Basketball Kaleidoscope: Love on mid-season awards lists

Bruin freshman center Kevin Love has, like several other freshman stars, made his way onto the mid-season awards lists released yesterday.

Love appears on the "Player of the Year" watch lists for both the Naismith and Wooden awards. He’s the only Bruin on the Wooden Award list; Josh Shipp is also on the 30-player Naismith Award list.

>> The ESPN "College Gameday" origination from Los Angeles on Saturday will have host Rece Davis in Pauley Pavilion with analysts Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis and former Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps on Saturday morning. Bilas and Davis never played in Pauley, but Digger was a familiar figure as the Notre Dame coach from the 1971-72 season through 1990-91. He had a 14-18 mark against UCLA, but broke the Bruins’ 88-game win streak with a 71-70 victory at South Bend in 1974. He was 6-10 against UCLA in Pauley Pavilion, but won four in a row at one point; he had a 2-6 record against John Wooden overall, but 12-12 against a succession of Bruin coaches that followed. Check the student section Saturday to see if the ancient folding sign from the 1970s -– still preserved -– that reads "Digger is a Wimp" is trotted out for his return.

>> Bruin Coach Ben Howland has said that the UCLA-Notre Dame series was exciting and should be re-started. Would Saturday be a good day to announce that, with Phelps in the house? UCLA has a 27-19 record against the Irish and the teams last met in 2004-05 in South Bend in Howland's first year at UCLA, a 75-65 Bruin win. Notre Dame's 19 wins is the most by any non-conference opponent against UCLA and more than the 13 wins achieved by Arizona State and Washington State against the Bruins.

>> Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer sees next season’s star recruit, Jrue Holiday, as a potential "one-and-done" player at UCLA. He writes, "No need to convince us that he is the best and most complete perimeter player in this class, but will he get the chance in a potentially loaded UCLA backcourt to convince the NBA executives?"