It is going to be an exciting year again in Pac 10 basketball. I am not forgetting about Pac 10 football, but this thread will be about two of the top collegiate hoops freshmen in the country.

Believe it or not the Trojans actually played a game over the weekend

USC Defeats Culiacan 102-82 In Exhibition Game In Mexico

Trojan freshman Davon Jefferson and O.J. Mayo lead USC with 29 points each.

Sept. 2, 2007

CULIACAN, SINOLOA, MEXICO - The USC men's basketball team led by 29 points each by freshmen Davon Jefferson (http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/jefferson_davon00.html) and O.J. Mayo (http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/mayo_oj00.html) defeated the Caballeros de Culiacan 102-82 tonight (Sept. 1) in an exhibition game played in Culiacan, Mexico.
USC Defeats Culiacan 102-82 In Exhibition Game In Mexico :: Trojan freshman Davon Jefferson and O.J. Mayo lead USC with 29 points each (http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/090207aah.html)


O.J. Mayo
--------------
2007-2008 Outlook: People putting out “pre-preseason” All-America teams and not including Mayo just aren’t thinking clearly. Mayo is an instant 20-5-5 presence, and you can be sure that Tim Floyd will find a way to make the most out of his immensely talented recruit – both in terms of Mayo’s development, and the overall success of his program.......

As far as the draft goes, Mayo isn’t on a different level compared to the other 2008 Top 5 hopefuls in the way that Oden and Durant were this year, but his NBA eligibility will still give league bottom feeders plenty of reason to think about tanking come next spring.
http://www.draftexpress.com/template/down_arrow.gif[Read Full Article (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1998)]

DraftExpress Profile: O.J. Mayo (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=238)



Kevin Love
---------------
August 5, 2007
Love has shown a skill level that is absolutely unheard of amongst big men in the college ranks—knocking down NBA 3-pointers with ease, putting the ball on the floor with either hand, using pump-fakes, spin-moves, jump-stops and creating his own shot with fantastic footwork. He’s rebounding the ball well, throwing beautiful outlet passes, contesting shots around the basket, and even coming up with a few blocks on occasion.

Love’s body looks better and better every time we see him, as he’s shed a good amount of weight and is now probably only 10 pounds or so away from being in optimal shape. He can’t necessarily be called an athletic player, but playing next to or going up against physically gifted big men like Brook Lopez (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=545), Steven Hill (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1014) and Robert Dozier (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=600), he has looked absolutely fine and has not had a problem doing whatever he wants out on the floor.

In the voluntary workout in between sessions he decided to show up for, Love looked just as impressive. This setting is tailor made to show off his terrific skill-level and fundamentals—and he did a great job draining shot after shot, kissing 15 footers off the glass after a sweet pivot move, conducting step-back moves, turnarounds, and much more. He’s really making an excellent case for himself to be considered a one and done lottery prospect with what he’s showing so far. He’ll be ready to deliver at the collegiate level from day one.
http://www.draftexpress.com/template/down_arrow.gif[Read Full Article (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2202)]

DraftExpress Profile: Kevin Love (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1062)

DraftExpress - NBA Draft, NCAA/International Basketball Website. (http://www.draftexpress.com/index.php)

:hoops:

Love already mixing it up in practice


Freshman post player absorbs punishment from Aboya, dishes out some of his own, and enjoys both experiences.

By Diane Pucin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

October 14, 2007
Kevin Love is enthusiastic after two days of UCLA basketball practice. He wasn't shy about saying that junior forward Alfred Aboya knocked him down four times. "And that doesn't happen very often," Love said.

Speaking after Love on a conference call Saturday, Coach Ben Howland wondered if Love had mentioned how many players he had knocked down. And the answer was no. "It was a few," Howland said.

While Love said it was fun watching televised snippets of other teams cavorting through "Midnight Madness" practices, many of them filled with more singing, dancing and goofing around than actual basketball, UCLA's prized freshman post player said what he went through -- "practices lots longer and higher intensity than what I'm used to" -- was more useful than getting some TV time at midnight. "We're trying to get an edge on everybody else," Love said.

Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/ucla/la-sp-uclahoops14oct14,1,7542676.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-coll-ucla&ctrack=3&cset=true)


Mayo's first shot inside the Galen Center was an airball Friday night during a two-ball competition in which he was paired with a female student, but the freshman redeemed himself by scoring 17 points during the scrimmage. "Everyone had fun," Mayo said. "That was the main thing, to make sure we had fun."

Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-uschoops14oct14,1,3237734.story?ctrack=5&cset=true)

:hoops:

By Diane Pucin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 20, 2007

Love takes hits during practice

Freshman finds the going rough under the basket

Welcome to college basketball, Kevin Love.

UCLA Coach Ben Howland said his star freshman post player has been kneed in the left calf each of the last three days and has a back covered in scratch marks.

"Someone scratched the heck out of him," Howland said after Friday's practice. "I checked everybody's fingernails today. Fingernails that are long are very dangerous."

So are the strong legs of Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

Howland said Aboya's knee has hit Love's calf twice and Mbah a Moute has struck it once and the bruising was bad enough that Love sat out five minutes of practice.

"He's pretty tough," Howland said of the 6-foot-10, 265-pound Love. "But it's so physical down there. He's constantly getting beat up."




By Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 20, 2007

Still, Coach Tim Floyd expressed confidence in his team's outside shooters, who will benefit from the addition of freshman guard O.J. Mayo.

"It's a question, it's just not a huge concern," Floyd said. "We've still got some guys who can shoot the ball."

Floyd noted that Lewis and Hackett shot well from three-point range after slow starts. After making only 20% through his first 15 games, Lewis shot 41.7% the rest of the season. Hackett made 38.1% in his last 18 games after shooting only 21.4% in his first 19 games.

"They both went through some freshman adjustments and shot it better later in the year," Floyd said.

Mayo said he had confidence in nearly all of his teammates to make three-pointers, including forwards Kasey Cunningham, Keith Wilkinson, Kyle Austin and Taj Gibson. What about 7-foot center Mamadou Diarra?

"He'll try," Mayo said, breaking into a smile.




Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/ucla/la-sp-uclahoops20oct20,1,6297486.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=1&cset=true)

Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/usc/la-sp-uschoops20oct20,1,4058976.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=2&cset=true)

Buddah,

Why are you so excited about Kevin Love? He isn't even the best player on his team, is he?

Buddah,

Why are you so excited about Kevin Love? He isn't even the best player on his team, is he?

Freshmen

2008 Mock Draft if he comes out after this coming year he is ranked #5



Love has shown a skill level that is absolutely unheard of amongst big men in the college ranks—knocking down NBA 3-pointers with ease, putting the ball on the floor with either hand, using pump-fakes, spin-moves, jump-stops and creating his own shot with fantastic footwork. He’s rebounding the ball well, throwing beautiful outlet passes, contesting shots around the basket, and even coming up with a few blocks on occasion.

Love’s body looks better and better every time we see him, as he’s shed a good amount of weight and is now probably only 10 pounds or so away from being in optimal shape. He can’t necessarily be called an athletic player, but playing next to or going up against physically gifted big men like Brook Lopez (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=545), Steven Hill (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1014) and Robert Dozier (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=600), he has looked absolutely fine and has not had a problem doing whatever he wants out on the floor.

In the voluntary workout in between sessions he decided to show up for, Love looked just as impressive. This setting is tailor made to show off his terrific skill-level and fundamentals—and he did a great job draining shot after shot, kissing 15 footers off the glass after a sweet pivot move, conducting step-back moves, turnarounds, and much more. He’s really making an excellent case for himself to be considered a one and done lottery prospect with what he’s showing so far. He’ll be ready to deliver at the collegiate level from day one.
[Read Full Article (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2202)]


Incoming freshman Kevin Love (Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year) was rated seventh among the nation's best post men. Love was also named to the Super 6 Freshmen team.



Kevin Love's performance at last summer's ABCD camp cemented his status as one of the elite players in the nation. Lake Oswego's (Ore.) 6-foot-10, 255-pound power forward is ranked No. 2 in the Class of 2007 by RISE and is headed to UCLA next year.

