BN Roundup: Distracting Denver Jerseys & Other Bruin Notes
by Nestor on May 28, 2009 5:06 AM PDT
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PrintSo let's start today's round up with a note on DC and PAA. Ever the team leader DC is talking up his fellow Ben Ball warrior - PAA - for the upcoming NBA draft:
I know a lot of people are wondering if former UCLA center Alfred Aboya will get a chance to play in the NBA, and his former teammate, Darren Collison thinks it could happen.
"I think he's going to impress a lot of teams,'' Collison said. "He has some versatility and he can make the 15 foot jump shot. And with how hard he plays --that's what the NBA is looking for, how hard you play -- I think he can play."
That's what I call providing leadership and sticking up for team-mates (instead of throwing them under the bus) on and off the court. We continue to see examples why Coach Howland decided to stick with one of the greatest Bruins ever at the 1 spot all season.
The kid who is hopping to fill PAA's big shoes - DG - is having a busy off season. From UCLA's official "blog" DG is set to take part in U-19 national team trials:
UCLA sophomore Drew Gordon is one of four returning USA Basketball veterans among 17 of the nation's most talented 19-and-younger basketball players who have been selected to attend the 2009 USA U19 National Team Trials, held June 16-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The athletes, born on or after Jan. 1, 1990, will compete for one of 12 roster spots on the 2009 USA U19 World Championship Team. The trials invitations were extended by the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee, chaired by NCAA representative Jim Boeheim (head coach, Syracuse University).
Following the trials, the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee is expected to announce finalists for the 12-member USA U19 World Championship Team roster. Training camp for the selected finalists will begin June 19, with the 12-member USA roster being announced prior to the teams' departure for New Zealand on June 25.
Gordon played on the 2007 Youth Developmental Festival Red Team that finished 5-0 and captured the gold medal and the 2008 USA Junior Select Team that defeated the World Select Team 98-78 in the 2008 Nike Hoop Summit.
Good luck to DG. Let's hope he has a healthy and productive off season. Camps like this should help him work on his low post skills (which are still kind of raw). If he comes in a little more developed and we get JMM to get in better shape this summer, it would be a solid off season for the Bruin front court. Can't wait to see these kids come back in Pauley next year.
Moving on to football, the Trojan Times' Adam Rose actually penned an interesting note on UCLA football (while sharing a detail on his alma mater U$C*):
If you heard that USC led the Pac-10 with about $6.5 million in TV revenue from football last year, you would probably yawn and go back to reading Pete Carroll's tweets from the middle of yesterday's 5K.
What's more interesting is that UCLA, with a 4-8 record and no bowl game, raked in $4.9 million -- good for second in the conference. And that Washington, at 0-12, was fourth with $4.7 million. One simple explanation is that the Bruins and Huskies are in two of the nation's largest media markets, though Stanford, Cal and Arizona State didn't seem to get as significant of a boost.
I am pretty sure a little detail like that will not be lost on CRN and his staff. It's yet another data point on the potential of UCLA football program. If CRN continues to build on the recruiting successes from last two years (I am not all that worried about the slow start unlike the typical nervous nellies on the message boards) ad puts together a respectable season, he will continue to have to get back where it was prior to Toledo's waning years, competing for conference (and even naitonal) championships.
Lastly, phew. Huge freaking win for the Lakers. However, I must say I am having a hard time disliking Denver:
Photo Credit: AP Photo: Chris Carlson
Looking at those jerseys (which BTW is a result of brainstorming of Bruin great Kiki Vandeweghe) often lose track on which team I am supposed to be rooting for. Anyone having similar issues?
Alright one more note. Rye is going to be posting his season review of the UCLA baseball program today around noon EST. If I were you, I'd make sure to drop a note in the comment thread thanking him for his incredible blogging efforts to talk up UCLA baseball. I hope our entire baseball program and Morgan Center knows what they have in rye. I am not sure if there has been any other individual in this country (and I am not embellishing) who has done more online to promote UCLA baseball and increase the profile of our program.
I know I appreciate what we have in rye here on BN. He is a gem. I hope all the regular readers and members of this community would let him know that by thanking him when his post goes up.
GO BRUINS.
