[AA2 UPDATE] Ben Ball News & Notes

Dohn also brings up the 2005 trip to NYC:

Darren Collison had two points in 29 minutes, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was so out of whack and overmatched against Memphis it brought about questions of whether he could play at an elite level.

It was during UCLA's last trip to Madison Square Garden, four years ago for the preseason NIT. The Bruins were beaten by the Tigers, then survived for a one-point win against Drexel.

The future certainly did not look so immediately bright.

But the season ended with a redemptive win against Memphis to reach the Final Four before a loss to Florida in the national championship game, and Collison was quick to mention those events after UCLA's freshman class, which was ranked as the tops in the nation, struggled in the school's return to Madison Square Garden.

"Reminiscent of my freshman year, we were pretty much in the same position, when we came out to Madison Square Garden and lost," said Collison, UCLA's senior point guard. "I knew very little, and as the year progressed, I started progressing and we made it to the national championship that year. The team is obviously talented enough to get there. It's a learning process to get there." Create FanPost: SB Nation

Indeed, the Bruins (3-1) should be a vastly different team in three months than the one that lost to Michigan in the Coaches vs. Cancer semifinals, then beat Southern Illinois in the consolation game.

One guy who will most likely be a different player in three months is Jruuuuuuuu Holiday. There is a short and sweet feature on JH in the Old Gray Lady. Here is little taste of their Q&A with our freshman:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AT U.C.L.A.? We have a life-skills class that teaches us about stress and stuff. I guess the stress is starting to build because of the basketball, so it really helps. They make us meditate and everything. It’s kind of cool.

IS THERE A STORY BEHIND THE SPELLING OF YOUR FIRST NAME? I’ve heard like three stories. I wish I could get back to you and tell you the right one. One was about how my whole family was supposed to be j’s. I have an older brother, his name is Justin, and my name is Jrue. My little sister’s name was going to be Jade (but her name is Lauren) and my little brother’s name was going to be Joseph (but his is Aaron). So I’m not sure if that’s true. I also heard that my mom just liked the name Drew, but she wanted it to be a j, so she kind of just input a j.

Read the whole feature here.

BTW am I the only who gets a major kick out of reading "U.C.L.A." w/ those periods in the NYT? For some reason I love it.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE: AA2 is going to be all right:

A precautionary MRI exam has confirmed that UCLA center Alfred Aboya suffered no serious damage to his left wrist when he fell hard in a game against Southern Illinois on Friday night.

The test, conducted in Los Angeles, showed no break in what team officials originally called a hand injury.

Phew. GO BRUINS.