I was just wondering if anyone knew if we were going to wear our home uniforms for Saturday's game like $c did last year.  I loved seeing that blue and red out there together - like old times.  Talk about an archaic rule not allowing it in the first place.

I'd love to see us wear the throwback 60's unies we broke out against UW.  Has anyone heard anything?

Thanks, and sorry there isn't more substance to this fanpost - couldn't figure out the fanshot deal but then again I didn't try too hard.  Thanks to all the monitors on this site it's really a top-notch deal.

Go Bruins!

I'm usually not one for speculating (or worrying) about any one player and whether they may leave early for the NFL draft because it's a waste of energy. But I found myself wondering today, "Is this going to be Brian Price's last game in a UCLA uniform?" There is a case to be made for him returning and a case to be made for him to jump to the NFL, which I lay out after the (the linking function isn't working or else I would cite some of my sources):

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So the bonfire worked out really well! A lot of alumni came out to the IM fields after the Pepperdine game. There was a pretty large crowd consisting of WAY too many freshman and sophomores (I was one of the few seniors out there). But the atmosphere was great nonetheless.

Anyway, after a few performances the lights went off and an amazing highlight video of UCLA football came on. I really wish I could find it for you guys because it was AMAZING. Unfortunately, most of the students weren't watching the video. Everyone turned their backs to the stage to look at the bonfire that they thought was going to happen right then. I tried to yell at everyone: "the bonfire is gonna happen after the football team comes on stage!!!" But many students stupidly pointed their cameras at the stack of wood waiting for something to burn. I am SO DISAPPOINTED by my fellow bruin students. At a time when we should be excited about the bright future of a growing football team, they just cared about watching things burn.

So shortly after the video, CRN came on stage with almost the entire football team. I am SO impressed by CRN. I remember my freshman year, the year we won 13-9, that KD came to the bonfire with a small handful of players. He said a few boring words and left. This year however, practically the whole team came out in full force. We heard from ATV, Terrence Austin, Chane Moline, Reggie Carter, and Brian Price. When ATV got the mic, CRN asked him if he was getting two pick-sixes on Saturday, to which he responded "yes". Reggie Carter got really nervous on stage, but once he felt more comfortable speaking, he proceeded to mention the Landfair couch burning that happened after 13-9, and how he wanted to see more couch burning Saturday night (couch burning Reggie? Really?). He also ALMOST trash talked to '$C* safety Taylor Mays. Luckily, CRN ripped the mic out of his hand before he could provide any bulletin board material (phew!). Chane Moline said some encouraging words as well. Interestingly, im not sure "the train" is his nickname on the team. CRN called him something else but unfortunately I can't remember exactly what it was. Finally Brian Price came on stage and I helped lead the student body in chanting "one more year!". Apparently no one at UCLA knows or cares that Brian Price may leave this year (again very disappointing).

I got goosebumps as CRN spoke to us students. The football team led an 8-clap, did their pre-game chant, and sang the fight song. Then CRN talked about how our team gathered in their hotel before the Tennessee game and listened to "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. (Much better song selection than "Lean on me", in my opinion.)

So finally, they lit the huge stack of wood and we all stood there watching it burn. I began to reminisce on my four years here at UCLA. I remembered my first quarter at UCLA, ending in a heartstopping victory over Booty and the Trojans. I remebered Kevin Love's ridiculous outlet passes to RW. Or even better, RW's dunk on Longmire(too bad Steve Lavin was commentating). ATV's game ending interceptions, Eric McNeal, camping out in the rain for Arizona and Notre Dame, Harangody getting absolutely stuffed, and the goal line stand in Knoxville. But then I realized that one thing was missing. One more memory left to put it all together.

I can't wait to go to the Coliseum on Saturday, and we're gonna stick it to the Trojans.

See you guys there! Go Bruins!!!!

(This is my first FanPost. I have a feeling I didn't make this as polished as some of the great stuff here on BN, but I'll get better I promise!)

If you don't know what those 2 numbers mean, allow me to paint you a picture of the last time I entered $UC's football penetentiary. The Bruins entered the U$C game in December 2005 ranked 11th in the country. We were (9-1)  and 6-1 in the Pac-10. Everything was pointing to a potentially close and exciting game in Los Angeles. A few friends of mine decided to tailgate at U$C before the game. And the excitement really began to build as our bbq'ing went under way. We noticed some toddlers carrying their teddy bears. It wasn't until we looked more closely that we noticed the long strings attached around the Teddy's bears necks. And soon after, the triad of children began to taunt UCLA football, as they dragged those bears across the ground, one of them approached us and said, "You shouldn't have come here".

