Hot links are on an irregular schedule because of travel. Enjoy this
weekend edition. Another one will be up Tuesday morning. General
posting should be slow until Monday evening ...
Checking the most recently uploaded UCLA vids on YouTube, it looks like this week had something for everybody: hoops history, current cheerleaders, job prospects, even baseball superstitions.
Above, enjoy some highlights of the 2007-08 dance team. More after the jump ...
I was on the "Dave Dameshek Show" (710 ESPN) on Tuesday talking about the Dodgers at Wrigley, the Indy 500, burgers and, of course, the petition for tradition. In case you missed it, click here to find out about this noble cause. By signing the petition, you're showing support to return to the days when UCLA and USC wore home jerseys against each other, allowing for a rare spectacle of powder blue versus cardinal. Coaches Rick Neuheisel and Pete Carroll are on board ... are you?
For the second year in a row, UCLA is allowing season ticket-holders in men's basketball an opportunity to select their seats — in person — for next season. There's an open house Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion, but you must RSVP by Friday. See the full announcement after the jump.
On the evening of Saturday, June 7, you can support your Bruins (in all sports) with a special fundraiser at John Wooden Center. UCLA Athletics' True Blue Celebration is almost sold out, so check after the jump for the full announcement and a link to purchase tickets.
UCLA alums Jordan Farmar and Trevor Ariza haven't been seeing a ton of court time for the Lakers, but each has shown some healthy progress in the last week. For Farmar, it was breaking out of his playoff slump by getting some points against San Antonio. He also made a defensive play in the series that was so spectacular that the NBA turned it into a viral-video ad (above). Ariza returned from injury to play against the Spurs for his first game in four months. You can check out some more video highlights on Bruins Nation.
With a win in L.A. on Thursday, the Lakers can close out the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and USC's Davon Jefferson have been
assigned to Team 6 at the Orlando NBA Pre-Draft camp.
Also on Team 6
are Brian Butch of Wisconsin; Joey Dorsey of Memphis; George Hill of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Joseph Jones of Texas A&M; Marcelus Kemp of Nevada; Shaun
Pruitt of Illinois; Sean Singletary of Virginia; and Mike Taylor of
Idaho and the NBA D-League.
The team's coach is David Fizdale, a Los Angeles
native, a member of the all West Coast Conference team while a player
at San Diego and an assistant coach at Fresno State and the Golden
State Warriors among other places.
-- via Diane Pucin, whose full story will be on latimes.com later tonight --
Mark Greenfield from L.A. asks, "I've seen Bobo Morgan listed at 6'9", 6'10"
and 6'11". Any idea how tall he actually stands?"
J'Mison (Bobo) Morgan had been listed at 6'10" for awhile, but his high school coach recently told The Times' Diane Pucin that he's now 6'11".
Listed heights for college athletes are frequently unreliable, and it's important to take them with a grain of salt. As early
as high school, players/coaches/parents may slightly inflate those type of stats
to make a player sound more appealing to colleges, more intimidating to opponents, etc.
It usually continues
until they reach a pro level, at which point measurements are much more
precise (I believe the NFL is particularly careful about that at
combine). Many athletes have magically "shrunk" between their
listings in a college team's media guide and a pro team's media guide!
I think most athletes are reluctant to talk about it, but Tony Meola
(former U.S. national soccer team goalkeeper) joked about the issue in the early 1990s,
admitting that he's 6'0" but is always listed at 6'1" because "it
sounds better" (paraphrasing).
I haven't measured Morgan, but since he's usually listed at 6'10" that's what I've used so far. Ultimately, it's just a
rough approximation to help people get a sense of relative size. There
are many other factors that matter when it comes to a big man who can play above the rim (wingspan, vertical leap,
speed/power, strength, etc.). One inch isn't a critical difference for a 6'10"-ish center.
Also, remember that he's still
young and it's not impossible that he's grown slightly and may even
continue to grow.
Brehaut is ranked four out of five stars by Scout and Rivals, and his stock has risen over the last few months.
UCLA is up to seven commits in the class of 2009, but Brehaut is the first one on the offensive side of the ball. Keep in mind that once a solid player commits at quarterback, it can make life easier for Bruin coaches to recruit other top talent because it assures them of playing with a good signal caller.
