Following Tuesday's practice, the last one in pads for this week's season-opening game at Kansas State, head football coach Rick Neuheisel spoke with the media about today's session and looked ahead to Saturday.

To watch the video, click here.

Following Monday's practice, the first of head coach Rick Neuheisel's Monday press conferences were held. Neuheisel had also met with the media on the field after practice.

To watch the video, click here.

Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club
 
Breakfast with the Bruins
Friday, Sept 10 -- 7 am

Head Coach Rick Neuheisel
Key UCLA Football Players
UCLA Spirit Squad

Olympic Collection
    11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle)
$25 includes breakfast buffet, program, and parking

For more information, contact Claudia Hart at 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4UCLA@yahoo.com.
 
 

Earlier today, UCLA alums Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook helped the USA improve to 2-0 with a 99-77 win over Slovenia at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

Love grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and added 10 points, making four of seven shots, in his 13 minutes. Westbrook tied for third on the squad with 11 points, making five of seven shots, and added four rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.

To read the AP recap, click here.

UCLA alums Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love both played well in today's 106-78 victory over Croatia in its first game of the FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

Love led the USA with 10 rebounds. He added seven points and two assists in his 13 minutes. Westbook finished with 10 points, making all four of his field goal attempts. He added a team-high (tied) four assists and three rebounds in his 16 minutes.

For more information, click here.

Here is a pre-season preview video featuring head men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo and head men's water polo coach Adam Wright.

To watch the video, click here.

The Sporting News College Basketball Yearbook, set to hit newsstands in September, will feature UCLA's Malcolm Lee on the cover.

The yearbook picks UCLA to finish second in the Pac-10 Conference behind Washington. It also ranked UCLA's 2010 recruiting class as second in the Pac-10 behind Stanford.

Additionally, sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt was named to the five-man All-Pac-10 team and he was selected as the Pac-10's Best Athlete.

The Bruins were also projected as a No. 11 seed with Oklahoma State, Louisville and Arizona in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

The UCLA women's basketball team is ranked at No. 20 in the Sporting News' Preseason Top 25.

Click here to see the Sporting News cover.

Head football coach Rick Neuheisel met with the media following Thursday's practice. He spoke about some of the players who have returned to practice among other items.

Tonight, the coaching staff and senior players will attend the annual on-campus Kickoff Dinner for over 400 athletic department donors.

To watch the link, click here.

The latest edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities has been released and the University of California system did quite well.

UCLA is ranked the No. 13 university in the world - one of four UC campuses in the Top 20.

To see the rankings for yourself, click here.

In his most recent blog on ESPN.com, Jay Bilas has an outstanding piece about the UCLA basketball program and the fine job head coach Ben Howland has done in Westwood.

Here are a couple of outtakes:

"Excuse my French, but the perceptions about UCLA's style are absolute crap. Howland has been a winner everywhere he has been, but especially at UCLA. He guided the Bruins to three straight Final Fours while placing numerous players in the NBA. While there is no argument that a team like North Carolina plays a different -- and faster -- style under Roy Williams than Howland does at UCLA, there is no empirical evidence that the style difference negatively affects the NBA future or draft status of Bruins players relative to Tar Heels players. In fact, the evidence suggests the opposite."

From later in the column:

"This preposterous urban myth about UCLA and Howland is just that, a myth. It is based upon a perception that Westbrook and Holiday are having better pro careers than they did college careers, and that the only "logical" explanation must be that Howland held his stars back. That is nonsense. The more likely explanation is that Howland is not kissing the tails of those believing themselves to be influential in the summer basketball culture, and they are spreading nonsense about Howland and his offensive philosophy."

You must be an ESPN Insider to read the entire column. Here is the link. 

On Tuesday, ESPN College Football Insider Bruce Feldman wrote an article about UCLA and USC after watching both teams practice on Monday. His thoughts about UCLA and its future were very upbeat.

To read the entire article, you have to be an ESPN.com Insider. Here is the link.

The Bruins practiced once on Tuesday and following the session, head coach Rick Neuheisel met with the media. He discussed quarterback Kevin Prince's participation and announced that cornerback Andrew Abbott was now on scholarship.

To watch the video, click here.

To watch post-practice video of Coach Neuheisel's media conference, click here.

To watch video of post-practice player interviews, click here.

Today marked UCLA Football's final two a day practice for the 2010 preseason camp. Tomorrow being the official final day of camp before game planning begins for the home opener against Kansas State on September 4th. The Bruins had a productive camp, improving and honing their skills on both sides of the ball. And while it was not devoid of unfortunate injuries, UCLA football is certainly heading in the right direction.