Photo by Tim Llewellyn

http://www.risemag.com/images/FE/chain195siteType8/site161/client/photoGallery/188/PhotoGal_KLove_ABCD_big.jpg


DraftExpress Profile: Kevin Love (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1062)

RiseMag.com > Photo Galleries > Kevin Love Gallery > Love at ABCD (http://www.risemag.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=PhotosInside&galleryId=188)

Athlon Sports Picks UCLA as its National Champion in 2008 - Junior point guard Darren Collison listed as No. 1 floor leader. (http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/090507aad.html)

Next year's freshman class has 4 of the top 30 prospects in the country led by Jrue Holiday.


Stellar recruits commit to UCLA

Several highly touted prospects in remarkably strong 2008 class show intent to join the Bruins

David Woods (http://dailybruin.com/staff/david-woods/) (Contact (http://dailybruin.com/staff/david-woods/contact/))
Published: Monday, July 9, 2007In just four years, Ben Howland has reestablished UCLA as both an elite team on the court and an elite program in recruiting circles
.
Last week, Howland received a verbal commitment from the class of 2008’s Jrue Holiday, a guard prospect from North Hollywood’s Campbell Hall who is ranked by Scout.com as the No. 5 overall prospect in the country. Some have said Holiday is the best guard prospect out of Southern California since Baron Davis.


Holiday will not be the only topflight recruit coming to Westwood in ’08.
The combo guard will be joined by Malcolm Lee, Jerime Anderson and Drew Gordon – all highly touted recruits.

Lee is a dynamic guard who can play anywhere from point guard to small forward and is rated as the No. 17 overall prospect in the country.

Anderson is a true point guard who rates as the No. 29 prospect,

and Gordon is a slightly undersized center and the No. 30 prospect in the nation.

The Daily Bruin - Stellar recruits commit to UCLA (http://dailybruin.com/news/2007/jul/09/stellar_recruits_commit_ucla/)


:hoops:

At NBADraft.net:

Love is ranked #17 for the 2008 NBA Draft. His teammate Darren Collison is ranked at #11.

NBADraft.net | Home (http://www.nbadraft.net/)

His teammate Darren Collison is ranked at #11.
Are you saying we need a Darren Collison tracker?

Are you saying we need a Darren Collison tracker?

If I had my way, there would be a separate tracker for every player in the Pac-10.

At NBADraft.net:

Love is ranked #17 for the 2008 NBA Draft. His teammate Darren Collison is ranked at #11.

NBADraft.net | Home (http://www.nbadraft.net/)

Love is only a freshman.

Collison is a junior.

I didn't create this link to give the impression and I have never posted that Love at this point is better than Collison.

So yes I agree with you that Love is not the best Bruin player at this time. By March Madness. Lets see what happens.

I really like Collison's game a lot. I think he will be better than Jordan Farmar.

:hoops:

Love reaches out to the Wizard for advice, history

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/columnists/Katz_Andy_55.jpg (http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://search.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=andy_katz&name=SEARCH_m_archive&srvc=sz) By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

WESTWOOD, Calif. -- Ask John Wooden, UCLA's living treasure, how he's doing, and the legendary 97-year-old coach will respond with a still-quick wit and say, "Well, I'm here!"

He is. And, for however long he can continue to offer guidance or a living history of the UCLA program, Bruins freshman Kevin Love (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=36059) is going to listen.

ESPN - Katz: Love gets rare talks with the Wizard - Men's College Basketball (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=3073615&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos1)

:hoops:

L.A.'s fresh faces
By Jason King (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/expertsarchive;_ylt=Aj47PljYRKDeslMvrUeCfE7qz4x4?a uthor=Jason+King), Yahoo! Sports
November 1, 2007 http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sp/cn/headshots/king_jason.jpg (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/expertsarchive;_ylt=AqI3ETyzy1qvCmHFB5ans6vqz4x4?a uthor=Jason+King)http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sp/p/yse_lo_70x24_2.gif (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/yhoo/ncaab/article/SIG=11daaeced;_ylt=AkyN_3M_p7KOCImeA3dBcZrqz4x4/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/top/expertscorner) LOS ANGELES – For the most part, the top two freshmen in college basketball say they've been left alone.
O.J. Mayo has signed an autograph or two for classmates at USC, and UCLA's Kevin Love – mainly because of his size – has been recognized while standing in line for a chili cheese dog at Pink's.
"But it hasn’t been a problem at all," the 6-foot-10 Love said Thursday at Pac-10 basketball media day. "It's not like there's paparazzi following me around or anything."
At least not yet.
Even in the city of Bryant, Beckham and Britney, no one would be surprised if Love and Mayo became two of Los Angeles' more famous faces by the end of the college basketball season. Or shoot, maybe by the beginning.




