We're
shuffling the deck with a number of the L.A. Times sports blogs. This
blog is folding, but I'm honored that I will continue posting on a site
with a lot of aces. The Fabulous Forum, our main sports blog on latimes.com, is the only place for firsthand accounts of Sam Farmer taking a blimp ride with Matt Millen, or Lisa Leslie experiencing the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Now, it's also where you'll find all of my posts.
In a few more years, maybe we can convince T.J. Simers to start posting there. Maybe.
Sometimes lost among recent headlines about the newspaper industry
is some really good news. We're harnessing new technologies and finding
new ways to do our job — to tell a good story. A columnist like Bill Plaschke can make you misty whether you're holding black-and-white newsprint or a BlackBerry browser. A sleepless beat writer like David Wharton or Chris Foster can break a story before bedtime or over breakfast.
At the end of the day, audiences are consuming more information than
ever before. Millions of people come to latimes.com for news, and even
some of our silly YouTube videos
can crank out more than a million views. The industry is going through an
awkward reinvention, but it's got awesome possibilities. It's exciting
to be a part of that.
This isn't a swan song for me, though it is for this blog. I want to
take this opportunity thank the readers, the athletes and coaches, the SIDs and
(gasp!) PR people, the entire staff of the L.A. Times (especially Randy Harvey, Tony Pierce
and all my editors and the seasoned pros who have taught me so much),
and all the other bloggers I've had the privilege of linking to or
being linked by. Let's keep it up on the Fabulous Forum!
The best news is that this transition is REALLY easy. All it takes
is a couple of clicks. Here are the important ones for you to know:
Click here
for all the UCLA blog posts on the Fabulous Forum. It's a lot like What's Bruin, with posts from me PLUS even more updates from the rock stars on our sports desk.
Click here
to sign up for the RSS feed for UCLA content from Fabulous Forum.
Again, it's pretty much like the What's Bruin RSS feed.
Click here for all our UCLA videos on YouTube. Yes, we've made a YouTube playlist to help keep you up to date.
Click here
if you want to find all of my posts on the Fabulous Forum. I like to
call it my "mom link." Since I post about more than UCLA, it's where my
friends and family (and, hopefully, fans) can find what I've written.
An especially big thanks, and a lot of love, to all of you!
—Adam Rose
Photo: An unidentified man Adam tries to take home the NBA Championship Trophy.
If you thought UCLA was killed by Arizona this weekend, step back in time a couple of days.
Like many creatures, the Bruins actually wandered into the desert, curled up and died.
It started at the end of the Arizona State game, when the Bruins couldn't pull away, couldn't hang on and couldn't catch up. Their weekend was over in Tempe, we just didn't know it until they got to Tucson.
Two games, two losses.
UCLA Coach Ben Howland acknowledged that the Bruins didn't have much time to prepare for Arizona. The ASU hangover didn't help.
Some impressive streaks also faded away under the desert sun, and we're not talking about those four blowout wins over Pac-10 opponents. At ASU, the Bruins lost their first weekend opener in conference play dating to a game against Stanford in 2005. That same season, UCLA started a winning streak at McKale Center, where home-court advatage finally returned for 'Zona after a four-year drought in its own hoops oasis.
It's too bad the state is abuzz over NBA All Star Week. If the Bruins visited later in the month month, maybe the "hope springs eternal" vibe of spring training would have rubbed off.
Instead, UCLA will return home to host the top team in the conference. The Bruins already fell to Washington earlier this season, and need a win to stay in the mix for the Pac-10 title. Otherwise, UCLA will be behind by 2 1/2 games with just five to go.
"This is going to be a gut-check week," Howland said.
Just as important as the Washington game is for the conference standings; it will test the Bruins (with time to prepare) against another up-tempo team. That sort of pressure caused headaches for UCLA in most of its losses this season and resulted in 14 first-half turnovers in its last game. Considering that late collapses and a lack of bench minutes were a concern last month, it's tempting to question conditioning — but the mistakes seem to be mental.
A combination of press and half-court zone has caused sloppy shooting and turnovers. When the Bruins weren't able to penetrate off the dribble, they fell back on their usually reliable outside shooting. Howland was unhappy with that approach because many of those shots from beyond the arc just weren't open.
