Now that we have discussed the two biggest question marks around the unit, let’s shift our attention towards our running game. To start let’s go back to what Neuheisel and Chow told us back in April:

Neuheisel: "We’re formulating a scheme. I don’t know if it has the moniker that all the trendy offenses have now. I certainly wouldn’t call it Spread or the West Coast. I think where Norm is centered on is just being able to run the ball and protect the ball. It sounds overly simplistic, but if you can do both those things you can force defenses into a position where now big plays are available.

That doesn’t necessarily sound exciting. ‘Run the ball and protect the ball’ sounds very conservative. But I think if you can do both of those things successfully and commit to both of those things, the excitement then comes because the field now opens because you have to stop the run. You will bleed to death if you don’t stop run."

Chow: "We’re going to run the ball. To win in this game, in any league, you have to run the ball. I don’t think we’re going to revolutionize football. We’re going to continue to do things that [Neuheisel] and I know best.

"I think now it is a matter of what skills what kids can do. We’re not going to ask our kids to do something they are not capable of doing. Right now we put in base stuff that will fit just about anything, then we’ll wait and see."

I mentioned in my notes on our QBs about how for Ben Olson (or any other UCLA QB) to become effective they will have to focus on being more of a game manager than a gun slinger. For Ben or any other to become a successful game manager, it will be essential for UCLA to feature a consistent running attack, which hopefully will flourish taking advantage of multiple options (or at least potential of options) available in our depth chart.

So let’s review with what the coaches had to work with at the end of spring football:

** denotes red-shirt
^ denotes walk-on
() indicates number of games started in 06

And here is a look at their stats from last season:

In addition to looking at running stats we also need to look at the receiving stats of our backs. We can probably expect Chow to ask his QBs to throw a lot of quick, short passes to our RBs (based on our experience in watching Chow offenses at Southern Cal, NC State and BYU):

Let’s start with Bell who didn’t waste any time sending a signal last season that he was a Pac-10 level running back:

Before his season ended at Washington State, Bell was on track to have a great season. As the highlights show above, he has all the tools of emerging as a dependable running back. The question he will have to answer is whether he will return to the same form he was showing before he went down. Let’s hope that he is completely healed up and ready to go. Coming into last season there were lot of stories about how he had rededicated himself to football after some hiccups during his initial years at UCLA. It was great to see him emerge as a dependable option out of the backfield. It would be great if he can return to form, and provide Chow with a valuable weapon in the backfield.

That brings us to Raymond Carter, who was a pretty highly recruited 4 star running back out of Crenshaw High School in the small 2007 recruiting class.  Just like Kahlil, Raymond is also looking to come back from an injury, which quashed his hopes for making an impact in his freshman year before it even got started. Raymond (like Kahlil) was held out of practice this past Spring, however from what we hear, he will probably be ready to go this Fall Camp. As noted earlier on BN, Sporting News singled out Carter as a possible "comeback player" because of his "breakaway speed." This is a guy I am looking forward to see getting some action because he was billed as RB who had the ability to be a "playmaker," something we haven’t had in our RB rotation since the departure of MJD.

Speaking of playmaker and freshmen, let’s talk about two of our freshmen tailbacks. There is Aundre Dean. Instead of describing his playmaking abilities, I will just go ahead and post these highlights that we put up in March (during the heat of Ben Ball season):

Aundre Dean ... Running Back ... Katy Texas from Bobby Gerry on Vimeo

I mean there is not much I need to add to that. Some folks are wondering whether AD will emerge as a starting RB this year. I don’t think he will. However, I do believe that he has the potential to make the same kind of impact as Foster did his freshman season. We will see how that works out.

Along with Dean, Bruins will also welcome Milton Knox into the fold this Fall. As we have written before Milton is the other part of "Thunder & Lightning" combination of this recruiting class. Now Milton is listed at 5-7.5, 196 in his current scout.com bio. He might get redshirted this coming season. However, he can be so explosive out of the backfield that he might just break into the rotation if is able to impress the coaches in Fall Camp. So if you live around Southern California, I would highly recommend heading down to Westwood for practices this August to see just how our running backs are looking.

But we are not done yet. Let’s get back to some of the returning backs who are currently listed on the depth chart. Christian Ramirez had a great spring camp and he finished off on a nice note during the scrimmage. He started the season at the safety spot last year. He was moved to TB after the injury to Carter and immediately made an impression during the Stanford game. However, he didn’t get another shot following a key fumble against Cal. So it will be interesting to see where he emerges in the depth chart following this Fall Camp. He certainly has shown the ability on the field. If he can keep at it, he can also emerge as another option for the coaches in this crowded backfield.

Speaking of "speed" don't forget about Jonathan "Jet Ski" Franklin, the incoming freshman RB-DB who happens to be a reality TV star. There is a chance Jet Ski could get redshirted because of the options we have at RB and infusion of talents such as Hester and Woods at DB. However, don't be too surprised if Jet Ski finds himself a spot in the special team because of his speed.

