Unfortunately we have to start this Thursday with some tough news from the basketball coach. As number of you noted already in the fanshots last night DG was injured couple of days ago at the 2009 USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo. Per the official site DG suffered a "a partially torn patellar tendon in his right knee." Obviously he is out of the tryouts and is back in LA (he was scheduled to return last night). Coach Howland as always issued a calm statement:
"It is an unfortunate event, but Drew is a resilient kid and he'll get through it," UCLA Head Coach Ben Howland said. "We have a good Athletic Training staff and we will be here to support him."
Dohn reported the following comment from DG's mom - Shelly Davis - in today's Daily News:
"We won't know anything until he gets back to L.A.," said Gordon's mother, Shelly Davis. "We just don't know (about surgery). I'm just going to not panic without any information."
This is the second time DG has gotten injured at USA basketball competition. Couple of years ago, he broke his right hand in the 4th game of the 2007 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival. Tough luck for the kid. The most important thing again for him and for our team right now will be to make sure he takes his time, listens to our trainers and be patient when working on returing to basketball. He needs to take his time and not rush it.
Obviously it hasn't been the best of off season for Ben Ball. News of two injuries in back to back days (while JMM is rehabing from his surgery) are tough setbacks for any program. But this is not something new for UCLA basketball. The non bandwagoners will know the kind of injury problems decimated Coach Howland's team in his third year during which his entire team became a mash unit during the season. I am confident Howland will guide us through it and do everthing he can to get other kids to step up as warriors.
Moving over to football, some really cool news out of Jacksonville about Bruin alum MJD. Per our friends at Big Cat Country (SBN's Jaguars blog) MJD is already thinking beyond his NFL career as he is attending the NFL's "broadcast bootcamp." Oh and he is also planning to return to UCLA to finish school (just like Aikman):
Jones-Drew, 24, is seemingly set for life financially, but he's already thinking about post-career plans.
"I want to continue with football whether it's coaching or broadcasting, something that's fun. I'd definitely like to stick around," he said.
Jones-Drew, who also plans to return to UCLA to earn his college degree, said he did some research when he was drafted and read "all the articles about players being broke after they've been out of the league three or four years. One of my main things is not to have that be me.''
Jones-Drew said he hasn't gone out and bought any fancy toys since signing his new contract.
"My thing is to get what I need, not what I want," he said. "I might get what I want later on. But right now, I don't need anything. I've got cars I can drive and I've got a house, and that's all I need right now."
I can't wait to have MJD on national networks. As we have seen over the years via many fanshots, posts, there isn't a bigger UCLA honk at the next level than MJD.
On the other end of the spectrum, some crazy news concerning a former UCLA basketball player Pooh Richardson. Per an AP report published in the Daily News according to an unsealed indictment Richardson passed along a tip from a detective friend in Philadelphia that feds were about the raid a home his half sister shared with a drug kingpin. According to the story Richardson is not charged in the indictment which accuses only the Philu detective of wrongdoing. Either way not a good story to get your named involved in.
Speaking of law and order, apparently it was 15 years ago yesterday we all experienced this:
OJ on the Run: The Bronco Chase (via zfacts)
HT to Lost Lettermen for that reminder.
Unforuntatey for me I never got to watch because I was driving one of those cars bottlenecked at the 405/Sunset ramp, as I was trying to get to Santa Barbara right after finishing my finals weeks of Junior year. OJ screwed it for all of us.
Lastly, since we are talking about getting screwed and Trojans, Andy Katz from ESPN is reporting that Trojies weren't able to land Jamie Dixon (from what we have heard they did have some serious discussions with him) so they are looking for Plan B: Reggie Theus. Katz reports:
Theus would fit Garrett's trend of hiring coaches with pro ties after hiring Pete Carroll from the NFL and basketball coaches with NBA ties including Henry Bibby, Rick Majerus and Tim Floyd in men's basketball and most recently Michael Cooper for the women's job.
Theus would also be a key hire in L.A. as a former actor and someone who possesses an engaging personality. Theus also has strong ties in the L.A. youth basketball community.
Well Theus would be just about perfect for Just$C*:
Let's get it done Mikey.
GO BRUINS.