2011-12 Men's Basketball Tickets On Sale Now

2011-12 Men's Basketball Tickets On Sale Now

You can join the 2011-12 "Bruin Roadshow" in an arena near you by calling (310) 825-2946.

UCLA Men's Basketball Official Website
Aug. 8, 2011





LOS ANGELES -

This year's UCLA Men's Basketball schedule includes 14 games at Los Angeles Sports Arena, four games at Honda Center and one exhibition game at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., while Pauley Pavilion is being renovated. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. You can join the 2011-12 "Bruin Roadshow" in an arena near you by calling (310) 825-2946. Catch all 19 exciting contests in UCLA's inaugural Pac-12 season.

As always, season tickets offer the best seats at affordable prices. New for purchase this year is general admission season tickets. You can experience UCLA Basketball at a fraction of the cost in upper-level endzone seats.

Also on sale is the popular UCLA Basketball mini-plans, which allow you to catch the big games that fit your schedule and your budget. Prices for the mini-plans start at just $49. The mini-plans provide flexibility, great seats and the opportunity for you to choose from a variety of opponents. The mini-plans are flexible, economical and provide great entertainment.

Games are better in groups, so gather your friends, family, co-workers, and fellow alumni to experience the excitement of Bruin Basketball with special ticket pricing for groups. Receive 30-50 percent off most single game tickets when you bring a group of 15 or more!

You can also choose the games you want with the single-game tickets that start as low as $15.

To see more information on all of these plans click here. Or you can order by phone by calling (310) UCLA-WIN. The Central Ticket Office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

To view the 2011-12 UCLA men's basketball schedule, click here.

EA SPORTS Maui Invitational 2011 Bracket Announced

Click on bracket to enlarge

EA SPORTS Maui Invitational 2011 Bracket Announced


Bruins draw host Chaminade University in the Championship Round as one of the eight "Island Teams" in this year's new format.

UCLA Men's Basketball Official website
Aug. 4, 2011

MAUI, Hawaii -

2011 Maui Invitational Bracket And Release



The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational hosted by Chaminade University today announced the bracket for the 28th edition of Basketball In Paradise. The bracket includes a new format, which reflects the Tournament's first expansion since 1986.

"We are excited to kickoff the expansion with such stellar matchups," Tournament Chairman David Odom said. "Expanding the Tournament provides more student-athletes, schools and conferences the chance to show their best at the premier early-season college basketball tournament."

The bracket format includes the traditional eight-team, three-day event played at Maui's oceanfront Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving week, which will now be known as the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational "Championship Round," and the eight participating teams playing in the Championship Round are called the "Island Teams".

With expansion comes four additional Division I teams known as the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational "Mainland Teams." Each of the eight Island Teams (excluding Chaminade) will play one game against a Mainland Team - seven games in total - before traveling to Maui for the Championship Round. The Mainland Teams will then play each other in the "Regional Games" - a four-game event.

"We are looking forward to hosting the inaugural Regional Games of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational," said Middle Tennessee State Athletic Director Chris Massaro. "We are also very excited to be one of the Mainland Teams challenging the Island Teams this year. It's an honor to be included with some of the most respected programs from around the country."

Refer to the attached bracket for Tournament matchups, game dates and times. Below find information which further outlines the new bracket format and general Tournament information.


PARTICIPATING TEAMS
The eight Island Teams that will play in the Opening Games and Championship Round are Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Memphis, Michigan, Tennessee, UCLA and host Chaminade. The four Mainland Teams that will play in the Opening Games and Regional Games are Belmont, Middle Tennessee State, Towson and UNCG.

UCLA will host Middle Tennessee State in the opening game of the 28th Annual EA SPORTS Maui Invitational at the L.A. Sports Arena on Nov. 15, 2011. Regardless of the outcome of that game, the Bruins will advance to Maui to face Chaminade on Nov. 21 at the Lahaina Civic Center at 4:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The Bruins will face the winner or loser of the Kansas/Georgetown game on Nov. 22.


TOURNAMENT BROADCAST ON ESPN
The ESPN networks will combine once again to offer live television coverage of all 12 Championship Round games. For the third straight year, every game will be produced in high definition on ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPNU HD, with the ESPN and ESPN2 games also streaming live on ESPN3.com.