On offense, the Bruins looked to their steadfast receivers Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree for big plays down the field. Rosario provided what has come to be standard for him in great catches he makes look effortless. A lot can be expected from this talented wide out. Taylor Embree caught a deep post during team drills but paid for it has he got crushed in triple coverage. Nonetheless, Embree popped up and proved he had the reception. Morrell Presley also had a nice day on offense. During a 3rd down emphasis period, Morrell made two solid grabs in the flats and turned to work up field for the first down. Great awareness, intelligence and effort by Presley.

Defensively, Patrick Larimore had perhaps the play of the day. During the same 3rd down period, Larimore was taking his drop in coverage after reading pass and with incredible athleticism and reaction jumped about 3 feet off the ground to bat down a ball thrown to an open receiver. The defensive line also had a great day; in particular, freshman Cassius Marsh seemed to be in the backfield on almost every play. He's just a guy that is fun to watch!

Now that game plan installation has begun, practices are closed to the public. But don't forget, to get the latest news on UCLA football visit uclabruins.com or on twitter by following: @CoachNeuheisel and @UCLAAthletics. And of course, buy your season tickets now so you don't miss any of what is sure to be a memorable season for UCLA football.

MADRID, Spain (Aug. 21, 2010) - The 2010 USA Men's World Championship Team overcame icy cold shooting in the first half, but never gave up and rebounded in the second half to earn a tough 77-61 victory over Lithuania on Saturday night inside the Magic Box in Madrid, Spain.Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) led all scorers on the night with 15 points, while Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies) and Player of the Game Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) checked in for 14 and 12 points, respectively.

The U.S. will face defending world champion Spain tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. local (3:00 p.m. EDT live on ESPNU with a rebroadcast on ESPN2 at 11:00 p.m. EDT), before heading to Athens for its final exhibition game against Greece on Aug. 25 at 7:00 p.m. local (12:00 p.m. EDT live on ESPN).

Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers) drove to the hoop to give the U.S. the lead for good, 50-49, at 2:29, but it was a play involving a fast-breaking Gay 20 seconds later that really turned the tide. AfterRajon Rondo (Boston Celtics) disrupted a shot by Lithuania, the U.S. got the ball and Gay was streaking down the court when he was intentionally fouled by Mantas Kalnietis. In the confusion that ensued, Linas Kleiza was called for a technical. Gay sunk both his free throw tries and thenEric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers) stepped up to take the two for the tech and swished in both of his tries to push the USA advantage to 54-49.

"That helped us a lot," said Gay. "Those four straight foul shots really got us into position where we can play and be the aggressor."

Granger's basket and the four free throws were the start of a game-deciding 17-0 run that was capped by a Westbrook layup that left the U.S. in control 65-49. The USA held Lithuania to a single free throw over a span of 7:25 as the USA's opponents finally knocked down a three with 5:19 to play.

"I think the key for me and the rest of the team is coming out and having a defensive mindset and I think that was a key for me, just coming out and defending," said Westbrook, who knocked down 4-of-5 from the field and hit both of his 3-point attempts. "I think if we defend our offense will take care of itself, we'll be able to get into the lane and kick it out for open shots. I was just able when they kicked it out to knock down some shots, then try and get into the lane and get everybody else some shots as well."

Following Friday's afternoon practice, head coach Rick Neuheisel discussed the events of the day with the media.

He discussed tomorrow's plan to rest the players' legs in the morning and then have a great scrimmage. He also said he hopes a lot of fans come to Drake Stadium (gates open at 4 pm, scrimmage begins at approximately 5 pm) but asked fans to leave the video cameras at home so the plays and formations don't show up on YouTube.

Neuheisel also discussed new walkon Justin Fareed (a reporter from his hometown paper was at practice for a feature), who returned to the team the other day. Fareed had been on the team in 2006 and 2007 but left the team, staying in school, after the Spring of 2008.

To watch the interview on Bruin TV, click here.

2009 Lou Groza Award recipient Kai Forbath of UCLA is hoping to become the second college place kicker to earn back-to-back awards as the 2010 college football season begins. Forbath heads up the 30 player watch list released today by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The only previous Groza winner to repeat is current Oakland Raider kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who received the honor in 1998 & 1999, while playing for Florida State.

