Where does Ray McCallum Jr fit best?

ESPN article from March 10, 2010

Where does McCallum fit best?
By ESPN Recruiting
Archive
Originally Published: March 10, 2010

While Ray McCallum Jr. (Beverly Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day) is keeping his recruitment close to the vest, Arizona, Detroit, Florida and UCLA are the likely favorites. While Detroit doesn't necessarily have the same tradition as the other programs on his list, it's important to remember that's where his dad, Ray Sr., coaches. Here's a look at what all four programs have to offer this complete lead guard.


Ray McCallum
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 179 | ESPNU 100: 34 | PG rank: 7

UCLA

Playing style - UCLA is an opportunistic, fast-break team that will settle into its half-court offense that includes great spacing, ball screens and a mix of set. Coach Ben Howland allows his point guards to play in attack mode, which provides them the freedom to make plays for themselves or teammates.

How he fits - McCallum would be an excellent fit for the Bruins' thin backcourt and he has the tools to run the team right away. Jerime Anderson returns and juco point guard Lazeric Jones committed in late December, so with the addition of McCallum the backcourt would be pretty deep.

Pro factor - The Bruins have been hit hard by early entries into the draft at every position over the past couple of years, especially at the guard position. Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday went in the first round in 2009, and Russell Westbrook was selected No. 4 overall in 2008. This recent success should be attractive.

X factor - UCLA is the farthest school from home that McCallum is considering, but the Bruins' recent Final Four appearances and tradition is undeniable. Also, the Bruins have signed the No. 1 center in Josh Smith and playing with a quality big man is always important to a point guard

ARIZONA

Playing style - McCallum would be great at leading Arizona's fast break and running its half-court offense, consisting of set plays and motion. He would be the coach on the floor for head coach Sean Miller and he would be able make the offense run smoothly and set the tone in the half-court man-to-man defense.

How he fits - McCallum would step right in with the departure of senior point guard Nic Wise. Lamont Jones would be the only remaining point and he and McCallum would be excellent together. With Wise being the only senior on the roster, the Wildcats would be loaded with young talent.

Pro factor - The tradition of great point guard play at Arizona could be very attractive for McCallum. It has been a staple of the program and expect Sean Miller to add to the list that includes Mike Bibby, Damon Stoudamire and most recently Jerryd Bayless, who were all high NBA draft picks.

X factor - The distance could be a huge factor for McCallum. Although the tradition and great weather excites recruits, McCallum's family attends each and every game and traveling west from Detroit could be a major concern, especially for his father, who is the head coach at the University of Detroit.


DETROIT

Playing style - The Titans look to attack in transition and run balanced half-court sets. Ray Jr. would have an opportunity to run the team from Day 1 and set the tone on both ends of the floor.

How he fits - Detroit senior point guard Woody Payne led the Titans with 138 assists this season, so the minutes are available for McCallum to play as much as he can handle. Also Detroit returns three of its top four leading scorers next season, so it has a chance to be very good with McCallum.

Pro factor - Ray McCallum Sr. has recruited and coached several NBA players, most recently the No. 7 overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft, guard Eric Gordon, while he was an assistant at Indiana. He also coached swingman Bonzi Wells, who was the No. 11 pick in 1998, at Ball State.

X factor - Detroit had a pretty good year, finishing 20-14, before losing to Wright State in the Horizon League semifinals and McCallum could play for his dad and be the man right away. Plus, by staying at home, the McCallum's family and friends could see almost every game.


FLORIDA

Playing style - The Gators love to get out in transition on misses and turnovers. Head coach Billy Donovan allows his point guards to attack at high speeds and they make plays from multiple on-ball screening actions utilizing dribble penetration, drive draw and kick opportunities. McCallum would also be a coach on the floor.

How he fits - Florida has plenty of playing time available. Erving Walker will be the only true point guard returning, but he and McCallum would be an excellent pair of lead guards. Add shooting guard Kenny Boynton, who will have a year of experience under his belt, and the perimeter would seem to be in great hands.

Pro factor - In 1998, Sacramento selected point guard Jason Williams as a lottery pick and he later won an NBA title in 2006 with the Heat. In 2007, guard Taurean Green went to the Portland Trailblazers in the second round.

X factor - Donovan has back-to-back NCAA championships to sell and Florida is much closer and easier for the McCallum family to travel to, as opposed to Arizona or UCLA. Donovan is also in hot pursuit of Brandon Knight, who played AAU ball with Boynton, and if Knight commits it would probably take away this option for McCallum.