Cont. on link

L.A.'s fresh faces - NCAA Basketball - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=AtYeYe6xAyZwyf92bVSVBTo5nYcB?slug=jn-lovemayo110107&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

:hoops:

Nice opening game for Mr. Love in his UCLA debut last night


Love has double-double in debut for No. 2 UCLA in 111-61 exhibition win

November 3, 2007

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Highly touted freshman big man Kevin Love had 15 points and 12 rebounds in his UCLA debut and the second-ranked Bruins beat Azusa Pacific 111-61 in an exhibition game Friday night.

Love, a 6-foot-10 and 260-pound center, went 6-for-10 from the field, made a 3-pointer and had three assists in his first appearance at Pauley Pavilion.
Unfortunately, Darren Collison injured one of his knees last night and they will have to take a MRI of it today. Hopefully it is not serious.

Love has double-double in debut for No. 2 UCLA in 111-61 exhibition win - NCAA Basketball - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=AqBTHvsDZq0lUNKJ3fB40NDevbYF?slug=ap-t25-azusapacific-ucla&prov=ap&type=lgns)
:hoops:

Might want to start tracking that kid Rose at Memphis too. Man this kid is a pure freak of a ball player, he is indeed the 2nd coming of Jason Kidd. If we snagged him and put him on the floor with Amir,Max and Stuckey, LAWD HA'Mercy.

Might want to start tracking that kid Rose at Memphis too. Man this kid is a pure freak of a ball player, he is indeed the 2nd coming of Jason Kidd. If we snagged him and put him on the floor with Amir,Max and Stuckey, LAWD HA'Mercy.

From everything I have heard he is at the same level as Mayo and Love.


Memphis’ Rose makes strong first impression

The Associated Press


MEMPHIS, Tenn. | Derrick Rose didn’t take long to adjust to the college game.
Rose, Memphis’ highly touted freshman, had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists in his collegiate debut as the No. 3 Tigers beat Tennessee-Martin 102-71 on Monday night in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic.

www.kansascity.com | 11/05/2007 | Memphis’ Rose makes strong first impression (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/colleges/story/348250.html)

:hoops:

The Kevin Love era begins tonight.

Here are some comments about Love by Ken Bone the coach of the Bruins opening night opponent.


Vikings Coach Ken Bone saw plenty of Love at Lake Oswego High near Portland.

"He plays beyond his years," Bone said Thursday, shortly after his team arrived in Los Angeles. "He has such a great feel for the game. He's not just a good scorer and rebounder. What he does better than anybody else is pass the ball. He'll allow UCLA this year to have a very good push. He's able to deliver the ball in transition to the right people night in and night out."


Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-uclahoops9nov09,1,3163059.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=2&cset=true)

:hoops:

Sounds like what they were saying about LeBron.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kevin Love (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=36059) had 22 points and 13 rebounds in his college debut, helping No. 2 UCLA dominate Portland State 69-48 on Friday night, its fifth consecutive season-opening win under coach Ben Howland.

Love was out to impress from the opening tip. The 6-foot-10, 270-pound freshman scored on consecutive dunks that had him flying off the rim and the fans oohing at Pauley Pavilion.Then he whipped an outlet pass the length of the court to Russell Westbrook (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=31663), who scored to give the Bruins an 18-2 lead.

They leaped up and bumped chests as a timeout was called.Love showed his versatility by hitting a 3-pointer. Later, he was knocked to the floor on a hard foul by Julius Thomas, (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=32821)but got up and made one of two free throws.

Love swatted away a shot in the second half, sending the ball out to midcourt.The freshman scored seven straight points in the second half, including five free throws, for UCLA's largest lead, 51-27. He finished 6-of-8 from the field, 9-of-11 from the line, had three assists and no fouls.

ESPN.com - NCB - No. 2 UCLA 69, Portland St. 48 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=273130026)

:hoops:

Comment about Love is at the bottom of the quote.