I hope everybody's having a great holiday weekend. I had limited battery life while camping at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but I'm back inside a real building now and am putting some posts together (Hot Links will be postponed until Tuesday).
Remember that noon (Pacific; 3 p.m. Eastern) is the official national moment of remembrance. It's a great time to kick off the summer, but sometimes it feels like we might forget why this is "a day off."
I got to spend the weekend with a close friend who is serving in the Navy, and he said one of the best things you can do to support our troops is to give blood. Bases frequently hold blood drives and the Air Force has a base near LAX (UCLA also has a great donation program). That will help ensure that more of our young men and women get to be honored on Veterans Day instead of Memorial Day.
Thanks, peace and respect to those we have lost at war and to those who continue to serve (including UCLA ROTC programs).
Photo (via Flickr) by Jim Hinnant, 401st Army Field Support Brigade Public Affairs, taken this morning in Kuwait.
Giant news on the recruiting front as 6-foot-11 J'Mison Morgan today announced that he will play for the Bruins next season.
The big guy caused a big sigh (of relief) around Westwood, assuring the Bruins of a quality center to replace all-everything Kevin Love. Morgan was originally committed to Louisiana State, but requested a release from his letter of intent after the Tigers had a coaching change. Since players can only sign one letter per year, Morgan isn't technically a Bruin until he enrolls in school (expected to happen sometime this summer).
Kevin Love's father, Stan, was on a local Oregon radio show called "The Bald-Faced Truth" on Wednesday and played the role of doting father to perfection. Besides sharing a list of teams that have shown interest in his son (Grizzlies, Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Sonics, Clippers, Bucks, Blazers), he talked up Kevin and did his best to lobby for a high draft pick. But something he said ruffled a few feathers on Internet message boards ...
Host:We talked during the Oregon-UCLA game about Ben Howland's recruiting pitch to you. When you look back on Kevin's year at UCLA, he get everything he was promised there?
Stan Love: [Laughs] Promised? That's kinda' ... uh ... No, is the honest answer to that.
Host:What would you have liked to have seen differently?
Stan Love:I like to see him used in the offense a lot different: face the basket more, touch the ball more. When you're a high percentage shooter I think those guys should shoot the most. It's a great fit for him as far as coming to UCLA and his teammates and all that, but I think he coulda' expanded his game a little more. You guys really didn't get to see what he can do.
It's easy to misinterpret that and nobody should take it personally. Remember that Stan Love isn't taking a swipe at UCLA or Howland — he's merely trying to convince NBA GMs that his son is even better than we saw last year.
To hear the full clip, click here and go just beyond 1/3 of the way in.
John Wooden joined the Loose Cannons on KLAC-AM (570) on Thursday. The lengthy interview covered things like Wooden's upcoming charity event with Vin Scully (I'll post more on that later), whether college basketball is tougher today than it was in his day, one-and-dones, Kevin Love, and much more.
It's a can't miss. To hear the whole segment, click here.
Note that the interview brought up women's gymnastics and how Wooden used to have chalk all over his court. I wonder if somebody at KLAC took the 'Where Wooden Walked' tour.
Scout.com has re-ranked its top recruiting classes. No surprise, UCLA is No. 1. [Scout Hoops]
Andy Katz says UCLA, Duke and Michigan are in for the Coaches vs.
Cancer tournament in New York, with five schools in the mix for that
last spot. [ESPN Insider, subscription required]
Football:
Norm Chow is looking at future QBs in the Inland Empire. [L.A. Times]
Rick Neuheisel (along with other Bruin coaches) and James Washington will hold a free youth clinic at the end of the month. [CSTV]
Elsewhere:
Women's golf is tied headed into the final round of the national championship — with USC. [Daily Bruin]
UCLA is a brand name in Asia — in more ways than one. [Daily Bruin]
As mentioned before, John Wooden was inducted into the Court of Honor at the Coliseum Peristyle on Tuesday. A plaque was unveiled and you can see the close-up here.
The ceremony lasted more than half an hour, but this video breaks it down to 10 minutes of highlights, including Vin Scully, Ben Howland, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Keith Erickson (about three minutes) and the Wizard of Westwood himself (about seven minutes).
More pictures and an audio clip of the entire ceremony are available after the jump.
The UCLA women's tennis team Tuesday captured the school's 102nd NCAA title over Pac-10 rival Cal.