The good news for UCLA is that the Huskies are better known for playing man-to-man defense instead of zone. If the Bruins can start penetrating (again) or hitting from the outside (again), the cure for this hangover may be a little hair of the Dawgs.
—Adam Rose
Photo: UCLA's Jrue Holiday drives on Arizona's Jamelle Horn.
UCLA men's basketball fell on Valentine's Day in Arizona, 84-72. The Wildcats hadn't won against UCLA on their home court in four years, but ended that streak and extended their seven-game run through the Pac-10. UCLA Coach Ben Howland explained what happened, and how a slow start doomed the Bruins the rest of the way:
College students tend to be nocturnal creatures, but the 'Zona Zoo rose early Saturday morning. An over-capacity crowd of 14,611 was ready to make life tough on the Bruins.
After Arizona walked away with an easy 84-72 victory, interim head coach Russ Pennell acknowledged that he wasn't happy with support earlier this season when it looked like the Wildcats were destined to miss their first NCAA tournament in a quarter of a century.
"Back in the early part of the season, I was a little disappointed in some of the crowds that we had," he told reporters. "I felt like they were kind of writing this team off. I wasn't mad at anyone personally, I just thought my team was being a little bit disrespected."
What could have been drawing fans away in Tucson? A cactus-chopping competition?
Walking around the arena, another University of Arizona employee shared a similar perspective. "This is how it used to be when Lute Olson was here," he said in explaining how fans were finally "getting back on the bandwagon."
The bandwagon?
Apparently these guys had never experienced a Los Angeles crowd. Somebody should remind them that McKale Center's lowest attendance this season was 12,339 during a nonconference game. That's more than most Pac-10 arenas can hold, and would nearly fill Pauley Pavillion. The Bruins have sold out only a couple of home games this season (USC and Notre Dame) and it's been two years since everybody used their tickets on the same day.
Arizona State should be able to win any recruiting battle, for any player, anytime.
Why?
Because at ASU, even this guy winds up next to a couple of hot blond coeds.
Road-tripping to Tempe, Ariz., is a treacherous journey if you drive with a lead foot. There are enough speed-enforcement cameras to put half of Hollywood's paparazzi out of work.
Once you're there, it's every frat boy's fantasy. Heck, it's paradise for anybody who reads Maxim. This is the place that brought America the Tempe 12, and it's just down the road from The Dirty's hometown of Scottsdale. With more than 68,000 undergraduates (the largest number in the nation) you can find every kind of student. That means athletes, bookworms, and — of course — party animals.
In the middle of an intense game at Wells Fargo Arena, you'll still find a dozen people outside puffing on cigarettes in hopes of balancing the buzz from whatever was in their "soda" bottle. One bathroom stall alone had six airline-size liquor containers and a can of chewing tobacco strewn on the floor.
Not all Sun Devils are there to party, but those who are take their job seriously.
Even former Texas Longhorn Kevin Durant shied away from talking about it, out of consideration for former Bruin and fellow Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook. Both took in the game while in town for the NBA All-Star festivities being held in the Phoenix area.
Michael Roll, Josh Shipp and Darren Collison did share a few thoughts. Collison was actually pretty upbeat about the way UCLA performed and the opportunity to play in a big game environment:
It was a rough night for UCLA men's basketball in Tempe, Ariz. In the second half, it looked like the Bruins might pull away from Arizona State, but things fell apart down the stretch. UCLA Coach Ben Howland recapped the tough 74-67 loss to the Sun Devils:
Both teams were in the top 20 entering the game, and both teams probably will be in it after the weekend is over. At least for the next day and a half, UCLA is out of first place — half a game behind Washington. The Huskies (9-3 in conference) have played one more Pac-10 game than the Bruins (8-3)
UCLA managed a season-low three steals the last time it faced ASU. The Bruins have improved since then — against USC, point guard Daniel Hackett had to play with his back to the basket.
In tonight's rematch against the Sun Devils, Coach Ben Howland hopes to see his Bruins turn up the heat:
In a loss to Arizona State at Pauley Pavilion earlier this season, UCLA's bench accounted for only 43 minutes in an overtime game. Of the four players off the bench, Michael Roll accounted for the majority of the minutes (43).
