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UCLA Basketball Roundup: Pathetic PAC-12 and Another Problem

2012-02-24T12:52:00Z

A mediocre UCLA beat a terrible ASU team but the Bruins got a big break far away in Colorado, where the Buffaloes got blown out at home by Stanford. That means if California beats Colorado on Saturday and UCLA beats Arizona on Saturday, UCLA is in fourth place by winning the tie breakers with Arizona and Colorado and achieves a first round bye in the PAC 12 Tourney. However, playing at Arizona is not going to be easy. David Wear said:

"They're one of the best teams in our conference and we beat them earlier this year so we know we could beat them," Bruins forward David Wear said of Arizona.

"We're really focusing hard because we're going into a hostile environment. We haven't got a real, good solid road win in a hostile environment so that will be huge for us to go in there and pull out a win and stop some of those people from talking so much (about UCLA's woes)."

Winning at Arizona would be a solid not spectacular win. Winning at ASU proves, well, not much. ASU remains a bad team with issues.

"The overall story line for our team tonight was making plays," said Arizona State Coach Herb Sendek. "We had any number of point-blank opportunities to score that we didn't capitalize on."

Both teams went into the final two weeks of the regular season hoping for something positive at the end of disappointing years. . . .

Arizona State's season has been ugly the whole way through.

The young Sun Devils - with no seniors on their roster - have struggled with turnovers, ranking among the worst in the nation, and are the only team from one of the six biggest conferences to not win consecutive games all season. . . .

The Sun Devils had a similar mercurial run in the first half against UCLA, opening six of seven from the floor before missing 11 straight shots and turning the ball over six times during a scoreless stretch that lasted nearly eight minutes.

Some Bruins did have good games.

Jones lit up Arizona State with a game-high 20 zone-busting points in a 66-57 victory at Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday night.

Thirteen of those points came in a second half when his 5-for-7 shooting from the field allowed the Bruins to stretch both the Sun Devils' 2-3 matchup zone and the lead. UCLA built a 17-point lead before losing focus in the final minutes.

Jones keyed UCLA's big run. A run which was unfortunately necessary as the Bruins could not put away a bad ASU team.

Every time it appeared as if the Bruins had seized some momentum and were about to blow open a big lead, the Sun Devils rallied and kept within striking distance. The Bruins took a six-point lead late in the first half, but it dwindled to 25-24 by halftime.

UCLA had a 46-37 lead with 11:31 to play, but Arizona state rallied back to make it 47-43 a minute and a half later. Even down the stretch, when UCLA finally put the game away by opening a 66-49 lead with 2:25 to play, Arizona State made a run and really could have made things interesting if a couple of 3-point shots had fallen. . . .

TURNING POINT: After struggling to make a game-clinching run for most of the game, the Bruins finally took control with a 17-4 run that turned a 49-45 lead with 8:42 left to play into a 66-49 lead with 2:25 left.

The Bruins held Arizona State to 1-of-7 shooting during that stretch while connecting on eight of nine shots of their own. Jones and Wear each scored five points during the run, including a 3-pointer by Jones that gave UCLA 56-46 lead for the first double-digit lead of the game with 7:10 to play.

Josh Smith had a good second half after a cameo appearance in the first half when he had two fouls in two minutes:

Smith had eight of his 10 points in 11 second-half minutes and deftly weaved in and around an Arizona State zone defense that did not find an answer for his size.

"I've been working on not letting that affect me, still being supportive, but it's hard," Smith said. "I went out there, scored, tried to take a charge and got a block and that's on me, come back down and got another.

"That's no way anybody wants to go out."

Without Smith, the Bruins failed to gain traction in the first half against a plucky Sun Devils squad that beat them on the offensive glass, where they picked up 11 rebounds.

Smith's problems with fouls and conditioning are well documented. But the stranger appearance was Norman Powell in the starting lineup. Powell started because of yet another problem, this time with Tyler Lamb.

UCLA guard Tyler Lamb, one of two Bruins who had started all 27 previous games, was held out for the first four minutes because he "failed to follow through on an academic responsibility," Howland said, adding that Lamb's status for the game at Arizona on Saturday has not been determined. "It may be one more game" without starting, he said.

UCLA still has a shot at a first round bye in the down PAC 12. But the question now is will they take advantage of it or will more problems surface?

Go Bruins.

More Ugly UCLA Hoops Numbers: Atrocious "Attendance" Stats

2012-02-24T12:00:00Z

Bumped. More appalling numbers concerning Dan Guerrero's dumpster fire hoops program. - BN Eds.

We have many stats which demonstrate the futility of UCLA basketball since Kevin Love's last game. Things like number of wins against top 25 teams on the road, conference records, etc. These matter to true fans like the contributors to BN. Unfortunately, Chancellor Block has shown no evidence of being a true fan. I would submit that Dan Guerrero is also not a true fan- otherwise, he would not make lame excuses for the on and off court performance of the train wreck which has become our basketball program.

But there is one stat which should interest Chancellor Block, because it directly impacts how much money he is leaving on the table because he tolerates the Dan and Ben show, as we sink further into the nether regions.

I went through every box score since Kevin Love's last game, and looked at the attendance figure, to see how many times the Bruins played in front of at least 10,000 fans. For anybody who thinks this is a high bar, in the 2011 season, according to ncaa.org, there were 44 schools which an average home attendance in excess of 10,000.

Here is what the box scores show on number of games with attendance over 10,000:

Year	Home	Away	Neutral	% of Season (no. of games)
2008-09	10	6	2	58 % (31)
2009-10	3	3	1	23% (30)
2010-11	2	4	1	23% (31)
2011-12	0	1	0	4% (28)

As you can see, the number of home games with attendance over 10,000 has gone down every season. And we have also become a worse draw on the road, as the Dan and Ben show drags the program into almost literal oblivion.