The clinching match was played by No. 1 Riza Zalameda (pictured), a senior who got to walk off center court as a champion after making it to the finals last year. This was UCLA's sixth trip to the finals in the sport and its first championship.
For the AP story and a video report from ESPN, click here.
For the full breakdown from UCLA's Sports Information Department (including a photo gallery), click here.
Zoo Tennis has been tracking the tournament and also has a good recap:
Cal coach Amanda Augustus commented that the Pac 10 clash between her team, seeded eighth, and No. 7 seed UCLA may have been the longest 4-0 match in history, and there's no doubt the final score was deceiving. It took nearly an hour and a half for UCLA to take the doubles point with a win at No. 3, after Cal had won at No. 2 and UCLA at No. 1. Fortunately, weather conditions were ideal, with temperatures in the upper 70s and little humidity or wind, so the four-hour competition was more emotionally than physically draining.
Former Bruin stars Baron Davis and Earl Watson were hanging out in L.A. this week. Davis wrote on his Yardbarker blog, "It's always nice to reminisce about college ball and all the fun we had. I know y'all remember the off-the-backboard lob he threw me, one of the craziest plays ever! HUH!!"
Davis added, "It's nice to be in L.A,, 90-degree weather visiting my family and friends."
If you want to see the play, check out the 55-second mark of this Boom Dizzle highlight video.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum bestowed a special honor on John Wooden today, unveiling a plaque dedicated in honor of the "Wizard of Westwood." Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Ben Howland and Vin Scully were among the guests. Wooden was in great spirits, entertaining the crowd and making plenty of jokes (even some at his own expense). He stuck around considerably long after the event ended to spend a special moment with anybody who wanted to meet the legendary coach.
Check out a close-up of the plaque after the jump, along with the full inscription. There'll be more coverage later ...
ESPN is on a quest to name the "Face of the Program" for college football teams around the nation. They ask, "Is it that fabled coach? A legendary player? A memorable play? A unique mascot?"
Some of the suggestions that have come up for UCLA:
"There have been so many changes that I feel they’ve lied to me all along about the situation," Negedu said. "Everything has changed a lot since I’ve signed down there. I can’t take it no more. Before I signed with Arizona they said it was fun, the players loved it and everything, But when I took my official visit no one seemed happy. Everything changed. Lute Olson left, taking a break. No one (knew) where he went."
Kevin Love was interviewed by ESPN while training at the Home Depot Center in Carson. He's showing a lot of discipline, doing lots of running and cutting back on some of his favorites (like chocolate milk). He's already lost 13 pounds and says he's in the best shape of his career: "I'm going to shock a lot of people come the combines."
A source familiar with the plans to renovate Pauley Pavilion has confirmed a number of the anticipated upgrades to the legendary arena. Although everything isn't set in stone, these are some of the key changes that you can expect to improve the game day experience:
Drastically expanded bathroom facilities (about three times as many as before) and more concessions to decrease lines.
A new grand entrance ideal for your "Kodak moment." The building will still be accessible from 360 degrees.
Uniform-length steps leading to seats. The current configuration includes a repeating pattern of two short steps and one long one, making it difficult to navigate while keeping an eye on the action.
A slight expansion of overall seating capacity, including stands closer to the ends of the court and more courtside seats. There will be no luxury boxes.
New locker rooms and film rooms for the teams and new/expanded media facilities.
The key decision-makers have a meeting scheduled for early June and more information may be released at that time. Currently, most of the plans are for internal renovations and the external designs are still in the early stages.
Construction will be complicated because the facility is "landlocked" (no direct road access), but officials are optimistic that internal improvements could be done without the teams needing to relocate for a season. Having a separate timeline for external upgrades will make it easier to accomplish that goal. No promises, but you may be able to see changes as early as 2010.
UCLA recently changed architects to NBBJ, a local firm.
Nikki Caldwell is arriving in Knoxville, Tenn., on a motorcycle tonight to wrap up an unusual eight-day recruiting trip. Unlike the ones she normally gets, these pledges aren't coming from star athletes.
Caldwell took a break from the bike to talk with What's Bruin about an important passion in the life of UCLA's new women's basketball coach.
Why are you out on the road?
We're on the road to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. We would like to spread the word as much as we can. Our small gesture of riding across the United States once per year is our way of doing that.
Which organization are your raising money for?
