. GO BRUINS. -N

Saw this little piece on espn about how Luc is ranked, by ESPN's NBA columnist John Hollinger, as the third best defensive Power Forward in the NBA this year, runner up only to Garnett and Marcus Camby! Great to see our Bruins getting love in the NBA, and hopefully this will help Howland's recruiting for years to come!

ESPN's John Hollinger: Defensive Player Rankings

Third team: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Bucks (-4.51)
It's rare for a rookie to crack this list, much less move into the upper tier of the league's frontcourt defenders, but Mbah a Moute was that good. The 6-9 forward from UCLA guarded 2s, 3s and 4s, and with his quickness, long arms and surprisingly developed knowledge, he proved adept no matter the assignment.

An unheralded second-round pick, he's likely to be a regular on this team for years to come.

Tony Parker: NBA Finals MVP was Almost a Bruin!

CPOBruin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:04:59 -0000

Interesting tidbit in this report about how NBA great Tony Parker was almost a Bruin! It would've been amazing to have had Tony Parker playing in the Blue and Gold...

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=265399

Instead of a high school in the Western Suburbs, Tony was able to attend the prestigious National Institute of Sport in Paris. While other kids rode the bus on snowy days to get to school, Parker was living on his own in one of the world's great cities, best friend Boris Diaw at his side.

Looking at it from that perspective, it's easy to see why Parker passed on American high school basketball.

"I was on a campus having a good time," he said. "I almost went to college. I was that close to going to UCLA. At the last moment I changed my mind and I stayed playing professional in Paris."

Tony Parker entered the league in 2001. If Tony played just 2 years at UCLA (reasonable prediction), he woulda played at UCLA from '99-'01 during the dark Lavin years. He woulda been battling with Earl Watson for the starting PG spot and woulda been playing with Matt Barnes, Kapono, Ray Young, Dan Gadzuric and TJ Cummings.

Maybe Tony Parker coulda gotten Lavin out of the Sweet Sixteen... then again, maybe in that case UCLA wouldn't have canned Lavin and snagged Howland. In that case, thank Goodness we didn't get Mr. Parker!!!

Brendan Lane to sign UCLA LOI on 11/12

CPOBruin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:51:41 -0000

The 6-foot-9 senior forward will sign with UCLA at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday in the Rocklin High School gym.

http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/1386607.html

Rocklin High School's Brendan Lane is expected to lead a parade of high-profile area athletes who will sign NCAA national letters of intent on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-9 senior forward will sign with UCLA at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday in the Rocklin High School gym. Bruins coach Ben Howland also is expected to hold a press conference that afternoon to talk about Lane and his 2009 recruiting class.

At least 11 area baseball players, including Bee Player of the Year Max Stassi of Yuba City and Cody Keefer of Davis, are also expected to sign their official letters on Wednesday. Like Lane, Stassi and Keefer are signing with UCLA.