Spaulding Roundup: Closing in on Fall Practices, Pac-12 Media Blitz Notes, Player Run Practices, Quick Interviews of Carroll and Holmes

July is quickly coming to an end, which means soon we'll be back in full-football mode, with fall practices set to begin in two weeks, on Monday, August 8.  In other words, we'll be kicking off what is going to be Neuheisel's make-or-break season here in a couple weeks, so it's again time to take note of what's happening around Spaulding as the program gets into gear for the 2011-12 season.

• If you haven't already checked the fall practice schedule, it's posted on the official site here.  Practices begin on August 8 with the first full day of pads on August 12.  For those in the L.A. area, the first fall scrimmage will be August 20 at 5 p.m. at Drake Stadium.
• On Tuesday, the brand spankin' new Pac-12 conference will kick off a bi-coastal media blitz at home in L.A.  Following Tuesday's media event, Larry Scott and each of the twelve head coaches will head to WWL's Bristol campus and New York City as part of Scott's plan to increase conference visibility on the East Coast.  As for Media Day on Tuesday, Coach Neuheisel and Jet Ski are slotted for 11:30 a.m. PST.
• This past Thursday, the players ran their own practice and Jon Gold had some interesting notes re: our guys attitude, maturation, and physical development.  Per Gold, a lot of the guys have really used the off-season to their advantage, including Datone Jones, who as Gold says, "looks like he's ready to play on Sundays" and who could be the "biggest catalyst for defensive improvement."
• Finally, Gold has some post-player-run-practice interviews with Damien Holmes and Randall Carroll. Gold also had some extensive notes on the mental transformation and maturity that Carroll is bringing into this season.  If Carroll can sharpen his mental focus and approach and play the game the right way, that, in combination with his physical gifts and freakish speed, bodes very well for the Bruins' offense.  In short, he has DeSean Jackson like potential, if he can only utilize the potential.
  

Only one week until the football season officially begins with fall practice.  Very exciting to see how it shapes up in Neuheisel's make-or-break season.

GO BRUINS