Our foundation is called Cruisin' for a Cause. Last year we raised over $50,000 and we disbursed that between three foundations: Susan G. Komen, Kay Yow Fund (in honor of the coach from North Carolina State), and the Wellness Community in honor of Tom Cronan, who was the athletic director's late husband at Tennessee. He had pancreatic cancer and passed away, so we wanted to do something in his name as well.
How long have you been doing this?
This is our second annual ride. Our goal this year is to double the amount to $100,000.
This year we've got eight total bikes with us, an RV with a few people, and the chase car. We started in Knoxville, Tenn., and we headed southbound [to Key West, Fla., and back] in a matter of seven nights and eight days.
Any really fun experiences out on the road?
I'll tell you what was really, really cool! I'm a Jimmy Johnson and NASCAR fan. A friend of mine who's on the ride with us, Chad, has a buddy who works at Daytona Speedway. He set it up for us to take our motorcycles onto the speedway and we took a couple of laps on the ground level. It was really cool to be right there, front and center, after seeing it on TV. You see those cars going around the track 200 miles per hour, it really puts it in perspective when you're able to physically be out there on that same track!
Holly Warlick, the associate head coach at Tennessee, co-founded Cruisin' for a Cause with me. What really touches our hearts is the breast cancer survivors who we've met and just say to us, "Thank you! We appreciate you doing this and getting the word out." Those are the ones who really, really have touched us, personally. We know family members who have suffered from breast cancers, friends, former Lady Vols. It's really a cancer where everybody in this world knows somebody who's experienced it.
Are you going to keep doing this after your big move to UCLA?
Definitely! The foundation is something that I'm very passionate about. It's a way I can do a little part in giving back, especially with the number of women who have suffered from breast cancer. One of my own player's (at UCLA) mother has passed from it. It's definitely something I'm still going to be involved in; we're just going to be a little more creative with the dates! [UCLA is on the quarter system while Tennessee is on the semester system.]
We pretty much pre-planned this ride a year in advance, so I was committed to it. Dan Guerrero and Petrina Long understand my passion for giving back and doing our part, and they were very supportive of the ride.
To learn more about Cruisin' For a Cause and to make a donation, make sure to check out their website.
The first UCLA Day was held Saturday, featuring a number of activities covering a diverse range of interests. Among them was an hourlong tour called Where Wooden Walked, honoring legendary UCLA basketball Coach John Wooden. The group was led by Dennis Koehne (as the announcer for several UCLA sports, his voice is easily recognizable to many Bruins). Ten cool facts from the tour:
John Wooden coached his first 18 years in the Men's Gym, an extremely modest facility that lacked many of the most basic features of modern arenas (and only one women's bathroom). It had very limited seating and was shared by other sports. Before practices and games, Wooden's ritual involved sprinkling water on the court and having somebody help mop up chalk left by the gymnastics team.
Rivals accused Wooden of turning up the heat in the Men's Gym, but there was actually nothing he could do about the temperature. They couldn't even block the sun with curtains because of how the windows were designed.
The Men's Gym is still used year-round by UCLA students — and the world's best players. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce have all been spotted there during recent summer games.
When the Men's Gym was upgraded (after Pauley Pavilion was built), construction crews went to great lengths to save Wooden's original chalkboard. It's still there today. [Pictured: Fans pose with the chalkboard.]
Wooden was one phone call away from coaching at Minnesota, but a blizzard prevented the call from coming through. Not wanting to wait any longer, Wooden accepted the UCLA job.
Wooden originally didn't want a building named after him, but he agreed to it with one stipulation: that it benefit the entire student body, not just NCAA athletes. Today, John Wooden Center (for recreational sports) is the busiest building on campus.
Wooden Center used to feature a rare collection of nine Andy Warhol paintings of prominent athletes. Done in the mid-'70s, one of the athletes was O.J. Simpson. A couple decades later, somebody reminded Wooden that the painting was still up. He wrote a note to the people running the facility with a simple choice: take down the painting from the building, or take down his name. Warhol's work (since it was supposed to be shown together) was replaced by black-and-white photography.
The court in Pauley Pavilion is off-center because freshmen weren't allowed to play on varsity when it was built, so they had a separate court at the end of the main one. The first game played in Pauley was between the freshmen and the varsity (who were defending national champions). The freshmen won thanks to a blogger, then known as Lew Alcindor.