Experts say Bruins recruiting class really rates
No. 2 UCLA has a class of incoming players -- including three local guards -- that is ranked just as high as the current teams.

Diane Pucin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

November 15, 2007

UCLA's basketball team is ranked second in the country, and by the time all national letters of intent are signed and turned in, the rating for this year's Bruins' recruiting class is expected to be at least as high.

UCLA flexed its drawing power Wednesday, the first day high school seniors could officially commit during the NCAA's early signing period, by securing three of the best guards not only in Southern California but also in the country, plus a power forward from San Jose.

Jrue Holiday, a 6-foot-3 guard from North Hollywood Campbell Hall rated by some as the nation's best high school senior, will join Jerime Anderson, a 6-1 point guard from Anaheim Canyon High, Malcolm Lee, a sharp-shooting 6-4 guard from Riverside North High, and 6-8 power forward Drew Gordon from San Jose Archbishop Mitty on the Bruins' 2008-09 team.

"Needless to say, I'm a happy guy," Coach Ben Howland said after receiving the paperwork from all four recruits.......

Gordon said he was sold on UCLA because Howland did not sweet talk him. "Coach Howland is a businessman," Gordon said. "He just tells it like it is; nothing fake."

Gordon said he was also influenced by Love who, after three games, leads UCLA in scoring (20.7) and rebounding (10.3). As to whether Gordon gets a chance to play with Love, Gordon said, "I've been talking to him about coming back, trying to convince him. I don't think it's working, though.

Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-uclahoops15nov15,1,5721249.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=1&cset=true)

:hoops:

Love seems to do everything by the book, whether the book is Emily Post's Etiquette or The John Wooden Pyramid of Success. Love's coach, Ben Howland, likes to compare his 6-10, 260-pound freshman center to San Antonio Spurs superstar Tim Duncan, specifically because of Duncan's media nickname: The Big Fundamental. Howland considers this phrase to be a high compliment, like Magic or The Pearl. But many writers who use it to describe Duncan do so to gently mock his "boring" public image.


Well, maybe it's not the fundamentals that are boring. Maybe it's the boring that's boring. Kevin Love's low-post footwork is so precise he is ready to try the pasodoble on Dancing With the Stars. He shoots free throws like he's Reggie Miller, sets a screen that could pass for a 3,000-square-foot Colonial and, like his father's friend Wes Unseld, is a singular contemporary artist in the discipline of throwing outlet passes.
But Love is not boring.
SportingNews.com - Your expert source for UCLA's Love knows winning is fundamental (http://www.sportingnews.com/exclusives/20071114/956766-p.html)


O.J. Mayo
-------------------
Game #2 of the year

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Daniel Hackett scored 21 points and heralded freshman O.J. Mayo added 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead Southern California to a 74-47 win over The Citadel on Thursday night.
Game #1 of the year

Mayo, one of the nation's most prized recruits, led the Trojans with 32 points, but he couldn't help them overcome 19 turnovers and 18-of-32 free-throw shooting. His points were a school record by a freshman in his debut.

USC Trojans - Schedule - NCAA Basketball - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/uad/schedule;_ylt=AgYzKgRUvK_DW8RzknyyzrQB1LYF)

:hoops:

Mayo
------------

O.J. Mayo has been a celebrity since he starred in Kentucky high school basketball as a precocious seventh-grader. But growing up famous isn't always pretty. Mayo occasionally allowed the pressures of celebrity to push him outside the boundaries of good judgment. His high school dust-ups became national news. When he got benched for a playoff game for missing a class, it made ESPN.
Basketball offers a respite for this 6-5 freshman who runs a team like a point guard and scores like a shooting guard. "Whenever things are bad for me, not happening well for me," he says, "I come to a basketball court and play basketball and let out some emotions or anger."
SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NCAA Basketball stats, scores, standings, and blogs from NCAA Basketball columnists (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=304724)


Rose
-------------


The basketball always has belonged to Derrick Rose. At the high school level, a point guard with his degree of talent gets handed the ball and the license to do most anything he wants. "It's totally different now," he says. Memphis plays a free-flowing offensive style that allows Rose, who is 6-4, to use his athleticism and skill to manufacture scoring opportunities. But the flow is as important as the freedom.
SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NCAA Basketball stats, scores, standings, and blogs from NCAA Basketball columnists (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=304732)

Gordon
-----------

Throughout the preseason, Indiana basketball was in the news for all the wrong reasons: investigations, rules violations, staff changes. Want a right reason? Eric Gordon is a Hoosier.



