UCLA basketball: First half report

This could be a very rough season for the Bruins.

After unimpressive exhibition victories over Concordia and Humboldt State, UCLA is struggling in their official season opener at Pauley Pavilion, trailing Cal State Fullerton, 33-27, at the half.

What's wrong with the Bruins? Where to begin?

During the first 20 minutes, they made only 12 of 36 shots, finding almost no rhythm on offense. They hold a slight advantage in rebounds but have eight turnovers.

The only bright spot has been the play of sophomore guard Malcolm Lee, who has 10 points after a string of baskets inside.

Guard Aaron Thompson and forward Gerard Anderson are leading the Titans with 13 and nine points respectively.

-- David Wharton

UCLA basketball: The fun begins

Beginning with the season opener against Cal State Fullerton on Monday night, the Bruins face six games over a span of 14 days.

Coach Ben Howland worries about how his young team will handle this jam-packed start. Some players share his concern.

"That's just going to test our stamina and our ability to do turnarounds on different games and our different assignments," guard Malcolm Lee says. "Games are going to be rolling in and out, we're going to have different assignments and different objectives for every game."

After the first few -- Fullerton, Cal State Bakersfield and Pepperdine -- UCLA plays in the 76 Classic tournament in Anaheim, where the field includes nationally ranked teams such as West Virginia, Butler and Clemson.

"We're going to look up and down just for right now," freshman Mike Moser predicts. "But once we start getting our chemistry right, getting our rotations going real smooth, I think things are going to look more solid."

At least one player, senior forward James Keefe, is looking forward to the next two weeks.

"It's more fun when you're actually playing games than when you're practicing against each other," he said.

-- David Wharton

Photo: Malcolm Lee. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

UCLA basketball: A tale of two friends

UCLA Coach Ben Howland and Cal State Fullerton Coach Bob Burton, who face each other in the season opener at Pauley Pavilion on Monday night, happen to be good friends.

Burton is known for his wisecracks, always the highlight of the preseason luncheon at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, but is also a sharp basketball mind who has revitalized the Titans.

"He's a funny guy," Howland said. "It's not fun playing against them."

This respect does not extend to a hobby the pals share -- their summertime fishing trips.

"He's a terrible fisherman," Howland said.

-- David Wharton

Photo: Ben Howland poses with some of his players on Wednesday in Los Angeles. Credit: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press.

UCLA Basketball: MRI result for James Keefe

It's a case of mostly good news for UCLA forward James Keefe.

The MRI on  his injured left shoulder has come back negative. But instability in the joint will keep him in rehabilitation -- and off the court -- for four to six weeks.

That should put him back in action at roughly the same time the Bruins play their season opener against Cal State Fullerton at Pauley Pavilion on Nov. 16.

"We are very relieved that the injury isn't going to be a long-term one," Coach Ben Howland said in a statement. "Everything looks to be intact and we are very happy for him and for the team."

Keefe, who sat out the first 12 games of the 2007-08 season because of a torn labrum in the same shoulder, is one of three seniors returning to a distinctly young UCLA team.

Last season, he averaged 3.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.

-- David Wharton

Photo: James Keefe. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times

UCLA basketball: Bruins join season-opening TV fest

The UCLA basketball team will open a round-the-clock hoops bacchanal on ESPN this fall.

The second annual "College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon" features 12 live games over 24 hours, with a tipoff every two hours. Teams from 20 conferences and five time zones will play on courts from the East Coast to Hawaii.

The Bruins start things off with a 9 p.m. match-up against Cal State Fullerton on Monday, Nov. 16.

-- David Wharton

Photo: UCLA swingman Michael Roll. Credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times

Bruce Bowen, a.k.a. Edward Scissorhands, retires

Well, Kobe Bryant can stop having nightmares about being defended by Edward Scissorhands.

Bruce Bowen, longtime defensive wizard with the San Antonio Spurs, retired today. Bowen was given the Scissorhands moniker by Lakers coach Phil Jackson for the aggressive, slashing hand moves he made when guarding Bryant.

Bowen, 38, played eight years for the Spurs and was on three championship teams, but he lost his starting job last season and the Spurs traded him this summer to the Milwaukee Bucks, who waived him.

Still, it was a productive career for Bowen, who came out of Cal State Fullerton and played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers before becoming a mainstay with San Antonio.

--Barry Stavro

Photo: Bruce Bowen guarding Kobe Bryant in 2008. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times.

Arkansas hands Fullerton loss in College World Series opener

Arkansas collected its first victory in College World Series play since 1989 with a 10-6 victory over Cal State Fullerton (47-15) this afternoon.

Zack Cox, who drove in three runs, had a two-run home run in the third inning to provide a 4-0 lead and Andy Wilkins drove in three of his five runs with a three-run homer in a five-run fourth inning that made it 9-2 for the Razorbacks (40-22) and chased starter Noe Ramirez (9-2), who walked four and was charged with seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Wilkins hit his decisive homer off reliever Tyler Pill with two outs in the fourth.

The Razorbacks last won a CWS game when they eliminated North Carolina, 7-3, on June 4, 1989.

Christian Colon had three hits and scored two runs in four at-bats to lead the Titans.

Fullerton will next play the loser of Louisiana State (51-16) and Virginia (48-13-1).

-- Dan Loumena

Photo: Titans left fielder Gary Brown makes a catch on a deep fly ball by James McCann in the second inning today. Credit: Eric Francis / Associated Press

An NBA yawner in China without Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian

The NBA is fully committed to tapping into the resources in China, where a fifth of the world's population resides and many fans have responded enthusiastically to the game.

But apparently games that don't have much national interest in the U.S. don't necessarily have much interest in China either. The recent exhibition series between the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks paled in comparison to the Beijing Olympic basketball tournament or games involving  Chinese stars Yao Ming or Yi Jianlian or NBA superstars.

In fact, for the game in Guangzhou, scalpers were getting rid of tickets at less than face value, and for the game in Beijing, scalpers were unloading VIP tickets for less than 10% of face value. China Daily ran the story, with a poll showing fading interest, at least for these two games.

Sounds like wherever you hold the game, if you put lipstick on a so-so NBA matchup, all you've got is, well, just another so-so NBA game.

-- Mike James

Photo: Everyone's in uniform -- from the Bucks and Warriors mascots to the Chinese security guard in Beijing. Credit: Vincent Yu / Associated Press

Former Cal State Fullerton coach goes green in Oregon

Former Cal State Fullerton baseball coach George Horton disappeared into the Oregon wilderness a year ago, taking on the task of resurrecting the Ducks' baseball program. Unlike D.B. Cooper, Horton has emerged, cash in hand.

The Register-Guard reports that Horton will be paid a minimum of $450,000 annually to revive a baseball program that hasn't taken the field since 1981. Horton coached Fullerton for 11 seasons, taking the Titans to the College World Series six times and winning the national title in 2004.

What this ATM news means is Nike founder Phil Knight has much deeper pockets than Cal State Fullerton alum and Titan baseball groupie Kevin Costner.

But then, Nike World does a little better at the box office than Waterworld ever did.

-- Chris Foster

Photo: George Horton took Cal State Fullerton to the College World Series in 2007 before heading to greener pastures in Oregon. Credit: Peter G. Aiken / US Presswire