We Interrupt This Football Season ...

No player on this UCLA roster and few, if any, incoming Bruins freshmen over the years have reached out to Wooden as much as Love, the most heralded center to arrive in Westwood since Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton, the two Hall of Fame post men Wooden coached. Junior Darren Collison said he has never called Wooden. Fourth-year junior Josh Shipp admitted how rare it was for any of the Bruins to call Wooden. Neither player knew of any other Bruin who did call the legendary coach.

(snip)

Love isn't hesitant to ask anything. He stopped Kevin Garnett during summer pickup ball at Pauley Pavilion and asked the perennial NBA All-Star to show him his footwork. So his talking to Wooden shouldn't come as a complete shock.

"I just turned 19 [on Sept. 7] and I know my history," Love said. "I think it's the best thing in the world. He's not only the best coach of any coach of all time, but he's also one of the best human beings you'll ever meet. He's always going to give you the best advice, always positive, never going to be negative. He's as optimistic as possible."

(snip)

"I was very impressed with him," Wooden said. "Coach Howland asked me to meet with him and his family on a couple of occasions, and prior to that I looked at a lot of film coach Howland gave me on him. He's a tremendous-looking player and prospect, and I am impressed with him as a young man, which is so important. I think two or three times I was with him, and each time I came away impressed with him as a person."