 Kickers on the Lou Groza Award Watch List were chosen based on statistics from the 2009 season and 2010 pre-season expectations.  Fifteen semi-finalists are returning from 2009, including Boise State senior Kyle Brotzman, whose 117 points in 2009, was third in the nation in kick scoring and leads those returning this season. Junior Grant Ressel of the University Missouri leads the list in accuracy, making 26 of his 27 tries for the Tigers. The only other previous Groza Award recipient on this year's list is Arizona State senior Thomas Weber (2007). The Pacific Ten leads the conferences with 6 players on the list. The ACC and SEC have landed 5 kickers each. The Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers during the season, and releasing a weekly "Stars of the Week" feature on www.lougrozaaward.com.

 Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award announces its 20 semi-finalists on Friday, October 29, 2010. From this list, a panel of over 300 experts selects the top three (3) finalists for the award by Monday, November 22, 2010. That same group then selects the national winner which will be announced Thursday, December 9, 2010, during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Award Show, broadcast live from Orlando, FL.

 The 19th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl Committee, recognizes the three (3) finalists during an early week celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet on December 7, prior to joining ESPN in Orlando.

 The award, is named for National Football League (NFL) Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an "All Pro" offensive lineman, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.

Following Friday's morning practice, Ralph Irvin of Bruin TV caught up with freshman running back Malcolm Jones and junior outside linebacker Glenn Love.

To watch the video, click here.

Three UCLA players head the list of 15 Pac-10 football players representing eight schools that have been named to the Rivals.com preseason All-America team, the most of any conference in the country.

UCLA senior place kicker Kai Forbath, the 2009 Lou Groza Award winner, and junior free safety Rahim Moore, who led the nation with 10 interceptions a year ago, were named to the first team while junior outside linebacker Akeem Ayers, who scored three defensive touchdowns in 2009, was a third-team selection.

UCLA and Oregon State each had three selections, Arizona, Oregon and USC had two picks each while Arizona State, California and Stanford had one.  

 For the complete team, click here. 

The Bruin football team practiced once on Thursday afternoon. The session included situational scrimmaging.

Following the practice, head coach Rick Neuheisel met with the media to discuss the day's practice and other items.

To watch the video of the media session, click here.

Another great day of practice for the Bruins! UCLA football had another two a day practice today out on Spaulding and got some productive work in. With the completion of today's sessions the Bruins have now had 13 practices in the 2010 campaign and the quest for greatness. The daily improvement is certainly showing with impressive performances by many.

The offense continued to build upon a very successful scrimmage during yesterday's practice with another strong performance today. Ricky Marvray has consistently proven himself to the coaching staff as a force to be reckoned with in the receiving corps. With so much talent at the wide out position, it's exciting to think about how great our pass game can be this year! Josh Smith recently returned from an injury to display his natural breakaway speed by returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown during special teams today. Taking advantage of some increased reps, sophomore QB Richard Brehaut has made huge strides in his knowledge of not just our pass game but how defenses will defend it. That translates to nice throws and big plays for our receivers.

Defensively, linebacker Todd Golper had a good day for the second team defense, filling his gaps and wrapping up ball carriers throughout the team sessions. Freshmen safety Dietrich Riley's performance has been dominated by highlights. Riley's success is not just found in his coverage and interception abilities, certainly two important traits, but also in his nose for the ball during a run play. His closing speed down to make a tackle on a ball carrier is lightning quick and he has great natural instinct and a nose for the ball.

Exciting times in Westwood! We plan on closing Thursday's practice with a series of situational scrimmages so be sure and come at 3 pm to open practice to check out the Bruins! Of course, don't forget about Saturday's big scrimmage in Drake Stadium at 5pm.

Following Wednesday's afternoon practice, head coach Rick Neuheisel met with the media for his regular question-and-answer session.

To watch the video of his post-practice media briefing, click here (All-Access) or here (YouTube).

Early this afternoon, Scott Davis, one of the world's top track and field authorities, passed away following a long illness.

A 1965 graduate of UCLA (he earned his Master's in 1975), he was the longtime PA announcer for UCLA track & field meets. In addition, he was also a member of the stat crew at Bruin football games.

In the world of track & field, he was recognized as one of the best, if not the best, public address announcers. If a big event was happening, Scott Davis was at the mike.

He is survived by his wife Cheryl and his son Scott Jr., a 1995 UCLA graduate. Our condolences to the Davis Family.

The 2010 UCLA Football Preview Show, produced by Prime Ticket, debuts tomorrow night, August 19, at 10:30 pm.

