Former UCLA forward Reeves Nelson has decided to go play professionally in Lithuania. Nelson was dismissed from the Bruins last week after several suspensions. Continue reading
Reeves Nelson Signs to Play in Lithuania
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Category Archives: Pac 12
Reeves Nelson Dismissed from Team
UCLA’s Reeves Nelson was dismissed from the men’s basketball team on Tuesday, according to BruinReportOnline.com.
Nelson was the leading returning scorer and rebounder for the Bruins and on the preseason short-list for player of the year in the PAC-12. However after several disciplinary infractions UCLA has decided to part ways with Nelson.
The junior forward was suspended after a season-opening loss to Loyola-Marymount because of his attitude problem that has plagued him throughout his career. He missed UCLA’s loss to Middle Tennessee State, then proceeded to miss the team’s flight to the Maui Invitational. He then only played 11 minutes against Chaminade. Nelson was benched for the second half of Saturday’s game with Texas and was reportedly “laughing it up” on the sideline while his teammates lost 69-59.
“[Nelson's] behavior is totally uncharacteristic of what we want from a UCLA basketball player representing this history and tradition,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said in Tuesday’s Los Angeles Times. “It’s something that is going to be dealt with when we get together again. It’s been an ongoing problem the past two years which has gotten worse.”
Nelson averaged 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game last season.
He was only averaging 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game this season.
UCLA Suspends Reeves Nelson
UCLA announced that they have suspended junior forward Reeves Nelson indefinitely for “conduct unbecoming a member of the UCLA basketball team”, the school announced in a statement Monday night.
Nelson was a no-show for Monday’s practice, when him and Coach Howland were supposed to meet face to face, but Howland spoke to Nelson on the phone, according to a source familiar with the situation. Nelson’s status with the team will be re-evaluated when the two meet face to face, but Nelson is not expected to attend UCLA’s game against Middle Tennessee State Tuesday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, the school’s statement said.
“This is a very disappointing situation for Reeves and our basketball program,” Howland said in the statement. “We have a high standard and code of conduct that our student-athletes are expected to adhere to and Reeves has fallen short of our expectations.”
Nelson, leading scorer and rebounder last season and was an all-Pac-12 selection, appeared to be upset during UCLA’s season-opening loss to Loyola Marymount on Friday. He refused to join the team in the timeout huddle on a couple of occasions and bypassed teammates high-fives on the court.
Nelson, was on the short list of favorites for the Pac-12 Player of the Year award but with this set-back it looks like his time with UCLA could be numbered. He has been a polarizing figure and a head-case throughout his career but this latest issue seems like it could be the last straw for Coach Howland. Although there is no doubting his talent, you cannot afford to let such a divisive figure stick around and ruin the whole locker-room. He either has to make a 180-degree change in his attitude or UCLA has to let him walk.
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Kaleb Tarczewski Commits to Arizona
As the saying goes, the rich get richer. That certainly holds true for Coach Miller and his Arizona Wildcats, as they have landed another top 2012 recruit, 7-footer Kaleb Tarczewski. Arizona beat out Bill Self and Kansas for the #11 recruit in our 2012 rankings.
“The real surprise in this to me is that Kansas invested so much time in Kaleb” said ESPN analyst Dave Telep. “For Arizona to get him, to beat out Kansas for a guy like this, it’s a huge commitment.”
The Wildcats 2012 class now includes Gabe York, Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett, and Brandon Ashley, all four players are in our top 50 players of the 2012 class. Coach Miller has put together an absolutely loaded class.
Ashley, a 6-foot-8, 215 athletic forward from Findlay Prep, is our #6 rated recruit, while Jerrett, a 6-foot-10, 220-pound banger, comes in at #18, and York at #41.
“The real interesting part in this to me is how Arizona can go both coasts,” Telep said. “They’re bi-coastal right now. I don’t ever know if they’ve ever been like that before. Even when they were playing for championships and final fours I don’t know if their reach was as big as it is right now. They are back to being a national recruiting power.”
With Jerrett, Ashley, and York, the Wildcats already had the No. 1 2012 recruiting class according to ESPN. Now with Tarczewski, Arizona’s class is undoubtedly the best in the country.
Preseason All-Pac-12 Teams and Rankings
Preseason Pac-12 Player of the Year Jared Cunningham
Last season Arizona was able to capture the regular season Pac-12 crown due in large part to the play of Derrick Williams. He has since departed for the NBA but ‘Zona still has a talented team that will be led by Solomon Hill and Kyle Fogg.
