Nick Young Interview
For 3 seasons, Nick Young helped catapult the USC Men’s Basketball team to national recognition with his superior athleticism,charismatic smile and legendary hairstyles. His career as a Trojan was marked with both personal success and constant team improvement. His first season, the Trojans recorded a modest 12 wins. They improved to a respectable 17 during his Sophomore year, and SC amassed 25 victories and reached the Sweet Sixteen in his Junior year.
Nick decided to forego his Senior season and throw his name into the NBA draft. Some experts projected him as a lottery pick, but even though it did not come into fruition he was still lucky enough to be selected 16th overall by the Wizards of Washington, joining another So Cal basketball legend, Gilbert Arenas. We recently caught up with Nick, at a workout bright and early on a Friday, to talk about the 2 biggest things that happened to him this summer: The release of a documentary about his high school career entitled “Second Chance Season” and…the other big thing should be quite obvious amigos…enjoy.
Part 2 and 3 Have Arrived!
Darren talks about signing with his Dream School, his thoughts about coming in and playing behind NBA First Round Pick Jordan Farmar, and declining the 2007 NBA Draft to come back to take another shot at the Natty Title.
Derrick Rose - Memphis Bound
All-American Point Guard Derrick Rose in one of the sickest dunk sequences that you will ever see- and from a high-schooler to boot! From now on, when you hear the name Rose- you will no longer think of Guns N Roses front-man Axl, or the Fab Five's Jalen. You will think of this Chicago native that is sure to be a One-And-Doner for Coach Calipari and the University of Memphis Tigers.
Remember Penny?
How can we forget about Penny. After being named to the 1st Team All-NBA in 2 of his first 3 seasons, “Penny” was one of your bigger superstars in the League. Remember the Lil’Penny commericals?(Youtube link) Air Penny’s were cooler than Air Jordans, and it looked like Penny and Shaq would be the next Magic and Kareem combo for years to come. Sorry! Shaq bounced to LA and Penny became the basketball version of Ken Griffey Jr. He just signed a deal with the Miami Heat, but here’s what he used to bring to the table.
Russell Westbrook Interview
What would you do if you were a 6’-3” combo guard with super game but during your Senior season of high school, you weren’t getting the type of love from college coaches that your game demanded? What would you do if whilst on your way to visit another school, your phone rang and the voice on the other end was a UCLA basketball coach? What would you do if he told you that he wanted you to be a Bruin?
For Russell Westbrook, that answer was simple. Make a U-turn and dip back to Westwood faster then Tyus went up the court against Mizzou in the ’95 tourney. Bruin fans were a little nervous when Jordan Farmar declared for the NBA Draft following the ’05-’06 season (that turned out to be a very solid decision thus far), but his departure opened up a scholarship and allowed Westbrook to bring his multi-faceted game to Westwood. We caught up with the Sophomore to talk about his transition into college, and to see what it's like playing with standout guard Darren Collison and playing for Coach Ben Howland….
Baron Davis UCLA Highlights
Before he shat on AK 47, before his all-out servicing of the NBA’s best-recorded-yet- astonishingly-demoralized Mavericks, before he held no punches with his former high school and now current teammate Austin Croshere, before his hip-hop freestyling with London legend Mr. Drastick, in which he dished out unexpectedly debonair flows such as “I flip flip like Dominique Dawes”, before his legendary facials to upper-echelon big men like Jermaine O’Neal and Kevin Garnett, Baron Davis was a Bruin.For 2 unforgettable seasons in the late 90’s, the prized South Central Los Angeles-bred recruit out of Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, mesmerized fans and haters across the college scene and went on to become the 3rd pick in the ’99 NBA Draft. For now, this video helps us easily remember some of his more legendary moments in a Bruin uniform…
Kevin Love Breaks Backboard
2007 Gatorade National High School Athlete of the Year, 2007 Parade Magazine Player of the Year, 2007 McDonald's National Prep Player of the Year, 2007 Naismith Male Prep Player of the Year, #1 Rated High School Player in the Class of ’07, and the list goes on and on. The Big Man from Lake Oswego (note: went to same high school as Salim, just thought we should mention), committed to UCLA over a year ago and from that moment on, Bruin fans have eagerly anticipated his arrival in Westwood. But until September 24th, when the UCLA quarter begins and Love is officially a Bruin, here is a display of sheer beastness that’s reminiscent of Chocolate Thunder, to wet your beak like Don Fanucci. Enjoy!
OJ Mayo Final High School Dunk
Ovinton J'Anthony "O.J." Mayo has been a fixture in the well- educated basketball circles since he was a 6-foot-plus elementary-schooler. Mayo had a stellar high school career that the hedia(noun; hater media) attempted to tarnish. Although he was often portrayed as a trouble-maker, (he was thrown out of a game for alledgedly shoving a felonious referree, whose flop was similar to a well-coached Blue Devil), the McDonald’s All-American rose above it all and stayed on a path that many have foreseen since he was a child.
We found this clip on the ‘Tube of Mayo’s last high school game, in the West Virginia state championship and we must say that the USC-bound guard went out like a bonafied legend. There are few people that have played at the high school level or any other level for that matter that have the ability to end their career in such a sick fashion. Trojan fans have much to look forward to because this kid has the potential to propel the basketball squad to a level comparable to USC football, and as we all know, they are the real deal.
Mike Roll Interview
Who? Mike Roll. In his first 2 seasons with UCLA, Roll has been a part of 2 Final Four and 2 Pac-10 championship squads. The Bruin sharpshooter sits down with Quinn to talk about his high school career (CIF Southern Section Div. 1A Player of the Year, led Aliso Niguel to CIF Southern Section Championship) and his decision to get out of his commitment to UCSB and sign with the Bruins. Mike also recalls his memories of Bruin squads growing up and the legend that is Ced B.
Lorenzo Mata Interview
On any given Thursday or Saturday during basketball season, a group of Bruin fans will ritualistically scream out “Mataaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!” reminiscent of the “Wasuuuuuup” commercials that dominated the TV landscape some years back. These fans are saluting one of the most recognizable faces in Bruin Basketball history, the big man from Southgate, Senior Center Lorenzo Mata. Lo arrived at UCLA as a member of one of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting classes which included: 2006 NBA 1st-round pick Jordan Farmar, 2007 All- American Arron Afflalo and the multi-talented Josh Shipp. In his first 3 seasons in Westwood, Lo has been an integral part of teams that won 2 Pac-10 Championships in a row and made 3-straight tournament appearances, including 2-straight Final Fours. We caught up with Lo to discuss his preparation for his Senior season, comparisons to NBA forward Ben Wallace and his love for the fans, just as long as you don’t interfere with his meal.