It's a big day for UCLA guards in the NBA.

Darren Collison has been named to the NBA All-Rookie first team. ESPN.com has a nice story about Arron Afflalo, a key figure in UCLA's return to the elite in college basketball.

Tonight, guards Jordan Farmar and Russell Westbrrok face each other in Game 6 of the Laker-Thunder series with L.A. owning a 3-2 lead.

Today, Westbrook is featured in an outstanding story by Arash Markazi on ESPNLosAngeles. com. To read the story, click here.

The accomplishments of all four of these young men - all great individuals on and off the court - is what being a Bruin basketball player is all about.

Student-athletes from UCLA's Bruin Athletic Council (BAC) are hosting the Bruin Academy this Sunday, May 2 at Spaulding Field from 1:30 - 4:00 pm. 

The Bruin Academy will provide youngsters ages 13 and under the opportunity to learn about different sports and participate in fun activities. 

Bruin student-athletes will facilitate activities that highlight the importance of sportsmanship, balance, effort, unity, leadership, competitiveness and skill.

The BAC is a select group of student-athlete leaders that serve an important leadership role in representing their peers to the athletic administration, while fostering a positive student-athlete image on campus and in the community.   

ESPN.com has a great feature on UCLA All-American Arron Afflalo of the Denver Nuggets, focusing on, among other things, his great work ethic.

To read the article, click here.

UCLA sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince is the subject of a feature by ESPNLosAngeles.com's Blair Angulo.

To read the piece, click here.

Here are a few articles about the 2000 U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics team being awarded the bronze medal 10 years later after the Chinese team was stripped of its bronze. Four Bruins were on that U.S. squad - Jamie Dantzscher, Kristen Maloney, Tasha Schwikert and alternate Alyssa Beckerman.

U.S. Olympic gymnastic team gets bronze, 10 years later - Los Angeles Times

Former Henderson gymnast awarded Olympic medal -- 10 years after games - Las Vegas Sun

She's a medal-winner, after all - The Morning Call

Despite Bela Karolyi, Kristen Maloney wins - The Morning Call

Local Gymnast Gets Olympic Medal - WFMZ-TV

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has named its 12-member Hall of Fame class for 2010. Peter Dalis, who served as Athletic Director at UCLA from 1993 - 2002, is a part of that list.

The inductees will receive their awards on Wednesday, June 23 at the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Awards Luncheon, which will be held during NACDA's 45th Annual Convention at the Marriott Hotel in Anaheim, Calif.

Linked to each inductee's name below is a page that includes a photo and biographical information.

Inductee, Institution
Rick Bay, University of Oregon
Chuck Bell, Utah State University
Peter Dalis, UCLA
Rudy Davalos, University of New Mexico
Fern Gardner, University of Utah
Andy Geiger, The Ohio State University
Sam Jankovich, University of Miami
Dave Maggard, University of California Berkeley
Mike McGee, University of Southern California, University of South Carolina
Pete Pisciotta, Glendale Community College
Joe Singleton, University of California Davis
Larry Toledo, Pima Community College

About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 45th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations that come under the umbrella of the Athletics Director. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.

Former UCLA pitcher and center fielder Josh Roenicke has been recalled from triple-A Las Vegas to the Toronto Blue Jays' 25-man roster. He made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in September 2008 and spent most of 2009 in the majors (with Cincinnati and Toronto).

Roenicke, who was a four-year letterwinner for the Bruins (2003-06), has thrown 8.2 scoreless innings for the Las Vegas 51s (triple-A, Pacific Coast League). The hard-throwing right-hander has scattered four hits in six relief appearances, logging eight strikeouts and one walk in the month of April.

Roenicke, who wears No. 17 for Toronto, is reunited with former UCLA pitcher Casey Janssen on the Blue Jays. Roenicke was traded to Toronto from Cincinnati prior to the July 2009 trading deadline and spent the remainder of last season pitching for the Blue Jays' big-league club.

Your UCLA Women's Water Polo team, seeded No. 5, is hosting the 2010 MPSF Championship this weekend Friday, April 30th - Sunday, May 2 at UCLA Dirks Pool, Spieker Aquatics Center.

The Bruins face fourth-seeded Hawaii on Friday at 3:00 p.m.

Grandstand General Admission Adult 3-Day Packages are just $35 (save 23% off single-session price!).

Single-Session General Admission adult tickets are $15 and are available for purchase at the game.

You can order Grandstand General Admission Adult 3-Day Packages online, call (310) UCLA-WIN or purchase at the event on April 30th. To order them online, click here.