However the team with the most returning talent, which may be surprising to some, is California. Four of the top-10 scorers in the league from last season are returning this year, and three belong to Cal. This looks to be a pretty big advantage for the Bears but they still have some flaws. I look for it to be a very close race among Cal, UCLA, ‘Zona, and Washington.
Overall this seems to be a down year for both team and individual talent in the Pac-12 as there are no clear-cut favorites or individual stars but it should be an exciting race to the title. So lets take a look at the top players to watch and predict the standings. Continue reading
Sophomores Poised for Big Seasons
Yesterday we looked at five freshmen that will be key contributors this upcoming season, today we will look at the sophomore class. Everyone knows all the big names from last year such as: Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes so I will shed some light on some lesser known guys. Continue reading
Freshmen that Will Play Pivotal Roles this Season
Ever since the NBA enacted the rule to ban players straight out of high school we have seen more and more freshman having major impacts. Kevin Durant was the one that really set the bar, winning the Wooden Award in his first and only season on campus in Austin. Others that have been very impressive have been Michael Beasley, John Wall, Derrick Rose, and the list goes on. So who are some players to keep an eye on this year? Continue reading
Dominic Artis Decommits from UCLA
This is according to his uncle, Derrick Artis, who had this to say “He felt like he rushed into his commitment,” Artis said. “Still loves UCLA and they are the top of his list, but he wants to make sure he is making the right decision.” ”We just want to make sure we’re making the right decision. We never really let the recruiting process happen, so we just want to make sure we dot our I’s and cross our T’s.”
Ever since UCLA received a commitment from Kyle Anderson, a player who can play PG as well as about every other position, there have been rumors of an Artis decommit. It still remains to be seen exactly how Coach Howland will use Anderson but it’s obvious that Artis is worried about sitting behind the top-5 recruit.
Prior to giving a verbal to UCLA Artis was considering California, Florida St., and Oregon, among others, before choosing the Bruins. Although his uncle still lists UCLA as the lead candidate, I take this with a grain of salt, rarely do players decommit from a school to later sign with the same school. So if I’m a betting man, and I am, my money is on Artis going somewhere else where he doesn’t have to worry about sitting behind Kyle Anderson. My gut says Artis will end up at Oregon, but we will see.
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Kyle Anderson Commits to UCLA
Kyle Anderson, a 6’8″ guard from St. Anthony (New Jersey), has committed to play at UCLA. Anderson is the #4 player in our 2012 rankings and has been rising up everyone’s rankings due in large part to his ability to play multiple positions.
Anderson has elite guard skills but also has the height and length to play SF and even some PF if needed. His combination of size and skill has college coaches drooling. He is the type of player that can step-in and be a contributor from day one.
Anderson, rated as the #2 recruit by Rivals.com, #2 by Scout.com, and #5 by ESPN.com was also being recruited by Florida, Georgetown, St. John’s and Seton Hall.
“I chose UCLA cause I feel they can help me improve my defense and we will have a good chance of winning a national championship,” Anderson said.
Anderson joins UCLA commits 6-1 guard Dominic Artis of Findlay College Prep (NV) and 6-5 forward Jordan Adams of Oak Hill Academy (VA).
“Coach Howland says that I will be fighting for the point guard spot, as long as I’m on the court I’ll be good” he said.
Anderson led St. Anthony High School to a unblemished 33-0 record last season, winning a State Championship, New Jersey Tournament of Champions title, and a mythical national championship.
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Q&A with JaVontae Hawkins
Few players helped their stock this summer more than Flint, Michigan’s JaVontae Hawkins. Hawkins, a 6’5” shooting guard, has continued to rise up the 2012 rankings due in large part to his performances this summer with his AAU team, the Michigan Mustangs. Hawkins is one of the most complete SGs in the class, and holds offers from a laundry list of top schools. He is one of the better athletes in the class but also is very skilled.
After spending his first three years of high school in his hometown of Flint, Michigan Hawkins decided to transfer to Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV) for his senior season. After losing two brothers in a matter of 3 years due to shootings, he has strived to make it out of Flint and to be a success. Although it is certainly something that nobody would chose to go through, it has made him a more driven and stronger person. I recently caught up with JaVontae to get the latest on his recruitment and his decision to attend Huntington Prep. Continue reading