John Wooden exhibited true sportsmanship by avoiding anything that would give the Bruins a home-court advantage. When Pauley Pavilion was built, stands were designed so that opponents wouldn't feel like UCLA fans were hanging over the court, and the home and visitor locker rooms were equal size. In spite of his efforts to limit any advantages, Wooden went 149-2 in Pauley.
In 1988, the Bush-Dukakis presidential debates were held in Pauley Pavilion on just six days notice. The organizers of the scheduled debate at the Shrine Auditorium insisted upon having a third-party candidate involved. When that didn't work out, volunteers worked in Pauley around the clock to prepare, sleeping on cots inside the arena.
Today (Saturday) is UCLA Day, a great opportunity for Bruins of all ages to enjoy the perfect weekend weather and the beautiful Westwood campus. There are activities for children (arts and crafts, rock wall), prospective Bruins/parents (a session on how to prep for UCLA), sports nuts (a "Where Wooden Walked" tour), and intellectually curious (sessions on Shakespeare, interracial dynamics and even a tour of the book stacks).
Things will get started about 2 p.m. today, so check out the UCLA Day website for more information. Walk-ups are welcome, but remember it'll cost a little more and some events may be sold out.
Kai Maiava, who started on the offensive line for the University of Colorado, announced last month that he would transfer to be closer to his home state of Hawaii. He's found his new home: UCLA.
Maiava reportedly lost a lot of weight over the spring to convert to fullback, but the Bruins could definitely use his services up front.
From his CU bio, it looks like he's got quite a lineage. His father played in the NFL and his grandfather was a champion wrestler. His older brother plays linebacker at USC and his uncle is "The Rock" (Dwayne Johnson). There's also Samoan royalty in his family.
Will UCLA be getting more help in the front court?
Six-foot-9 North Carolina forward Alex Stepheson has been released by the Tar Heels and UCLA could be one of the schools recruiting him. The Bruins are expected to lose Kevin Love to the NBA andt also might lose Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. The incoming class is mostly guards, though center J'Mison Morgan is also likely to join the incoming freshmen.
Stepheson, a sophomore, cited family reasons (his father has been ill) as his reason for wanting to transfer somewhere in California. He went to Harvard-Westlake and his family is down the street from Fairfax High.
In the video above, Stepheson makes a pair of sick blocks (back-to-back) against Washington State. After the jump is a video of Stepheson throwing down an ally oop.
Of UCLA's 101 national championships, Adam Krikorian has played a role in 14. It's a stunning career record that includes one title as a player, three as an assistant coach and 10 as a head coach. Most people could spend a lifetime building that sort of resume, but Krikorian — who coaches both men's and women's water polo — has been out of school for only about a decade. "No hints of retirement!" he said jokingly during an interview about the title collected last weekend by the women's team.
You've built an amazing legacy at UCLA with 14 national championships. How did this team differ from the others?
Ever team that you coach — even if it's just one year later — is different. I think this team was unique in that we were largely comprised of veteran players and very inexperienced players. We don't have one sophomore on the team. We have four juniors and four seniors that played a significant amount of minutes, and then 12 freshmen.
The one really unique thing about this group is that they're just really loose. I didn't understand it at first ... It's not that they're not serious, but they're just loose before games and before practice. Even before the national championship game they were joking around and having fun! As a coach it makes you nervous at times ... but obviously [our leaders] were very experienced. The five seniors had won four national championships in a row.
Recruiting news has become more popular in the last decade, resulting in more pressure on reporters to break stories on the latest and greatest teenager. I couldn't help laughing when a UCLA spokesperson had to release the following statement after multiple reporters asked for info on an u'nidentified r'ecruit:
To All Media:
UCLA does not comment on prospective student-athletes until such time as he or she has signed a National Letter of Intent or written offer of financial aid.
UCLA quarterback Osaar Rasshan will undergo surgery on his left knee. There may be some question about his availability for August training camp, but as of today the school expects him to be healthy in time. Rasshan, who is a junior, was bothered by tendinitis throughout spring practice.
Rasshan is the third Bruin's quarterback to need surgery since spring practice ended. Patrick Cowan suffered a torn ACL and will miss the 2008 season. Ben Olson fractured a bone in his right foot but is expected to be ready by training camp.
Kevin Craft and Chris Forcier are the only two remaining quarterbacks currently on the roster.