At FB Theriot did a serviceable job last season after the injury to Michael Pitre. Right now the position is thin. Tobi Umodu is a converted LB who has never played the position. So, I think it will be interesting to see whether Chane Moline remains at TB, if Dean (and Knox) emerge as viable options right away this Fall. It might not be a bad idea to shift Moline to FB. He has the size to play the position. And with his TB skills with him at FB, Chow might be able to put together the classic dual threat combo ala Roger Craig and Tom Rathman many of us Niners fans enjoyed back in the Day. Don’t forget we have Derrick Coleman coming in as a freshman in this year class. At 6-0, 220 Coleman might get redshirted this year as the future at FB, but you never know given the lack of depth at FB position.

Speaking of doing an admirable job, Craig Sheppard did just that last season when he had to step up as our running backs were going down towards the end of the season. I imagine he is going to make the youngsters compete hard to take over this position during the Fall Camp. At the very least his game experience from last year will be helpful to the entire unit.

So in conclusion, this is one position our coaches will have options. They will have a lot of young talent at their disposal. If they can put together a diversified running attack featuring fully recovered and healthy crew from last year and blend them in with the talent of the young crew this year, it will a great development for our entire offensive unit. A dependable running attack will allow our QBs to manage the game more efficiently, and more importantly allow Chow to put together his patented schemes keeping the opposing DCs on their heels.

GO BRUINS.

Once again we will start with notes from the football team. Brian Dohn posted the following impressions of returning players on incoming freshmen who are have been participating in the off-season 7-on-7 drills:

Returning players are talking about the performances of cornerback Aaron Hester, safety Rahim Moore and receiver Antwan Moutra during the first week of 7-on-7 passing drills, but I also had a few players speak about tight end Cory Harkey.
According to one of the players, Harkey has the ability to be UCLA's next great tight end once he gets acclimated to college. However, with Ryan Moya (who looks markedly bigger and stronger) and Logan Paulsen on the roster, not to mention Nate Chandler, I'm hearing Harkey will red-shirt.

Again as exciting and positive these notes are we should curb our enthusiasm a bit given the kind of glowing reports we have gotten from off season workouts in previous seasons. Right now we can only hope that kids like Hester and Moore can make immediate impact in the defensive backfield, given the experience we lost through the graduation of Keyes, Horton, and Brown.

Speaking of impressions from returning players, Tobi Umodu checks in again with this note on the upcoming season in the Canyon News:

  The Bruins date with Tennessee looms closer and closer, and the football team is doing everything it can to prepare for the big game. On the June 24, the Bruins began six weeks of voluntary training to get themselves ready for training camp and clash with the volunteers. The Bruins are now entering their fourth week of training and are looking forward to putting their training to good use on the field.

 "We've been pushing ourselves to our limits," said linebacker Frank Guzman, "We are all working hard to reach our goals and try to prove everybody wrong. There are a lot of expectations this year and we feel like we are a team to be reckoned with."

The Bruins begin training camp on August 5, and their path to what looks to be an exciting season.

Hmm ... anyone have any idea where Frank Guzman came from? Haven't heard his name before. Anyway, keep it coming Tobi.

One player we will definitely track closely this year is RB -Raymond Carter - who is making a comeback from ACL injury. TSN has singled Carter out as a possible "comeback player" for this coming season:

RB Raymond Carter, UCLA: The young back might not be the best on his roster, but his breakaway speed gives offensive coordinator Norm Chow another scoring weapon. He tore his right ACL during last year's training camp but recovered to practice in the spring.

If Raymond can come back and provide an option for Chow, it would be a huge development for our offense. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Moving over to hoops - Mike Miller - a columnist (?) on MSNBC.com is doing a countdown post on the 25 greatest hoops program of all time. He is up to number 14 with Illinois. So far of teams of interesting he has Notre Dame checking in at 22 and Michigan State at number 15 (I think I would have ranked Spartans higher than the Illinis given their recent success under Izzo and their history with Magic ... but may be I am partial because of being a Laker fan).

Also concerning the hoops Dohn has been obsessed with Luc and the Olympics. From the latest it looks like the Bucks want him to concentrate on Summer Leagues, which IMHO is understandable given the investment they are making on their second round pick. For those who are interesting Luc made his debut on Saturday night in Milwaukee's 88-79 loss to Memphis. Luc logged in about 29 minutes. Hopefully he will experience some of the success of RW, who as noted by norcald503 is tearing up Orlando Summer League. Looks like rest of the country are starting to find out little by little what we experienced for last 2+ years:

Will we ever get tired of watching those highlights?

GO BRUINS.

