Bridesmaid, never a Bride

from UCLA BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: Bruins ring in new year in proper fashion
By Jon Gold,Staff Writer
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Posted: 11/04/2010 10:32:58 PM PDT
Updated: 11/04/2010 11:23:31 PM PDT

Rich get richer

While UCLA's current point guard battle between Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson was on full display on Thursday night, the Bruins lost a different point guard battle earlier in the day.

Maybe a more important one.

Oak Hill (Virg.) point guard Quinn Cook — the nation's No.4 point guard and a five-star recruit — chose Duke over UCLA in an ESPNU-televised announcement, giving the Blue Devils their third five-star recruit of the season, along with No. 3 overall prospect Austin Rivers and Michael Gbinije

"What really won me over and was a big factor was that Austin (Rivers) told me he wanted me to be his point guard," Cook told Scout.com's Evan Daniels.

"Just hearing that from a player of that caliber really stood out to me. I just can't wait to get up there."

Cook's decision potentially puts the Bruins in a precarious situation, one they certainly are not used to being in.

Point Guard U. during the past decade — with Jordan Farmar, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday as recent stars — is left with only Anderson and Jones available for next season, when both will be seniors.

Already spurned by No. 5-rated Josiah Turner, who verbally committed to Arizona, and No. 7 Jahii Carson, who has committed to Arizona State, UCLA could once again be shut out at a position the Bruins used to dominate.
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a share by Puffdaddy on Bruin Zone

looking at the remaining point guards for 2011

Ryan Boatright tops list of available PGs
By John Stovall
ESPN Recruiting
Originally Published: November 4, 2010


With the early signing period set to start in less than a week, here's a look at the top uncommitted point guards.

Quinn Cook (Mouth of Wilson, Va./Oak Hill Academy)
Player rank: 24 | Position rank: 5 | Grade: 96 | Stars: 4
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 180 pounds
Why they want him: Cook is a scorer first. He has good quickness and can get off a shot against almost anyone. He is an excellent creator and can manufacture scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. He has improved as a decision maker but I would still consider him more of a lead guard than a pure point guard. Cook is a good competitor and will definitely contribute immediately.

Recruiting update: Cook is supposedly down to UCLA and Duke and could annouce as soon as today. At Duke, he could possibly replace Kyrie Irving, who could be a one-and-done player. At UCLA, the Bruins have been having point guard issues and while there are several candidates to run the floor this year, if they don't work out Cook could walk in and take the ball from Day 1 in Westwood.


Ryan Boatright (Aurora, Ill./East)
Player rank: 76 | Position rank: 14 | Grade: 93 | Stars: 4
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 165 pounds
Why they want him: Boatright is one of the fastest point guards with the ball in this year's class and can be a one-man fastbreak as he streaks past his opponents. He thinks score first, but can create and pass as well. Boatright is a very good athlete, very tough to keep out of the lane and is also a solid shooter with range to 20 feet. As he continues to develop and improves his decision making, he can become a difference maker at the collegiate level.

Recruiting update: Boatright, who decommitted from West Virginia recently, has four schools he's mainly considering. At UConn there is always the possibility that they could lose Kemba Walker to the NBA draft and Shabazz Napier is the only other PG on the roster. At UNLV, Oklahoma and Miami, he is already probably more talented than any PG on their roster and could probably step in and play immiately.


Spencer Dinwiddie (Woodland Hills, Calif./Taft)
Player rank: NR | Position rank: 25 | Grade: 91 | Stars: 3
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 160 pounds
Why they want him: Dinwiddie is a long and lanky point guard who is a good passer and a good shooter. He has good range on his shotm though it is a little slow. He has good vision and knows how to set up his passes. Dinwiddie is a solid slasher, has a good handle and is effective at getting into the lane off the dribble.

Recruiting update: Dinwiddie has a broad list of suitors including Harvard, Colorado, UNLV and UCLA. At Harvard, Spencer could complete a class that has everything but a point guard. If he were to choose Colorado, he would be an immediate impact player as the Buffs have just one legitimate point guard on the roster. For UNLV, he would be able to contribute from Day 1 in the Mountain West. Finally, for UCLA he is insurance in case the Bruins miss on Cook.


Derrick Wilson (Lakeville, Conn./Hotchkiss School)
Player rank: NR | Position rank: 26 | Grade: 90 | Stars: 3
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205 pounds
Why they want him: Wilson is a big, strong point guard who can do a little bit of everything. He is built like a tailback and can bully his way into the lane and is also an excellent rebounder for the position. Wilson is a good athlete, a solid finisher in the paint and a decent decision maker, although he could improve some in that department. The bottom line is Wilson makes tough, winning plays.

Recruiting update: Down to a final three of Georgia Tech, Marquette and Notre Dame, it's interesting to look at their rosters. Marquette has two underclassmen who can play point guard, while Georgia Tech has three who can play the point, but one (Maurice Miller) is a senior and Iman Shumpert is an NBA early entry possibility. Notre Dame has only pure point guard on its roster right now. Either way, Wilson will be able to help any of the three programs.


Angel Rodriguez (Miami, Fla./Dr. Krop)
Player rank: NR | Position rank: 32 | Grade: 89 | Stars: 3
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 165 pounds
Why they want him: An under-the-radar prospect, Rodriguez is a tough and strong point guard. He competes on both ends of the floor and plays with great urgency. He has good, but not great, speed and quickness but can get to the basket because of his toughness. He is strong for his size and can finish with either hand.

Recruiting update: Reportedly Louisville, Kansas State and NC State are his top three schools and he will have visited all three by the end of the week. It remains to be seen if any of the three can impress him enough to have him sign during the November signing period.


Jordan Daniels (Etiwanda, Calif./Etiwanda)
Player rank: NR | Position rank: 35 | Grade: 89 | Stars: 3
Height: 5-8 | Weight: 150 pounds
Why they want him: While he doesn't possess ideal size, Daniels has other skills that make up for it. He has high-level speed and quickness, especially in transition and off the bounce. His handle is slick and deceptive (he has a terrific crossover) and he has a quick burst to get by his defender. He can deliver the nifty assist in traffic or settle for one of his patented floaters. He always has his head up in transition and is ultra-competitive.

Recruiting update: There hasn't been much talk about Daniels, but the latest is that while UCLA is sniffing around, Tim Floyd and UTEP were leading the way.