Nick Crissman (Huntington Beach Edison High School) and Kevin Prince (Encino Crespi High School) are incoming freshmen quarterbacks.
Additionally, UCLA announced today that junior tailback Chane Moline is scheduled for surgery on his left wrist Thursday. He will have a screw placed in the wrist and is expected to be out eight weeks.
Jeff Goodman ranked the top 20 college basketball assistants, and a pair of Bruins made the list. Donnie Daniels came in at No. 12 and Scott Duncan came in at No. 14. The only other high-major programs with two coaches on the list were Texas (1, 20b) and Michigan State (16, 17). [Fox Sports]
Bill Rankin, a World War II-era hoops star at UCLA, has died. He was 84. [AP]
This is huge news for the Bruins because they need somebody to fill in for Kevin Love (assuming he goes pro). Alfred Aboya may leave for graduate school, but, even if he remains, Morgan seems likely to get plenty of time on the court. He's ranked as one of the top centers in the nation and joins a recruiting class already considered the best in America.
As much as this is a sigh of relief, it's still frustrating to see what the NBA has done to Ben Howland's team this last month. It's not just that players are leaving early, it's how they're leaving early.
The UCLA women's water polo team won their fourth straight national title (sixth overall) in convincing fashion this weekend. CBS provided this video (above) [NOTE: Video has been moved to after the jump because it is on auto-play], which gives quick game highlights from the championship showdown against USC. The Bruins beat the Trojans (preseason No. 1) four times this year, the final time by a score of 6-3.
With a with a 123-6 career record (33-0 this season), seniors Gabrielle Domanic, Brittany Rowe, Courtney Mathewson, Jillian Kraus and Kamaile Crowell can boast a stunning four national championships and two undefeated seasons. It's the first time in UCLA women's sports history that an individual athlete has collected four straight national championships. Four men's volleyball players accomplished the same feat in 1984. To put that in perspective, no athletes from the legendary John Wooden basketball teams have four national titles on their resume (the use of freshman teams limited players to three years).
Just a quick note to say I'll be picking up the pace here, but things have been a little busy with the USC blog. Many UCLA fans are stoked about the allegations flying around across town. If you want to catch up on the O.J. Mayo ugliness check out latimes.com/trojans, where I'll have "O.J. F.A.Q. 1.0" going up shortly.
Remember, no news is usually good news this time of year (at least for football and basketball). If you're still snickering at Trojan fans, click here for your morning schadenfreude laugh (warning: video link contains language that may be inappropriate for work — who knew musicals could be so fun?).
Of course, the biggest news around Westwood isn't good ... it's great. I'll post more in a moment, but HUGE congrats to the women's water polo team for winning a fourth consecutive national championship and taking home UCLA's 101st NCAA. This type of dominance is rarely seen, but certainly familiar to Bruin basketball fans.
I watched a couple videos this weekend that shed a lot of light on how Rick Neuheisel opperates. This first one is from the spring game but was just posted Saturday. Skip to the 2:45 mark to see Neuheisel give his pitch to the UCLA recruits:
Also, ESPN put together an update on UCLA football. There isn't any news here, but the first minute and a half demonstrates exactly how Neuheisel tries to relate to his players. His attitude is invigorating and, by all accounts, refreshing for the team.
Baseball took one of three games from the defending national champs in Oregon State, but the postseason has slipped away from the preseason No. 1. [UCLA]
A big "Happy Mother's Day!" to all UCLA moms out there.
If you're sitting on a computer reading this right now, you should probably be calling your mom instead (don't forget grandmas, wives, moms-to-be, etc.). I know you have time today -- Hallmark didn't set this holiday outside of football season for nothing!
And to my mom ... Thanks for everything, I love you!
I was a little nebulous before in using "graduation rate" in relation to the Academic Progress Report, so here's some more information:
"An APR of 925 projects to an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of approximately 60%." —NCAA
"An APR score of 925 correlates to an expected graduation rate of
approximately 50%, using the federal graduation rate methodology." —NCAA
Turns out there are two different commonly used formulas. Unlike the federal rate, the Graduation Success Rate accounts for transfers into an institution or those who leave in good academic standing (including those who leave for the pros but are academically eligible to return).
The NCAA contends that the GSR is more accurate, and that seems like a fair assessment. Even the best student would be pretty dumb to turn down an NBA lottery selection.