He is a 6-4 shooting guard with a tight stroke that'll remind veteran basketball fans of Bradley All-American Hersey Hawkins, except that Gordon is athletic enough to jump over Hawkins. Gordon says all the tumult hasn't distracted him from preparing for his freshman season. Or maybe he's too tired to lift his head. IU coach Kelvin Sampson is known for many things now, but his lasting reputation is as a coach who drills his players like they just arrived at Parris Island.
SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NCAA Basketball stats, scores, standings, and blogs from NCAA Basketball columnists (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=304726)

Beasley
--------------


Frank Martin is surrounded by freshmen at every Kansas State practice. That's not so bad when one of them is as gifted as 6-10, 235-pound power forward Michael Beasley. But don't think that'll sway Martin, K-State's rookie head coach, into believing any first-year collegian has something to say that you need to hear. "What do they know about what it takes to succeed in college basketball?" Martin says. "They have no understanding. They can't answer any question as far as what it takes to succeed in college basketball. Why should they be the ones answering about what it takes for our team to succeed?"
SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NCAA Basketball stats, scores, standings, and blogs from NCAA Basketball columnists (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=304729)

:hoops:

Kevin Love has impressed Bill Walton so far this season, but he wants to know more about that beard.
November 16, 2007

It's not only the scoring, the rebounding, the passing and the joie de vivre in Kevin Love's early season play that have caused former UCLA great Bill Walton to sit up and take notice of the heralded Bruins freshman. . . .

It's also the beard. . . .


Notes Walton, who famously and unsuccessfully rebelled against John Wooden's restrictions in the early 1970s, "They certainly have changed the facial-hair regulations since the days that I played there." . . .

Not that Walton has a gripe with UCLA Coach Ben Howland. . . .

Says the ESPN analyst, "The alumni are extremely pleased with the direction and the accomplishments and the success of the UCLA basketball program. It's so much fun to watch the team play with exuberance and passion. We're extremely excited now that order has been restored in the universe." . . .
Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-crowe16nov16,1,5646414.column?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=2&cset=true)

:cheerlie-GOAL::p_welldone:

:hoops:

Love is currently at #15 in a couple of prospect rankings. The Pistons current record puts them drafting #21. He's not too far away from coming to Detroit, Buddahfan.

NBADraft.net | Home (http://www.nbadraft.net/)

Love is currently at #15 in a couple of prospect rankings. The Pistons current record puts them drafting #21. He's not too far away from coming to Detroit, Buddahfan.

NBADraft.net | Home (http://www.nbadraft.net/)

First of all it is not certain if Love will even leave the Bruins after this year He is strongly influenced by the Wizard of Westwood, who no doubt is telling him to stay and get his education.

It would be great to see even one year of Love and Jrue together.

If Love does go out I think he will go in the top 5. He is talented, tough and smart. He is also a decent size.

I don't think that it is realistic to think that we will have a shot at him.

:hoops:

USC won all three of its games in the eight-team tournament, with its closest a 57-53 win over Miami of Ohio on Friday. Mayo was named most outstanding player in the event that attracted a couple dozen NBA scouts to watch the star freshman.


ESPN - Southern Illinois vs. USC Recap, November 25, 2007 (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=273290079)

:hoops:

Current Rankings From Rivals.com


1. Michael Beasley (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=83920), Kansas State
Season Averages: 26.7 ppg, 15.0 rpg
The Buzz: The smooth-shooting left-hander had 24 points and 12 rebounds against Oregon, but it wasn't enough to avoid the Wildcats' second loss of the season.

http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/stats/logos/indiana_statslogo.gif
2. Eric Gordon (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=399578), Indiana
Season Averages: 24.3ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg
The Buzz: After scoring 29 and 22 in wins over Georgia Tech and Southern Illinois, Gordon injured his back and played just 12 minutes Monday night against Tennessee State. Coach Kelvin Sampson (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/viewcoach.asp?Coach=772) said after the game he expets Gordon to be fine to face Kentucky on Saturday.