To have only 4% of the games played draw over 10,000 fans would be fairly disappointing for the better mid-major teams, it would be really disappointing for the better major conference teams, and it is absolutely embarassing/appalling for the standards which Coach set.

My sense is that the basketball program has costs which are relatively fixed in nature. It takes the same amount of electricity to heat the building if the seats are filled or not. It takes more or less the same amount of auxiliary staff (security, janitorial, etc) if the seats are filled or not. It definitely takes the same amount of salary for Ben Howland if the seats are filled or not. And, most disturbing of all, it takes the same amount of salary for Dan Guerrero if the seats are filled or not.

So if we could actually reach the lofty heights of schools like Creighton and Wichita State, which drew over 10,000 fans to their home games last season, the extra ticket revenue would drop to the bottom line.

Just think what Chancellor Block would be doing if the Medical Center bed occupancy rate was #65 in the country. That is where our basketball program was in 2011, per ncaa.org.

There is low lying fruit here in terms of easy dollars which would come into the program- can Dan, and let his successor find a successful basketball coach who can get our team back where it belongs.

Sona Mirzaei Set to show March 3rd at grand opening of Wallspace

2012-02-23T08:47:21Z

Saturday, March 3rd, artist Sona Mirzaei will participate in a group exhibition at the grand opening of Wallspace, 607 North La Brea in Los Angeles, 7:00pm -10:00pm. This event will take place in conjunction with the day-long Miracle Mile Art Walk. Miracle Mile is a historical area in Los Angeles where one of the leading art institutions of the world is located: LACMA. Currently LACMA is exhibiting In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States. When I...

Howland's CBI Bound Bruins Struggle With Lowly ASU

2012-02-24T03:35:00Z

It only took about 80% of the game for UCLA to finally put away 8 win, 10th place ASU, 66-57, in Tempe. If this had been a normal season, where the Bruins were in the hunt to secure higher seeding and make some noise in the Tournament, this would have been a frustrating look ahead type of game with Arizona on the horizon. With this team, it's all expected.

At least the Bruins were able to ride hot second half shooting, led by Lazeric Jones and Joshua Smith, to finally put the Sun Devils away. Until halftime, it was a horrid affair. ASU's not particularly impressive matchup zone once again left Howland's team looking lethargic and confused. Even after a half that ASU looked out of sync and disjointed on offense still saw them only down a point at halftime thanks to them actually having a rebound advantage on us.

Every time UCLA threatened to put the game away in the second frame was met with a defensive breakdown or bad turnover until ASU finally faded with about 7 minutes to go and could no longer abuse David Wear with Jonathan Gilling.

For many, this game was literally unwatchable, as FSN Arizona's stream went down multiple times. On balance, those people may have been done a favor, because a win that requires 34 minutes of serious game time to pull away from woeful ASU does nothing to cover up the stench of Howland's uninspired trainwreck of a program.

UCLA Bruins @ Arizona State Sun Devils Gamethread

2012-02-24T01:43:11Z

The Bruins have left the friendly confines of Los Angeles for their final road trip of the 2011-12 regular season, into the State of Arizona. The trip begins with tonight's game against ASU. It has been a down season for the Sun Devils. The official preview is here, while the BN game notes are here.

The game is starting right about now, and for folks that do not have access to Prime Ticket or are not getting the game on their cable carrier, ASU and Fox Sports Arizona are streaming the game here, free of charge.

Q&A: Professor Matthew Fisher describes his daily coffee routine

2012-02-24T02:09:28Z

The office of Matthew Fisher, an assistant professor in English, resembles that of a typical college professor – books and papers arranged, deliberately or otherwise, in a pattern of contained chaos; framed photos of loved ones glint in the natural light filtering through the large window; a comfortably upholstered armchair is angled to face his desk for the leisure of visiting colleagues or students trailing in for office hours.

Even the giant cup of Kerckhoff coffee sitting on his desk is normal by some standards – perhaps for those with a high tolerance for caffeine and well-tamed blood pressure levels, and a lot to do and little time.

Nintendo 3DS, Sony’s PlayStation Vita each have its own pros and cons

2012-02-24T01:48:11Z

Bringing the world of video games to consumers’ pockets are Nintendo’s 3DS and Sony’s new PlayStation Vita.

UCLA Looks To Make A Statement As Baylor Visits Jackie Robinson Stadium

2012-02-23T21:26:00Z

It took playing a bad team and the wind blowing out, but UCLA finally got their offense going on Tuesday in a 19 run effort to defeat Cal St. Northridge and push their record to 2-2. Now they have to take a step up, though, and prove themselves in their first real test of the season. The Baylor Bears, with their undefeated record and tremendous pitching staff, are coming to Jackie Robinson Stadium for three games this weekend and the Bruins will have to play well to take the series.

Baylor was unranked to start the season, partly because of their recent history of inconsistency and underachievement, but that wasn't the case in their opening week of the season. Twice they came from behind to beat Oral Roberts in their season-opening series, then in midweek play they pasted TCU and Texas St. to push their record to a perfect 5-0. They're in the top 25 now and that is thans to their pitching, which has allowed just seven runs in their five games this season and only 4.4 hits per game.

Meanwhile, the Bruins have some work to do. They did get the offense going against Northridge, but those were exceptional circumstances. Nobody is going to really believe in their offense until they get it going against a good team and Baylor is certainly that good team with good pitching.

Maybe as concerning as the Bruins' offense, though, is their defense. It was supposed to be a strength for the team, but they were terrible on Sunday against Maryland and then again on Tuesday against Northridge. Runs against Baylor are going to be tough to come by so they can't afford to give runs away on defense and dig themselves a hole. UCLA will have to be sharp from the very first pitch to come away with a series win that they need to balance out the two games they dropped on opening weekend.

