2009-10 ucla basketball season

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UCLA Basketball: The Anderson Analogy

DCBruins May 25 2011, 5:00a

The last player left from UCLA's infamous fab five recruiting class has grown up a lot in the last three years. He is also a fitting symbol for Bruins fortunes the last three years.

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Danger Signs: UCLA's Problems Under Ben Howland Run Deep

Guest Blogger Feb 8 2010, 6:09a

Danger signs: concerns emerge about the lack of direction of UCLA basketball program under Ben Howland.

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[UPDATE] UCLA Guard Malcolm Lee Appears To Blast Ben Howland On Twitter

Nestor Feb 5 2010, 11:58a

UCLA Guard Malcolm Lee Appears To Blast Ben Howland On Twitter

How 33 is Twice as Nice as 3: Jasmine Dixon’s Intensity & An Adapted "Iverson Mentality"

Nate Parham Swish Appeal Jan 24 2010, 10:29a

Rutgers University transfer Jasmine Dixon is making her mark on the Pac-10, scoring a career-high 25 points in a 69-65 win against the University of Washington on Saturday afternoon. But how exactly is she similar to her favorite professional athlete, Allen Iverson?

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"He has absolutely no idea how good he can be," said Porter. "In high school, he seemed to get...

posted by Nestor, Dec 06, 2009

"He has absolutely no idea how good he can be," said Porter. "In high school, he seemed to get bored or distracted when we were playing lesser teams, and I often had to get on him hard at halftime to push himself, get him to work harder and then watch him respond by going out in one game scoring 35 points in the second half. He'd say he was sorry afterwards."

Porter recalls how Nelson single-handedly took over important games for a section-game-record 52 points and another contest for 55 points. Porter said if Nelson were consistently self-motivated, Modesto Christian would have gone to two state championships.

"He's just so young, younger than his body would suggest," said Porter about the Modesto Bee's All-District MVP who turned just 18 in September. "If he can stay focused and learn, he'll be something greater than he imagined."

— UCLA ready for a full Nelson (OC Register)

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After UCLA lost four starters from last year's team, Lee knew he'd take on an increased role. An...

posted by Nestor, Nov 04, 2009

After UCLA lost four starters from last year's team, Lee knew he'd take on an increased role. An intensive offseason training program had Lee making 500 jumpers a day, running the sand dunes in Manhattan Beach and the steps in Santa Monica. He returned to Riverside only on weekends and played pickup ball with his old high school teammates.

Then adidas Nations hit, and Lee decided, "I felt like I should just be me."

Lee excelled against his fellow college counselors, a group that included Cincinnati's Deonta Vaughn, Baylor's Ekpe Udoh and Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors.

"He was really, really tearing people up," Anderson said.

Said Lee: "I just kind of knew I had it all along. I just felt this was basically my main stage."

His main stage now will be Pauley Pavilion, where tonight Lee begins his sophomore season, his first as a starter. UCLA coach Ben Howland said Lee's shot is what improved most this offseason. Others said it was his ball-handling. But after a sterling adidas camp, it was most likely his confidence.

"When he was at J.W. North, he was oozing with confidence," said Lee's father, Toshio. "But when you go to play at a high level, high-major program, every kid that goes into a program like that has been All-American. ... Once he learned he had to wait his turn, that's the big part. You've got to wait your turn."

— ML: Ready For His Closeup (PE.com)

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