Constantly Brian Dohn over at the UCLA blog and other members of the media have stated that one of the problems with UCLA recruiting is that the academic standards are much higher than most teams in the Pac-10 and the nation.

Actually, according to Dohn, UCLA has the highest academic standards aside from Stanford and Notre Dame in Division I.

I know our friends over at the California Bears blog get angry about this, and people often attack Dohn's blog saying that UCLA is merely making up excuses, but Jon Wilner at College Sports Hotline wrote a piece of Pac-10 admissions data and the results are not surprising.

He actually breaks down the differences between UCLA and Cal as follows:

*** Football

Cal average GPA: 2.93
UCLA average GPA: 3.15

Cal average SAT: 984
UCLA average SAT: 990

As you can see, the SATs are basically the same, but UCLA’s average GPA is 8-10 percent higher.

What has always struck me about these figures — and the differential in men’s basketball is even greater (see below) — isn’t the raw numbers but the relative numbers.

Shouldn’t the flagship school of the UC be at least as tough, if not tougher, than its little sister?

He even goes on the point out the differences in basketball, which, to no surprise, follow a similiar trend:

*** Men’s basketball

Cal average GPA: 2.60
UCLA average GPA: 2.91

Cal average SAT: 896
UCLA average SAT: 935

If you would like to see the rest of the Pac-10 you can check out the article here.

It's nice to see some quantitative results to back up what we have continually been told by media members and UCLA officials.

Also, it is no surprise that our LA neighbors over near Exposition Park are resting in the bottom half of the Pac-10 in GPA and right in the middle for SAT. However, let me point out that USC does not calculate GPA like most prestigious academic institutions.

Most universities take the best overall score. So if you took the SAT three times, they would only count the highest score for the entire exam. USC however, will take the highest scores on each section and mix and match them in order to produce the highest score possible. This is a tactic used in order to have higher average SAT scores to help rise in the US News college rankings and which is why their SAT placement in the Pac-10 is not in the bottom like their GPA standing.

Abdul Gaddy, the 6-3 Point Guard ranked #2 as Point Guard on Scout and #2 on Rivals committed to Washington tonight.

 Scout writes:

A week ago Abdul Gaddy, the 6-3 elite point guard from Tacoma (Wash.) Bellarmine Prep, learned he wouldn't be playing for Lute Olson at Arizona. On Tuesday, the country learned that he'll be playing in the Pac-10 but for another program, and it's not UCLA...

You must be a Scout insider to access the full article.

Rivals also reports:

Hopefully three is a charm for Abdul Gaddy. After committing twice and decommitting twice from Arizona, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound point guard from Tacoma (Wash.) Bellarmine Prep High School has settled on a school.

Update 1:

The Seattle Times has an article up with some quotes from Gaddy Sr:

"We came back to the drawing board and (UW) coach (Lorenzo) Romar has always been there," Gaddy Sr. said. "He's followed him since he was a freshman in highs school. And it will be a great opportunity to play in front of family and friends. It was just kind of a no-brainer at the end."

[....]

"He's not going to be a one-and-done kid," Gaddy Sr. said. "So he's excited to go play there and have that opportunity to have a degree. This will be an opportunity to spread his wings a little bit but not be too far away."

Tough loss, but the kid gets to be a hometown hero and play for his local team. Hopefully the decision works out for him and he is happy being a Husky.

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Tulsa, Okla. - For the second year in a row the UCLA women's tennis team will be playing in the NCAA Championship match, as the seventh-seeded Bruins recorded a 4-2 victory No. 6 Florida in a semifinal showdown at Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center on Monday. Tomorrow's final will be an all-Pac-10 affair, as eighth-seeded Cal upset No. 5 Baylor, 4-3 in the day's other contest. The final can be seen live on ESPNU beginning at 2:00 p.m. (CST).

Today's game was a huge win for UCLA, especially their victory in the doubles point.

UCLA faced an uphill battle before Monday's match even started, as the Bruins faced the daunting task of trying to become the first team to take the doubles point from the Gators this season. Elizabeth Lumpkinand Stephanie Wetmore got things started for the Bruins, as the duo downed Whitney Benik/Csilla Borsanyi, 8-3 at court No. 2. UCLA would end up winning the point at court No. 3 when Alex McGoodwin and Yasmin Schnack handed the duo of Julia Cohen and Anastasia Revzina an 8-5 defeat. It marked the first loss of the season for Cohen and Revzina, as the Gator duo headed into the match with a 21-0 overall record.

That doubles point proved the be the momentum swing that the ladies needed in order to come out on top.

You can read the entire recap here. But here is a quick breakdown of the stats:

Doubles

1. (1) Lin/Zalameda (UCLA) vs. (8) Alexander/Boonstra (UF) - 5-6 Susp.

2. (56) Lumpkin/Stephanie Wetmore (UCLA) def. Benik/Borsanyi (UF) - 8-3

3. McGoodwin/Schnack (UCLA) def. Cohen/Revzina (UF) - 8-5

UCLA Wins Doubles Point -- Order of Finish: 2, 3

Singles

1. (8) Riza Zalameda (UCLA) def. (29) Julia Cohen (UF) - 6-2, 6-1

2. (30) Tracy Lin (UCLA) vs. (33) Csilla Borsanyi (UF) - 7-6(5), 4-2 Susp.

3. (116) Megan Alexander (UF) def. (42) Yasmin Schnack (UCLA) - 6-4, 6-3

4. (54) Andrea Remynse (UCLA) def. Whitney Benik (UF) - 6-3, 6-4

5. (105) Elizabeth Lumpkin (UCLA) def. Marrit Boonstra (UF) - 6-4, 2-6, 6-2*

6. (96) Anastasia Revzina (UF) def. (124) Alex McGoodwin (UCLA) - 6-4, 6-3

Tomorrow the Bruins face the California Bears for the third time this season.