UCLA recruit Tyler Lamb and Mater Dei in the CIF Southern California Regional finals - Part IV

Early preview: Mater Dei vs. Westchester

Checking out the matchup for Saturday's Southern California Regional final.

March 16, 2010 8:09 PM
By DAMIAN CALHOUN
OCVARSITY.COM

Ahead of Saturday’s ultimate showdown between No. 1 Mater Dei and No. 2 Westchester in the CIF Southern California Regional finals, here is an early preview:

What: No. 2 Westchester Comets (30-3) vs. No. 1 Mater Dei (32-1)
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where: Galen Center, USC

How Westchester got here: The Comets, the Division I L.A. City Section champion and defending state champions, defeated Colony of Ontario (77-42), Santa Monica (73-64) and Long Beach Poly (65-53).

How Mater Dei got here: The Monarchs are the CIF-SS Division 1AA champion. Mater Dei has defeated Buchanan of Clovis (90-65), Rancho Verde (80-48) and Taft (75-73).

Why is this so important? This game is a basketball fan’s version of a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight. You, know that fight that is so big, that it has to happen (we all hope it will happen). This is the matchup that I’ve been looking for since the start of the season. The top two high school basketball teams in the Southern California facing off with a berth in the CIF State Finals on the line. This has can’t-miss written all over it.

What makes Westchester click? Forward Dwayne Polee Jr. Polee, a 6-7 senior forward, can run and jump with the best. He had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Taft in the L.A. City Section finals and he dropped in 22 points against Long Beach Poly in the regional semifinals despite missing most of the second quarter in foul trouble. Mater Dei will have to keep an eye on him. He can fill out a stat sheet better than most.

Westchester player to watch: Center Reggie Murphy. Murphy, 6-9, will be the tallest player on the court Saturday. The Monarchs' tallest starter is Tyler Lamb (6-6). If Murphy is able to control the boards and become a force in the paint, that could make for a long night for the Monarchs. He better do something because Mater Dei’s Keala King has been dominating on the boards during the playoffs, averaging 13.7 a game.

The Westchester guards are both D1-caliber, led by combo guard Jordin Mayes (Arizona) and shooting guard Kareem Jamar (Montana).

Mater Dei players to watch: Katin Reinhardt and Max Hooper. Mater Dei survived Taft in the regional final thanks in large part to the play of sophomore guard Katin Reinhardt. Reinhardt, who moved into the starting lineup earlier this season after guard Tommy Stangl injured his foot, scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds against Taft. Hooper gets overlooked at times, but if you leave him open, he will make you pay.

The final word: I’ve only watched the Comets once this season and that was on television when they defeated Oak Hill Academy, 52-47. That was in December. Jordin Mayes scored 16, Murphy had 12 and Polee 10. To hold Oak Hill to 47, should tell you all you need to know about the Westchester defense. I’ve said all year that Westchester was the only team that could beat Mater Dei. I think this one will be a wide-open game. Westchester wins 85-80.
____

Mater Dei had to beat Etiwanda, Buchanan, Rancho Verde and Taft high schools to get to Saturday's final game. Lamb scored 22, 19, 21 and 21 pts, in these games, respectively. For stories and videos on these previous games, check out earlier blog posts.

To do this, click on title of blog at the top, mostly ucla hoops, to re-load the entire blog.

UCLA recruit Tyler Lamb and Mater Dei in the CIF Southern California Regional finals - Part III

UCLA 2010 recruit Tyler Lamb's high school team, No. 1 Mater Dei (32-1), will be playing No. 2 Westchester (30-3) in the CIF Southeran California Regional finals on Saturday March 20 at 8 pm at the Galen Center, USC.

Mater Dei had to beat Etiwanda, Buchanan, Rancho Verde and Taft high schools to get to the final game.

Here is the story on the Mater Dei-Taft game from March 13. Toughest playoff game to date for the Mater Dei Monarchs but they survive on a favorable no-call at game's end. Lamb led Mater Dei with 21 points.

Mater Dei survives tough test from Taft

The Monarchs advance to face Westchester for a berth in the state title game.

March 13, 2010 10:36 PM

By STEVE FRYER
OCVARSITY.COM
SANTA ANA - For Mater Dei, it’s 3 down, 2 to go.

Mater Dei beat the state’s No. 3-ranked Taft of Woodland Hills, 75-73, Saturday and now gets ready to play No. 2 Westchester.