http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/stats/logos/memphis_statslogo.gif
3. Derrick Rose (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=399355), Memphis
Season Averages: 17 ppg, 5 rpg, 4.3 apg
The Buzz: Rose had 19 points, a season-high 12 assists and two turnovers in 23 minutes in a rout of Austin Peay.

http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/stats/logos/usc_statslogo.gif
4. O.J. Mayo (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=399254), USC
Season Averages: 21 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.8 apg
The Buzz: Mayo didn't have an assist in 38 minutes in a victory over Oklahoma, and he had two assists and five turnovers in a loss to Kansas on Sunday.

http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/stats/logos/duke_statslogo.gif
5. Kyle Singler (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=385771), Duke
Season Averages: 14.1 ppg, 7 rpg
The Buzz: Singler had a nice week, averaging 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds as the Blue Devils picked up quality wins over Wisconsin and Davidson.

http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/stats/logos/UCLA_statslogo.gif
6. Kevin Love (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=385837), UCLA
Season Averages: 17.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg
The Buzz: Love had a season-low 11 points in a victory over George Washington and also mustered only 11 in Sunday's loss to Texas.

Rivals.com College Basketball - Five-Star Tracker: Bayless stepping up (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=738853)

:hoops:

USC freshman O J Mayo is under investigation by the NCAA rules commmitee, because he received 'free" tickets from Carmello Anthony to attend the Laker-Nugget game on Monday. :nono:

The NCAA needs to relax their rules here.. How do they expect collegians to learn about what goes on at the Staples Center unless they attend in person? If you live in LA, you would know that no poor student athlete can afford a ticket to see the Lakers.:nod::laugh:



Mayo on Tuesday said he was given two complimentary tickets to attend Monday's Lakers-Denver Nuggets game at Staples Center by Nuggets All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony.

NCAA bylaw 16.11.2.2.3 states that student-athletes may not receive "free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services also are available to the student body in general."

Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-uschoops24jan24,1,485211.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=1&cset=true)

Floyd takes responsibility for Mayo's tickets


Coach says he cleared star freshman's receiving of freebies from Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony. Trojans pick up transfer from Connecticut

By Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 24, 2008

USC Coach Tim Floyd said Wednesday that he told star freshman O.J. Mayo that he could accept free Lakers tickets and that if anybody should be punished for potential NCAA violations, it should be the coach.

"My feeling is that if there's a mistake made, it was made by me," Floyd said. "If they want to suspend me for a game, suspend me for a game, but not the kid. He did the right thing."

Sign Up (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-uschoops24jan24,1,485211.story?ctrack=1&cset=true)

:hoops:

Kevin Love the best outlet passer since Bill Walton and Wes Unseld


Here is a full court two handed alley-oop to Beasly

YouTube - Kevin Love to Michael Beasly - Full Court Alley Oop! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dGLwJaayL0)

Here is a two handed outlet to Josh Shipp

YouTube - Kevin Love Cross-Court Lob to Josh Shipp (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wykfvQFtCkc&feature=related)


Here is a two handed out of bound half court outlet to Russell Westbook

YouTube - Kevin Love outlet pass to Russell Westbrook (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoVpjgj6GAo)


Here is John Wooden commenting on Josh Love's outlet passes.

YouTube - John Wooden on Kevin Love's outlet pass (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGAY_kHrMok)

I can't find a video of it on the net, but last week he had a full court two handed chest pass to another Bruin against one of the Oregon schools, much like the pass to Beasley except it wasn't an alley-oop

:hoops:

At NBADraft.net, Mayo is ranked #10 and Love is ranked #20. The Pistons are currently drafting #27.

Georgetown (http://georgetown.rivals.com/) senior Roy Hibbert (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=47360) is in the middle of perhaps the best stretch in his career, having put together a series of solid performances for three consecutive weeks. Yet Hibbert actually dropped in Rivals.com's latest Power Rankings, falling to No. 2 among the centers.