Last week Rye posted the tentative Ben Ball schedule for 2008-09 season which listed UCLA's participation in the Coaches v. Cancer tournament. Rye mentioned that Duke and Michigan will most likely join UCLA in that tournament. Jeff Eisenberg from the Press Enterprise posted more information on the topic:

For those curious who UCLA might be playing in the 16-team Coaches vs. Cancer tournament next season, my understanding is the other three host schools will be Michigan, Duke and Southern Illinois.
Each of those schools will host first- and second-round games on Nov. 12 and 13. If all four host schools advance, the Nov. 20 semifinal matchups at Madison Square Garden would be UCLA-Michigan and Duke-Southern Illinois.
I don't know what schools will be in UCLA's pod yet, but tournament organizers have done everything in their power to create a UCLA-Duke final, so I wouldn't expect any riveting additions to the home schedule. Tournament officials reportedly went so far as to replace Pittsburgh with Southern Illinois because they were worried the Panthers could beat Duke and ruin their dream final.

Hmmm. I wouldn't be so sure about a UCLA-Duke final with Michigan in our bracket. Howland's UCLA team has always had trouble with Beilein's 1-3-1 trap zone. Remember Beilein beat Howland for two straight years with the Mountaineers. And also last year Beilein's young Michigan team featuring two sophs and two freshmen gave our guys a hard time in Ann Arbor. So this year with the freshmen in mix for Howland, this could be a very competitive match in which the Wolverines are going to try to send a message to rest of the nation. So our guys better not get complacent thinking that the Wolverines are going to just roll over to set up a Bruins-Devils grand finale at MSG.

Meanwhile, one of the freshmen who will be in the mix next season - Malcolm Lee - has been on a mission to make USA's U-18 team this summer. He was recently name as one of the 14 finalists as the team will cut down the roster to final 12 on Tuesday. Guess what Malcom has been focusing on to make the team (emphasis added):

"In travel ball, I was a shoot first, pass second player. Here I have to remind myself to pass first and shoot second, and I'm comfortable with that. Whatever it takes to make this team and then, hopefully, win a gold medal."

Described by many as quick and lanky, defense wasn't a priority for Lee until recently. His change in attitude can be attributed to his future coach at UCLA, Ben Howland.

"When coach Howland was recruiting me, he recognized that defense was one of my weaknesses, and he pointed that out. After he told me that, I started to play really aggressive on defense to get stops and control the pace of the other point guards. I just really concentrated on my defense because UCLA is a defense first University.

"Mostly it was a change in my mindset. Defense is about intensity and aggressiveness, but you have to play disciplined. If you are too aggressive, you'll get burned or in foul trouble. Defense comes with lower body strength, so I started to work out harder off the court. I did squats and worked on my quickness, so that I can be quicker than my opponent."

With UCLA looming in his future, Lee said his focus is on the present.

"It would mean a lot to me to represent our country and wear USA across my chest. To go to Argentina and play against teams from other countries would be a real honor, and I know it would make me a better basketball player for the future."

Malcom will have the entire BN cheering him on. And that cheering section will include this familiar name who recently published this optimistic writeup in the Canyon News on the future of our Ben Ball warriors:

When someone hears the name UCLA, one of the first things that comes to mind is UCLA basketball. Some may reminisce about the legendary John Wooden and the 10 national championships he won while he was there. Some may think about the tall, skinny frame of a young man named Lew Alcindor towering over his opponents  in the middle of key or the dominance of UCLA basketball in the early ‘90s. Or if you had been around UCLA basketball the last few years, you might reminisce about the three straight final four appearances and three consecutive Pac-10 conference titles.  

Three Bruins who helped spearhead these memories have now taken their act to the grand stage of the NBA. On June 26, UCLA's Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute were taken in the NBA draft. Russell and Love were right after each other, 4th and 5th, in the first round, while Mbah a Moute was taken as the 37th pick in the second round. Westbrook, who attracted scouts with his raw athleticism and suffocating defense, was picked up by the Seattle Supersonics to form a solid duo with former number one draft pick Kevin Durant. Love was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies, but then in a surprising move was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for O.J Mayo who was from cross-town rival USC and Mbah a Moute was picked up by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Even though the UCLA basketball team is losing three very key players in their program, they plan to continue their success next season.

"Ben Howland and UCLA are a great combination," said Guerrero in a UCLA press release. "Ben is at the top of his profession and is deserving of this commitment by the University. He has returned UCLA to the nation's elite, as illustrated by three straight Finals Fours and three consecutive 30-win seasons. He is an outstanding recruiter, and the foundation Ben has built for our program promises to keep us at the forefront for the foreseeable future."

That foreseeable future looks very bright, with Howland bringing in the nation’s top recruiting class which includes guards Malcom Lee, Jru Holiday, and Jerime Anderson; forward Drew Gordan; and recently signed center J'Mison Morgan. With the return of Dareen Collison and Josh Shipp next season to go along with their great freshman class, the Bruins look to make another run at the NCAA title in 2009.

Not bad Tobi. Read rest of Tobi's effort here.

GO BRUINS.