Latest Headlines on OCRegister.com
[x] Close
UCLA ~ The latest on UCLA, by the Orange County Register Sports staff

Jim Harrick’s wife passes away

November 20th, 2009, 11:18 pm by Mark Whicker, ocregister.com

Sally Harrick was a prim, gracious complement to Jim Harrick’s coarse, extroverted persona. She was with Jim when the two came west, from West Virginia, and Harrick worked at a toy factory while he waited for his break in coaching.

As Harrick rose through the ranks and finally got the UCLA job in 1988 and won the NCAA championship in 1995, Sally was content to stay in the background and support her husband and his players. There would be more bumps later as Harrick’s career took him to Rhode Island and Georgia and controversy, but Sally remained loyal and steadfast.

Sally passed away Friday at age 70 from complications of schleroderma, a disease of the immune system. She and Jim were married for 49 years and they had three sons and nine grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 30522 Via Con Dios in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Donations should be sent to The Schleroderma Foundation at www.schleroderma.com.

She was a class act.

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA basketball: Howland talks Dragovic arrest

November 20th, 2009, 11:12 pm by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006

Here’s an updated version of my story in UCLA senior forward Nikola Dragovic’s arrest and suspension Friday, including quotes from Coah Ben Howland:

Forward Nikola Dragovic was suspended for the game against Cal State Bakersfield after he was arrested Friday and charged with felony assault.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office charged the UCLA senior following an investigation over an incident involving Dragovic last month at a concert in Hollywood, team officials said. He was freed on bail.

Dragovic was informed of the charge Friday morning and turned himself into campus police later in the day. Coach Ben Howland said he escorted Dragovic to the station this morning but does not know the details of the incident.

“I don’t know,” Howland said. “I got to find out the information. I did not get into any of that this morning. I’m going to meet with him either tonight or tomorrow.”

Dragovic filed a report with the UCLA police department a week after the episode occurred. Howland said Dragovic, the team’s lone returning starter from last season, was suspended for only Friday’s game and that his status is uncertain.

“Until we get more information, I just really have no comment,” Howland said. “I will meet with my superiors and discuss the facts that I find out. … He made us aware of the incident when it occurred but until this morning, we did not know charges would be filed.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA basketball: Bruins beat CS Bakersfield, 75-64

November 20th, 2009, 9:35 pm by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006

Was it only one game?

The question hovered over UCLA all week following its shocking, season-opening defeat to Cal State Fullerton. The Bruins answered with an uneven, 75-64 defeat against Cal State Bakersfield on Friday at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins’ flair for the dramatic extended into the first half of Friday’s game with Cal State Bakersfield and ended shortly after.

“We got off to a rocky start,” Coach Ben Howland said. “In the second half we got better shots. We were more patient. We settled down.”

UCLA shot 59.3 percent — it shot 31 percent in the opener — and made six more field goals despite taking 30 less attempts than it did Monday.

Tied at halftime, the Bruins opened with a 17-6 run ignited by 3-pointers from guards Jerime Anderson and Michael Roll. The momentum initially began to shift in the closing minutes of a first half in which UCLA led for all of 55 seconds.

The Bruins went on a 15-4 run before halftime, stamped by forward Drew Gordon blocking Cal State Bakersfield’s Stephon Carter on a dunk attempt. It helped erase an 11-point first-half deficit for the Bruins, who fell behind 10-2 in the opening minutes.

“We’re learning each other,” Anderson said. “It’s going to take us a little time to find our identity. We’re going to have some tough games. As the season goes on you’re going to see that chemistry going forward.”

Gordon had a game-high 19 points as all five UCLA starters scored in double figures. Guard Malcolm Lee had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Roll had a team-high six assists.

More from the UCLA blog:

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA basketball: Dragovic arrested, suspended

November 20th, 2009, 7:37 pm by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006

Starting senior forward Nikola Dragovic was arrested today and has been suspended for tonight’s game against Cal State Bakersfield, the school announced.

Here’s the rest of the release:

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA basketball: Up next: Cal State Bakersfield

November 20th, 2009, 11:08 am by Al Balderas, staff writer

Cal State Bakersfield (1-1) at UCLA (0-1)

Site: Pauley Pavilion

Time: 7:30 p.m.