TOURNAMENT FACTS
In all, 89 schools representing 21 conferences and 39 states have competed in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, with Maui participants having won an astounding 62 of 73 NCAA championships and 58 of 73 national runner-up spots while comprising 239 of 292 Final Four teams.

______________


UCLA basketball: Bruins get 'easy' opener in Maui Invitational

By Ben Bolch
The Los Angeles Times
August 4, 2011 | 1:06pm


It's being touted as one of the strongest Maui Invitational fields in the history of the tournament, with Duke, Kansas, Memphis, Georgetown, Tennessee and Michigan among the potential opponents for UCLA.

So the Bruins had to feel some relief Thursday when it was announced that their opening-round game Nov. 21 at the Lahaina Civic Center would be against ... Chaminade.

That's right, UCLA gets the tiny host school and a probable victory before taking on the winner of a game between Kansas and Georgetown in a semifinal the next day.

With apologies to Lee Corso, not so fast.

Remember that these are essentially the same Bruins who lost to Montana last season and had narrow misses against UC Irvine, Oregon State, etc. Getting up for an underdog was an issue all the way into the Pacific 10 Conference tournament, where UCLA was blown out by Oregon.

So the schedule makers might not have done the Bruins any favors. Chaminade has a 6-73 record all-time in the tournament, most famously defeating top-ranked Virginia and Ralph Sampson in 1982.

Duke, by the way, has won the event all four times it has been a participant, most recently in 2007. UCLA is 6-3 in the tournament, having won in its last appearance in 2006.

The organizers changed the makeup of the event this year, adding a wrinkle in which the teams headed to Maui first play a game on the mainland. UCLA will play Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 15 at the Sports Arena, but the results of the game will have no bearing on whether the Bruins advance to Maui. (Good to know! I feel sorry for MTS, though--atb)

Out-of-work NBA players back in college

Thanks, cliq, for sharing on BZ.


Out-of-work NBA players back in college

By Marc J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 9, 4:29 pm EDT



In recent years, Kenny Donaldson gently reminded some of UCLA’s former basketball stars that he could help them return to school to finish their degrees. As UCLA’s athletics assistant director of academic services, Donaldson hoped that any former Bruins who had left school early to play in the NBA would eventually find their way back to campus and work toward graduating.

Thanks, in part, to the NBA lockout, Donaldson’s had a handful of players take him up on his offer this summer. UCLA’s American Popular Culture class now has four out-of-work NBA players – Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, New Orleans Hornets forward Trevor Ariza and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Baron Davis – among its students. In addition, Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Mbah a Moute is taking two classes this summer. Having begun their professional careers, all of the players are paying for their tuition and books.

“When the lockout looked like it was going to be a definite thing, I kind of sat down with each of them and laid out a game plan,” Donaldson said. “You don’t want to get them back in something that they’re not going to be interested in. I presented them with options and they found classes that they thought would be interesting, and are easing back into it right now.”

When Ariza first came to UCLA in 2003 from Los Angeles’ Westchester High School, he didn’t intend to stay long before moving to the NBA. After averaging 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman, he declared for the 2004 NBA draft and wasn’t selected until the 43rd overall pick in the second round by the New York Knicks. With Ariza acknowledging he was more focused on pursuing a professional basketball career, Donaldson doubted he’d ever return.

Ariza, however, is now again enrolled at UCLA and is considering taking a much heavier course load in the fall. He’s still deciding on a major, and if the NBA lockout ends, he plans to take online classes.

“Being a regular student is kind of fun,” he said.

Ariza said he is learning more now than as a freshman because he has a “different appreciation” for college. While he is also considering playing in Spain, China or Serbia if the lockout drags into the fall, he is currently focused on his coursework at UCLA.

“I’m really going back for my two sons,” Ariza said. “Eventually they’re going to realize that their dad fulfilled his dreams doing what he wanted to do and still got his degree. For them to see that will be a great example for them to follow.”

Donaldson said former NBA forward Ed O’Bannon has also returned to UCLA, and is expected to complete his degree soon. Two more former Bruins – Denver Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo and New Jersey Nets guard Jordan Farmar, who is expected to play in Israel during the lockout – have considered going back to school, Donaldson said.

Ariza thinks the lockout could spur players to take their education more seriously.

“We have a whole lot of our lives to live after basketball,” Ariza said. “We have to understand what we want to do when [retirement] comes. A lot of us came out [of college] really young, and we have no idea what we want to do with our lives if basketball doesn’t work out.”