Hosted by Bill Macdonald and James Washington, the half-hour program features running back Derrick Coleman and the hurdles he has overcome both on and off the field, as well as Rahim Moore and the impact he has made on the UCLA football program.

Patrick O'Neal will also sit down with head coach Rick Neuheisel as he shares his perspective on pre-season practices and the year ahead. And finally, FSN's Petros Papadakis will stop by to provide his season outlook for the Bruins.

For a preview of the show, click here.

Here is the schedule for the show (all airings on Prime Ticket): 

Thu. 8/19 at 10:30 PM

Sat. 8/21 at 11:30AM

Sat. 8/21 at 10:30PM

Mon. 8/23 at 10 PM

Tue. 8/24 at 10:30PM

Wed. 8/25 at 12:30PM

Wed. 8/25 at 9 PM

Fri. 8/27 at 9:30PM

Sat. 8/28 at 11:30AM

Sun. 8/29 at 9 PM

Mon. 8/30 at 10:30PM

Tue. 8/31 at 10 PM   

The Bruins scrimmaged in the red zone at the end of Tuesday's practice. Following the session, head coach Rick Neuheisel spoke with the media about the improved offensive output and other items.

To watch the video, click here.

UCLA junior outside linebacker has been named to several pre-season Watch Lists, such as those for the Lott Trophy, Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award.

On Tuesday, he added another when he was named to the Watch List for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker.

Last season as a junior, Ayers scored three defensive touchdowns - two on interceptions and one on a fumble recovery - to establish himself as one of the top big-play defenders in the nation.

To see the entire Butkus Award Watch List, click here.

In today's Los Angeles Daily News, Jill Painter has a nice column about UCLA Athletics' plans to recreate John Wooden's condo den in the Hall of Fame and the birth of Coach's first great-great grandchild.

To read the colum, click here.

Bruin football closed out another successful session of two a day practices today. The Bruins took to Spaulding field at 9 am and 4 pm for practices marked by high paced, hard hitting playmakers.

On offense, Anthony Barr continued to impress, not only in his big playmaking abilities but in his versatility. Over the last few weeks he's proven that he can not only make plays downfield through his precise route running but also carrying the ball and blocking. In addition to Barr, Christian Ramirez has similarly proven his reliability in multiple facets of the game, and has even helped in Barr's development by offering tips and demonstrating assignments. Ricky Marvray had another productive day at the receiver position, demonstrating his sure hands and athleticism by nearly jumping over defenders to snag passes. The receiving corps has found reliable targets in Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree who have built upon their successes from previous seasons and continue to grow as players.

Defensively, the line applied pressure to the quarterbacks all day, often forcing QBs to dump the ball off for a small gain or securing the incompletion. Their job was certainly aided by an impressive group of linebackers in Akeem Ayers, who had multiple interceptions today and Sean Westgate who was imposing in coverage and coming up to play the run.

There is certainly no shortage of excitement throughout practice as the high octane offense is consistently battling an incredibly well coached, stingy defense.

The Bruins take the field next tomorrow at 3 pm. Come join! Remember, all practices throughout fall preseason camp are open to the public!

Following Monday's afternoon practice, head coach Rick Neuheisel spoke with the media about the day's events.

Among the topics he discussed were quarterback Darius Bell's two practices, Nate Chandler's progress at defensive end and injury updates.

To watch the video, click here.

Bruin fans, don't forget that UCLA will hold its annual Football Scrimmage this Saturday afternoon at Drake Stadium.

The gates are scheduled to open at 4 pm with the scrimmage starting at approximately 5 pm. Following the scrimmage, Bruin coaches and players will be available for photos and autographs.

.

The 2010 UCLA Football Preview Show, produced by Prime Ticket, debuts this Thursday night, August 19, at 10:30 pm.

Hosted by Bill Macdonald and James Washington, the half-hour program features running back Derrick Coleman and the hurdles he has overcome both on and off the field, as well as Rahim Moore and the impact he has made on the UCLA football program.

Patrick O'Neal will also sit down with head coach Rick Neuheisel as he shares his perspective on pre-season practices and the year ahead. And finally, FSN's Petros Papadakis will stop by to provide his season outlook for the Bruins.

Here is the schedule for the show (all airings on Prime Ticket): 

Thu. 8/19 at 10:30 PM

Sat. 8/21 at 11:30AM

Sat. 8/21 at 10:30PM

Mon. 8/23 at 10 PM

Tue. 8/24 at 10:30PM

Wed. 8/25 at 12:30PM

Wed. 8/25 at 9 PM

Fri. 8/27 at 9:30PM

Sat. 8/28 at 11:30AM

Sun. 8/29 at 9 PM

Mon. 8/30 at 10:30PM

Tue. 8/31 at 10 PM                                

For video of head coach Rick Neuheisel following Sunday's practice, click here.