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Rooting for the underdog
I don’t generally watch pro basketball. If I happen to notice that there is 10 seconds to go and have half an hour of free time, I’ll watch. I stopped rooting for the Lakers pretty much when Jerry West left. (My sports calendar says it’s West’s birthday – Happy Birthday, Jerry.) So now I generally root for the underdogs. I also root against the home team, because pro basketball crowds always put me off. So it would have been easy to root for Denver, had I actually cared, and had I turned on the TV.
that was a great game
they seemed to have the mojo back, even from the beginning of the game I wasn’t worried (unlike game 4)…amazing what playing defense + a little intensity can do
That Denver Blue through me off during the regular season games
But the darn Lakers are making it to hard to concentrate on other things, other than hoping to escape with a win.
The DENVER across the chest
Who else thinks it’d look good in gold? I’d go for the arch style print as well.
I thought it was
the Denver Thuggets.
Seriously, what’s with all the lame tattoos? They used to mean something, now they’re just ridiculous. Melo has a Warner Brothers logo on his left shoulder. WTF? Don’t get me started on Kenyon’s lips. To each his own, I guess.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Denver Thuggets works, too
Kenyon’s lips are so incredibly ridiculous. I don’t know who asked this first, but how will he feel about those lips when he is no longer with his girlfriend? FWIW, I think Melo’s tattoo supposedly stands for West Baltimore, although perhaps he’s also a fan of Bugs Bunny.
On that team, I like Billups and that’s about it. It’s time for the Lakers to close this one out.
I don't even like Billups
I do like Anthony Carter and Kleiza (due to the KLove resemblance) but they’ve got stooges like birdman and jr smith prancing around and imagining either of those two as NBA champions makes my stomach turn and would devalue the entire thing.
Agreed
While there are all sorts of degrees of obnoxiousness in the NBA, the Thuglets appear to have taken it to a new level. I don’t see the same level of duckwalking and wingflapping on the Lakers, Magic or Cavs. I wish the Nuggets were up against the old Bad Boys of Detroit. I don’t think they would be flapping their wings as much with Rick Mahorn around.
lol
I don’t get that Birdman dude. You can tell I don’t watch NBA that often. So I have been totally amused by the Birdman clown. But when I see that guy I guess I only look at him as some kind of freakshow but not as a serious basketball player.
As for the Nuggets, I think its mostly Kenyon Martin that bugs me. Carmelo and Billups seem like good players. But you guys are kind of right. Nuggets do have that Johnny Come Lately nuevue rich schtick going. They don’t know how to handle their recent success. It’s annoying but I guess something I have gotten used to seeing so many teams from West falling all over themselves to prove themselves to the Lakers on a national stage.
Birdman
Actually, the Birdman is a pretty great role player. He scores almost all of his points off of offensive rebounds and put-back dunks. I don’t think I have ever seen him actually shoot the ball. He also blocks a fair number of shots. I would say he is a very good blue collar player who gives the team a spark with his energy.
Incidentally, someone should remind him and the Denver fans that the nickname “Birdman” was used in the not too distant past by a certain player for Boston.
Here's a thought for you, Nestor (and others...)
The kids who are starting college this year were born the year we started college…
Bruizers (that would be Bruin Geezers) need not comment :)
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I remember last year
I was playing the video game NBA Ballers for the first time and created my own player. I made him white, tall, and slow with a buzz cut, so I named him Kevin Love. I wanted to put him in UCLA colors too, but I couldn’t think of anyone in the league who wore blue and gold, and then I remembered the Nuggets. I was surprised at how much it resembled the UCLA uniform if you squinted.
Also, I never would have thought that they resemble UCLA because they are based on UCLA, so thanks for that little tidbit N.
Luv the Nuggets
I dislike kobe and the Fakers but love the style of this underdog denver team which keeps outplaying the lakers. Besides Ariza and Farmar, I have no empathy with this LA team, remember there are Bruins everywhere including Denver.
Go Carmelo
Was admiring the uniforms as well.
They’re definitely nice uniforms, they’ll look good as the backdrop for posters of the Lakers dunking over the thuggets.
In regards to losing track of which team to root for, I’m having trouble with something that probably doesn’t confuse as many of the rest of you. As a longtime SF Giants fan I have to stop myself from mindlessly joining in on the “Beat LA” chants during Lakers contests. While I strongly agree with the sentiment if its during a baseball game, I’d prefer other non-baseball events stop triggering my deeply ingrained Pavlovian response to join in.
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