Ariza, Love, Westbrook, Davis and Mbah a Moute aren’t the only NBA players who have gone back to school this summer. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Randolph has rented an apartment in Baton Rouge within walking distance of Louisiana State University. He is currently enrolled in a math class and has signed up to take three classes in the fall. He has no plans to play overseas.

Randolph played only his freshman season at LSU before entering the 2008 draft, where he was selected 14th by the Golden State Warriors. If the lockout ends during the fall semester, he’d like to finish his classes online and return for summer school. A sociology major, Randolph also is considering joining a fraternity and attending LSU football games.

“The students know I’m from the NBA, but it’s more fun because I can focus on my schoolwork,” said Randolph, who has promised his mother he’d get his degree. “I don’t have the basketball distraction. I’m a more focused student now after being in the real world for a couple of years.”

Randolph met with LSU coach Trent Johnson about volunteering to help at the Tigers’ practices to gain coaching experience. If OK’d by the NCAA, Randolph would like to assist his old team.

“I want to pursue a career in coaching when I’m done playing,” Randolph said. “But I have to have a degree to do that.”

July Commitment Recap

Kudos to Kaz for sharing this on BZ.

July Commitment Recap


By Brian Snow
National Recruiting Analyst
scout.com
Posted Aug 1, 2011


July was loaded with some big commitments. Here is a look at some of the key pledges, headed by Ricardo Gathers to St. John's.

During the month of July Scout.com was on the road covering events over the course of all 20 days of the two evaluation periods. College coaches were doing the same all month as well. With coaches evaluating and showing love to individual players some key commitments took place that will have a big impact for the future.

Maybe the biggest commitment of July came right at the end when Ricardo Gathers decided to go with St. John’s. The Red Storm love to get up and down the floor under the direction of head coach Steve Lavin, and no forward in the country runs baseline to baseline better than Gathers.

An absolute freak athlete, Gathers runs faster than most guards, and is the most physically imposing player in the country. At roughly 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Gathers looks like he is ready for the NFL today, but he is also developing a decent basketball skill set. He felt that St. John’s was the perfect fit for his skills, and it is tough to disagree based on what he will bring to the table complementing their 2011 class.

Another huge pledge came out west when Gabe York decided on Arizona. More of a small shooting guard than a point guard, York absolutely tore up the Adidas Invitational with his play scoring nearly 50 in a game, and overall just making plays all over the floor.

A scorer who thrives coming off of screens and having the freedom to create off the dribble, York loved a late June visit to Arizona, and decided on the Wildcats over Marquette in a close battle.

Picking up a pair of four-star guards during the month was Xavier. First right before the start of the second July evaluation period it was Myles Davis who issued his commitment to the Musketeers. Davis is one of the premier shooters in the class, and liked his visit enough in June to the school to pull the trigger.

Then a week later it was local product Semaj Christon. A late bloomer, Christon exploded during the AAU season and put on a show in July. After long considering an offer from Georgetown, Christon decided Xavier was the right place for him over Illinois, Providence, and Florida State. The commitment came after Christon impressed in St. Louis.

Arguably the most important commitment to any singular team during the month was Dominic Artis to UCLA. Artis not only fills a huge need for the Bruins at the point guard position, but the four-star floor general also gives UCLA a presence with the loaded Oakland Soldiers AAU program. Look for Artis to have some upward movement in the rankings when they are updated next.

Another key point guard pledge was Charles Mann to Georgia. The Bulldogs and head coach Mark Fox had Mann as a priority going into the month, and managed to secure his pledge right at the start of the second evaluation period. Having a point guard in place to run the show helps Fox with his future recruiting efforts in the state.

Other class of 2012 pledges were Jake Kretzer to Akron, Daquan Cook to UNLV, Aaron Scales to Missouri, and also Anthony January and Dwayne Benjamin to UTEP.

While the class of 2012 had most of the pledges, three high-level commitments also came during the month for the 2013 class.

The most recent of which was Zak Irvin to Michigan. The Wolverines beat out Butler for Irvin who is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard/small forward. Irvin is a high level shooter who can make shots off the catch or one dribble pull ups. He is the classic type of wing that John Beilein looks for to fit his system.