Adam Plutko is going to take to the mound on Friday night (6 pm PT) trying to replicate his performance from a week ago, even if it didn't net him a win. The sophomore struck out 10 and walked just one in seven scoreless innings against the Terps, but the offense couldn't give him more than a one-run cushion and the bullpen blew the lead in the ninth, robbing Plutko of the win. As a fly ball pitcher in the cool, heavy air at Jackie Robinson Stadium and against a Baylor team that doesn't have a ton of power, Plutko should have a chance at another great start this week.

Baylor's starter, Josh Turley, wasn't quite as strong as Plutko last week. He didn't allow any earned runs, but the left-hander allowed two unearned runs to come across and he exited in the fifth inning with two men on base. Turley was 4-5 with a 3.39 ERA last year so he is no slouch, but he's not the bonafide ace that the Bears would probably like on Friday nights.

The middle game of the series (2 pm PT) will feature a pair of right-handers who are working as starters for the first time this season in UCLA's Nick Vander Tuig and Baylor's Max Garner. The Bruins' sophomore looked strong early on in his start last week, but tired and surrendered four runs in the fifth to give him as many runs allowed, five, as innings pitched. That he tired isn't much of a surprise considering that it was his first start since his junior year of high school, but the Bruins will be looking for him to go a little deeper in this week's start.

Like Vander Tuig, Garner had never made a start before last week. The junior had made 41 relief appearances, though, so pressure wasn't a problem and he looked pretty strong early on, but as the game went on, he also tired. A run came across in the third and another in the fourth before he was pulled with a man in scoring position for 3.2 innings of two-run ball.

The series will come to a close on Sunday (1 pm PT) with Zack Weiss on the bump for the Bruins, who will certainly be hoping for more defensive help than he got last weekend. The right-hander allowed three runs, all unearned, in five innings a week ago and took a hard luck loss because of it. Weiss was hardly perfect on the afternoon as he struggled to locate his breaking ball, but he wasn't given any help. With some help, and a better breaking ball, Weiss could look like the sub-3.00 ERA pitcher he was as a freshman in 2011.

Opposite Weiss will be the second left-hander starter of the weekend for the Bears, Brad Kuntz. The sophomore lasted longest of the Baylor starters last weekend, managing five innings against Oral Roberts, striking out six and only allowing one run. Like Garner, Kuntz did not work as a starter before last weekend, making just one start last season, so he can be had later in games.

Where the Bears were really outstanding in their first week was in the bullpen. Tyler Bremer, Trent Blank, Kolt Browder and Miles Landry were all exceptional in relief and made it so the starting pitchers' inability to go deep into games did not matter so much. This is in stark contrast to the Bruins' bullpen, which had more struggles than successes in their first week, but will need to be strong to match what the Bears have in relief and that means closer Scott Griggs needs to be solid in the ninth.

Offensively, Max Muncy is the big bat for the Bears. The first baseman hit .322 with nine home runs in 2011 and is hitting .444 with two extra base hits in this young season, making him a real threat in the middle of the Baylor lineup. Josh Ludy isn't too shabby either, batting in the cleanup spot a year after .278 and hitting .500 with eight RBI in Baylor's first five games this season. The Bears don't have a lot of power, but they find ways on base and challenge pitchers from the top to the bottom of the lineup.

If the Bruins are going to get a series win, they're going to need production from their offense too. That starts with Cody Regis, who is supposed to be the power bat in the lineup. He has gotten off to a rough start with a .083 average and no extra base hits, which the Bruins can't afford against a good team. On the other end of the spectrum is Cody Keefer, who is hitting .415 with a .500 on-base percentage, but even there all is not good. Keefer has a team-leading six strikeouts, a sign of a problem that the entire team has as strikeouts have begun to pile up.

With a series loss to Maryland already on their resume, the Bruins need a series win against a quality non-conference to even things out. A series win over Baylor, who plays in a good Big XII, will also pay dividends later on in the season when it helps boosts UCLA's RPI. Toss in the need to redeem themselves and prove that they are indeed a top team after last week's stumble and there is plenty on the line for the Bruins this weekend.

This is a big opportunity for the Bruins to prove that they are indeed the top 15 team that they were thought to be in the preseason so head on out to Jackie Robinson Stadium and see if UCLA can grab a pair of important wins. Tickets for the three games this weekendare $7 for adults, $5 for children and free for Wooden Club cardholders and students. For those looking to follow along, John Ramey and Tim Wilhelm will have the call online, GameTracker will be going and I'll have updates, notes and observations all weekend on my UCLA baseball twitter.

Skylight Gardens Opening in Westwood

2012-02-23T06:47:41Z

Replacing Gardens on Glendon, Talk of the Town, Will Wright's Ice Cream Parlor and the Hamlet Gardens in Westwood Village, Skylight Gardens soft opened on February 20th and will open to the publ...

Continue reading "Skylight Gardens Opening in Westwood" >

Coffee corners: A quick rundown on some of the coffee shops at UCLA

2012-02-23T06:33:05Z

When it comes to cramming for midterms, studying for finals and even pumping out those 10-page papers the night before they’re due, coffee can be a college student’s best friend. Although most of the coffee shops on campus offer a rather similar array of drinks and pastries at the same prices, each has its own quirks and characteristics that contribute to the overall atmosphere of the shop. Here is a quick rundown of what some of UCLA’s campus coffee stops have to offer.

UCLA Basketball: On the Outside Looking In

2012-02-23T15:06:00Z

Tonight's UCLA matchup with Arizona State begins the depressing effort to prove that UCLA is really a top four team in the PAC 12. UCLA still has won just one game outside of Los Angeles against D-1 opponents this season. ASU represents a good chance for number two and this is a must win for UCLA to have any realistic and remote chance to get a top 4 seed and first round bye in the PAC 12 Tourney. UCLA is 8-6 in the PAC 12, a game behind Arizona and Oregon in the loss Column. Here is the latest on what they need to get in the third or fourth spot (Cal and UW have locked up the top two):

Colorado, 18-8, 10-4 - Remaining schedule: Stanford, Thursday; Cal, Sunday; at Oregon, March 1; at Oregon State, March 3. Record against remaining opponents: 2-2.

