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UCLA Bruins Basketball: Early Pac-12 Tournament Seeding Scenarios

Russ O'Risky — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:37:29 +0000

Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Pac-12 Conference Tournament for men’s basketball is 2 ½ weeks away. If the season ended today, Oregon would be the #1 seed, Arizona #2, UCLA #3 and California #4. The top four seeds in the tourney get a first-round bye.

In the next tier of the tourney, ASU would be seeded #5, Colorado #6, USC #7 and Washington #8. And rounding out the Pac, Stanford would be #9, Utah #10, OSU #11 and WSU #12.

Oregon is the only team that controls its own destiny and can guarantee itself the #1 seed and a Pac-12 regular season title simply by winning out. UCLA and Arizona have to win out too, but also need some help in the form of Oregon losing one more time to secure the #1 seed. The Bruins and Wildcats have both lost to Oregon head-to-head and do not play the Ducks again this season.

Cal needs Oregon, UCLA and Arizona to all lose at least one more time to secure the #1 seed. The Golden Bears actually have the easiest remaining schedule of the four “Top Tier” teams (tiers broken down below) with three home games against middle or bottom tier teams. Should all four Top Tier teams end the season tied, California would be the likely one seed as they split with UCLA, are undefeated against Oregon and Arizona and have the best record against Top Tier teams.

Theoretically, ASU, Colorado and USC all have a chance to tie for the best record in the PAC-12 in the event all four Top Tier teams completely tank, but the likelihood of that is so remote it’s not worth considering. So, the battle for the #1 seed is truly between the four Top Tier teams.

UCLA’s path to a #1 seed is tough, but not impossible. Winning out is imperative. Home games against the two Arizona schools loom large this week. Seeking vengeance against ASU should provide plenty of motivation, and then a nationally broadcast game against the Wildcats (with ESPN College Gameday on hand) should have Pauley Pavilion rocking.

The Bruins absolutely have to hold serve at home. If they do, then the criticality of the trip to Washington the following week increases dramatically. If there’s a gimme win to be had on the road in the Pac -12, it’s in Pullman against Washington State. The Bruins should be able to win there. And then a tough, but beatable, Washington remains in the season finale. Winning on the Huskies’ home court is never a given, but if the Bruins are up for the challenge, it’s entirely possible that UCLA can win the Pac-1 2 regular season title. A road trip for Oregon to Colorado could provide the final stumbling block for the Ducks that the Bruins need to seal the deal.
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PAC-12 TOP TIER
Oregon 11-4—Three games left: home against OSU, at Colorado and at Utah.
Arizona 11-4—Three games left: at USC, at UCLA and home against ASU.
UCLA 10-4—Four games left: home against ASU, home against Arizona, at WSU and at Washington.
California 10-5 —Three games left: all at home against Utah, Colorado and Stanford.

PAC-12 MIDDLE TIER
Arizona State 9-6—Three games left: at UCLA, at USC and at Arizona.
Colorado 8-6—Four games left: at Stanford, at Cal., home against Oregon and home against OSU.
USC 7-7—Four games left: home against Arizona, home against ASU, at Washington and at WSU.
Washington 7-8—Three games left: all home against WSU, SC and UCLA.

PAC-12 BOTTOM TIER
Stanford 7-8—Three games left: home against Colorado, home against Utah, and at Cal.
Utah 3-11—Four games left: at Cal, at Stanford, home against OSU and home against Oregon.
Oregon State 3-12—Three games left: all on the road at Oregon, Utah and Colorado.
Washington State 2-13 —Three games left: at Washington, home against UCLA and home against USC.

UCLA Bruins Basketball: Is Bill Walton Right?

Russ O'Risky — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:39:17 +0000

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

I watched the Washington-Oregon game last night, hoping for a Huskies victory. Oregon won, which doesn’t help our Bruins, but watching the game itself, I couldn’t help but notice how physical, gritty and low scoring it was.

It was a hard fought, physical contest throughout. The final score was 65-52. Washington struggled to even score, and Oregon didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Looking at some checkpoints along the way in the game, you can get a sense of what I mean.

At the 10:00 mark in the first half, the two teams had combined for just 22 points. By halftime, things had picked up a bit as they had combined for 60 points. That means they combined for 38 points during that 10-minute segment which was a pretty good clip, which if maintained would have resulted in a shoot-out.

Ten minutes into the second half, the two teams had a combined 84 points, having slogged through that time frame much as they had the first 10 minutes of the game, producing 24 points. They finished the game with a combined 117 points, which means they scored a combined 33 points down the stretch.

This was not run-and-gun basketball by any stretch of the imagination. Combined, the two teams got off just 109 shots. There were 35 fouls and, believe it or not, in my opinion the refs swallowed their whistles. The teams shot 35 free throws combined. The Ducks shot a mind-numbing 56.5% from the free-throw line on 13-for-23 shooting. The Huskies were abysmal from the 3-point line, making just 2-of-13 for a 15.4 percent shooting from deep. The Ducks weren’t much better at 4-for-13 from range. The winning Ducks were outrebounded by six. There were only 10 assists in the entire game, seriously, and the Huskies recorded ZERO dimes. There was plenty to not like about this game, including how it was refereed, played and coached. Overall, the game felt like it was played in molasses.

Curiously, Bill Walton (the color commentator) had nothing but high praise for both coaches. Dana Altman “has a vision and a plan.” Lorenzo Romar is “a top coach in the Pac-12 and gets the most out of his players.” There was zero criticism of the product on the floor, in fact, there was only praise. No sarcasm. No digs at the coaches. No questioning any of the glaring issues during the game. No wondering how a nationally ranked team like Oregon could get outrebounded by the likes of the Huskies. No one was aghast at the lack of a single assist by Washington.

Oddly enough, the Big Red Head was quick to point out these types of issues during the Bruins’ game against the Huskies a week ago. Keep in mind that in that game, the teams scored a combined 116 points compared to the apparently-acceptable 117 points from the game last night. More to the point, it could be argued the Bruins game against the Huskies was more exciting and flowed better. Consider there were 14 more shots taken (123 to 109), 10 more steals (20-10), more assists (20-10), fewer free throws (30-35), fewer fouls (31-35) and roughly equal attendance. And yet…

Walton had no problem finding all the issues in UCLA’s game, the Bruins and Coach Howland. Not only did he continuously drub the “product on the floor” and make it clear he thought the game was awful, but he flat out said he did not like Coach Howland and said if he were in charge things would be different. So how can Altman and Romar be worthy of praise and Howland worthy only of scorn when putting out a similar product?

Because we’re UCLA. Because when it comes to Oregon or Washington or anyone else, Walton can be disingenuous or fake and it doesn’t matter. Altman is good, but a pedestrian coach at best. Romar is a notch below Altman in my book. But they don’t coach at UCLA. I personally am not comfortable with Walton calling out Coach Howland like he did on national TV. I’ve said before, I don’t believe Coach Wooden would condone that either. That stated, I have to admit, I understand his criticism. Is Walton right?

UCLA Basketball: Can The Bruins Still Win The Pac-12?

Russ O'Risky — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:00:33 +0000

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Can the Bruins still win the regular season Pac-12 Conference Title? In a word: no. Oh, it’s theoretically possible. The Bruins could win out. The Ducks could implode and lose three games out of their last eleven. These things could happen, and if they do the Bruins are the regular season champs, but it’s not very likely. In fact, here’s how unlikely it is: even I don’t believe it’ll happen and I’m as relentlessly positive a Bruin fan as you could ever find.

That’s not to say Oregon’s remaining schedule isn’t challenging; it is. Road games at Colorado and Washington are far from bunnies. The trip to Northern California is never a given. In fact, if Oregon finishes the season with less than three conference losses I’ll be mildly surprised. But then Oregon’s performance isn’t really the issue so much as it’s the Bruins’. UCLA can’t seem to get out of its own way.

It’s been said repeatedly: UCLA is a good, but not great team. Great teams hold serve at home. The Bruins have lost twice at Pauley. Great teams are consistent. Well, we did reel off ten wins in a row, but some of those wins were uninspiring. And from the “What Have You Done For Us Lately” Department, we just got through losing two out of three games. This is not a great team.

That stated, our remaining schedule doesn’t look awful. Our toughest road game is against the #5 team in the Pac-12, Washington, who is as I’ve said previously a potential paper tiger; they’re certainly not as dangerous as in years past. The two best teams we have on the schedule are ASU and Arizona, and we have them at home. It seems to me we have a remaining schedule that may well allow us to build momentum for the post season, but not to catch Oregon.

Side Note: We are consistently moving up seeding spots on a weekly basis in a certain NCAA Bracket Projection. The latest projection as of today has us as a six seed. If we win out or lose only one game through the end of the season I don’t think it’s unreasonable for us to get a four seed, especially if we have a strong showing in the Pac-12 Tourney as well. Win the Pac-12 Tourney under those the circumstances I just described and we may even be able to sneak in as a three seed. Yeah, I know. Wishful thinking, but it sez here this is actually more likely than us catching the Ducks.

UCLA Basketball: Ben Howland’s 3 Biggest Mistakes

Spencer Stueve — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:00:56 +0000

Despite Ben Howland’s success at UCLA, including three consecutive final fours, one championship appearance, many NBA draft picks, and a solid 211-99 record at UCLA, there is a groundswell of support for the Fire Ben Howland campaign.

At UCLA, expectations are sky high ever year and memories are short. The Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook days are behind us and instead UCLA fans are relying on soft twins who play zero defense, a fifth year senior who couldn’t cut it at North Carolina, and a trio of freshman to carry the team.

In order to save his job, Ben Howland will have to spark a major turnaround and get the Bruins back on track. To jumpstart the Bruins, Coach Howland will have to adjust and avoid the critical mistakes that got the Bruins off to a disappointing 6-3 start in the first place.

Here are three mistakes Ben Howland has made this season and will have to avoid if he wants to remain employed:

1. Overreliance on the Wear twins- Coach Howland loves the skill that the twins display at times and feels they are “reliable.” The problem with this logic is that, although reliable, they have no upside. They are defensive liabilities, inconsistent scorers, and average rebounders. With Josh Smith now departed from the team, there aren’t many other options for Howland, though. Freshman Tony Parker has battled injuries and foul trouble. As the season goes on, Howland will need to go smaller, with Kyle Anderson getting more time at the 4 and less time for both David and Travis Wear.

2. Finding a role for Kyle Anderson- Although many Bruin fans are clamoring for Anderson to be the starting point guard, he is more needed at forward. His rebounding has been vital and Larry Drew II, although not spectacular in any way, has been solid at point guard. Finding a way to utilize Anderson’s unique talents has proven difficult for Howland thus far. Anderson is a point guard by nature and has struggled finding his role off the ball. In order to utilize both Anderson and Drew effectively, Coach Howland needs to get the team more transition opportunities. A three man fastbreak with Drew, Anderson, and Shabazz Muhammad is potentially very potent.

3. Recruiting mishaps- Although everyone has certainly been very excited about the top ranked recruiting class Ben Howland brought in this year, there have been errors. This mistake by Howland goes back several years. Singling out individual players who may or may not have been the type of recruits needed is unnecessary, but rather we will point to the style of play. When Coach Howland was most successful at UCLA, he had athletic, high energy big men, who struggled at times offensively, but were the keys to the stifling Bruin defense. With the exception of Kevin Love, the ’06-’08 Bruins had blue collar, high energy guys who received little attention. Gone are the days of Alfred Aboya, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Lorenzo Mata-Real. Ben Howland is a coach with a defensive first philosophy and a strong belief in tough, man-to-man defense. UCLA has been forced to play zone, against Howland’s wishes, because of lack of interior defense and athleticism.

Bruin Alumni Corner: My First UCLA Football Game

Derek Hart — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:50:40 +0000

Every member of UCLA’s Bruin Nation who has been to Bruin football games, whether he or she is a current student, or is from the class of 1950 (or even earlier than that), or was in Westwood in the years between then and now, has a story about the first time he or she saw their beloved Bruins on the gridiron.

This is mine…

Sep 15, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins mascot Joe Bruin high-fives a young fan during the game against the Houston Cougars at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kriby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

It was on September 3, 1988, two days before Labor Day.

I was taking summer session classes as part of the Academic Advancement Program’s Transfer Summer Program, a sort of spring training for new UCLA students who transferred from other colleges to get them acclimated to what UCLA classes were like. I had realized my dream of being accepted to the school – my dream school, in fact – after I had began my undergraduate career at Santa Monica College, and I took the opportunity to experience what classes at UCLA were like as well as get some credits before fall quarter started.

Part of the TSP was doing fun, outside-the-classroom things, and they made plans to go to the Bruins’ first football game at the Rose Bowl, which being the fanatic Bruin football fan that I was, well, it was like a five-year old going to Disneyland for the first time; I was that jazzed.

So there we all were, on the rooter bus pulling out from Lot 32 in Westwood and heading north on the 405 with other students, turning right on the 101 and rolling along to see our heroes commencing with their season.

When the bus approached the Linda Vista off ramp, I looked to my left and there it was – the Rose Bowl, sitting there among a big stretch of grass looking all majestic. As I was seeing it for the first time, my mind flashed back to all the New Year’s Day Rose Bowls that I had seen on TV, and I couldn’t help thinking, “I can’t believe that I now get to be a part of this!”

So we park with all the other buses, go in the gate, walk in the narrow tunnel – tunnel seven to be precise – come out the other side, and you know what my first thought was upon seeing that iconic stadium and field for the first time ever in person?

“Gee, it looks a lot bigger on TV.”

Even though at the time the place had a capacity of over 100,000 people; sure it was huge, and I was appropriately impressed, but it just seemed bigger when I watched all of those New Year’s Day games on TV. I suppose that was a bigger version of the adage, “The camera adds ten pounds”.

Anyhow, we sit in our seats in the student section – as it turns out it would be the only time I would ever sit there, for reasons I will state in a bit – when this middle-aged lunatic in glasses with little blue shorts, a blue and gold-striped sweater, and a blue cap, stood on a podium on the sideline behind the 50-yard line and screamed with furor:

“I WANT EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD!!

“GIVE ME A ‘B’ “!!!

And you know we fully well did, along with the rest of the Bruin spellout as I encountered Geoff Strand ’71, the greatest cheerleader of all time and arguably the chairman of Bruin Nation, for the first time. Like countless other Bruins, he would be an inspiration to me and a significant reason why I still go to games all these years later.

As for the game, well, there really wasn’t much to talk about there. We were playing San Diego State and after our defense gave the Aztec offense a three-and-out, I was looking forward to seeing Troy Aikman, the quarterback who, like me, was a transfer student and was on a lot of pre-season All-American lists.

Little did I know that the eventual three-time Super Bowl champion and NFL Hall-of-Famer would be in my sociology class a few weeks later.

Yes, I was anticipating seeing the great Aikman, as I referred to him then, until Darryl Henley took the punt back 75 yards or so for the touchdown.

The game was pretty much over after that as we scored at will and ended up routing the Aztecs, 59-6, on the way to an eventual #1 ranking – the last time the Bruins achieved that standing in the polls – a 10-2 record and ending the season ranked 6th in the country.

The two other memories of that evening were participating in the card show at halftime and having the head of the Rally Committee practically on his knees begging us to “Please do not throw your cards, Bruins – they can seriously hurt someone!”, and seeing the marching band in the stands to my right and slightly below. I had auditioned and was accepted to that Solid Gold Sound a few weeks before, and two weeks later I would officially be a member of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band and participating in their band camp, learning “Sons of Westwood and “Mighty Bruins” on my tenor saxophone, hence not sitting in the student section anymore.

All-in-all, it was a good introduction to Bruin Nation and – yes, I know it’s a cliche – something that I’ll always remember as 2013 will mark 25 years as a member of UCLA Bruin Nation for me.

It’s been a great ride, to say the least, and provided that this current football team reaches their potential, I’m looking forward to even more great memories and thrills in what is considered the greatest stadium in America.

I know that sounds a bit pompous, but still…

Anyhow, we find

Bruin Alumni Corner: A Prodigal Son Returns

Derek Hart — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:50:05 +0000

It’s been six months since I last posted on this site…

I was the first lead editor of GoJoeBruin.com when the site launched in October of 2011, covering not only UCLA football and basketball, but also touching on other sports like women’s volleyball (defending NCAA champions!) and women’s gymnastics, to show that the Bruins are not solely about what happens on the gridiron and the hardcourt.