Mater Dei, No. 1 in calhisports.com’s California rankings, will play Westchester next Saturday at 8 p.m. at USC's Galen Center in the CIF Southern California Regionals Division 1 championship game. (Read our preview)

Mater Dei (32-1) got quite a challenge from Taft (26-6) in Saturday’s semifinal at Mater Dei. Taft took a 68-67 lead with 2:26 remaining on a fast-break dunk by De Andre Daniels, a play that had the potential to swing momentum in Taft’s direction for good. The Monarchs regained the lead on two free throws by Gary Franklin, then Mater Dei’s Tyler Lamb made a 3-pointer with 1:21 left to give Mater Dei a 72-68 lead.

Lamb’s shot turned out to be the one that was the final momentum maker in a game in which there were 15 lead changes.

“I didn’t think about it,” Lamb said about the 3-pointer. “I just let it go.”

Lamb scored a team-high 21 points. Franklin scored 19, Katin Reinhardt scored 15 and Keala King had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Mater Dei.

King and Reinhardt combined on the play that put the game away. King rebounded a Taft miss on the defensive end, then fired an outlet past to a sprinting Reinhardt who made a layup to give the Monarchs a five-point lead with 26 seconds to go.

Franklin said Taft was the best team Mater Dei has played, even better than the team that beat the Monarchs in December, Gonzaga of Washington D.C.

“Taft’s a good team, with great talent,” Franklin said. “We knew we had to be at our best tonight.”

Both teams shot 50 percent from the field. Pierson Williams led Taft with a game-high 24 points.

“That was a very challenging game,” Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said. “They challenged us at every position. Everybody plays at a higher energy level when they play us, and coming here to our gym, Taft knew they had to be focused.”

Mater Dei takes a 26-game winning streak into the game against Westchester, which beat Taft in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division 1 championship game.

“We can’t wait to play Westchester,” Franklin said. “We know they’re very athletic. They’re defending state champions, so we have to give them that type of respect.”

Mater Dei has won 11 CIF Southern California Regionals championship games, the most in state history. The last time Mater Dei won a Regionals, in 2008, it then went on to win a state title. Westchester (30-3), which beat Long Beach Poly, 67-53, in Saturday’s other Division 1 semifinal, presents quite a roadblock.

“This is the dream matchup everybody wanted,” McKnight said.

UCLA recruit Tyler Lamb and Mater Dei in the CIF Southern California Regional finals - Part II

UCLA 2010 recruit Tyler Lamb's high school team, No. 1 Mater Dei (32-1), will be playing No. 2 Westchester (30-3) in the CIF Southeran California Regional finals on Saturday March 20 at 8 pm at the Galen Center, USC.

Mater Dei had to beat Etiwanda, Buchanan, Rancho Verde and Taft high schools to get to the final game.

Here is the story on the March 9 Mater Dei-Buchanan game (Lamb scored 19) followed by the story on the March 11 Mater Dei-Rancho Verde game (Lamb scored 21).

Another shaky start, but Mater Dei stays alive

The Monarchs trail at halftime before a big second-half surge to beat Buchanan.

March 09, 2010 9:39 PM
By LOU PONSI
OCVARSITY.COM

SANTA ANA - Mater Dei started slow in its CIF State Division I game against Buchanan of Clovis on Tuesday night at Mater Dei High.

The Monarchs finally got going in the third quarter and pulled away for a 90-65 victory in the Southern California regional first-round game.

Mater Dei (30-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Gary Franklin's 29 points. Tyler Lamb added 19, Keala King scored 17 and Max Hooper 13.

Despite the large margin of victory, Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight didn't have much praise for his team.

"We've played poorly defensively for two games in row," said Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight, referring to the Monarchs' 68-65 down-to-the-wire victory over Etiwanda in Saturday's CIF-SS Division 1AA final.

"We are a much better team than this. Buchanan came in here and played with nothing to lose ... I wish we played with half as much enthusiasm than they did."

The Monarchs shot poorly early and trailed at halftime, 42-39. Mater Dei and allowed the Bears (22-8) to hit 57 percent of their shots in the half.

The Monarchs went on a 33-18 run in the third quarter to pull away.

Alex Fertig and Sam Milhous each scored 14 for the Bears.

*******

Mater Dei shows strength as it beats Rancho Verde

The Monarchs win big, 80-48, and move on to face Taft in the regional semifinals.

March 11, 2010 11:55 PM
By MARK GARCIA
OCVARSITY.COM

SANTA ANA - Kaela King scored 23 points and Tyler Lamb added 21 to lead Mater Dei to an 80-48 win over Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley on Thursday in a CIF Southern California Division I quarterfinal game at Mater Dei High.

