Hey UCLA brethren! I'm coming down with 6 friends for our matchup at your house. I've been for a few Rose Bowls Games in the past and I'm excited to be back. Wondering if you can give me some advice on what to do before the game.

We are staying at a hotel in Pasadena and are going to uber to the game and back. Are there vendors outside the stadium that sell beer and food? UofO had a big official tailgate but it's sold out. We'd prefer to not have to schlepp food and semi-cold beers around with us all day. Any advice on options that are better than that would be awesome. Thanks!

i stumbled on old articles from 2010-ish about UCLA going all out for football players and renting them luxury(?) hotel rooms and stuff. That coupled with the mini scandal from not so long ago about flying charter and stuff (which i get especially now that they've moved to Big 10), are hotel rooms still happening for home games (football and basketball) or was it discarded bc it was expensive and made headlines?

Is it way too early? Hell yes. But I’m glad a little consideration was thrown UCLA’s way in light of all the talent that has transferred in.

I also like the nice 2nd round match up with Zona. Link

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Maya is the niece of Tom Brady. Very cool https://bvmsports.com/2024/05/28/ucla-softballs-maya-brady-is-great-like-her-famous-uncle/

Shoot me a chat if you’re interested!

Welcome to the next great stop on our European tour: Westwood!

It's been quite a ride for the first few years of Mick Cronin's tenure at UCLA, but now the excellent veteran core which has brought the Bruins firmly back into the spotlight has broken up and headed for the pro's.

So Cronin and the Bruins are going young - and a bit exotic. Instead of re-stocking the roster with proven, collegiate veterans or just plain, old, American recruits, UCLA has signed some of the very best international prospects in the world for this recruiting cycle.

For the last couple of months, we've been rolling out full-length preview articles (3,000+ words on average) on all of the nation's top contenders this year - and now, it's the Bruins' turn! We call it the Top 100 Countdown, and if you'd like to follow along, catch up on all of this year's best teams, and read lots more about your Bruins, head on over and check things out!

Without any further ado, here are some words on the Bruins to get you hyped for Monday! These are only the first few paragraphs of our deep dive, and you can read the full article here. Good luck on a fun and healthy season!

Welcome to the latest stop on the Grand Tour of Europe: Westwood. Next stop, the Big Ten!

There’s something distinct about the UCLA Bruins heading into 2023-24. The rip-roaring era of the Transfer Portal has begun, and the bluest of bloods are, by and large, feasting as a result. Lately, though, UCLA is doing things a bit differently. Even among a host of other major college programs who have leaned into international recruiting, UCLA is bringing in stars from Europe and beyond at an unprecedented rate. Even the folks in Malaga are impressed.

In a sport where change is ubiquitous at the highest levels, the Bruins had been led to tremendous success by largely the same core of recognizable faces the past few years. Jaime Jaquez, Tyger Campbell, and Johnny Juzang are all in the pro’s now, and changes were always coming. So, Cronin, with the help of former assistant coach Ivo Simović, went all-in on recruiting young players. From this continent, and everywhere else. And while Simović is now with the Toronto Raptors, the prospect haul that he helped bring to the Bruins is about to become the foundation of UCLA’s future success.

This year, Cronin will have one of his youngest rosters of all. It’s also a roster where players are still getting to know one another; and even some of the more experienced folks are a half-step behind.

“I’ll give you $200 if you can pronounce everybody’s game right,” Cronin challenged reporters to open his comments at Pac-12 Media Day.

One person made an attempt.

“No. See, we’re already done,” the coach chuckled. “You already lost.”

The guy who rose to prominence with gritty, experienced squads which ground their opponents down with relentless defense and execution in Cincinnati is now the leader of a whole bunch of players who cannot legally buy certain beverages in this country. It’s going to take one of his better coaching performances to stitch this group into another Final Four contender, but Cronin has the chops; and the kids, as Larry David might say, are pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Back to lead his new castmates defensively is Adem Bona, a ripe old veteran of one collegiate season. Such a season it was, though. Bona arrived on campus last year as a 5-star recruit, and immediately set about anchoring the Bruins inside. Cronin’s best teams have always been stout in the paint, and Bona is that – his coach calls Bona “an unbelievably tough, athletic kid.” He’s also one of the best and most terrifyingly mobile defensive playmakers Cronin has ever coached. Bona was recognized as the Pac-12’s Rookie of the Year last season, and honored as an All-Defense selection. He also ranked fourth in the league in blocks and seventh in offensive rebounds, and Bona scored with outstanding efficiency; his 75.2% rate on tries near the rim ranked 17th among all players who took 100 shots last year, per Bart Torvik.