Oregon, 19-8, 10-5 - Remaining schedule: at Oregon State, Sunday; Colorado, March 1; Utah, March 3. Record against remaining opponents: 1-2.

Arizona, 19-9, 10-5 - Remaining schedule: USC, Thursday; UCLA, Saturday; at Arizona State, March 4. Record against remaining opponents: 2-1. . . .

"We still have the Pac-12 Tournament," Bruins center Joshua Smith said. "That season's not over."

I am glad the players are saying they have not given up. It will be more important they show they have not given up. A realistic the scenario means the Arizona game is a must win. If UCLA does not beat Arizona, welcome to the first round. Even if they beat Arizona they need some help. The good news is with an Arizona win, UCLA wins the tiebreakers with both Arizona and Colorado based on head to head play. However, the most likely scenario requires UCLA to win their last four games to obtain a first round bye.

That is a tall order for this team whose symbol may be Tyler Lamb. Lamb by his own admission has been inconsistent and acknowledges the team's problems.

"I feel my play has been inconsistent," Lamb said. "As a team, we have been underachievers." . . .

The 6-foot-4 Lamb says he's his own harshest critic and he doesn't pull punches. "My numbers have been too up and down all year," he said.

One reason is health issues. Early in the season he had bursitis in his hip that left him feeling "like I was playing at 60%." Last week in practice he suffered a hamstring injury that is expected to take at least five more weeks to completely heal.

But Lamb deflects excuses. "Everyone has nicks this time of year," he said.

You really have to like what Lamb says. He does not make excuses for himself or the team. Though you have to wonder why Ben Howland is playing him so many minutes with all his injuries. That could be part of the reason for Lamb's inconsistent performance. Lamb to my mind has been the most surprising player of the year. Much improved on offense (though not consistent) but a serious disappointment on defense.

The article has some strange statements in discussing Lamb's defense. Howland saying Lamb guards the other team's best weapon, which is just wrong. That was the plan before the season but now it seems that Jones often has the other team's best guard/wing. Of course Chris Foster of the fishwrap who wrote the story is way off in another story on tonight's game.

UCLA has lost two of its last three games in Tempe, and needed overtime to scratch out a 73-72 victory last season. Those Arizona State teams were significantly more talented. The Sun Devils scored eight points in the first half in a 72-50 loss to Washington State on Saturday. Trent Lockett averages 13.1 points to lead Arizona State. UCLA won the first meeting, 75-58. Joshua Smith had his best game of the season, making eight of 12 shots and scoring 18 points. UCLA Coach Ben Howland said center Anthony Stover should be ready to play. Stover has sat out three games because of a foot injury.

As Nestor detailed yesterday, the Stover statement is wrong. Even the official UCLA injury report states that it was a coach's decision:

Sophomore center Anthony Stover missed practice on Feb. 10 and the California game (Feb. 11) with tendonitis in his left foot. He was able to practice for an hour on Monday (Feb. 13) and complete a full practice on Tuesday. He didn't play against USC (Feb. 15) or St. John's (Feb. 18) due to a coaches decision and is listed as probable for the Bruins' game on Feb. 23 at Arizona State.

Although Howland says he is going to play Stover and maybe even Lane more, I am not optimistic given his statement:

"We're trying to win each game at a time," Howland said. "I'm not looking ahead at anything further than the game we're playing."

Ah, Coach Howland, you should be able to beat ASU. You will need the "good" Lamb and the rested starters for Arizona on the road. As a coach you should look ahead, the players no. But you must.

For its part ASU will be better this time. Many of their players will be back from suspension that missed the first UCLA v. ASU game. Starting with the now PG Chris Colvin. Colvin is a true Point Guard, while not exactly a great one with as many assists as turnovers but unlike last game when the Bruins pressed the walk on backup PG, Colvin is for real.

The next player back is Kyle Cain. ASU's second leading rebounder and only inside player that is also an athlete. Again, Cain is not great but he is a legimate power forward, something ASU lacked the first time they played ASU when they had to play two centers together at times.

Really ASU has one very good player in 6'4" Trent Lockett. Lockett does it all for ASU. He is their leading scorer, rebounder, three point shooter, backup PG, leads in steals, etc. Lockett is a good player who plays hard.

ASU does have two Centers in Seven Foot Ruslan Pateev and 7'2" Jordan Bachynski. They are virtually interchangeable bigs who play like you would expect nonathletic big men to play. They both can score close to the basket but are not athletic enough to take maximum advantage of their size.

The rest of ASU is mostly a bunch of jump shooters led by Jonathan Gilling. Gilling single handedly kept ASU in the first game against UCLA when he went 5-6 from three. These guys are not tough just have to get a hand in their face.

A must win game, will the Bruins show up and play hard? Or have they given up on the season? Tonight is not a true test as this is still a bad ASU team. But as this is not exactly a good Bruin team, nothing can be taken for granted.

Go Bruins.

UCLA Football Recruiting: More Details on Commitment of Georgia Powerback Keyante Green

2012-02-23T13:00:00Z

As charnaw noted in the fanshot section Georgia running back Keyante Green (5-9, 190) committed to UCLA. Let's go to the YT highlights right away:

Justin Hopkins has the details on 247Sports.com:

"I'm really excited to be a Bruin," Green said. "I'm fired up about coach (Jim) Mora and coach (Adrian) Klemm. They both seem like great coaches and I'm confident in the direction they are leading the program."

Despite the verbal pledge, Green did not eliminate future visits.

