Hey all,

Ramona Shelburne here. I thought I'd pass a long a little women's hoops news. New coach Nikki Caldwell just landed a big transfer, announcing that former Long Beach Poly star guard Jasmine Dixon is transferring from Rutgers to UCLA and will be eligible after the fall of 2009.

Dixon was a McDonald's All-American last year at Long Beach Poly and led the Jackrabbits to three straight California Division I State titles. She averaged 14.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 3.2 assists a game in her senior season. She was state player of the year twice.

When she opted to head East for college, it was seen as yet another example of the two local schools, UCLA and USC, failing to keep the top Southland talent in LA. Bringing her back is obviously a pretty big victory for a rookie coach.

Due to the sensitive nature of this situation, after all, the kid is leaving Brian's beloved alma mater, I thought I'd post this entry instead of inflicting any unnecessary emotional pain or discomfort ;)

I know a lot of people are asking about the defensive coordinator spot. From talking to a few of my sources, I don't get the sense coach Rick Neuheisel is going to move quickly on this. I'm not saying something couldn't happen soon, but word I'm getting is he doesn't mind waiting a bit to make a hire, if that is what must be done,
There is no push to get it done before the recruiting weekend coming up. Most of the players coming in are already committed, and I was told UCLA coaches already called all the recruits to make sure they were still on board despite DeWayne Walker's departure.
I was also told no recruits were wavering at this time.

There is much talk about whether UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel will get help from admissions when it comes to recruiting players. I asked Bruins athletic director Dan Guerrero that question a while back, and came across it on my recorder. Here is what he said:
"As always, it's a day-to-day proposition with recruiting,'' Guerrero said. "If you get a verbal, you have to hold onto it because other schools continue to talk (to him). We're in on some great kids. We're in on some kids that can certainly make the grade here at UCLA, which is of critical importance.
"We'll see how it unfolds as we continue to move forward."

The football recruiting period is alive again this week, and UCLA's coaching staff is out in force again.

Here is the game story from UCLA's win at Oregon, and a notebook that went with it.
Also, here is coach Ben Howland's press conference following the game.
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The latest basketball rankings came out and UCLA is No. 10 in the Associated Press poll, and No. 7 in the USA Today poll. Here are the complete polls:

I can tell conference play started because a lot of ranked teams went down this week. Here is my Associated Press men's basketball ballot for this week:

UCLA begins classes Monday, and I am told everyone on the football team is expected to be enrolled. That means there will not be any transfers, or guys deciding not to play football anymore, known at this time.
More likely, those decisions will be made in the coming months.
(For those that missed it last month, reserve tight end Adam Heater and walk-on kicker Jimmy Rotstein informed the coaching staff they were not going to continue playing.)

I spoke to UCLA freshman guard Malcolm Lee after the game and he said he was going to see a specialist Tuesday about his injured left knee. He said it has been feeling much better lately, and he is hopeful of playing Sunday against USC.

UCLA coach Ben Howland said after the game he was thrilled to get a sweep of the Oregon schools on the road since the Bruins open Pac-10 play with five of seven games on the road.
Howland also said he is hopeful this is the last time center Alfred Aboya (fouled out) is in foul trouble this season, and he talked to Aboya about that after the game.
PG Darren Collison has made a school record 40 straight free throws, breaking the 1972 mark of Henry Bibby, who had 36 straight. Collison was 9 for 9 from the free throw line.

No. 12 UCLA won its eighth straight by beating Oregon 83-74 Sunday at McArthur Court. Darren Collison led the way with 21 points and Josh Shipp had 17, and made 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

Unlike a year ago when the student section at McArthur Court pelted Kevin Love with insults from the moment he walked on the court, the students are tame during warmups so far. No chanting, no obscene signs or anything like that.
In fact, the students were just sitting and talking, not paying attention to the Bruins.

UCLA wing Michael Roll leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage for players attempting at least 40 shots. Here is a story I wrote on Roll's impact this season.
Also, here is a notebook I wrote in today's paper, leading with Malcolm Lee's knee injury and how exploratory surgery was discussed as one option. That could keep Lee out for a month.
One of the theories being discussed for Lee's injury, according to coach Ben Howland, is a problem with one of the fat pads in Lee's knee. Here is more info on fat pads.

Here is my game story from UCLA's 60-46 win against Oregon State on Friday, as well as audio of coach Ben Howland meeting with the media afterward.
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Thanks for all the questions this week. I will be talking with hoops coach Ben Howland later today, so I will have an update from him. Also, I will host a chat during Sunday's game at Oregon, and have any other news that may break.
But for now, here is the last set of answers for this week:

Just got back from meeting with UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland, who said guard Malcolm Lee will see a doctor Monday afternoon about his injured knee. UCLA is still uncertain what is going on with Lee's knee, and there is no timetable for his return.

Here is the 22nd set of answers:

Here is the 21 st set of answers:

Morning, folks. There will be four more sets of answers today, as well as some basketball stuff:

UCLA coach Ben Howland talked with the media, and he had lots of good things to say about the 69-46 pasting of Oregon State.
He liked the way the Bruins attacked OSU's zone, first from the outside and then with interior passing. He was pleased with the defense by Nikola Dragovic and forward/center Drew Gordon's overall contribution. He had 11 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
He added he is hopeful of getting Malcolm Lee (knee) back perhaps as early as next week's game against USC, but he wasn't sure what was going on with the knee. From folks I talk to, the belief is Lee has some sort of deep bruise.

Here is the last set of answers for today. I will have some post-game stuff from the hoops game later, as well as Saturday. Also, I will finish up the Q&A on Saturday with a few more segments.
For now, though, here is set No. 19:

Here is installment XVIII:

Here is the 17th installment:

Comments have now been shut off. This will make the Q&A loads of fun in the future. Thanks to all who cannot control themselves and act like little children.
Here is the 16th set of answers. Hope everyone is thrilled:

Here is the 15th installment:

Here is the 14th set:

Here is the 13th set of answers:

Here is the 12th installment:

Folks, stop with the bickering, the name calling and the cursing or I'm turning off the comments. Here is set XI:

I'm hearing UCLA linebackers coach Chuck Bullough is trying to get involved with the defensive coordinator position at Washington. I'm also hearing Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel will talk to Bullough about the UCLA defensive coordinator spot.

Here is the 10th installment:

Here is the ninth set:

And here is No. 8:

Here is the seventh set of answers:

I'm hearing former UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker has interest in taking UCLA recruiting coordinator Angus McClure to Las Cruces to become the offensive line coach for the Aggies.
One potential snag is McClure could be in line to get back on the field as an assistant at UCLA if a position opens up, but not necessarily on the offensive line.

Not even noon yet and here is the sixth set already:

Here is the fifth set:

Here is the fourth set:

Here is a story Jill Painter wrote for today's paper as UCLA hoops opens Pac-10 play.
Also, it is time for the third set of answers:

Don't forget, UCLA hoops plays at Oregon State tonight, and I will host a chat beginning at 7:25 p.m. Tip-off is 7:35 p.m.
Now, here is the second set of answers:

Hey, folks. I want to start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year!. I hope the holiday season treated you and your families well. I had a lot of fun spending the holidays with my family.
As I get to the questions, there are a bundle of them. I guess not having a Q&A last week left for a lot of questions this week, so I will break the responses up over today and Saturday.
Also, and this always amazes me (or people are messing around and wasting my time), that a number of folks cannot keep their questions under 50 words, and others had to ask about who the next defensive coordinator would be. Those questions were deleted.
Now, onto the first set of answers:

After the game, Ken Norton was asked what he would do if Rick Neuheisel called him to talk about the UCLA defensive coordinator opening.
``The season's not over,'' Norton said.
The clock at the Rose Bowl read 00:00, so yes, it was over.
``There's a party to go to,'' Norton said.

If you were running the UCLA athletic department, what would be your New Year's resolution for the school? Getting the university to loosen its academic standards? Breaking ground on the Pauley Pavilion rennovations?

Malcolm Lee wasn't expected to practice with UCLA the last few days, and indeed he hasn't, but he is on the roadtrip. Lee is not expected to play at either Oregon State or Oregon.

The UCLA basketball team will start its Pac-10 Conference schedule by playing five of its first seven games on the road. The Bruins start Pac-10 tomorrow with a game at Oregon State. I asked Darren Collison what he would consider a good record during that stretch, and he said: ``7-0. We can't afford any losses from here on out. It's important to take one game at a time though.''

I know this is a UCLA blog, but I thought it might be kind of fun to do predict the final for today's Rose Bowl game between USC and Penn State.

Just wanted to wish you all a safe and happy new year.

I'm hearing that DeWayne Walker probably won't be able to hire any of the UCLA defensive assistant coaches because New Mexico State couldn't afford them. Walker is making $375,00 per year over a five-year contract (yes, that's the same salary he made at UCLA, but the cost of living in New Mexico is CONSIDERABLY less than in California). I'm hearing Walker will bring UCLA defensive grad assistant Mike Rutenberg with him but that's probably it from the UCLA staff.

I get back from vacation Friday, which is the perfect time to kick off the first Q&A segment of 2009.
However, let's refrain from the "Who will be UCLA's next defensive coordinator?" questions. Coach Rick Neuheisel said he won't make any moves until he meets with his staff Sunday. So, since this is Wednesday and the answers run Friday, let's not get into who the next coordinator will be. When I get information I will pass it along to you, as I always do.
Also, keep the questions to 50 words or less or they will not get answered.
Now, let's get started with some questions.

New Mexico State football coach DeWayne Walker said the Aggies will run the same defensive system he did at UCLA. Therefore, it would not be surprising if Walker tried to lure a defensive assistant or two with him to Las Cruces. When Rick Neuheisel retained Walker as defensive coordinator, it was important to Walker that Neuheisel also retain defensive line coach Todd Howard and linebackers coach Chuck Bullough. All three received raises at the time.

DeWayne Walker just finished his news conference in New Mexico State and named several coaches for helping him along the way, like Joe Gibbs, Steve Mariucci and Pete Carroll. He gave the most thanks to former UCLA coach Karl Dorrell.
``Karl gave me a chance to be a coordinator,'' Walker said. ``Without Karl, I wouldn't be here. I've been very fortunate. I've been very fortunate to learn from the best (throughout my career). This is not a losing program, we just have a losing record. We're going to change that.''

DeWayne Walker's news conference at New Mexico State will be streamed live here on the New Mexico State Web site. That's the site NMSU listed on its Web site if you want to listen in on it. Scheduled to start at 9 a.m. PST.

``I'm thrilled for DeWayne,'' Pete Carroll said. ``He's a great guy. I hope we showed over the years how much respect we had for him when he was (at UCLA).''

He's at the New Mexico State Aggies' basketball game against New Mexico in Las Cruces. He'll be introduced to fans as their new football coach at halftime.

Rick Neuheisel is vacationing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho and is unavailable for comment. However, UCLA released this statement from Neuheisel:

Here's the press release New Mexico State just issued moments ago concerning the hiring of UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker as its football coach.

New Mexico State has just issued a press release confirming DeWayne Walker is the Aggies new head football coach.

Here is the story that's on our Web site about Walker being hired as New Mexico State's new football coach..

New Mexico State is expected to announce DeWayne Walker is their coach within the hour. Also, he is likely to be introduced at a news conference tomorrow morning in Las Cruces.

I'm hearing DeWayne Walker has been offered and has accepted the head coaching position at New Mexico State. An official announcement is expected soon.

Malcolm Lee is likely out for both Pac-10 games this weekend, Ben Howland said at today's press conference. Lee is going through rehab for a bruised bone, which was revealed in the MRI and is believed to be the source of his pain. Howland said Lee would travel with the team on its Oregon roadtrip.

Here's the story I wrote for today's paper in which Rick Neuheisel denied he was using Ken Norton's name as a possible defensive coordinator to try to sway recruits if DeWayne Walker leaves. Norton talks more about the situation as USC prepares to play in the Rose Bowl.

For you late-nighters, here's more from receiver DeVon Flournoy, a USC commit who will take his official recruiting trip to UCLA on Jan. 9. There have been rumors that Flournoy has been wavering on his commitment to USC, although he said it's still solid.
``I realized you can't go to school for what it has but rather how it can help you,'' Flournoy said of the recruiting process. ``Being a football player, you want to touch the ball as much as you can but get a degree that means something, too.''

I just talked to Birmingham of Lake Balboa's DeVon Flournoy, and he told me that he will take a recruiting trip to UCLA next month. Flournoy is a USC commit, but here's how he characterized that commitment to USC: ``It's still strong, but anything can happen.''