The Bruin football team has been in preseason camp now for a week and all the hard work put forth during the past week and in the offseason is beginning to pay dividends. Big plays were in abundance as the Bruins took to the field this afternoon for the lone practice of the day following yesterday, the first day of two-a-day practices.

Anthony Barr made perhaps one of the most impressive catches of fall camp thus far. Barr was running an outside route against Aaron Hester during 7 on 7 and essentially leaped over Aaron to snag a well thrown ball by QB Richard Brehaut. Jerry Rice Jr also had a nice TD catch in a redzone scenario, getting open just behind All-American safety Rahim Moore.

On defense, the secondary storyline did not deviate from the norm; its dominant performance was evident again with Moore making an impressive interception while the rest of the secondary continued to play at a fast paced level. This was particularly exemplified during the 2 minute drill at the end of practice where the defense intercepted two passes from the offense drive. The offense did finally prevail on a nice drive down field into field goal range where freshmen placekicker Kip Smith knocked one between the uprights to give the Bruins the victory.

Tomorrow will be another session of two a days with the morning practice starting at 9am and the afternoon practice beginning at 4pm in full pads. Both practices will be on Spaulding Field. As is the case with all Bruin football preseason camp practices, the public is welcome to come out and get a preview of the 2010 team! 

The Bruins ended Saturday's practice with a short scrimmage of approximately 25 plays. The defense plated well, with freshman safety Dietrich Riley making two interceptions.

The offense had some good runs and a nice 27-yard reception by Ricky Marvray, but also had issues with some missed assignments.

Head coach Rick Neuheisel spoke about the scrimmage, and other items, with the media following practice. Overall, he said he was pleased with where the team is at this point in practice.

To watch the video, click here.

Following Saturday's first practice session, UCLA All-Access spoke with defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough about the Bruin defense and assistant coach Reggie Moore about his wide receivers.

To watch the Bullough video, click here.

To watch the Moore video, click here.

Friday's practice session was the first in full pads and we have two videos for your viewing pleasure.

The first is a video of some of the one-on-one hitting drills between young offensive and defensive players. To watch that video, click here.

Following practice, head coach Rick Neuheisel spoke about the intensity of the first day of pads and his excitement about many of the freshmen. To watch that video, click here.

Today was the first day the Bruins suited up in full pads, and as was to be expected, there was no shortage of high intensity football plays being made.

The tone for practice was instantly set as the Bruins started with the classic Oklahoma drill, squaring off a defender against an offensive lineman in a one v. one, sumo style match. There were some great match ups, particularly showcasing the new freshmen class. DE Owa Odighizuwa squared off against OL Chris Ward, initially it looked like a game of tug and war, trading off yardage but Owa made a final push and overpowered Ward.

The offensive line started the day looking crisp, making all of the correct calls, picking up blitzes and protecting the QB. We hope that the noticed improvement in the O-line's day to day performance translates into an impressive showing come game day. Aided by the offensive line's excellence, coupled with tremendous skill the run game really began to shine today. Veteran RB Johnathan Franklin demonstrated his abilities, particularly in the redzone, working hard to turn the corner on an outside run for several big gains.

The defensive backfield again reminded people why should be considered elite. They were shutdown from all angles. Aaron Hester had another great day, breaking up several passes.

Practice ended with a short 2 minute drill scenario. The offense was placed on their 40 yard line with a minute left and one time out needing a field goal. While they were able to get two first downs in the drive they were forced to attempt a 47 yard field goal after being stuffed by the defense and the clock winding down. Kai Forbath had the day off to allow freshmen kicker Kip Smith an opportunity to get some reps. Despite connecting on all his PATs and field goals during special teams period, Kip missed this attempt. Either way Bruins Win!

Tomorrow is the start of two a day practices, come join the Bruins on Spaulding Field!

With day 4 of UCLA football's fall preseason camp coming to a close, things on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball are starting to take shape. Players are doing just that, making plays, flying around the field.

On defense, Dietrich Riley continued to make big plays particularly during 1 on 1. Linebacker Todd Golper made a great break on the ball for an interception. Aaron Hester continues to impress and coupled with the rest of the talent in the secondary, our defensive backfield should prove to be one of the most stringent in college football.