Also the Kansas Jayhawks landed an important pledge with Conner Frankamp. Frankamp is a slick ball handler who can really shoot the ball from deep. Not super big or super athletic, Frankamp just finds a way to be successful and will play a role right away for the Jayhawks.

Finally UNLV landed one of their better commitments in some time with Christian Wood. A long and athletic forward, Wood impressed at the Nike Elite 100 for underclassmen, and continued it with his play during July. Wood is a very good shot blocker and someone who can be a threat in pick and pop situations on the offensive end.

Also making his pledge was forward Evan Bradds to Ohio University. Bradds is an excellent early pickup for the Bobcats.

Searching for Shabazz

Thanks to Puffdaddy for sharing this on BZ.

ballislife/youtube


Searching for Shabazz
By: Alex Raskin
hoopsworld.com
Last Updated: 8/5/11 3:25 PM ET



Shabazz Muhammad is supposedly a big talent. We all read stories about the Las Vegas native, but who really knows how good he is until he plays an actual NCAA game?

Sure, the measurables are nice. He's 6-6, 215 pounds and ESPN has him ranked as the third-best prospect in the Class of 2012. Even more intriguing, Muhammad is a lefty who can get to the hoop and has a reliable jumper within 15 feet. He's not a 3-point shooter yet and it's rare when any 17-year-old is actually a good defender, but those are things that can certainly change if he lands with the right program.

And what is the "right program" for Muhammad?

Dave Telep of ESPN.com writes that we won't know that answer anytime soon. So far the list includes UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, UNLV, Memphis, Texas A&M and Kansas—which Telep says is a "slight newbie" for Muhammad.

However Telep doesn't hesitate to say that UCLA, Duke and UNLV are at the top of his list.

"I'll definitely take five visits," Muhammad told Telep, "but I don't know about signing in the early period. If I'm unsure between two schools, I'd probably wait it out and see what school really wants me and which one to go to. If I really knew what college I was going to, I could make the decision right now."

Perhaps Ben Howland and UCLA would be the best for Muhammad, as that choice would probably give him the best defensive fundamentals heading into the NBA. Duke obviously is a top program, but even Mike Krzyzewski doesn't have a laundry list of defensive stoppers like Howland does: Arron Afflalo, Russell Westbrook, Luc Mbah a Moute and Jrue Holiday.

Of course, that's not always what players base these decisions on. Muhammad is from the area, so UNLV will remain a serious possibility, even if it can't offer the same level of competition that UCLA and Duke can.

VIDEO: Clips of Dominic Artis

Thanks to none for sharing on BZ.

VIDEO: Clips of Dominic Artis

By Tracy Pierson
Scout.com
Posted Aug 3, 2011

Check out the point guard from Cali, 5-11 Dominic Artis, who improved his stock this summer and then committed to UCLA...

Prospect: Dominic Artis
High School Team: Las Vegas (Nev.) Findlay Prep
AAU Team: Oakland Soldiers
Class: 2012
Ranking: 95
Height: 5-11
Pos.: Point Guard
Schools Recruiting: Committed to UCLA.

Jordan Farmar signs with Maccabi Tel Aviv

Jordan Farmar signs with Maccabi Tel Aviv

New Jersey Nets Guard Signs with Israeli Powerhouse

By: Leonard Carl
ShalomLife
Published: August 3rd, 2011 in Culture » Society » News



Thanks to the National Basketball Association lockout, New Jersey Nets guard and former first round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers Jordan Farmar is making aliyah, well, that is temporary aliyah.

According to reports, Farmar, whose step-father is a Tel Aviv native, has signed a one-year contract with Israeli power house Maccabi Tel Aviv. The deal is said to include a special clause which allows the to Farmar to return to the NBA Nets if and when the lockout is settled.

"I'm very excited to play in Tel Aviv,'' Farmar told the Star-Ledger. "I went there as a little kid. My stepdad is from Tel Aviv. I watched Tel Aviv play basketball and football -- soccer.''

Farmar signed a 3-year contract with the Nets prior to last season after spending his first four years in the NBA with the Lakers who chose him 26th overall in 2006.

Last season, Farmar averaged 9.6 points and 5.0 assists.

Farmar, who had also reportedly been talking to Maccabi Haifa, will attempt to go through the traditional “aliyah” route, which would make him an Israeli citizen, giving his new, albeit, temporary team, added flexibility since Israeli teams are allowed to dress only four foreign players.