The recent play of UCLA (http://ucla.rivals.com/) freshman Kevin Love (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/bviewplayer.asp?Player=385837), who replaced Hibbert at the top spot, explains why.


http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/Player/video/0123-UCLAKEVINLOVE_250.JPGhttp://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gifhttp://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gifKevin Love's recent play has been good enough to earn him the top spot at center.Love, a prep star at Lake Oswego (Ore.) High, dominated in his return to his home state last week. He combined for 42 points and 39 rebounds in UCLA's wins at Oregon (http://oregon.rivals.com/) (80-75) and Oregon State (http://oregonstate.rivals.com/) (85-62). That came after a career-high 27-point, 14-rebound performance in UCLA's 81-74 win over Washington State and an 18-point, 12-rebound outing in UCLA's 72-63 loss to USC (http://usc.rivals.com/).
That is perhaps the best four-game stretch – Love averaged 21.8 points and 16.3 rebounds over that period – we have seen from any player this season.


Rivals.com College Basketball - Love takes over top spot at center (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=767402)

:hoops:

Love really knows how to get it done. He's short, has ZERO athleticism, but he knows how to play BAS-KET-BALL, something GM's should start trying to take notice of instead of 40 times and vert leap tests.

Love really knows how to get it done. He's short, has ZERO athleticism, but he knows how to play BAS-KET-BALL, something GM's should start trying to take notice of instead of 40 times and vert leap tests.

I agree that he may not tall enough to play center in the NBA, but he will he will become a great NBA power forward, if he is too small to play center. But then you don't play defense with jumping ability but with foot movement (positioning) and strength, both of which he excels at. As far as is offense goes, even today he could pin down most of the NBA centers in the lower box on offense because of his strength and knowledge of how the game is played.

zero athleticism?

Like you said, athleticism is a heck of a lot more than being able to run like a cheetah and jump like a kangaroo.

All of his skill translate 100% to the NBA game.

1. Strong
2. Smart
3. Excellent shooter inside and out
4. Excellent offensive moves
5. Tough, tough rebounder
6. Great passer, probably the best big man passer today in college or the NBA.
7. Total team player
8. Totally self-motivated, according to his father who played in the NBA and should know

College Basketball Power Rankings (http://www.collegebasketball.rivals.com/viewcbse.asp)

:hoops:

I agree that he may not tall enough to play center in the NBA, but he will he will become a great NBA power forward, if he is too small to play center. But then you don't play defense with jumping ability but with foot movement (positioning) and strength, both of which he excels at. As far as is offense goes, even today he could pin down most of the NBA centers in the lower box on offense because of his strength and knowledge of how the game is played.

zero athleticism?

Like you said, athleticism is a heck of a lot more than being able to run like a cheetah and jump like a kangaroo.

All of his skill translate 100% to the NBA game.

1. Strong
2. Smart
3. Excellent shooter inside and out
4. Excellent offensive moves
5. Tough, tough rebounder
6. Great passer, probably the best big man passer today in college or the NBA.
7. Total team player
8. Totally self-motivated, according to his father who played in the NBA and should know

College Basketball Power Rankings (http://www.collegebasketball.rivals.com/viewcbse.asp)

:hoops:
Give him 2 more inches, and he's Bill Laimbeer with a post game.

Give him 2 more inches, and he's Bill Laimbeer with a post game.

I have thought about that when watching him play and can definitely see the many similarities but it appears to me that his game is a more advanced than Bad Boy Bill's was in college. As I recall Bad Boy Bill was not that great when he was at Notre Dame.

In three years at Notre Dame Bad Boy Bill averaged only 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds a game.

Bill Laimbeer Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/laimbbi01.html)
:hoops:

Bad Boy Bill was not that great when he was at Notre Dame.

In three years at Notre Dame Bad Boy Bill averaged only 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds a game.


And Love's numbers are double that. So logic says that if Laim was a 15&10 pro, Love should be a 30/20 pro....book 'em Denno.

And Love's numbers are double that. So logic says that if Laim was a 15&10 pro, Love should be a 30/20 pro....book 'em Denno.

Not by my logic.

I just pointed out that in the only comparison we have which is college, unless you want to count their high school days, Love is vastly superior.

How that will translate into the NBA I don't know. But I don't expect Love to play center in the NBA but power forward.

Plus Love has a great offensive game in the paint, which Bad Boy Bill never did, even with us.

Besides Love can dunk with relative ease and Bad Boy Bill couldn't jump over a dime in the road.

:hoops: