Today's game at Pauley Pavilion is perhaps as big a game the Bruins have had in the last three seasons. UCLA will take on the Arizona Wildcats with first place on the line. If the Bruins want to have any chance to win the regular season conference championship (something that was unfathomable early in the year), they will need to pull out a win today.

Beyond just the game itself, today is also important because this will be the last time the Bruins men's team plays in Pauley before its renovation. The team will spend next season playing "home" games at different venues, and then the new Pauley is set to reopen in Fall 2012. Hopefully, the Bruins can close out "old" Pauley with a good win this afternoon.

I expect Pauley to be full of energy today, which I hope will translate to a 40-minute effort from our Bruins. Anything less than this will make a victory against a tough Arizona team extremely difficult. I'm looking forward to the game!

Go Bruins!

Labels: arizona, basketball, bruins, pauley pavilion, renovation, ucla, wildcats

Coach John Wooden passed away at 6:45 pm today. He made this world a better place while he was here, and he will be missed. My condolences go out to his family.

UCLA has a huge media release and tribute page with biographical information, quotes by him and about him, and video.

Here are some of my favorite videos:

Coach John Wooden’s legacy in pictures, with his voice and those of his athletes and fans. Includes Coach Wooden reciting Swen Nater's poem "Yonder" at the end (words to the poem are below):



Yonder

Once I was afraid of dying,
Terrified of ever-lying,
Petrified of leaving family, home and friends.
Thoughts of absence from my dear ones,
Drew a melancholy tear once,
And a lonely, dreadful fear of when life ends.

But those days are long behind me;
Fear of leaving does not bind me,
And departure does not host a single care.
Peace does comfort as I ponder,
A reunion in the Yonder,
With my dearest who are waiting over there.

Vin Scully speaking about meeting Coach Wooden for the first time. This clip is from a ceremony for the unveiling of a commemorative plaque for Coach in the L.A. Coliseum Court of Honor:



Coach Wooden speaking at the same ceremony at which Vin Scully spoke:



Ben Howland on ESPN talking about Coach Wooden's passing:



ESPN has plenty of additional stories and videos as well.

The season has ended for the Denver Nuggets, but I want to highlight three different articles about one of my favorite Bruins, Arron Afflalo. He found himself a role during his first season with Denver, as he finished the year as a member of the starting lineup. Always known for his defense, he also shot 43.4% from 3-point range in 2009-10, good for the eighth best percentage in the league.

Q&A with Nuggets fans, in which he talks about his basketball idol, camaraderie with teammates, and other subjects.

A comprehensive piece about Afflalo that touches on his work ethic, his contributions to the Nuggets, his decision to go to UCLA, and his ping-pong game. Also see the accompanying video embedded below.

A feature on Afflalo from a couple of months ago focused on his three-point shooting and move into the starting lineup.

Labels: Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets, Interview, Profile, Video

Tyus Edney recently made an appearance on the Petros & Money Show on local Los Angeles radio station AM 570 KLAC. The hosts of the show, Petros Papadakis and Matt "Money" Smith, asked the former UCLA star about his current activities, his career in Europe, and other related topics.

Highlights of the interview include:

• Tyus has retired and is living back in the U.S.
• He is interested in coaching, and he has been involved in basketball clinics and related activities.
• While asking Edney about his famous shot against Missouri in 1995, Petros did his best Jim Harrick impression, which Edney found entertaining.
• Tyus went through the 1995 shot and what he saw as the play unfolded.
• Edney still keeps in touch with other Bruin teammates, including Ed O'Bannon, Kris Johnson, Toby Bailey, and Bob Myers. Tyus finds it easier to see everyone now that he is back in the states.
• In one of the funnier moments of the interview, Tyus shared that while playing in a championship game for the Greek club Olympiakos, his coach got hit with an unusual food item during a team huddle on the sideline.

Here is a media player that should allow you to listen to the interview. If it doesn't work, click here to access the mp3 directly (right-click the link to download).



If you didn't follow Edney's career in Europe, he spent most of his years in Italy with clubs like Benetton Treviso, Lottomatica Roma, and Climamio Bologna. His teams won a lot of games, and his individual honors include the Euroleague Final Four MVP in 1999. He was considered by many to be the best point guard in Europe during his prime. According to Jerry Crowe, Edney is now living in Las Vegas with his wife and three children. For more on his life and career in Europe, see this 4-page LA Times article, this UCLA Magazine piece, and his Euroleague web page.

And of course, this always puts me in a good mood:

(Tyus Edney of the UCLA Bruins goes the length of the floor in 4.8 seconds to make the game-winning shot against the Missouri Tigers in the 1995 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament)

Forward Reeves Nelson will back on the floor for UCLA's Pac-10 Tournament matchup against Arizona on Thursday at noon. Nelson sat out the last four games due to a partially torn retina. His condition is a concern because he has a family history of eye problems; his grandmother has detached retinas in both eyes and is legally blind. Furthermore, Nelson has suffered a number of injuries to his eyes and face this year. However, he has been cleared to play, so he will return to the lineup on Thursday.