"I don't want to say I'm a hard commit or a soft commit, somewhere in between I guess," he said. "I know I'm going to take other visits and consider some other schools. South Carolina and Florida State are just a couple that come to mind. But I consider myself a Bruin and it's where I want to be."

UCLA was able to capitalize on prized quarterback Eddie Printz Jr in mid-January. The relationship between Green and Printz was a notable factor in his decision.

"I spent a lot of time with Eddie at the Rising Seniors bowl game and we connected. I really like him and his ability to lead. That wasn't the reason I committed but it helped. I'm just fired up to be a part of this class and I'm hoping we can get out there and recruit some more guys."

Green becomes the third commit for the class of 2013, joining fellow Georgian Printz Jr, and Southern California bluechipper Dashon Hunt. His offer-sheet includes offers from powerhouse programs such as tOSU, FSU, both major Georgia schools, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. I have a feeling his recruiting is not over yet because I don't see those schools letting up just because he "committed" to UCLA.

The AJC has a little more on the Green story noting he had tried to "commit" to Georgia two weeks ago (HT Bellerophon):

What about UGA? Green said he was offered by the Bulldogs two years ago as a freshman and called a couple of weeks ago to commit to UGA. "They told my coach that they couldn't honor my commitment because they had Derrick Henry out of Yulee, Fla., and that they could sign only one running back for the 2013 class. They said they could only sign one because they weren't expecting to get two out of North Carolina for 2012 (Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley). They are only going to sign one for 2013, so they weren't able to take me."

How did Green feel about UGA's response when he tried to commit? "I mean, it's not their fault. They already had two guys signed and another junior committed with Derrick Henry. I guess it wasn't meant to be. It's no big deal."

What about Georgia Tech? "It was too close to the house. I could've seen myself playing there. Everything was great about Georgia Tech with the coaches, the football program and the academics. It was just too close to the house."

This past season, Green rushed for 970 yards and 16 touchdowns while leading ECLA to the Class A semifinals. Green, who missed five games with an injury, also played defense and finished with 104 tackles, including 21 for losses and 6 sacks.

For those who are craving YT highlights we got more to share:

#1 Keyante Green / RB / Eagles Landing 2013.avi (via gamechangerrs)

There is some more in this video from about a year ago. in mind that majority of these video highlights tend to be a little .. uhm ... embellished. It's all good though. On paper and in video he looks like a great pickup. So welcome to Westwood KG and hope you stick with us through your senior season.

Green's commitment will only add to the momentum Mora and his staff have built in the recruiting trail last few months. Now, if Mora can get it done on the field this upcoming season by taking advantage of the soft schedule and having the Trojans at home, Bruin recruiting will only get hotter, resulting in most likely a top-5 class for UCLA next season.

GO BRUINS.

More Derp From Westwood

2012-02-22T18:01:29Z

Another week, another Chianti fueled exercise in unintentional comedy also known as Chianti Dan's ~~Propaganda~~ Word From Westwood! I know you're all as excited as I am to hear about what our Dear Leader has to say, so let's dive right in.

Our student-athletes have enjoyed the great amenities we have here at UCLA on a daily basis.

That's line numero uno. It takes a lot of balls to lead with one of your biggest failures as an AD and put it out there as a strength. I can just hear it now. "What's wrong with Jackie Robinson Stadium/my botched Pauley Renovation/the worst football facilities in the conference?"

To be fair, he needed a lead in to the following name drop-fest.

What you may not know is that many professional athletes have looked at UCLA as a destination to train in their off-seasons as well. Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Pete Sampras have hit balls at the LATC. Tom Brady and Wes Welker occasionally work out at Spaulding Field. Major Leaguers like C.J. Wilson and Nick Swisher have trained at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Some of the world’s most celebrated soccer teams, such as Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have held preseason training camps at the North Athletic Field. Legions of NBA players play in the legendary pickup games at the SAC Gym each summer, and Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix have been spotted sprinting on the track at Drake Stadium.

Sounds pretty glamorous, Dan. What a great atmosphere you've cultivated here, Dan. Sounds like a lot of non-Bruins, Dan.

Felix graduated in 2003, making headlines by forgoing college eligibility to sign a professional contract with Adidas. Adidas paid her an undisclosed sum and picked up her college tuition at the University of Southern California.[9] She has since graduated with a degree in elementary education.[10]

It's telling that the size of his namedropping opening paragraph is the same size as the space given to all of our non Revenue sports combined, five sections below. Maybe he could have used that space to talk up actual Bruins who don't get the spotlight. Instead, we see very clearly what the priorities are for this AD. Nowhere moreso than Chianti's section on our own dumpster fire basketball program where he dedicates half a sentence to the "disappointing" loss to St. John's, but follows with an entire paragraph describing his meeting with Gail Goodrich where he "came to realize" that Gail is still an "ardent follower of the program". I guess proactive engagement with alums isn't worth his time unless he can take some sort of credit for it.

But to be fair, there was one useful nugget of information for tomorrow's ASU game:

However, Fox Sports Arizona and our colleagues at Arizona State were able to set up a free live webcast at www.foxsportsarizona.com.

Those clamoring for streams in our gamethreads should at least find that information useful. By the way, when can we expect a similar setup for our games and FSN West? You're not going to let ASU show you up in terms of competence are you? Oh, you are? Okay then, carry on.

And, as always, we conclude with the Chianti-asks-himself-a-softball-question section:

Q: When is a decision expected from the conference about the future of the Pac-12 Tournament?

The correct answer is "who gives a damn?" It's bad enough that Howland's trainwreck of a program needs that exact tournament in order to get to the real tournament, but it's just a tangential reminder of where all the real hard hitting questions are that he's so obviously sidestepping. What do you think about missing the tournament again, Dan? What do you think about needing to win 4 games in 4 days, Dan? Do you think Coach's program should miss out on a 68 team tournament twice in three years, Dan?