Offensively, Nelson Rosario made a gorgeous catch during 1 on 1s. Nelson will be a big time asset for us down the field this year. Johnathan Franklin also had a productive day with great vision for open holes and nice cuts to space. The new pistol offense is certainly showing its benefits in both the run game, with increased production and the pass game.

Tomorrow's practice will be at 4pm on Spaulding field in full pads. Practice will start with Oklahoma drills so be sure to come out and see the Bruins get after it

Here are a couple of videos from today's football practice.

To watch head coach Rick Neuheisel's post-practice media conference, click here.

To watch a an interview with Rahim Moore about the first three days of camp and the team's using the injury to Datone Jones as motivation, click here.

Two UCLA Bruins are involved in a five-man, four-team trade today. It has been reported that the Indiana Pacers have acquired Darren Collison and James Posey from New Orleans. To complete the trade, the Pacers have dealt Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets, who sent Courtney Lee to the Houston Rockets, who sent Trevor Ariza to New Orleans.

Additionally, Mustafa Abdul-Hamid has signed a contract to play professionally in the Serbian National League for the team, HEMOFARM STADA, the leading team of the Adriatic Basketball League (2005 Winner, Final Four regular participant, twice semifinalists of ULEB Cup, semifinalist of Euro Cup, and one of the best teams of the Serbian National League in the past five years). The team is based in Vrsac, Serbia.

UCLA gymnastics alumnae Jamie Dantzscher, Kristen Maloney and Tasha Schwikert will be on NBC's The Today Show on Thursday, Aug. 12 to talk about receiving their 2000 Olympic bronze medal 10 years after the fact. The team is currently scheduled to be featured on the show in the 8 am hour.

The 2000 U.S. team, which had originally finished fourth in the Olympic Games in Sydney, was awarded the bronze medal 10 years later when the International Olympic Committee stripped China of its team bronze due to a team member being underage.

The three Bruins, along with Olympic teammates Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes and Elise Ray will receive their medals in a special ceremony Wednesday evening at the USA Championships in Hartford, CT, prior to the men's competition.

PINECREST, Fla. - UCLA sophomore Griffin White has scored 11 goals for the USA Junior National Men's Water Polo Team in three victories to open pool play at the 2010 UANA Junior Pan American Championships.

Team USA defeated Colombia, 14-2, in its opening contest Monday before defeating Argentina later in the day, 13-1. The Junior National Team routed Puerto Rico, 13-2, on Tuesday.

White scored a team-leading five goals in the win over Colombia, before tying for the team lead with three goals in each of the victories against Argentina and Puerto Rico.

Sophomore Josh Samuels has scored one goal in each of the Junior National Team's three victories. Redshirt freshman Chris Wendt tallied one goal in Team USA's victory against Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

Also representing UCLA on the USA Junior National Team is sophomore Bret Lathrope.

Team USA is back in action at the Pan American Championships on Wednesday, concluding its pool play contests with a match against Brazil.

UCLA sophomore punter Jeff Locke is one of seven players named to the pre-season Watch List for the Ray Guy Award, presented annually to the nation's top punter.

The seven players are all returning semifinalists from the 2009 season. A year ago, Locke was the only freshman to make the group of 10 semifinalists.

Other candidates will be added during the season and a complete listed will be announced on October 28.

Last year, Locke earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors. He averaged 43.63 yards per punt to rank second in the Pac-10 and 16th nationally and also handled the kickoff chores.

Here are the local stories from Day 2 of UCLA football camp:

Los Angeles Times - click here.

Los Angeles Daily News - click here.

Orange County Register - click here.

Three Bruins have been named to additional pre-season "Watch Lists" of national awards.

Junior free safety Rahim Moore and junior outside linebacker Akeem Ayers were named to the watch list of the Bednarik Award, presented annually to the nation's top defender.

Junior defensive end Datone Jones, who suffered a fractured right foot in Tuesday morning's practice, has been named to the watch list of the Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end).

Moore, who led the nation with 10 interceptions in 2009, has also been named to the watch lists of the Lott Trophy (nation's top/impact defender), Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defender) and Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back).

Ayers, who scored three defensive touchdowns a year ago, is also on the watch lists of the Lott Trophy, Nagurski Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman).

To watch video of head coach Rick Neuheisel's media conference, click here.

To watch a video interview with quarterback Kevin Prince, click here.

Day 2 of preseason practice is in the books. While practice may be over, football for the day certainly is not. Our guys still have meetings and film, lifting, and treatment this afternoon and into the evening. All important components to our success!