The win advances the Monarchs (31-1) to the semifinals, where they will face Taft of Woodland Hills on Saturday at home at 7 p.m. Taft advanced by defeating Leuzinger, 66-63.

"I'm pretty happy the way we played tonight," said Monarchs coach Gary McKnight. "Defensively, we stepped up our intensity and focused on getting off to a good start."

McKnight said his club had not started recent games as well as he would like. Mater Dei scored just 15 points in the first quarter Thursday, but exploded for 26 in the second to lead 41-20 at halftime.

"We had some good talks this week," he said. "A lot of people thought this team wouldn't be as explosive as last year's. But I think we're more explosive because we can get cheaper baskets."

"You could tell the whole team was focused before the game," said Lamb, who also added nine rebounds and five assists. "It was important for us to get off to a good start."

The victory for the Monarchs was its second in 13 days against the Mustangs (25-7). Mater Dei won, 94-58, on Feb. 27 in a Southern Section Division IAA semifinal.

And much like the previous game, Mater Dei's superior athleticism and size played a huge factor. The Monarchs outrebounded Rancho Verde, 50-25, with King leading the way with 14 boards.

Mater Dei's starting lineup featured nobody under 6-foot-3. Rancho Verde's lineup featured nobody over 6-foot-2.

Rancho Verde seemed content shooting from the perimeter, but finished just 16-of-56 (29 percent) from the floor, and was just 3 of 27 from beyond the arc.

"Do you see any post players out there?" said Mustangs coach Travis Showalter. "We are what we are. We've got to make some threes to score some points."

Ahead 11-7 late in the first quarter, Mater Dei went on a 14-0 run. Rancho Verde never recovered. The Monarchs' lead fluctuated from 20-30 points the remainder of the night.

Rancho Verde guard Kyle Fuller, a Vanderbilt signee, finished with a team-high 18 points, but 14 came in the second half when the game was already decided.

Gary Franklin, who drew the defensive assignment on Fuller, was solid on the offensive side too, finishing with 16 points and five rebounds.

"I still feel we can get better," added Lamb. "The sky's the limit with this team."

UCLA recruit Tyler Lamb and Mater Dei in the CIF Southern California Regional finals - Part I

UCLA 2010 recruit Tyler Lamb's high school team, No. 1 Mater Dei (32-1), will be playing No. 2 Westchester (30-3) in the CIF Southeran California Regional finals on Saturday March 20 at 8 pm at the Galen Center, USC.

Mater Dei had to beat Etiwanda, Buchanan, Rancho Verde and Taft high schools to get to the final game.

Here is the story on the Mater Dei-Etiwanda game from March 6. Lamb scored a game-high 22 pts.

Mater Dei struggles, survives for CIF title

The Monarchs get by Etiwanda, 68-65, to end their drought in the section championships.

By STEVE FRYER
OCVARSITY.COM
ANAHEIM - Mater Dei played its worst, but got its best result.

The Monarchs survived their poorest performance of the season, and perhaps got away with a last-second foul that could have been called but was not, to beat Etiwanda, 68-65, in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1AA championship Saturday at Honda Center. Mater Dei had lost three CIF-SS finals in as many years at the Honda Center going into Saturday.

Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight conceded the Monarchs struggled more Saturday's than in any other game this season – and hinted that this could be his final year coaching.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this," said McKnight, happy but weary. Health, especially blood-sugar issues, has been a concern for McKnight in recent years. Immediately after the game, McKnight was eating a granola bar and sipping a soda to pop some sugar into this system as quickly as he could.

If his 28th season coaching the Monarchs indeed is his last, he will exit with an amazing 20 CIF-SS championships in 28 years. Saturday's game was his 24th in a CIF-SS final.

This victory was especially satisfying for Mater Dei's Gary Franklin. A senior, Franklin was the only Mater Dei starter who had been on the 2007, '08 and '09 teams that lost in section finals at the Honda Center.

"It was just a hump we needed to get over," Franklin said. "Coach and I have been through this for a while."

For a while, it looked like they might not get over that hump. On offense, Mater Dei did too much standing around, the Monarchs impatiently put up some bad outside shots, they did not attack the offensive boards as they had so often and so well all season long, and on defense they were just did not hustle.

Etiwanda had a 31-29 lead at halftime, and had a four-point lead in the third quarter. Mater Dei senior Tyler Lamb then led a sequence of plays that put the Monarchs ahead and gave them some much-needed momentum.