PlayStation Vita launch party to enlighten UCLA students on Sony's latest product

2012-02-22T19:58:48Z

Today sees the launch of the newest handheld gaming device from Sony, the PlayStation Vita. The Vita follows in the footsteps of the PlayStation Portable, but boasts upgraded power, graphical capabilities and controls.

Bruin Bites: Hundley's Top Ten, Television Stars Donate Big, and Nakase Breaking Barriers

2012-02-22T17:01:04Z

It's Wednesday, and while it's the middle of the week and the half-way mark to the weekend, it's kind of odd to think we're already half-way there, since well, it feels like the week just started with Monday being a holiday. But hey, being closer to the weekend is never a bad thing, right?

Anyway, it's a bit quiet around the wider Bruin Nation, with Ben Howland's basketball program descending even further into a complete and totally irrelevant joke, a pathetic shell of a formerly great program, and with wider interest not in full gear for our non-revenue sports, which are still relatively early in their seasons (and for most of them, march toward possible NCAA title glory).

So, this mid-week edition of Bruin Bites is going to be quick and dirty (well, not dirty, just quick). So, here's your bits and pieces of news from around the UCLA-iverse:

Starting with football (what else?), the regularly very good Bruce Feldman at CBS Sports put together a list of the top ten intriguing redshirt freshman to keep an eye on this season. Checking in at #6 was none other than our own freshman sensation at QB, Brett Hundley. The talented Arizona product, with a new coaching staff in place, be on a level playing field with not only Prince and Brehaut, but also incoming true freshmen Devin Fuller and T.J. Millweard, in what is widely expected to be a wide-open battle for the starting QB job.
Speaking of football, former UCLA linebackers coach Clark Lea, has taken the same position at Bowling Green, somewhat closer to his own alma mater, Vanderbilt (Bowling Green is approximately just under an eight hour drive away from Nashville). Coach Lea always handled himself with class during his short stint at UCLA, despite the turmoil and turnover in the coaching staff (both internal turnover within the Neuheisel regime and when the big change happened when Mora took over), so we wish him nothing but luck in Ohio.

Turning to the academic side of the university, UCLA received two generous donations from some of the most recognized names in television. Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons (yes, that Homer Simpson, which oddly seems to have the same lazy work ethic and penchant for stupid ideas as a certain UCLA athletic director), has generous donated $500,000 to UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television. This, of course, comes in addition to his regular $50,000 gift to the university. Oh, and bear in mind, Matt's not even an alum (having gone to Evergreen State College in Washington), which I think speaks volumes about the man and his generosity. So, much applause and appreciation from the Bruin Nation to Mr. Groening.
But, not to be out-done, the estate of Peter Falk of Columbo fame donated a cool $3 million to the university for student scholarships. The money will cover four-year scholarships for students studying music, have disabilities, or are military veterans. While it's very sad that the world lost Lt. Columbo, hopefully one of the LAPD's best fictional detectives' legacy will live on in Westwood. Another great gift from a great person, with otherwise no connection to the university (Falk having gone to Syracuse).
Finally, former UCLA basketball stand-out Natalie Nakase is making headlines on the other side of the Pacific, as the first female coach in Japan's men's professional basketball league. Building on UCLA's "Optimists" campaign, here we have another Bruin great, not settling for what is accepted, not willing to be kept behind, but shattering another barrier, carrying on the legacy of other Bruin greats like Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe, and Ralph Bunche. Sports Illustrated, through the AP, has a great profile of Natalie as she gets her feet wet in her first season at the helm of the Saitama Broncos.

Alright folks, those are your bits and pieces of news from around the UCLA-iverse. Fire away in the comment threads with your thoughts, additions, and other interesting UCLA-related notes.

GO BRUINS

UCLA Basketball Trainwreck: Howland’s Bizarre & Incoherent Excuses for Not Playing Stover and Lane

2012-02-22T14:15:59Z

Ben Howland met the media yesterday for his weekly presser yesterday. He talked about his team's sorry performance against St. Johns and his pathetic "7 men rotation." His comments about personnel management with regard to Anthony Stover and Brendan Lane appears to be simply bizarre, incoherent and downright hypocritical:

Howland offered up the excuses that he did not play Lane in recent games because he has been "sick" (not sure if anyone asked Lane to verify if he in fact was sick) and that Stover has not been "completely healthy" referring to his "foot." Remember this is the same guy that made Tyler Lamb log over 30 minutes against a joke Trojan team even though he was playing with a sore hamstring. So that explanation doesn't really make sense. It becomes even more bizarre when Howland went on to contradict himself (2:22 mark of the video) about Stover saying:

"In retrospect I probably should have used him some more against St. Johns to keep us fresher."

"Should have" has become the go-to-phrase in these weekly excuse-making presser for Ben. Bruins of course wilted against an undermanned and inexperienced St. John's team for being too tired and fatigued. BTW Ben also talked about Norman Powell "giving more minutes" while doing a slip up and calling him "Russell."

Watching this video gives the impression of a tired coach, who seems to have no idea what is happening with his own players. He seems to be throwing up stuff and hoping reporters will write it down without getting any pushback. That is why he is offering disjointed excuses about not playing guys that seem to be incoherent (if you want to be charitable) or rather kind of dishonest.

The main issue here is of course not Howland. It's his boss - Chianti Dan - who is even more out of touch and have no idea what a complete joke UCLA basketball has become around town. At this rate Guerrero's dumpster fire will not even get an invitation to the NIT:

[A]fter Saturday's debacle just how attractive is UCLA to even the NIT? Say the Bruins split the final four games. That leaves the Bruins at 17-13. Another victory in the Pac-12 tournament puts them at 18-14.There should be at least three Pac-12 schools ahead of UCLA with better records that didn't make the NCAA tournament. Say those three schools are Arizona, Oregon and Stanford. All would draw better than the Bruins.