Dec 31, 2011; San Francisco CA, USA; The UCLA Bruins mascot performs on the sidelines against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first quarter at AT

After leaving Go Joe Bruin this past February to focus on other writing commitments, I felt that I could write opinion articles on this site once a month, to give Go Joe Bruin an alumni’s perspective – I’m a UCLA alum, class of 1991 and yes, I know I’m old – so here I am.

As an alumnus, I have a perspective that Bruins who currently attend and have attended UCLA in this century don’t necessarily have, in that in the 24 years that I have been involved with Bruin Nation dating back to my student days, I have seen and experienced many things.

For instance, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman was in one of my classes during my first quarter in Westwood. I have also shared classrooms with athletic standouts such as basketballer Tracy Murray, leading running back Shawn Wills, and all-time softball great Lisa Fernandez.

Not to mention being a member of the UCLA Bruin Marching and Varsity Bands, traveling to places like Dallas, TX for the Cotton Bowl and the San Francisco Bay Area for the Cal and Stanford football games, and seeing countless other football and basketball contests due to my ability to play the tenor saxophone.

During my first ten years after I got my degree from UCLA, the Bruins have provided many thrills, starting with the fact that unlike nearly every current Bruin on campus, I actually know what the Victory Bell looks like as the football team beat USC a record eight straight times in what is known in Westwod as “The Streak”, lasting from 1991 to 1998.

The most memorable win over those Trojans in that span – and arguably the greatest Bruin victory ever - was the 48-41 double overtime thriller in 1996 when the Bruins staged a 17-point comeback in the fourth quarter to force what is still the only overtime game in the history of the crosstown rivalry. I was proud to have been among the more than 80,000 fans in the Rose Bowl that afternoon when Skip Hicks ran 25 yards to score the winning touchdown.

I also fondly remember the basketball team’s unforgettable 1994-95 season, when Ed O’ Bannon and Tyus Edney led UCLA to their first national championship since the John Wooden era with a record-setting 31 wins; I’ll never forget Edney’s run and lay-up with 4.6 seconds left to beat Missouri.

It’s hard to believe that I am entering my 25th year as a member of Bruin Nation.

As one can see, I have experienced much in that span, and am particularly looking forward to seeing the football team going in a new direction of commitment and accountability under Jim Mora.

Can those Bruins return UCLA to the football success that they were accustomed to in the 1980s and 90s? That remains to be seen, but it will be quite interesting to watch.

And I will be on this site once a month to offer my thoughts and opinions on what’s going on not only on the Bruin gridioron, but also in other things pertaining to UCLA athletic, because unlike a certain other school 11 miles away and located just south of downtown Los Angeles, Bruins understand that there’s more to college sports than just football.

It’s good to be back – Go Bruins!

Bruins Hang On In The Palouse For 63-60 Win

Derek Hart — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:11:46 +0000

Feb 4 2012; Pullman, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins center Joshua Smith (34) dunks the ball against Washington State Cougars forward D.J. Shelton (23) during the first half at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-US PRESSWIRE

They needed this one.

Badly.

And it wasn’t easy; nor was it pretty.

First off, UCLA was without forward Travis Wear, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the Bruins’ loss to the Washington Huskies two nights before.

And they didn’t play particularly wonderfully against Washington State’s Cougars in the Palouse, as Brock Motum torched Ben Howland’s squad for 19 points in the first half, with Wazzu taking a 34-29 lead after the game’s first 20 minutes.

As for the second 20 minutes?

Apparently it was a combination of Howland implementing a 2-3 zone defense, the Bruins getting fed up with playing below their capability, and them not wanting to get swept on the road for the second straight time, because UCLA held Washington State without a point for over five crucial minutes in that second half, and the Bruins showed tremendous grit and guts in beating the Cougars, 63-60, in front of 4,204 disappointed fans at Pullman’s Beasley Coliseum.

The win was UCLA’s 19th straight over the Cougars, and only their second triumph on the road this season.