He scored inside with 1:46 left in the third to tie it, 49-49. Then he grabbed a defensive rebound and passed down court to streaking Keala King for a fastbreak layup and a 51-49 lead. Later, getting ready to inbound the ball under the Mater Dei basket, Lamb gave a nod to Franklin to make a cut to Franklin's right, Franklin did so and Lamb threw the ball to Franklin for an easy layup to make it 53-49.

Mater Dei took a 53-51 lead into the fourth quarter. Etiwanda tied it, 57-57, but a 3-pointer by Lamb put the Monarchs on top. Again Etiwanda caught up, and Franklin converted a three-point play with 2:46 left to give the Monarchs a 66-63 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.

Etiwanda cut the lead to one point on a basket by Byron Wessley with 1:04 to go. Neither team scored until Mater Dei junior David Brown made two free throws with five seconds remaining to make it 68-65.

The Eagles quickly got the ball down court to Evan Jenkins, who, in front of the Etiwanda bench, went up for a 3-pointer. Mater Dei's King and Eli Stalzer were right there, there was body contact, and the ball went a few feet up in the air and King came down with it at the final buzzer. TV replays indicated Stalzer might have struck Jenkins' left arm during the shot attempt.

Etiwanda coach Dave Kleckner, asked for his opinion, took the high road.

"It looked like he (Stalzer) got ball, hand and wrist all in one," Kleckner said. "But that's not what lost us this game. There were things we could have done throughout the game to win it."

Mater Dei (29-1) and Etiwanda (23-9) will continue the season this week in the CIF Southern California Regionals, the qualifying tournament for the CIF State Championships. Seedings and first-round pairings will be announced Sunday. First-round games are Monday and Tuesday.

Lamb, a senior who signed with UCLA, scored a game-high 22 points. Franklin scored 21, including six 3-pointers. King scored nine with 12 rebounds.

Wesley led Etiwanda with 18 points. Etiwanda shot 50 percent from the field, compared to a shooting percentage of 42 for Mater Dei.

The first half was quite reminiscent of Mater Dei's loss in the 1AA final last year at Honda Center. The Monarchs were favored to beat M.L. King of Riverside, but they came out emotionally flat and never got the competitive fires going that night.

It looked good at the start – Mater Dei had a 12-8 lead in the first quarter, and took a 14-10 advantage into the second. The Monarchs again pushed the lead to eight in the second quarter. But they suffered from a sluggish offense, with little movement away from the ball and players impatiently taking 3-pointers.

Etiwanda started out-running Mater Dei and went on a 17-7 run to take a 31-29 lead into halftime.

Sean Farnham: "Bruins Have Their Work Cut Out for Them"

Bruins Have Their Work Cut Out for Them
By Sean Farnham
UCLA Bruin 1997-2000
FOX Sports West & PRIME TICKET
March 16, 2010

So the end has come to what has been a disappointing UCLA Men’s basketball season. And the eyes will immediately turn to the future of the Bruins and this program.

A quick look ahead:

1) Youth is now more experienced: This team is one of the youngest in the country with a roster full of sophomores and freshman. Another year under their belt should help them become more seasoned and more mature players. Specifically, at the point guard position, where Malcolm Lee and Jerime Anderson have logged enough minutes now to no longer have the excuse of being young. They will be veterans on this team and they must prove that they have learned from their experiences and become the leaders on and off the court that can help the Bruins get back in the NCAA Tournament.

2) Another talented crop of recruits will head to Westwood, meaning competition is on, once again. Depth was a concern at times this year for the Bruins…next year the freshman that didn’t play a lot this past season should be hungry for more minutes. Specifically, players like Mike Moser and Anthony Stover. How much time away from the coaches will the returning players put in, in order to get better? Players like Earl Watson, Aaron Afflalo, and Alfred Aboya put the time in to get better. They weren’t the only ones, but their work was not only done as a way to improve themselves, but to motivate and lead their teammates around them.

3) Players like Mike (sic - Tyler) Lamb and Josh Smith should be heading to Westwood with thoughts of returning this program back to the NCAA tournament and once again challenge for a Pac-10 and NCAA title. In order for that to happen, they need to commit to challenging themselves and not being complacent or buy into their stellar class ranking in high school because the division 1 level is a different beast.