In recent weeks there have whispers around Westwood about whether UCLA would accept an NIT invitation, the thinking being that it would be too embarrassing for a school that was once the sport's premier program to stoop to playing in March's consolation tournament.

Even more embarrassing would not being invited in the first place.

LOL at Scott Reid referring to chatter going on among thousands of UCLA alums and fans here and elsewhere as "whispers." We will let that slide for now. The underlying point here is how Guerrero's basketball program has become a total embarrassment. All of this is happening while bizarre and hypocritical spin continue to come out of Westwood with no accountability at any level of our athletic program.

GO BRUINS.

UCLA Finds Its Offense in a 19-7 Bludgeoning of Northridge

2012-02-22T02:45:47Z

Remember the UCLA offense that went missing over the weekend? It has been found and then some. Of course, it helps to play a bad team, but the Bruins are going to take what they can get and they took all they could get on Tuesday against Cal St. Northridge. UCLA pounded out 16 hits and hit their first three home runs of the season on an afternoon in which eight different players picked up RBI and four had at least three RBI. The result was almost three times as many runs in nine innings against the Matadors than they had in their first three games of the weekend combined and a 19-7 victory that pushes UCLA's record to 2-2 on the young season.

To lead the Bruins' offense on a day that everyone hit takes some doing, which makes Jeff Gelalich and Trevor Brown's afternoons all the more impressive. Gelalich hit two home runs at Matador Field as part of a 2-4, three RBI, three run effort in which he also walked twice, while Brown picked up a pair of his of his own, a walk, a run scored and most impressively, a team-leading four RBI. Pat Valaika chimed in with three hits and four runs scored of his own, while Shane Zeile also picked up three hits and Cody Keefer and Heineman each added three RBI, with Heineman also adding a home run. The real indicator of how good the Bruins were on the afternoon was Cody Regis, though. The junior was the only Bruin not to pick up a hit, leaving him at the bottom of the heap of Bruins, but he still walked three times and scored three times. Not such a bad "worst" for the day.

On the mound, the Bruins suffered from some of the winds that the offense benefitted from. With the wind blowing out, it was tough to keep the ball in the yard and when pitchers struggle to throw strikes or keep the ball down in the zone, it gets nearly impossible. Freshman Grant Watson got his first career start after an impressive weekend out of the bullpen, but he surrendered four runs in three innings. Zack Ortiz got his first collegiate appearance and gave up three runs, but all of them were unearned in his two innings of work. After that, David Berg, Ryan Deeter and Scott Griggs combined to keep the Matadors off the board and get Ortiz the win.

As much work as the scoreboard got on Tuesday, it actually took until the third inning before it was asked to get going. That is when Heineman turned on a 1-0 pitch and launched one out to right field for his first career home run and a two-run Bruin lead. The Bruins weren't done, though, as three walks (one intentional) loaded up the basis for Brown, who hit one to the wall in deep right-center for a bases clearing triple that put UCLA in front, 5-0.

It didn't take long before Watson gave some of those runs back, but the defense stepped up behind him and limited the damage. A walk and two singles loaded up the basis and another single followed, scoring one and keeping three men on. That's when Watson got a ground ball and his defense turned a double play behind him to get the first two outs of the inning. Another run scored on the play to make it 5-2, but the two outs were key. Watson got some more defensive help when the next batter lifted a fly ball to left-center, but Beau Amaral was able to track it down and make a fine catch to end the inning and keep another run off the board.

The top of the fourth brought more runs for the Bruins. Valaika led off the frame with a double and after he tagged to take third, Heineman's fly ball to deep right scored him to make it a 6-2 ballgame. Keefer then hit a single to center that skipped past the centerfielder for a three-base error that allowed him to come all the way around and score. After a Regis walk, Shane Zeile picked up his first collegiate hit when he doubled home Regis and the Bruins were ahead 8-2.

Watson might have gotten some defensive help in the third, but he didn't get it in the fourth. After a walk and single, the Matadors hit a grounder to Valaika at short that could have been a double play, but the sophomore booted it and everyone was safe. A two-RBI single later and Watson's day was done with the UCLA lead cut to 8-4 and two on with none out. Ortiz came in for him and on his second pitch induced a sharp grounder to third. Regis grabbed it, stepped on third, threw to second for the second out and Kevin Kramer got the ball to first just a hair late to miss on the triple play. Then, the umpire ruled the batter out at first due to runner's interference at second base and the Bruins had themselves the unusual 5-4 triple play.

Gelalich hit his first homer of the game in the fifth, but it was the three spot that the Matadors put up on Ortiz with the help of Regis error that made it a 9-7 ballgame.

With the game back up in the balance again, the Bruin offense turned it on. A run in the seventh on a Brown sacrifice fly stretched the UCLA lead to 10-7, but that was only a precursor to the Bruins' big eighth.

Valaika started the eighth with a single and Amaral followed with a single of his own before Heineman was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Keefer then ripped a double down the right field line, clearing the bases and making it 13-7. A wild pitch scored Keefer to tack on another run then Gelalich's second home run fo the game, this time a two-run shot, made it 16-7. Three consecutive doubles then added two more runs to the Bruins' lead before a Amaral sacrifice fly finally brought the nine-run inning to a close with UCLA holding a 19-7 lead.

UCLA had no trouble closing the game out from there and when Griggs retired the final batter of the game in the ninth, the Bruins had themselves the big win they were hoping for against an inferior squad. Now they will see if they can take the momentum from Tuesday into Friday when the #25 Baylor Bears visit Jackie Robinson Stadium in the Bruins' first big series of the season.

Make 2012 a Lien Free Year with IRS Express

2012-02-21T08:47:21Z

At any one time, there are millions of Americans burdened by a tax lien. Really. If youâ€™re one of them, there are a lot of opportunists who will pray upon your tax angst for their own benefit. Be afraid; of the IRS and these folks. The too-good-to-be-true deal promises that are often made are in fact rip offs that will not deliver any tax relief and only further endanger your finances. But, there is one good apple amongst the IRS resolution bunch â€“ a free, online solution, www.IRSExpress...