TV: FSN

Outlook: The Bruins didn’t waste any time in figuring out what went wrong in their season-opening loss to Cal State Fullerton on Monday. They spent Wednesday and Thursday working on their shooting (less shots, better accuracy), and how to combat a zone defense. Bakersfield likes to employ a physical approach to its game with 6-6, 275-pound senior Santwon Latunde creating space underneath the basket. Latunde is averaging 18 points for the Roadrunners, with Trent Blakley leading the way with 19 points.
Cal State Bakersfield is 0-7 against Pac-10 teams in its basketball history and is looking foward to its inaugural game against UCLA. The Roadrunners are hoping to follow Cal State Fullerton’s lead by notching its first victory over the Bruins.

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

Powerhouses headed for Anaheim hoopfest

November 20th, 2009, 10:42 am by Mark Whicker, ocregister.com

In Sports Illustrated’s preseason Top 25, West Virginia is ranked eighth, Butler 14th.

 In the Blue Ribbon Yearbook, Portland is ranked second in the West Coast Conference and Long Beach first in the Big West, and Butler was 11th, West Virginia 12th and Minnesota 14th.

Add Clemson, UCLA and Texas A&M, and you’ve got some basketball cruiserweights coming to Anaheim Convention Center for the 76 Classic, beginning Thursday.

This is one of those ESPN showcases to fill up the holiday programming, but it’s also — by far — the best college hoop event to come to Orange County this season, both in terms of price and quality.

The sessions are Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

The first round matchups: West Virginia vs. Long Beach, Clemson vs. Texas A&M, Minnesota vs. Butler, and UCLA vs. Portland.

Winners of the first two games meet Friday, and winners of the last two games, and the losers also play. Twelve guaranteed games for what spectators decide to show up.

There’s a few story lines here. Long Beach State could run into Minnesota, which fired Dan Monson, who now coaches the Beach.

UCLA could run into Texas A&M for the third time in four years in an Anaheim event. You’ll recall that the Bruins escaped A&M in an NCAA second-round game at Honda Center two years ago. The Aggies certainly recall how difficult it is to try to hit a game-winning shot with someone’s hand encircling your wrist.

And if you enjoy watching coaches let it all hang out with no inhibitions whatsoever, remember that Bob Huggins now coaches West Virginia.

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA football: Is the Bruins’ season on the line?

November 19th, 2009, 8:38 pm by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006

Before Coach Rick Neuheisel walked off the practice field Thursday he stopped and delivered one final message: “We need this win, guys. We need this win.”

He was talking to the student marching band. From the moment last season’s 4-8 campaign ended everyone in Westwood has known UCLA’s magic number is six.

The Bruins (5-5), who missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2001, have two more chances to become bowl eligible: Saturday at the Rose Bowl against Arizona State, and next weekend at USC, where UCLA has not won since 1997.

In other words, UCLA is desperately trying to knock down door No. 1.

“We have a chance to accomplish something this Saturday and we don’t want to miss that opportunity,” Neuheisel said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA football: Siewierski back, Hester TBD

November 19th, 2009, 6:38 pm by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006

**Defensive tackle Jerzy Siewierski, who has missed the past three games, will start Saturday against Arizona State.

**Coach Rick Neuheisel was noncommittal about how much he will use cornerback Aaron Hester this weekend. Hester, who began the season as a starter, has not played since reinjuring his right leg three weeks ago against Oregon State. “We’ve got to clean up some stuff,” Neuheisel said. “He’s still got a bad habit of grabbing.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA football: ASU still undecided on starting QB

November 19th, 2009, 12:43 pm by Al Balderas, staff writer

Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson has not decided on a starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against UCLA and joked that he might wait until Saturday morning to make a decision.

The list of candidates was at three when the week started but has since been whittled to two: Danny Sullivan and Samson Szakacsy.

True freshman Brock Osweiler, who started last week’s game against Oregon, will start the game on the sideline.
Sullivan has been the Sun Devils’ starter through most of the season but a biceps injury kept him out of last week’s game.

“I don’t think he’s totally healthy,” Erickson told the Arizona Republic on Wednesday. “That’s part of the decision. He’s throwing it OK but not like he can. It’s still bothering him.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis

UCLA football: ASU or UCLA?

November 19th, 2009, 11:35 am by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006

Click here for this week’s Pac-10 power poll and predictions on the top college football games.

**********

Who will win Saturday?
View Results

Read the rest of this entry »

Share this post:
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Fark
  • LinkedIn
  • TwitThis