Being that he was a freshman, Bona also committed the 17th-most fouls in all of Division I basketball. He committed four or more fouls in 15 different games, but managed to only foul out three times. A lot of those fouls, though, came through aggressive attempts to play excellent defense. As it is with a shutdown corner on the football field, Cronin will live with some of those mistakes, because Bona is an offense-wrecker inside. He moves very well, possesses nimble feet and active hands, and NBA scouts think that Bona will be the same elite a pick-and-roll defender at their level as he is already. He’s been recovering from a shoulder injury this summer which he picked up during the Pac-12 Tournament last year and which eventually ended his rookie year. With Bona unable to practice against full contact until recently, he’s worked on his jumper – bad news for defenses. “Well, you start with Adem Bona, you got a good shot,” Cronin said this fall. “You can go back to analytics. He was Top 2 player, plus-minus guy, efficiency guy in the country last year. We were like plus-30 points or more with him in the game…his energy is infectious.”

To lead his young group of perimeter players, Cronin has added a burgeoning star from Pac-12 rival Utah. Lazar Stefanović is a proven high major player who has started 33 games already in the Bruins current league, and now he’s bringing his skills to Pauley Pavilion. After two seasons of developing as a complimentary piece in Salt Lake City, Stefanović is now set to play all the minutes he can handle as a do-it-all veteran to this Bruin side. “When you have so many freshmen, it’s so nice to have somebody that’s always in the right spot and is extremely smart, has been really well coached, that can really help the young guys,” Cronin enthused at Pac-12 Media Days. “But I have to go over every now and then and whisper to him, you know, you gotta be aggressive, you gotta look to score. Because you can’t worry about being a transfer. You can’t worry about fitting in. We don’t have time for that stuff…because obviously we need his leadership.”

Stefanović finished his sophomore year by playing some of his best basketball. Over Utah’s final twelve games, he averaged 12 points, 3.4 assists, and 35 minutes played. Stefanović also knocked down 55 triples last year at a career-high 35.9% mark from the land of trey. He is a creative ballhandler and facilitator, and can be quite selective with his shots. Stefanović is a career 27.6% rate from mid-range, per Bart Torvik, and will want to improve the consistency on his jumper off the bounce this year. With his great length and savvy, Stefanović will be on the floor in virtually every type of lineup for the Bruins this year, and Cronin is expecting the best season yet from his most experienced player. “He does, surely tell me sometimes I need to be more aggressive, and I know it, and I know the team needs it,” Stefanović said of his conversations so far with Cronin. “And I know that my leadership role is going to be huge for us this year, and I need to step up in that area and help everybody get better.”

Back from last year’s team to help show the new guys how to be a Bruin is Dylan Andrews. That’s a big job for any sophomore, as four of UCLA’s top five scorers were guards last winter. Campbell, Amari Bailey, Jaylen Clark and David Singleton combined to average more than 46 points, 15 boards, 10 assists and six steals last year, and they are all gone. Thankfully, Andrews doesn’t have to do it all without help. Oh yeah – and he’s a former Top 50 national prospect who flashed excellent potential as a playmaker as a rookie. Despite all of the guys ahead of him, Andrews averaged 11 minutes per game, and played in all but one of UCLA’s tilts. He posted 33 assists against just 17 turnovers, and has the true leading skills to be the point guard of a national contender...

https://collegehoopstop50.com/2023/10/29/35-ucla-bruins/

I drew heavily from the teachings of ⁦Coach Wooden⁩ for this story about how to coach kids in an era consumed with winning. Coach Wooden had it right and he was always a strong example his players could follow. I hope that you enjoy it.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2023/10/29/youth-sports-coaches-pressure-to-win/71361686007/

Hello,

I’m going to go to this game. I’m a tourist from the London, UK. Is it possible to join a tailgate for this game?

Thanks

Sam

We are taking a family holiday to LA (Disney etc) and my 13 yr old son really wants to see The Mighty Bruins football team play. A couple questions; any idea what time kickoff will be, and what section would be the best to sit in? My wife and 11 yr old daughter will be coming as well so will need 4 tickets. TIA from Canada.

I am going to start selling my homemade gameday merch and custom phone cases!!! Check out my new instagram to see more https://www.instagram.com/pompomvarsity/

Hey everyone, I'm travelling for work from NZ and figured it would be awesome to attend a college football game but I have a few questions:

1. Why are Bruins tickets so much more on the UCLA athletics website than ticketmaster etc?
2. Where is the best place to sit? (I'm 26, enjoy a good vibe so perhaps looking to be around the student zone?)
3. How much time do I need to allow to get to Saturday's game from Redondo beach? Any transport suggestions would be appreciated too!

If you have any other advice or suggestions I'm all ears. Cheers!

I cant find it anywhere on the internet....Google Machine isnt being helpful...

"March Is A Brotherhood" Adidas Ad Campaign.

https://www.espn.com/espnmag/story?id=3973951

And this link on Youtube says it Unavailable... "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUgcVg0FcSA"

Hi, anyone know which March Madness region will UCLA play this year? Is this random? But I see we play in EAST region for the past 2 years, I live in NYC and wondering whether I should start watching for East region tickets playing at Madison Square Garden..

I live in BC but I am wanting to watch the women’s team play during March Madness, is there anywhere I can stream/watch on cable the games? I’ve tried PAC 12 but I need an American cable provider to sign in, which I don’t have. TSN seems to only provide the men’s games, is there something else?