And with that omen, I began to assess our time in South Central. I will say, that I'm not exactly sure what kind of parents, poison their children against teddy bears. But I will also say that I pitied them, because my favorite stuffed animal as a child was a bear, and I could only imagine them worshipping some sort of Trojan Horse. Perhaps one that was widdled out of wood and represented the complete cluster F#@% of a crippled empire...I digress. Regardless of what these horrible children were saying, we trusted our team to show up on game day, and deliver a fight.

And with that, we entered a penetentiary that could only be up to $UC's standards. The seats were terrible as I could only imagine being in that stadium. We were surrounded by angry, drunk and bitter Trojan Bandwagoning  fans. And as we were stuffed in to a corner of the stadium, for a brief moment I pondered an exit route...(just in case).

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So wanted to share some quick morning after notes on yet another baby step forward for our Ben Ball warriors. First, there aren't any new updates in the game reports from today's paper (or at least I didn't see any yet) on JA's cramp status. All I found was this classic quote from CBH:

[P]oint guard Jerime Anderson missed most of the second half because of cramps, prompting Howland to say: "We're going to force bananas down his throat every meal."

LOL. Still if you guys see any new updates through today please share them here or fanshot it. I thought JA seemed like on the verge of having a strong game before going out with the injury. He started slow again missing layups (he has no business missing) and looking shaky in another pass. However, as he settled down he looked a little more confident going towards the rim. While Abdul Hamid did an admirable job yesterday, we are going to need JA this season and hopefully he will have him healthy and confident leading the team.

Another guy I think is worth taking note of again this am is DG. DG anchored the team again from the 5 spot and talked about his night with Jon Gold:

Gordon had seven points in the first half on 3-of-4 shooting, including a monster dunk on a putback, and was a force in the paint, hauling in six rebounds as the Bruins built an eight-point halftime lead.

"If I can establish myself as someone who looks like they can play basketball, everybody kind of kicks back on their heels," Gordon said. "But at this level, everybody tries to play strong. I hope it doesn't intimidate them too bad."

I pointed out in the comment thread that DG does have his moments sometime when he makes me want to pull my hair out. Last night it only happened once though when he attempted that 3 point shot (Don McLean immedidately called it out as not a very smart shot).

Still it looks like DG is trying very hard to play smart, play within in control, and he is developing at least in the very early stages as a viable consistent throw downlow. I am crossing my fingers that he can keep this up. The progression is definitely fun to watch. Think how PAA and LMR turned out by their senior seasons and compare that to the progress DG has made since last year.

Also, speaking of making progress, I want to make a note of comments we often make (including from yours truly) about when we don't see players get what we think the mins they need to get on the court. I think it comes down to a very simple concept in Howlandwood. If a player proves himself during practices he gets on the court. Period. That is why I think we saw substantive mins for Abdul Hamid, who is not only well versed in Ben Ball defense but also works his rear end off. That is the example freshmen like MM, RN, BL and the rest will have to follow and they will get on the court.

As for JMM, the fact that he is not getting any mins during garbage time and find himself stuck at 3rd spot in the depth rotation behind DG and RN (at center) tells us IMHO what we need to know about Howland's judgment on whether heo is doing enough in practices. Oh and just because someone improved his conditioning over an off-season doesn't mean he is entitled to more mins. Ben Ball warriors still need to prove themselves during practices infront of Coach Howland (in addition to putting in the work needed in training rooms).

Lastly, I am really enjoying watching MR. If you get a chance next games see if you can zero in on him. Watch him how he moves around and creates perfect spacing for his passes. Watch him help out on defense and get himself in the right position to get rebounds. He is growing into the role JS played last couple of years, except I think MR might have a chance to emerge as a more polished point-forward this season. I am having fun watching this team and can't wait till the next game.

GO BRUINS.

I'm just gonna get to it today...no commentary or anything. I'm very superstitious and ever since I stopped my commentaries we started winning. So, I'm gonna go ahead and take all the credit for the 3 game winning streak. You can thank me later ;). Here were the questions from the Washington State game:

1. How many receiving yards will Rosario have (within 5)? 69

2. Will UCLA convert a 4th down? Yes

3. Name a Bruin who will nab an interception? Ayers, Moore

jaffa got all 3 correct (sorry LoveMyBruins, I accidentally had Rosario's yards wrong)...nice work, those guesses were tough! Here are your updated standings...AZ State will be up soon:

1. Nars (17)

2. mdjohns4 (16)

2. jaffa (16)

4. Harsha (15)

4. Centric (15)

6. MexiBruin (14)

6. wizardofoc (14)

6. 84 (14)

9. captainqtp (13)

9. Minnesota Bruinfan (13)

9. bruinscv (13)

ND's arrest on Friday has made for a great weekend for everyone who enjoys speculating and making up different situations (I won't call them strawmen arguments, since they are at least partially valid) with which they can support their view. Some people have both intentionally or unconsciously linked their dislike for ND's basketball performance with what they felt should be the proper response to ND's legal situation. 