4) Adopting the right mantra to play for Ben Howland. You need to be a tough player to fit into his system, both mentally and physically. The players that are, have flourished and propelled themselves and the Bruins’ program in recent years. I believe that with players like Reeves Nelson and JC Transfer point guard Lazeric Jones, that the days of competing and playing the Howland brand of basketball will return to Westwood quickly.

So often I have the chance to talk to coaches about what makes great players, great teams and the answer is all the same…WORK. It will never be a question of work from the coaching staff at UCLA, so now the players must look in the mirror and ask the question, “How bad do I want to make sure this feeling I had this season is never felt again?”

Side Note: This past week Pat Douglas was let go by UC Irvine. For most, maybe this story was a small caption in the newspaper that you glanced over. For me, it was a sad day to see a great teacher and mentor of young men, was no longer going to be on the sidelines of the Big West. I have a ton of respect for Coach Douglas and the way he lead his program and the success he had over the years and wish him the best of luck in the future…

Jamaal Wilkes: UCLA, Howland will bounce back

Two-time UCLA champ and three-time Lakers champion Jamaal Wilkes is the special guest for The Orange County Register's "March Ad Madness" breakfast Tuesday. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER


Wilkes: UCLA, Howland will bounce back
By AL BALDERAS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: March 16, 2010
Updated: 4:51 p.m.

The former Bruin (1972-74) and Laker talks about his old teams and the NCAA Tournament.

SANTA ANA -- It's safe to say that Jamaal Wilkes has made a lasting impression on the game of basketball.

He helped UCLA win a record 88 consecutive games, and played for two of the Bruins' NCAA Championship teams.

He won four NBA titles (one with Golden State, three with the Lakers), secured the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and is one of the finalists for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The final selections will be announced next month.

Wilkes stopped by the Orange County Register Tuesday and took a quick timeout to answer a few questions.

Q. What are your thoughts on the season UCLA had this year?

A. You knew going in it was going to be tough. When (Drew) Gordon left unexpectedly, that made it tougher, not only from the floor but perception-wise. We knew early on it was going to be a very trying year, and it was. But to put it in perspective, North Carolina won the championship last year and they're not in it either. So, it happens. You hope for the silver lining that maybe some of these young players for UCLA played a lot and maybe got some experience, and maybe got a better understanding of what it's going to take next year for success. I think coach Howland, he's going to bounce back. The reality is that you have down years. Everyone does.

Q. What was it like to be on a team that won 88 games in a row?

A. I'm still pinching myself. The whole key was coach Wooden and his remarkable consistency and remarkable level-headedness. Our practices were often times better than the games. And we never really thought of it as winning 88 games. I actually played on the team that won 73 of the 88 games. We always thought of it as going out there and doing our best every night and let the wins and losses take care of themselves. Remarkably, and due to coach Wooden's brilliance, we won a lot of games but to this day I still don't believe it myself.

Q. Is that something that can be repeated?

A. I don't ever like to say never. The UConn women's team has I think won (72) which is pretty remarkable because college women's basketball is pretty competitive all around now. I think the more you have players that want to get a degree, so you have guys that are a more cohesive unit, I think it helps. If you have a whole different cast of characters every year or two, it's kind of tough.

Q. How would you describe Coach Wooden?

A. The Oracle, on and off the floor.

Q. Does the feeling of winning an NBA championship compare with winning an NCAA title or are they two distinctly different things?

A. They're two distinctly different things. With the college game, it's the sudden-death format, more raw energy, more of a pride factor.

With the NBA game it's a grueling series, it's a thing of adjustments. You can have an off night but in the college game, you can't have an off night in the tournament.

Q. Does that make one more special or meaningful than the other?

A. No, only because to win a championship on any level is special and requires a lot of things going right.

Q. What is your fondest memory about the NCAA Tournament?

A. One of my fondest memories as an NCAA player would be my sophomore year when we won the championship, beating Florida State at the Sports Arena here in Los Angeles. It was kind of a coming of age moment to say, 'Hey, we're pretty good, and I'm pretty good. The NBA could be doable.' It was kind of a turning point.

Q. So you hadn't really considered the NBA at that point?

A. I had but not seriously because coming out of high school to UCLA is a quantum leap. You're flattered to be there but you really don't know if you're good enough. Then the expectations we had created by those that preceded us, we just wanted to try to keep it going. That was really more the focus. Not knowing if we could, we didn't want to let the guys down that had created the tradition. That was really what we were trying to do.

Q. What are your thoughts of being a finalist for the Hall of Fame?

A. I'm tickled-pink. I'm excited and honored and hope I get in.