Since then, Coach Ben Howland has been making sure to get more bench production and it's helped in UCLA's four-game blowout streak. Tonight, the Bruins will face their toughest test in the last few weeks, headed into a rematch against ASU.
Here's Howland's take on why the bench is important in a matchup like this:
On Valentine's Day, the UCLA women's basketball team will be taking on the Sun Devils as well as a cause close to their hearts. The Bruins will wear special pink-and-white uniforms (which will be auctioned afterward) to raise awareness about breast cancer. Before the game, all fans are invited to the school's first Carnival for the Cure inside J.D. Morgan Center.
The cause is particularly important for two Bruins. Head Coach Nikki Caldwell started an annual charity motorcycle ride called Cruisin' for a Cause that raises money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Junior center Moniquee Alexander lost her mother to breast cancer when she was younger, and filmed a public service announcement to invite people to Saturday's events.
More information about the festivities, which start at 11 a.m., is available on UCLA's website. Caldwell also discussed the "Pink Zone" events on UCLA's YouTube channel:
UCLA will kick off spring practice April 2. Some of the highly touted players from the latest Bruin recruiting class are expected to participate, including quarterback Richard Brehaut and tight end Morrell Presley.
All practices will be held at Spaulding Field (adjacent to Pauley Pavilion) and are open to the public. The final session, a spring scrimmage April 25, will be held at the Rose Bowl.
Tentative dates and times (subject to change):
Week 1— April 2 (4 p.m.), April 3 (4 p.m.) and April 4 (11 a.m.)
Week 2 — April 6 (4 p.m.), April 7 (4 p.m.), April 9 (4 p.m.) and April 11 (12:30 p.m.)
Week 3 — April 13 (4 p.m.), April 14 (4 p.m.), April 16 (4 p.m.) and April 17 (4 p.m.)
Week 4 — April 20 (4 p.m.), April 21 (4 p.m.), April 23 (4 p.m.), April 25 (7 p.m. spring scrimmage at the Rose Bowl)
Former UCLA running back Eddie Ayers passed away Feb. 8 after a battle with lupus.
From 1973 to 1975, he piled up 1,249 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground for the Bruins. Ayers was even more impressive helping his teammates pile up stats, as former Bruin Coach Dick Vermiel called him "pound for pound, the best blocker I've ever seen."
In 1972, he won the Charles Pike Memorial Award as UCLA's outstanding scout team player. Twenty years later, his son, Derek, received the same honor.
More information on Ayers' career and and upcoming funeral service can be found on UCLA's website.
On the heels of a victory over Notre Dame on Saturday, Coach Ben Howland said his team is finally playing like it was ranked to start the season:
The Fighting Irish may have lost seven straight, but they've all come at the hands of tournament-bound teams. Their conference, the Big East, is easily the toughest in America. Their only loss to an unranked team was against Cincinnati, which is tied for sixth in a conference with six top-25 programs.
The Irish losing streak with current rankings (AP/ESPN) and margin of defeat:
No. 5/7 Louisville — 10 points (overtime)
No. 23/22 Syracuse — 19 points
No. 1/1 Connecticut — 8 points
No. 10/12 Marquette — 7 points
No. 4/4 Pittsburgh — 13 points
Unranked Cincinnati — 10 points
No. 11/6 UCLA — 26 points
It can be dangerous to put too much stock into the common opponent debate, but it's tempting to say that UCLA should be able to hold its own against any of these top teams. Keep in mind that Notre Dame had to travel across the country for the early game at Pauley Pavilion (though the time difference only helped the Irish).
National letter of intent day, when high school football recruits
pledge their services to college programs around America, was last week
— but there's still plenty of buzz.
We kept most of our recruiting coverage on the Fabulous Forum, so if you haven't checked out the football signings category you should take a look.