Thankfully, now we finally have some concrete facts to evaluate and move forward on. The LA Times reported today the district attorney's view of the event:

According to prosecutors, Stanisic [ND's friend] began arguing with another man and his girlfriend during the concert by Daniel Johnston. Afterward, Dragovic allegedly rushed the victim and pushed him into the case, prosecutors said. As the two men were on the ground, Stanisic allegedly began punching the victim until security and bystanders broke up the fight, prosecutors said.

Unsurprisingly, ND's attorney has a different view of the event:

Telling another side to the story, Artz said the man followed Dragovic out of the Henry Fonda Theater and allegedly claimed to have a knife.

"He was the aggressor," Artz said. "He was drinking heavily. He slapped Dragovic's roommate."

Now, I'm not a criminal defense attorney or a prosecutor (and don't really want to go on westlaw to look it up, but if someone does, by all means go for it), but if I remember Crim Law correctly, it would appear that the reason that ND was charged with a felony here was because of the glass case (which shattered) is an instrumentality that could cause substantial bodily harm. If ND had merely pushed the other guy (I'm not using victim or assailant for anyone involved in this situation purposefully) into a wall or to the floor, this would likely have just been seen as a bar fight where both sides were told to go home and that would have been the end of it. I also think it is a strong possibility that the whole "athletes are targets" situation could have arisen here with the other guy realizing after the fight who ND was, although the other guy have just been a drunk who wanted to start a fight with anyone.

My early suspicions that ND was not the aggressor or was a 50-50 participant stemming from his coming to CBH afterward and filing a police report seem to have been confirmed.  So anyone had the more outlandish stories about ND going around beating people up and stealing their lunch money, I'm sorry to say you may have lost the office pool.

I think what CBH has done so far in suspending ND for these first two games is appropriate. However, a case like this can take a long time (basketball season wise) and I do not think it warrants an indefinite suspension. If ND is convicted, then by all means, kick him off the team (I don't think there is a need to revoke his scholarship when he is in his senior year). This case seems pretty weak from the sparce facts that we know, and I would hate to see a kid (yes, he is still a kid in college who make mistakes) lose out on his senior year of school and basketball because he defended a friend. True, maybe he shouldn't be hanging out with friends who get in fights, but for any of the holyer-than-thou people who were quick to bash ND, be honest with yourself and I'm sure you either have been in that situation before or know of people who have, before villifying ND. CBH has never given me a reason to doubt his character, so whatever he decides to do with the situation, I will support.

Anyways, off to Pauley. Hoping that JK, RN, and BL all make the most of the opportunity they have been given and make the possiblity of ND coming back a luxury and not a necessity, much like LaMychel James did for Oregon football with LeGarrette Blount.

Go Bruins!

Many have noted the progress our coaching staff has made with our program in recent weeks, and many have noted that we have seen a significant uptick in recruiting interest.  We pat ourselves on the back for our part in ridding this program of recent disasters in coaching, but we have yet to take real responsibility for rebuilding the tradition of this program.  To bring in the big recruits, we need a student body that understands that GLORY is not a perk of attending UCLA, but, rather, your birthright as a Bruin.  A right that must be demanded and respected by all who come before us!  WE are BRUINS!!

We hold an important role in educating our current students!  I propose today, with the bon__ soon to spew confetti like a 5 year-old's birthday extravaganza, that we commit, as alumni, to rebuilding the once great pride within our student body.  Our alumni have been too weak for too long!!  This is a call to all who read and post on this site!

WE NEED OUR HISTORY ON DISPLAY AT NEXT YEAR'S RALLY!!!  Let's see if we can't get some former greats out there to speak and rally the students.  Let's get stories and video of bruin athletic glory up on that stage!!  This rally is about more than just football!!  This is about Good v. Evil, and it's about time we bring in some bigger guns.

As alumni, we are honored to be a part of the greatest athletic tradition in NCAA history.  Let's bring that to life at next years bonFIRE!!  To make it happen, we must start today.

Whats up BN?!  As a long time (as in these past 2 years) lurker, I've decided to jump aboard and make my presence known, for what its worth.

I think what motivated this was reading this thread and realizing that- when I was a student, I had truly fallen short in my support of the Bruins.   Perhaps my story that follows could be one that other students can learn from or provide some hope to older Bruins that its still very much possible to build a devoted fan culture (this blog alone speaks to the power to do so).