As a coaching staff, it was evident that there was continued growth in a positive direction from both our freshmen and our veterans. If we want to reach the types of goals we've set for ourselves then it is vital that we see those improvement everyday. Strive to be perfect!

Today's practice was similar to yesterday in that, it was split into two separate groups, essentially duplicating the practice to allow more guys to get more reps. Today was again an unpadded practice as we are still in the NCAA mandated acclimation phase of camp. But that certainly did not damper the level of intensity or big plays on both sides of the ball.

A few plays/players that really stuck out. Ricky Marvray had another tremendous day at receiver. He's demonstrating that he can use his speed in the deep routes but also work to get open on the short ones as well. For instance, during one of the team periods Ricky recognized the corner covering him was giving him a cushion of almost 10 yards, he signaled to the QB to change his route. He made the catch for a gain of 8 yards, on 2^nd and 5 in a game, those are just the types of plays we need.

Freshmen running back Jordan James is showing his athleticism on nearly every play. And with this new pistol offense we can really showcase our talented backfield.

Taylor Embree continues to be one of the most consistent pieces of our pass offense. He is talented in not only the physical aspect of the game but also in the classroom, a real student. The last two days have been no departure from what was already known, he keeps making catches with his sure hands and is also helpful in tutoring the young receivers.

On defense, the linebacking corps has done a great job for us, particularly in coverage. Walk on linebacker Phil Ruhl has two interceptions in two days while middle linebackers Pat Larimore and Steve Sloan continue to stuff the run. It'll be exciting to see our defense at full speed once the pads are on.

Andrew Abbott also had a great play today during 7 on 7. He made a great break on the ball to break up a pass. As Coach Jones said, "make that an interception rather than a break up and its to the house, 7 points for the Bruins. That's Rose Bowl material".

Unfortunately, DE Datone Jones suffered a fracture in his right foot. There is no timetable for his return, but it will be at least October.

Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times has written a powerful column on the efforts of UCLA men's head basketball coach Ben Howland and his family to raise funds for the fight against Huntington's disease.

The illness, which has no cure, took the life of Kim Howland's father four years ago. In addition, it could potentially affect the Howlands' children.

To read the column, click here.

It's upon us! Today officially marked the first day of the 2010 preseason and while Bruin Football's preseason truly began in the weeks following our victory at the Eaglebank Bowl last December and the ensuing months, we have once again taken Spaulding Field in our quest to win a Pac-10 Championship.

Today's practice was predominantly a learning and installation one, focusing on teaching new players our offensive and defensive philosophies and techniques. This also allows for valuable review time for all of our veterans. Overall, the tempo of practice was certainly a slower pace then is typical but that did not preclude players from making some big time plays. A couple highlights: playing linebacker during 7 on 7, Glenn Love took a great drop into coverage, baited the receiver and closed down on a route to snatch an interception, really a great play showing tremendous athleticism and skill. The offense struck back; however, as Randall Carroll hauled in several great receptions, including a few long balls. The young bucks were no exception to the playmaking scene, Dietrich Riley and Anthony Barr both had impressive days on defense and offense respectively and the coaching staff is excited to see how they and all the other newcomers will progress in the coming weeks.

Check back here after every practice for thoughts and a quick practice recap.

Here are links to stories in the local media about the opening of football camp:

L.A. Daily News - UCLA Training Camp 2010 Preview

L.A. Times - Story on Pistol Offense; Five Crucial Questions Facing Bruins as They Open Training Camp

O.C. Register - Bruins Have Shot to Show Improvement

Incoming freshmen Reed Williams and Kelyn Rowe were selected to the 2009-10 ESPN RISE All-America teams for their respective seasons. Williams was named to the Winter All-American list, while Rowe was chosen for the Spring All-American list.

Williams, a forward from Corona del Mar HS, scored 32 goals with 12 assists in 2009-10, leading his squad to the CIF-State Division II title. Williams, the 2010 Gatorade State Player of the Year for California and the CIF-SS Division IV Offensive Player of the Year, scored the winning goal in the title game after scoring two goals in the semifinal matchup.

Rowe, a forward from Federal Way HS, also scored 32 goals in 2009-10, including all five in his squad's 5-1 win over Todd Beamer HS in the state quarterfinals. A first-team All-Seattle-Times selection in both soccer and football (punter), he also earned Class 4A soccer Player of the Year by sports writers across Washington. Rowe was also selected as a Parade All-American, along with fellow incoming UCLA freshman Victor Chavez.