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Bruin Football Coach Jim Mora on Signing Day

Derek Hart — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:29:04 +0000

This is a video clip of UCLA head football Jim Mora talking with the Los Angeles Daily News’ Jon Gold about how the Bruins did on Signing Day, the various players that the program signed, and what lies ahead for the team as off-season workouts continue and spring practice is just around the corner:

UCLA Head Coach Jim Mora on Signing Day on YouTube

I think everyone in Bruin Nation will like what he says, so check it out…

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Bruins Fall Apart Down The Stretch And Lose, 71-69

Derek Hart — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:40:26 +0000

As I had said before UCLA’s battle with Washington in Seattle, I didn’t expect the Bruins to beat the first place Huskies.

Not on the road.

But what ended up happening was much worse, as Washington outscored Bruins 16-4 in the game’s final seven minutes, going on a 13-0 run in the process after Ben Howland’s team had taken a ten-point lead.

Combine Husky guard Terrance Ross’ 18 points in the second half (22 for the game) and UCLA’s eight turnovers in the second half with the Bruins going on a fateful four-minute stretch without scoring, then add a missed 10-foot jumper by Norman Powell right before the final buzzer that could have tied the game, and you have a 71-69 loss to the Huskies in front of an excitingly delirious crowd of 9,756 U-Dub fans.

It was a bitter loss as UCLA’s road woes continue; they still have only one win in opposing arenas, their record falling to .500 in the Pac-12 Conference at 5-5 with this loss being their tenth overall against 12 wins.

Worst of all, this marks the Bruins’ 8th straight loss to the Huskies in Seattle, as the last time UCLA won a basketball game in that city was in 2004.

“It was a game we really wanted…for it to come down at the end like that, people are really upset,” guard Lazeric Jones said.

UCLA Bruins center Joshua Smith (34) fighting for a rebound in the closing seconds

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UCLA Football: 2012 Recruiting Class

Derek Hart — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:34:58 +0000

After what transpired on National Signing Day, if I ran into UCLA football coach Jim Mora there would be two words that I would say to him:

“Well done.”

It’s a consensus that the Bruins did very well with Mora’s first recruiting class, as it is ranked 13th nationally by Rivals.com and 11th in the nation by Scout.com – second in the Pac-12 on both accounts.

Out of the 26 recruits that Mora, recruiting coordinator Angus McClure, and the rest of the coaching staff signed, 11 out of those 26 are ranked either as a four or a five-star by at least one source, and 11 of them flipped (switched) to UCLA after having verbally committed to other schools.

One recruit, Jordan Payton, had committed to USC, California and Washington before telling Mora early Wednesday morning that he will sign with UCLA.

And in an interesting note, Justin Combs’ father is fairly well known as he is none other than Sean Combs, formerly known as Puff Daddy and currently known as Diddy.

Let’s just go ahead and list these Bruin newbies that will be in Westwood this fall, with two of them planning to enroll for spring quarter:

* = Four-star

** = Five-star

PLAYER POSITION LAST SCHOOL

Ishmael Adams * DB Oaks Christian HS

Eli Ankou DL Bear (DE) Red Lion Christian Academy

Jeremy Castro * LB Vista Murrieta HS

Alexandru Ceachir * OL Santa Monica College

Justin Combs DB New Rochelle (NY) Iona Prep

Colby Cyburt OL Mission Viejo HS

Ka’imi Fairbairn K Honololu (HI) Punahou HS

Devin Fuller * QB Old Tappan (NJ) Northern Valley HS

Randall Goforth * DB Long Beach Poly HS

Simon Goines OL Keller (TX) Central HS

Ahmaad Harris WR Suwanee (GA) Peachtree Ridge HS

Carl Hulick OL Anaheim Esperanza HS

Nate Iese LB Sacramento Sheldon HS

Taylor Lagace S Arcadia HS

Ellis McCarthy ** DT Monrovia HS

T.J. Millweard QB Fort Worth (TX) All Saints HS

Fabian Moreau RB Davie (FL) Western HS

Kenny Orjioke * LB Marietta (GA) Lassiter HS

Jordan Payton * WR Oaks Christian HS

Paul Perkins RB Chandler (AZ) HS

Aaron Porter * LB La Habra HS

Marcus Rios * DB Elk Grove Cosumnes Oakes HS

Ian Taubler TE Fresno Bullard HS

Kenny Walker WR Richmond (CA) Kennedy HS

Lacy Westbrook * OL Compton Dominguez HS

Javon Williams WR Chandler (AZ) HS

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