I came to UCLA in the fall of 2004.  I was the first person in my family to attend UCLA.  I had never visited UCLA before until Orientation, and even that didn't make me totally feel a part of UCLA just yet.  I went to classes, hung out with dorm mates, and got to know people, but it took me a while to adjust.  I had even taken for granted that Maurice Jones-Drew (or Maurice Drew as I knew him) and Marcedes Lewis lived on my FLOOR (Fir 4). Maurice was a great guy and always friendly- we'd have small chat in the elevator, and he even stepped in once when my roommate was playing Madden.

I worked at the UCLA Store during this time, and I remember asking a particularly tall fellow for his ID when he gave me his credit card (which was not signed in the back).  He gave me a funny look and gave it to me, to which I saw the name- Dijon Thompson.  After I let him go, my coworker was basically giving me a "WTF" look as to why I was clueless as to who he was.  I didn't think much of it.

In 2006- that began to change. 

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Ben Ball warriors are going to be playing in their regular game of the season tonight against Pepperdine Waves. Unfortunately the top line for this program is now Nikola Dragovic, who for the second consecutive year finds himself in the news wires around wrong reasons. Wanted to get something cleared up on this story from our previous thread. I wasn't sure whether a felony charge against him had actually been filed. Well at least according to the LA Times, it looks like the DA indeed filed a felony charge against him (which is now a different situation than the one he was in last time when the City Attorney decided not to press any charges):

Dragovic was informed this morning that the Los Angeles district attorney filed a felony charge against him. He turned himself into University of California police and Hollywood Division detectives soon after.

The charge could be even more serious given that Dragovic was arrested at the start of last season in regard to an altercation with his ex-girlfriend.

At the time, the city attorney's office decided not to file charges after meeting with the player and the alleged victim, though prosecutors reserved the right to revisit the case for up to a year.

That report was from November 20th. Haven't seen anything elsewhere in news outlets that contradicts the report that a charge has been filed against him. So if that is the case, I strongly believe Howland needs to keep him away from the court, until the charge has been resolved. He shouldn't be playing basketball until he has taken care of that issue. For now it looks like Howland has continued to suspend him for Pepperdine game. From the LAT:

Coach Ben Howland said Dragovic's suspension is day to day, adding: "We have to get more information that's going to be given to the appropriate people here on campus."

Dragovic was expected to attend UCLA's practice Sunday afternoon but would not be allowed to participate. Similarly, Howland said he would watch tonight's game in street clothes.

Team officials knew about the incident for weeks but seemingly did not expect formal charges.

Again as long as he has pending charges against him, he shouldn't putting on a UCLA uniform on the basketball court. I will include a poll below in this post on this question as well to find out what others think about it.

Moving on to the game (you can see how this Dragovic nonsense has already become a distraction) the Bruins are taking on a 1-2 Pepperdine team which just had a come from behind victory against Cal State San Bernardino:

Howland expects an opponent that will play both zone and man-to-man defense, an opponent that will show different offensive looks with Keion Bell and Mychel Thompson on the wings.

Bell became something of a YouTube hit this fall by leaping over five teammates to dunk at the Waves' preseason Blue & Orange scrimmage.

Guess here is that YT clip if you want to take a look:

I imagine Howland and his staff have been working away with our backcourt guys on working on their on ball defense last few days. Hopefully JA and ML will show some improvement from their previous outings (which has been kind of atrocious).

Howland is also looking to keep playing his freshmen:

With a UCLA basketball roster that includes five freshmen, coach Ben Howland knew there would be growing pains. Now that he knows, though, he has to be OK with them.

After pulling freshman forward Reeves Nelson - who had 11 points and six rebounds - in the season-opening loss to Cal State Fullerton, Howland admitted his mistake and played Nelson along with fellow freshmen Brendan Lane and Mike Moser throughout Friday's win over Cal State Bakersfield.

"First of all, inside with Reeves - Reeves has played the most of the freshman - he's done a good job," Howland said. "It was my mistake not to play him more minutes. All these freshmen are going to make mistakes. As long as they're trying their hardest and really, really playing with their heart that's something you just have to deal with. The experience they get is going to help them."

Getting to see more RN, BL and MM is music to our ears. BTW per the official TH is out 1-2 more weeks (with the stress reaction he suffered in his right tibia). Hope he is healing up all right.

I am looking forward to see how the team comes out and build on the chemistry it seemed to have found towards late fist half against Bakersfield as the offense seems to flow smoothly through JK. I think if we can continue to keep working on getting the ball down low, work it inside and outside, and show patience, the flow of this team will get even better. If we can combine that with better effort on defense from the backcourt we might get somewhere early this pre-eason. We will find out if they can  take another step forward tonight.

The tip off for tonight is scheduled for 8 pm PST. We will throw up our game thread around 7 pm PST. See you there.

GO BRUINS.