TOKYO - UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole will start for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team against Cuba in the gold medal game of the V FISU World University Baseball Championships on Saturday, Aug. 7.

First pitch at Meiji Jingu Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time in Japan - 2 a.m. (PT) in Los Angeles.

Team USA enters the gold medal game against Cuba sporting a 16-2 record and currently rides a seven-game winning streak after defeating host Japan in semifinal action on Thursday night. Cuba will enter Saturday's contest on the heels of an 11-0 victory over Korea in semifinal action. The Cubans have scored in double-digits in all five games of the World Championships, outscoring the opposition by a 70-8 margin.

Cole has gone 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in four games (three starts) for Team USA this summer. The native of Santa Ana, Calif., has registered 21 strikeouts and three walks in 18.0 innings during his second stint with the USA Collegiate National Team. Cole pitched for Team USA as a rising sophomore in 2009.

The Cuban National Team will send Ismel Jimenez to the mound on Saturday. Jimenez has logged an 18.00 ERA in two innings of work at the World Championships.

Team USA has won the last three FISU World University Baseball Championships and is seeking its fourth consecutive gold medal.

UCLA Football pre-season camp is just around the corner.

The newcomers will check into camp on Saturday afternoon. That will be followed by a dinner for the newcomers, their families and the coaching staff.

On Sunday, the newcomers will participate in several meetings, including compliance, training room and equipment. On the same afternoon, the returning players will be checking into camp. That evening, there will be a team dinner and administrative and football meetings.

On Monday, the newcomers will have photos taken in full uniform in the morning. Football meetings begin at 9:30 am followed by a walk-thru at 11 am.

Head coach Rick Neuheisel will meet with the media at 11:30 am and from noon to 1:30 pm, the players and coaches will participate in Media Day, doing various interviews, shooting TV freeze-frames and also taping material for use on the Rose Bowl video board.

At 3:00 pm, the first practice will begin. During the first four days, the squad will be split with one group participating beginning at 3:00 pm with stretch. The entire team will be together at 4:25 for special teams and the second half of the team will practice begining at 4:50. Practice will end at approximately 6:00 pm.

UCLA utilized the split practice during the first four days last year as well. This format gives all of the players more practice reps opportunities, giving the coaches more video to study.

Practices are open to the public through the August 21 scrimmage and will be closed after that date. Fans are reminded to stay in the Spaulding Field bleachers during practice. In addition, fans are not to have any contact with any prospective student-athletes or their families who might be attending practice.

To check the list of practices open to the public, click here.

There are currently 22 UCLA alums on the pre-season rosters of 14 National Football League teams.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (LB Kyle Bosworth, RB Maurice Jones-Drew and TE Marcedes Lewis) and the Washington Redskins (WR/KR Terrence Austin, S Chris Horton and TE Logan Paulsen) each have three Bruins on their rosters.

Below is the list of Bruins by team:

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Matt Ware, S

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Brendon Ayanbadejo, LB

CHICAGO BEARS

Kahlil Bell, RB

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Kenyon Coleman, DL

DENVER BRONCOS

Matt Willis, WR

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Brandon Chillar, LB

Spencer Havner, TE

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Kyle Bosworth, LB

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB

Marcedes Lewis, TE

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Jarrad Page, S

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Chris Kluwe, P

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Matthew Slater, WR/KR

Bret Lockett, S

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Ryan Boschetti, DT

Chane Moline, RB

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Brian Price, DT

TENNESSEE TITANS

Dave Ball, DE

Alterraun Verner, CB

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Terrence Austin, WR/KR

Chris Horton, S

Logan Paulsen, TE

(Note: Bruce Davis began camp with the Denver Broncos but is no longer with the team)

Chris Markey, who played running back for the Bruins from 2004-2007, has returned to UCLA to finish his final classes for a degree in sociology. Markey has just two classes remaining, a statistics class and sociology class, and is attending the B summer session to complete his coursework.

"I always knew that in life you have to have a backup plan in case football didn't work out," said Markey. "I've always said that there are a million other ways to make money and have a career then play football and this is my first step towards. that. I'm going to finish my degree because if I didn't, my mom would kill me for wasting four years of college."

Markey had been playing arena football before an ankle injury sidelined him. He is currently rehabbing the injury and might return to the game in the future.

The official site of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has a nice feature on Bruin alum Brian Price, who was the 35th selection in the 2010 NFL Draft.

To read the story, click here.