If you need more, here are the top 10 links that will make you sound like an expert on any L.A. sports talk radio show:
It's not easy being a freshmen, and it's especially hard to make an impact as a freshman football player. These five could do it. [Rivals.com]
USC, as usual, signed the best class in the Pac-10. UCLA, unexpectedly, was right on its heels. Find out how the conference stacked up. [ESPN]
Manti Te'o going to Notre Dame was the biggest news of the day, but did UCLA's Norm Chow make a last-ditch effort to keep him from USC? [Orange County Register]
What's it like inside Rick Neuheisel's office on signing day? Bruce Feldman went in as an embedded reporter. [ESPN]
Bryce Brown, the nation's top unsigned recruit, has, well, a very close advisor. Sounds more like a ticking time bomb. [New York Times]
UPDATE: A reliable source has confirmed that Nelson was
involved in an alcohol-related incident and was suspended for a short
period of time. He apparently was in a vehicle that was involved in a
minor accident (characterized as a "fender-bender") but was not behind
the wheel. Expect additional information in the next few days.
A lot of hype becomes official and a few surprises are sure to be in
store ... today is National Letter of Intent Day. It's the first chance
that high school recruits have to formally commit to their new school.
For updates throughout the day, keep an eye on the Fabulous Forum where we've created a special football signings category so you can get your fix.
UCLA can be a scoring machine from the perimeter. Ranked 12th in the nation in three-point shooting (second in overall shooting), the team has a lot of talented guards and a major downtown threat in swingman Michael Roll.
Until this weekend, things were a little dicey inside. Struggling with zone defenses in particular, the Bruins needed to establish their inside game and prove that they can penetrate. UCLA entered the weekend averaging 27.8 points in the paint per game, but piled up 38 against Cal and 42 against Stanford.
Along with improved spacing, Alfred Aboya said that a lot of credit
went to the Bruins' senior point guard. "Coach told Darren Collison
that he can't be tentative. He
has to pressure the ball, like 25 or 27 feet [away from the basket]. We thrive off of dribble penetration. He took that upon himself. I think he
played really hard these past two games."
Three UCLA alumni were in Tampa, Fla., for the Super Bowl, but they couldn't all leave with the big prize.
Travis Kirschke's and Bruce Davis' Pittsburgh Steelers won a thriller, 27-23, over Matt Ware's Arizona Cardinals.
Kirschke (pictured, celebrating with his son) only recorded one tackle, but he'll take the ring over the stats, thank you very much.
Davis was not active in the game, but was part of the 10th father-son tandem to play for Super Bowl teams. His father, Bruce, won twice with the Raiders. They became just the third pair to play for Super Bowl champions.
After beating Cal on Thursday, 81-66, Ben Howland seemed out of character. "I don't have a lot to complain about tonight," UCLA's coach said. "I'm pretty happy."
After beating Stanford on Saturday, 97-53, he was nearly giddy when talking about the play of Alfred Aboya. Nearly — which is as enthusiastic as Howland gets.
Asked about his quote from a couple of days earlier, Howland grinned. "Boy, I didn't know that quote would be emphasized so much! That was
just kind of off the cuff. Yeah, I'm very happy today. I'm really proud
of the effort we gave in both games. It feels good, obviously, to win
— and feel like the team's improving, that we're getting better, that
we're improving as a group. That's exciting."
Howland, who spent four years coaching Pittsburgh, also slipped in a comment about Sunday's Super Bowl. "Go Steelers!"
Later, Alfred Aboya said he's rooting for the Arizona Cardinals, since they beat his favorite team (the Philadelphia Eagles).
Adam Rose grew up in a house divided between UCLA and USC ... now he's writing about both. He served as Sports Editor for LAist (covering a wide range of local action) and is also a regular on KNBC 4's News Raw. Adam manages special events in the sports community when he isn't participating himself (he staggered through the LA Marathon and can often be found on local soccer fields). If you have a question about the Bruins, Trojans, or just want to give him a piece of your mind, email: adam@laist.com.
We're
shuffling the deck with a number of the L.A. Times sports blogs. This
blog is folding, but I'm honored that I will continue posting on a site
with a lot of aces. The Fabulous Forum, our main sports blog on latimes.com, is the only place for firsthand accounts of Sam Farmer taking a blimp ride with Matt Millen, or Lisa Leslie experiencing the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Now, it's also where you'll find all of my posts.
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