UCLA vs. Cal St. Northridge Tuesday Baseball Open Thread: Let's Start Over

2012-02-21T22:09:38Z

There wasn't a lot of good to take away from UCLA's opening weekend against Maryland. They got a win, but they lost two and tumbled eight spots in the Baseball America poll from 14th to 22nd because of it. The offense that was supposed to turn it around after a disappointing 2011 season looked just as bad as it did a year ago and the defense fell apart on Sunday too. All in all, it was a terrible weekend for the Bruins, with the lone bright spot being a glimmer of hope from a bullpen that entered the season as a major concern.

With a bad weekend in their rear view mirror, the Bruins will try to start their season over again when they visit Cal St. Northridge today and they will do it with one of those bullpen members on the mound. Freshman Grant Watson helped shore up the Bruin bullpen over the weekend with 2.1 scoreless innings and four strikeouts and now he'll try to carry that success over to a starting role this afternoon. He'll be opposed by a fellow freshman who threw 2.1 innings over the weekend in Brandon Warner, who walked two, but did not give up a run in his stint out of the bullpen.

Cal St. Northridge was picked to finish last in a bad Big West this season and did not look overly impressive in their series win over Sacramento St. over the weekend so this is a game the Bruins need to win. John Ramey and Tim Wilhelm have the call online as UCLA tries to level their record at 2-2 and you can also get all the updates, notes and observations from my UCLA baseball twitter. This is your baseball open thread so have at it.

Westside Offers Best Spots To Buy A Guitar In Los Angeles

2012-02-21T14:00:26Z

The key to becoming (or fantasizing of becoming) the next Jimmy Hendrix or Joan Jett narrows down to finding the right guitar. But before you book your next gig at Whisky-a-Go-Go, let LA’s guide to the best places for buying new and vintage guitars steer you in the right direction.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com

Full-service shops

West LA Music

11345 Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA
90025

(310) 477-1945

www.westlamusic.com

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Hours: Mon to Fri -10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

West L.A. Music supplies guitar equipment to top musicians around the world in all entertainment-based industries, including recording studios, film production facilities and composers. Here, you can fulfill your musical dreams with the store’s variety of guitar basics and paraphernalia including guitars (acoustic, electric, bass, classical), amplifiers, synthesizers, capos, polish, cases, picks, pickups, speaker cabinets, straps, strings and tuning gears.

Westwood Music Center

1627 Westwood Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA
90024

(310) 478-4251

www.westwoodmusic.com

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Hours: Tues to Fri – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat to Mon – 10 a.m. 7 p.m.

Started by Herman Walecki in 1946 and managed by his son throughout the past four decades, Westwood Music Center is the exclusive dealer for Bill Asher, designer and builder of Asher Guitars and Lap Steels. The master craftsmanship behind Asher’s Ultra Tone T-Deluxe and S-Custom guitars, inspired by Leo Fender’s Telecaster and Stratocaster, and his Ben Harper signature Lap Steel is a sight that can make any musician drool. In addition, the guitar store holds auctions every weekend, where one instrument with legendary value is auctioned off to the public. Auctions include instruments owned and played by Dan Folgelberg, Steven Stills, Bernie Leadon and Kenny Burrell.

For vintage strumming

Norman’s Rare Guitars

18969 Ventura Blvd.

Tarzana, CA
91356

(818) 344-8300

www.normansrareguitars.com

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Hours: Tues to Sat – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Looking for a collector’s item won’t be hard to locate at Norman’s Rare Guitars. Since the opening of its first shop in 1975, Norman’s Rare Guitars continues to hold a collection of hard-to-find vintage guitars, including Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, Martin, and Gretsch. Norman’s rare mixture of instruments has earned him credibility among collectors, musicians and many high profile musical artists and bands. Frequent Norman’s visitors have included Robert Pattinson, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.

The Fretted Frog

1200 N. Alvarado Street

Los Angeles, CA
90026

(213) 353-0734

www.thefrettedfrog.com

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Hours: Tues to Sat – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In a quest for finding rare acoustic guitars, The Fretted Frog owner decided to ditch his frustrations of searching big box retailers and open his own alternative acoustic guitar store. The Fretted Frog is known for finding and selling hard-to-find guitar brands such as Boulder Creek, Cole Clark, Deering, Goodtime and Vega Banjos, George Lowden, Godin, Lag and Saga: Blueridge, Cigano and Gitane.

Related: Best Music Clubs In LA

Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com

Custom-made guitars

Candelas Guitar Shop

2724 E. Cesar Chavez Ave.

Los Angeles, CA
90033

(323) 261-2011

www.candelas.com

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Hours: Available by phone Tues to Sat – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tomas Delgado exemplifies Candelas’ history of skill for handcrafting the most beautiful classical, mariachi and bajo sexto guitars in the world. Candelas Guitars have touched the magical fingers of world-class performers including Andres Segovia, Celedonio Romero, Jose Feliciano, Charo, Los Lobos, Jackson Browne, Quetzal and Ozomatli. Candelas Guitar Shop produces guitars with unmatched sounds, tones and quality at affordable prices.

Neely Custom Guitars

7424 1/2 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA
90046

(323) 850-7043

www.neelyguitars.com

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Hours: By Appointment Only

Neely Custom Guitars utilizes exclusive customizing techniques to meet the high quality demands for both studio and stage instruments. Each style has its own balance of woods, strings, acoustics and electronics. Building and repairing guitars since 1974, David Neely has a unique understanding of how real musicians use their instruments on stage or in the studios. He uses this knowledge to make modifications and repairs with a personal attention to detail.

Jennifer Geisman is a freelance writer and faithful beauty junkie living in Los Angeles. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.