Alex Legion

by BlueReign on Apr 2, 2007 9:46 PM PDT

Rumor running rampant on the other boards that Alex Legion (6-4, SG out of Michigan who played this year at Oak Hill) will be seeking a release from Michigan. As you may know, John Beilein was hired as the new HC. Howland was recruiting him pretty hard but he ultimately chose to stay home and suit up for the Wolverines. Supposedly Alex will be heading to Westwood if he secures the release and AA declares for the NBA. We'll have used our schoolie bank with Love & Stanback coming in next year. AA leaving would free up the schoolie needed unless somebody was to transfer.

I personally would rather have AA when compared to Legion. No matter how good Legion may be, he is nowhere close to what AA means to us and what he provides/produces. No freshman is going to reach All-American status as well as be the heart & soul of this UCLA club as AA has. In addition, this will directly affect our current recruitment of Jrue in an adverse way IMO. There will be a log jam of wing players on our roster the next two years.

Should AA leave, it would be very nice late pick up but I'm hoping for 1 more year from AA. ****Editing this post**** The source was Sonny V on Loose Cannons and I listened to it over and over again to figure something out. They were talking over Sonny so it is pretty tough to tell but he said that the player was "really, really, really good that was not committed". If I heard this right, that would mean that Legion is not a possibility as he has a signed LOI. The only2 unsigned players this year is Jai Lucas (Not likely considering we have Jerime & Malcolm in 08), Patrick Patterson (Supposedly a heavy Donovan lean. Wherever he ends up, Patterson is said to follow. Unlikely because we haven't been recruiting this guy much) or it could be Jrue whom Howland has been recruiting very hard. Sonny is currenty in Chicago for the Roundball Classic. Or it could be Legion if my ears are failing me. Sorry for the confusion.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Getting Legion would be a mistake

I dont think he would be seriously needed, and if he comes there is no way we get Jrue Holiday

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 2, 2007 9:53 PM PDT reply actions

Obviously

I'd rather have AA, but if he leaves I'd love to have Legion. Yes it would make it tough to get Jrue Holiday, but you don't say no to a top 50 recruit with great upside in favor of a player who we are in the running for and are one of 3 teams believed to be favored for him, some saying we have the worst chance to land. I'd take Legion over a 20-35% chance anyday, although if AA stays this isn't an issue.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Apr 2, 2007 9:59 PM PDT reply actions

If we get Legion...

then where does the scholarship come from in the 08-09 year? Seems like 1 too many even without Holiday.

by bornagainbruin on Apr 2, 2007 10:06 PM PDT reply actions

Someone would have to leave

The most obvious people would be Love or DC. We are also recruiting Drew Gordon from San Jose who is a five star PF. I think it's unlikely that we lose three people early after next year so we probably can't get Legion, Holiday, and Gordon even if they all want to come. If we have a scholarhip for Gordon it seems likely he would come since he only has offers from Washington and Cal (and us).

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 3, 2007 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions

A Solution to the Scholarship Issue

If one of those guys has good grades, give them an academic scholarship. I believe there was a guy at Stanford who was there on an academic scholarship and started on the football team. Maybe in the 70's or 80's. (They were good at the time, but apparently there was no scarcity of scholarships.) I may be totally wrong on the historical precedent, but it seems like a good idea in any event.

by Fox 71 on Apr 3, 2007 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm not sure

but I don't think that's possible. I know at least for football that anyone on the team on scholarship must be on a football scholarship, not any other sport or academic. It's football or no scholarship. I believe the same is true for basketball, but I'm not sure.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Apr 3, 2007 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't know

why I thought that would work. I can't be the first to have tried to get around such a rule.

by Fox 71 on Apr 3, 2007 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Isn't Mustafa

abdul hamid on Academic scholarship?

by bruin95 on Apr 3, 2007 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Don't think so

He is a walk on.

by bluestreet on Apr 3, 2007 2:26 PM PDT up reply actions

think there is a rule

regarding walk-ons and academic scholies.

Concievably, schools/boosters could use specially created scholies tailored toward athletes, but not so specific to be an obvious athletic scholarship.

by bruinhoo on Apr 4, 2007 9:09 AM PDT up reply actions

Legion

I will be surprised if he comes to UCLA.

There is also rumor of another big time mystery recruiting floating around. And it was floated by Sonny Vicarro. Here is the podcast from local 570 (hour 3, 20:50 mark).

If anyone listens to it or already listened to it and want to trascribe it and post it in the diaries, that would be cool. Sonny hints that a really, really, really good player who hasn't committed yet may commit to UCLA in next two weeks.