UCLA and Cal faced off twice during the regular season, with the Golden Bears winning 4-3 at UCLA on March 1, and the Bruins winning 4-3 at Cal on April 4

A closer look at this matches reveals a few key things to watch for:

• The Bruins lost the double point in their road win and won the double point in their home loss.

• Look to see more confidence from UCLA's Riza Zalameda who defeated Cal's Susie Babos in UCLA's upset road win 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

• At court 2, Tracy Lin will be searching for her first victory against Marina Cossou as she was defeated in both meetings.

• Yasmin Schnack only played in the first meeting but took care of business on court 3 with a solid 6-3, 6-4 victory over Cristina Visico.

• Important to look at is the performance of Andrea Remynse who is 5-0 in tournament singles matches. She both won and lost in both meetings against Cal but has been playing vastly better towards the end of the season. Her success is crucial for a Bruin victory.

• Look to see Lumpkin at court 5 to take care of business as she breezed by Cal in both meetings.

• The Bruin lineup has seen some shifts and shakeups this season and the team that Cal will be facing in this game is neither of the complete teams they faced in their previous meetings.

The game will be on ESPNU live beginning at Noon (PST) You can also follow updates from the web at Tulsa's athletic website.

Good luck ladies! Hopefully they will fly back from Oklahoma carrying out the 102 National Championship and bring it home to Westwood.

From Yahoo! (Associated Press): 

 

NEWPORT HARBOR, Calif. (AP)—Bill Rankin, a basketball star at UCLA during World War II and after, has died after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease. He was 84.

Rankin’s daughter, Cindy Elliott, told The Associated Press he died Sunday night at his home on Balboa Island.

Rankin played guard and forward under coach Wilbur Johns for the Bruins in 1945 and, with time out for the Navy, in 1946 and 1947.

After graduation, Rankin coached basketball at Westchester and Monroe High Schools in Los Angeles.

“He was my inspiration,” said former UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates, who played basketball under Rankin at Monroe High.

Rankin is survived by his widow Bette and his daughter, who said her father wanted no funeral. She quoted him as saying: “Let my friends raise a toast of beer or ice cream and shoot a few hoops.”

In lieu of flowers, the family said he requested donations to the American Parkinson’s Disease Foundation or the UCLA Foundation.

 

Al Scates played for Rankin, and had previously quoted with: 

"Everything I know about coaching I learned from my high school coach, Bill Rankin, and from John Wooden. John is the greatest coach this country has ever produced. I would watch his practices and model my volleyball practices after his. I'd employ a variety of drills with quick switches from drill to drill, while giving directions quickly and succinctly without stopping the pace of the drill."

To Donate to the American Parkinson Disease Association you can go here.

Or you can visit this site to donate the UCLA Foundation.

He was a great player, a great coach and a great person. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Always sad to see a great Bruin pass away.

Went to the game tonight. Since there has been so much talk and discussion of fan behavior I decided to copy and paste what the Den handout had this week.

It is playfully funny and while it is biting with sarcasm, it is backed up by facts.

It is fairly hilarious and a good way to get the student section pumped up.

I am just going to type the "dirt" becuase the scouting report is like any typical preview for the game.

The Dirt

Hell-o ASU Devils! While they started red out in the Pac-10, these sneaky devils have since cooled off and have lost three in a row after beginning 14-2. With the recent three game skid, I am sure this isn't where the Devils wanted to be, but some players take this to a whole new level. In fact, James Harden desperately wanted to come to UCLA, but Ben Howland just didn't see potential and didn't recruit him. How badly did he want to come here? He listed L.A. as the place he most wants to live, and this road trip as the one he most looked forward to. He must be excited to lose in a real city for once.

Harden is joined by former McDonald's All-American Eric Boatang. He was spurned by Duke and thought we would transfer to a 'mighty' Pac-10 powerhouse in ASU, where he currently is riding the pine averaging 12 minutes a game. He has started a grand total of one game this year, and apparently has a snowball's chance in hell of getting more playing time. In fact, one reason ASU has been so devilishly good is the fact that they are sitting their players from last year. That is right, if one team doesn't work, move them to the bench. Antwi Atuahene averaged 26 minutes per game last year, but this year has since dropped to 9. Hus buddy Christian Polk went from 30 minutes down to 14, dropping faster than Enron stock. However, it might have had something to do with Polk's 36% field goal percentage.

So what has Antwi been doing with all this time on the bench? Probably 'Moons over my Hammy.' Atuahene isn't open to catch passes anymore, so instead he heads to his favorite restaurant: Denny's, which is always open, like Kevin Love against a Div. II team.

You know what else is open 24 hours a day? Jail. While ASU might not have the hordes of criminals like a certain cross-town 'team,' they compensate with a little factor we like to call MCI, or Multiple Crime Index. Ex-Sun Devil Bryson Krueger has been firing up the criminal car on all cylinders, as last he was arrested for threatening to kill a man. But wait, there's more! On top of this, he was in possession of ectasy, Zanex, cocaine, and un registered hand gun! Shoot! He's a family man as well, as he was previously arrested for assault against his younger brother. Sounds like some tough love to me.

Are we really going to let these gun totin', bench-sitting, college spurned Devil's come into Pauley Pavilion? I think not! So show them what Pauley is really like, be loud, wear blue, and sent Atuahene down Westwood to Denny's before he make it to the court!

CHEER LIKE CHAMPIONS! Beat the Sun Devils!