It can be hard to have a meaningful impact on college athletics, but one Bruin fan is waging a campaign to get Louisiana State University to let J'Mison Morgan out of his letter of intent. It's no DumpDorrell, but it is ... ReleaseMorgan.com
In related news, the Shreveport Times has an article with lots of news about LSU hoops, including the following bits on Morgan (a.k.a. BoBo):
LSU Coach Trent Johnson still thinks he can keep Morgan, but he's not "going to beg."
Johnson denies Morgan's mother's claim that the coach hasn't called BoBo enough.
"He's a very good young man, but is he by any means Shaquille O'Neal? No, he's not," Johnson said.
The 6-foot-10 center may wind up in Westwood if things fall UCLA's way.
The UCLA-USC track and field dual meet used to be one of the hottest
tickets in town. The two programs have won 42 combined national
championships. From what I gather, fans used to be hanging
onto fences to watch the sold-out event. Nowadays, the most expensive
ticket is less than two gallons of gas. The meet is obviously a better
deal.
Last week, I mentioned that the UCLA-USC meet was coming up, but even
after it ended Saturday it took me several days to realize what a
great event it was for purists.
Sports is as entertaining as ever — if not more so — but it
certainly isn't pure. Drug scandals have torn the heart out of
baseball, track and field, and cycling. The Olympics, once an adequate
reason to halt wars and ignore all differences, are being hijacked by
special interests. Even sports journalism is getting uglier with
Luddite buffoonery (see: Bissinger, Buzz).
Stat geeks
have had plenty of fun since the NCAA issued an Academic Progress Report this week. Check out this list of UCLA sports in order of APR (based on an average of the last four years). Remember that a perfect score is 1000 and a 50% graduation rate equates to a 925. It's notable that although men's basketball is the worst-performing sport nationwide, at UCLA it ranks toward the middle of the pack.
[New LSU coach Trent] Johnson, speaking before the kickoff Tiger Tour event at the Alexandria
Riverfront Center, said he planned to talk late Wednesday night or this
morning to 6-foot-10 center J'Mison Morgan of Dallas in the wake of
Wednesday's report that his mother is seeking a release from the letter
of intent and scholarship agreement her son signed last November.
The article is in Thursday's edition of the Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, La.
Nobody knows where Kevin Love will play next year, but the presumptive NBA first-rounder already has a huge fan in Dallas.
A friend of Jason Kidd tells us that while sitting at the premier of "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot" at the Tribeca Film Festival, Kidd "was waxing poetic about Kevin’s outlet
passing, saying that he is easily the greatest outlet passer in the history of the
game ... and that he’d love to play with K-Love."
Kidd is also a big fan of Michael Beasley and Brandon Jennings. The soon-to-be NBA players all star in "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot," a documentary set to be released June 27. We'll have a full review before the opening.
The NCAA has used the Academic Progress Rate to measure the academic success of athletic teams for four years. Although that is a relatively small amount of data, there's one thing that seems a little disturbing — based on its own standards.
A perfect score is 1000, and teams that fall below 925 start to face sanctions. That score equates to a 50% graduation rate. The national average for basketball over the last four years has been a whopping 928. It's the worst performing sport by a country mile. UCLA averaged a 968 in men's basketball, which is in the 80th-90th percentile in the sport.
The worst-performing women's sport over this period has been bowling (seriously, stop snickering) with a score of 941. Nationally, the "big three" men's sports have all done worse, but as you can see (in the chart above) football and baseball have at least started to make some progress. Basketball hasn't gone up by very much.
Don't believe anybody who tells you basketball is different because
players leave early for the NBA ... there are only 60 draft
picks, but many schools are left out of the NCAA's 65-team tournament. And
no sport has more mid-week time commitments (and potential missed
classes) than baseball and golf.
I'm not sure what's going on. Neither is the NCAA, which said it would address academic issues in men's basketball by creating a panel (expected to complete its work in October).
UCLA athletes got some great news in the classroom. Per Morgan Center:
The
NCAA has released the latest edition of its Academic Progress Rates and
UCLA continues to perform well. The APR report, which is based on the eligibility,
retention
ESPN is on a quest to name the "Face of the Program" for college football teams around the nation. They ask, "Is it that fabled coach? A legendary player? A memorable play? A unique mascot?"