So stay tuned.

by Nestor on Apr 3, 2007 5:30 AM PDT reply actions

I wonder if he means Quinton Watkins

Out of Compton Dominguez. He's committed to Illinois, but he can't sing his LOI until next week, and there were rumors that there were West Coast schools still recruiting him, UCLA among them.

With the recruiting problems the Illini have had, I think the fanbase would commit mass suicide if that happened.

by LA Seitz on Apr 3, 2007 7:05 AM PDT up reply actions

What position does Watkins play?

by bluestreet on Apr 3, 2007 7:12 AM PDT up reply actions

I hope he's a running back.

by Fox 71 on Apr 3, 2007 7:28 AM PDT up reply actions

Shooting guard

Scout
Rivals

by LA Seitz on Apr 3, 2007 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions

thank you*

by bluestreet on Apr 3, 2007 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Wouldn't surprise me if Legion wanted out

Near the end of the season when there were a lot of rumors about TA's job security all the incoming signed recruits were asked if TA was fired what their status would be. Of the 3, Legion was the only one that said it would make a big impact. Many fans are resigned to him asking out but are upset at him considering he committed, decommitted and then recommitted and may now ask out of his LOI. Hopefully he will listen to what Coach Beilein has to say because I feel that he would be a great fit in his offense. But many are saying he will try to ask out regardless.

by CaliWolverine on Apr 3, 2007 10:17 AM PDT reply actions

Derrick Rose is another possibility

It has been rumored that he'd try to get out of his Memphis letter if Calipari gets the Kentucky gig. Rose is boys with Love and Kevin nearly got Rose on board as a bruin . . . Love and Rose, a match made in heaven!

by charnaw on Apr 3, 2007 12:34 PM PDT reply actions

Rose would be great

but I don't see Calipari leaving for Kentucky.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Apr 3, 2007 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions

I think Calipari just signed a new contract

probably offered by memphis to make sure he wouldn't leave for kentucky. Though if Donovan doesn't leave Florida, Kentucky may not have that many solid options.

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 3, 2007 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions

You are overlooking the obvious

A good candidate for Kentucky is someone who looks good in blue, has head coaching experience, is handsome, in good condition, has experience in the professional ranks, and knows how to speak to the press in a way that won't give them any basis to print anything negative.

The only drawback, if you want to call it that, is that his head coaching experience is in football, but really, should that really count against him?

And as usual, the BN will buy his plane ticket out of town.

by Fox 71 on Apr 3, 2007 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Big men? 4-5 stars?

God? Aren't we pretty good on guards considering that our weaknesses are big men and out limited number of schollies to hand out? I would think with our failure against Florida in the Final Four, it would our coaching staff understand that in order to compete and win at the highest of levels, we need to secure 4-5 star players, most notably people like Drew Gordon and Jrue Holiday for next year.

by NYCLAFan on Apr 3, 2007 12:51 PM PDT reply actions

No we don't

We don't need that many 4-5 star players, we only need a couple who are playmakers and who could add another dimension on offense. I prefer tough guys who are winners and buy into Howland's system than 4-5 star players who don't. If we get both, then fantastic.

by tasser10 on Apr 3, 2007 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions

I trust Ben

if he's recruiting Gordon and Holiday he thinks/knows they'll buy in to his system. Therefore, I want Gordon and Holiday!

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 3, 2007 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Ditto

(It only looks like I'm following SuperBruin and agreeing with everything he says.)

I didn't question Coach Ben when he didn't seek out young OJ2. Apparently he didn't think OJ2 was a kid he wanted on the team. Conversely, if he thinks Gordon and Holiday are guys he wants (or if he still thinks George Mikan has some good minutes and is eligible), I'm not going to question those choices either.

by Fox 71 on Apr 3, 2007 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Legion video

He goes to Oak Hill, the premier high school basketball school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJYkcPAf0VU

by SuperBruinMan on Apr 3, 2007 7:16 PM PDT reply actions

available scholarships

This would be one of the key issues in going after Legion, if Coach decides to pursue.

Right now, we are at the scholie limit for next year, with Love/Stanback taking the remaining scholies from the Bozeman/Farmar/Fey/Hollins departures last year. If AA leaves, we would have one scholarship open, but this is merely pushing forward an open spot for nest year's class, leaving Mata's scholie as the only guaranteed open slot for Anderson/Lee/etc.

While we can safely assume that at least one, probably two players will declare early for the NBA, such an action would greatly reduce recruiting flexibility for the upcoming years (unless Ben has particular info on the draftintentions of some players), particularly the likelihood that we could get both Holliday and Gordon.

by bruinhoo on Apr 4, 2007 9:18 AM PDT reply actions