For 2010 Women's Water Polo Championship details, click here.

James Washington, UCLA All-America safety and Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys, has come home.

Washington has been hired as Assistant Director, Alumni Giving for the university and will begin his new duties on April 26. Washington will be responsible for raising scholarship funds for the campus and the visibility of the Bruin Scholars Initiative. 

Washington has an extensive and diverse background including marketing, sales and fundraising which will be invaluable in the university's efforts to secure scholarship support.

Washington graduated from UCLA with a degree in History in 1987. A four-year starting free safety as a Bruin, he helped the Bruins win two Pac-10 titles (1985 and 1987) and four bowl games - the 1985 Fiesta Bowl, 1986 Rose Bowl, 1986 Freedom and the 1987 Aloha Bowl.

He then played in the National Football League for eight years with the Rams, Cowboys and Redskins. He was a starter when Dallas won Super Bowls in 1993 and 1994.

Washington also runs his own Foundation - Shelter 37 - and has served as a college football analyst for FS Prime Ticket.

• Sat., Apr. 24, 10:30 p.m. on Channel 9 (KCAL)
• Sun., Apr. 25, 3 p.m. on Channel 2 (KCBS)

ESPN's Shelley Smith has written a great article about Bruin All-America defensive tackle Brian Price. It details the killings of his two brothers and what he had to overcome to get to UCLA.

To read the article, click here.

Today's Oklahoman newspaper has a nice story with UCLA alum Jordan Farmar.

In the story, Farmar talks about Russell Westbrook, how Ben Howland teaches his players to be ready for the NBA level and that "once you're a Bruin, you're a Bruin for life."

To read the article, click here.

UCLA alum Russell Westbrook and his Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoff on Sunday.

Today, he was featured in the Daily Oklahoman. The column takes about his character and work ethic and has quotes about Westbrook from Bruin head coach Ben Howland.

To read the feature, click here.

Here are articles from the media about Friday afternoon's football scrimmage:

Los Angeles Daily News - click here.

Orange County Register - click here.

Riverside Press-Enterprise - click here.

Los Angeles Times - click here.

ESPN.com's Pac-10 blog - click here.

ESPNLosAngeles.com UCLA blog - click here.

As many Bruin fans know, UCLA all-time great Bill Walton has battled severe back pain for the last several years.

Here is great column in today's San Diego Union Tribune about Bill's battles. To read the column, click here.

On a personal note, Bill is one of the greatest and most enthusiastic people ever to be part of the UCLA athletic program and is always ready to help his alma mater.

Six of UCLA's 14 players in the NBA will be participating in the upcoming playoffs.

Guard Jordan Farmar (7.2 ppg) will be looking for his second straight NBA tile with the Lakers. He will be playing against Oklahoma City and Bruin Russell Westbrook, who averaged 16.1 points, 8.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds while starting all 82 games for the Thunder.

Also participating on the Western Conference side of the bracket is NBA All-Defensive first-team performer Arron Afflalo. He started 75 of his 82 games with the Denver Nuggets and averaged 8.8 points and 3.1 boards.

On the other side of the bracket, Matt Barnes will be looking to help the Orlando Magic win the Eastern Conference title for the second straight year. Barnes averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds while starting 58 of his 81 games.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Dan Gadzuric are looking to help Milwaukee upset the Atlanta Hawks. Luc started 62 of his 73 games and averaged 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. Gadzuric averaged 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in his 32 games, playing just 9.8 minutes per contest.

Here are key statistics for the other eight Bruins who played in the NBA this season:

Trevor Ariza, Houston - 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds in 72 games (71 starts)

Darren Collison, New Orleans - 12.4 points, 5.7 assists in 76 games (37 starts)

Baron Davis, Clippers - 15.3 points, 8.0 assists in 75 games (73 starts)

Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia - 8.0 points, 3.8 assists in 73 games (51 starts)

Ryan Hollins, Minnesota - 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds in 73 games (27 starts)

Jason Kapono, Philadelphia - 5.7 points in 57 games (12 starts)

Kevin Love, Minnesota - 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 60 games (22 starts)

Earl Watson, Indiana - 7.8 points, 5.1 assists in 79 games (52 starts) 

ESPNU will air a one-hour special reviewing the 2009-10 Pac-10 women's basketball season. The first airdate is Thursday, April 15 at 2 pm PT. It will also re-air on April 15 at 9 pm, April 18 at 2 pm and April 19 at 2 am.

The show includes a feature on UCLA head coach Nikki Caldwell and a piece that includes Jasmine Dixon as one of the outstanding sophomores in the Pac-10.

In case you missed the morning paper, UCLA gymnast Brittani McCullough is the subject of a feature story in the L.A. Times. The article highlights McCullough's balancing of her athletic career and her desire to become a nurse.

To read the feature, click here.

The No. 3 UCLA baseball team (23-2) hits the road Thursday for a three-game series at No. 17 Oregon State (21-6), beginning Friday evening at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.

Thursday's Los Angeles Times includes a feature story about the ambiance and environment at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium. To read the article written by Chris Erskine, click here.

Additionally, Kendall Rogers of Yahoo! Sports/Rivals.com features the Bruins' recent 23-2 start to its season and discusses the team's improved offense. To read Rogers' article, click here.

ESPN.com's "Campus Connection" has featured the UCLA baseball team's pitching staff in a short video (2:27). The Bruins (23-1) have posted the lowest ERA (2.32) in the Pac-10 Conference, through games played on Monday.

To view the video and report by ESPNU's Josh Hoffman, click here.

Alex Wolff of Sports Illustrated has selected his Top 10 college basketball teams of all-time. The 1968 Bruins, led by junior Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and senior Michael Warren, rank No. 1 while the 1973 Bruins, led by juniors Bill Walton and Keith (Jamaal) Wilkes, rank No. 2.

The 1967 Bruins, led by sophomore Abdul-Jabbar, rank No. 7 while the 1964 Bruins - the team that started it all and was led by senior Walt Hazzard and junior Gail Goodrich - was ranked No. 8.

All four teams were coached by the greatest coach in the history of sports - Coach John R. Wooden.

To see the feature on SI.com, click here.

The No. 6 UCLA baseball team improved its overall record to 22-0, earning a 6-5 victory in 10 innings against Stanford in the Bruins' Pac-10 opener on Thursday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA's Dean Espy blooped a base-hit into shallow center field, allowing Niko Gallego to score the winning run from third base in the bottom of the 10th inning.

To read the Orange County Register's recap, which appeared on page one of the sports section's Friday print edition, click here.

To view video from CBS-2/KCAL-9 TV, click here.

UCLA and Stanford continue their three-game series on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Admission costs $7 for adults and $5 for children (ages 16 and under).

Daronte' Jones has been hired as UCLA's defensive graduate assistant, Bruin head coach Rick Neuheisel announced. His duties include assisting the defensive coaches with game preparation and working with the cornerbacks.

Jones comes to UCLA after serving five seasons (2005-09) as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at Bowie State University in Bowie, MD. In addition to coordinating the Bulldogs defense, Jones also serves as the Pro Liaison.

During his five years, the defense captured an aggressive, attacking scheme that has gained the Bulldogs high recognition, both at the conference and national levels. In 2009, the Bulldogs ranked No. 1 among all Division II teams in total defense, allowing just 217.7 yards per game. They also ranked No. 2 nationally in rushing defense (56.5 yards per game) and ninth in pass efficiency defense. Two Bulldogs were named first-team All-CIAA and two more were named to the second unit.

During his tenure, the Bowie State defense ranked in the Top 10 nationally in five different statistical categories (total defense, scoring defense, pass efficiency defense, sacks and rushing defense, including 3rd or higher in total defense). Under Jones' watch, eight defensive players were named All-CIAA, three named All-CIAA Rookie Class, and one D2football.com All-American.

Before joining the Bulldog staff, Jones served as assistant football coach and defensive coordinator at Jeanerette (LA) Senior High School (2004) and assistant coach and physical education teacher at Franklin Senior High School (2003-2004). He also served as assistant football coach/defensive backs at Nicholls State University (2002-2003) and defensive graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne College (2001-2002).

A native of Capital Heights, MD, Jones earned a bachelor's in 2001 from Morgan State University. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

The New England Patriots recently announced the 27 members of its 2000s All-Decade Team. Former UCLA star Roman Phifer was selected to the team comprised of the greatest Patriots from the franchise's most successful decade.

Players selected to the 2000s All-Decade team represent a combined 37 Pro Bowl appearances and all but four of the members earned Super Bowl Championships with the Patriots.

Phifer, chosen as one of two inside linebackers on the All-Decade Team, won three Super Bowls in his Patriots career from 2001-04. Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, Phifer signed with the Patriots in 2001. He played in 59 games with the Patriots and started in each of the Patriots' three Super Bowl victories.

The All-Decade Team was selected by the New England Patriots Hall of Fame Nomination Committee, a 22-person panel made up of reporters, alumni and staff.