http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/100713/andrew-harrison
I know he really hasn't been mentioned by anyone. However, is there any chance we are looking at this kid? I know Lavin threw his name out in one of his Twitter feeds. Also, is there a possible connection with any of our Texas players?
The way I see it, if nobody leaves or graduates next year other than Gift, a PG would be the ideal choice.
100% agree with we need a pg, but he's not going to school without his brother
Pretty sure I've posted that Rico was the 2nd most hated Lavin player by UCLA "fans". But he's a distant 2nd to Ryan Walcott. Any history buffs interested in the Walcott saga, just ask!
Do tell, don't be such a tease , ha.
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Boring CRGreen Steve Lavin Historical post follows.......
Okay. One of the most cited and repeated legends about Steve Lavin is UCLA, is that he wasted a scholarship on a PG he'd never seen play - signed him based on a recruiting video only - due of course, to the extreme laziness of Lavin and his staff when it came to recruiting.
The actual situation - this was June, 2000. UCLA was heading into the 2001 season with a roster than included Sr. Guards Earl Watson, Ray Young, Moose Bailey, wings Billy Knight and Rico Hines; forwards Jr. Matt Barnes, Soph Jason Kapono, Center Jr. Dan Gadzuric, incoming forward TJ Cummings. Cummings, #36 overall recruit int he country was the only signee expected. Lavin was saving the rides in order to cash in on one of the deepest recruiting classes ever in california coming up in a year - with plans on using 7 rides. The targets a year down the road were Tyson Chandler, Jamal Sampson, Cedric Bozeman, Dijon Thompson, Michael Fey, Aaron Miles, Josh Childress, Andre Patterson (LA City POY), Jamal Williams, Eric & Derrick Craven.
If you've followed recruiting for more than the last 12 years you already KNOW what happened that late spring. The NCAA changed the rules on scolarships, putting in place the now infamous 5/8 rule - and with only a few weeks notice till the start of school. The 5/8 rule was simple. While you still could have up to 13 scholarship players on your roster, you could only start 8 rides on the counter over 2 seasons - with a max of 5 in any given year. Coaches weren't given a year to prepare - it went into effect immediately. What this meant is for a school like UCLA that had 4 open scholarships for 2000-01 - planning to use them in combination iwth the four rides that would open up with the graduation fo the four seniors that year - a total of 8 open rides - the MAX they could sign was 5. Not only that, but with Barns, Gadzuric and Young graduating the following year, the three rides that would have to go unused in 2001 would ALSO have to go unused in 2002 - remember, if you use 5 in 2001, you can only use 3 in 2002 - even tho with the unused 2000s, 2001s and 2002s, you have 6 available. That meant that 3 scholarships were going to remain unused for THREE FULL SEASONS.
Remember also this is JUNE, heading into July. Recruiting is over. LOI Signing day is LONG over with. There ARE no more scouting opportunites. Most kids are already showing up to start Summer School of their college careers.
UCLA opened up the recruiting files, and identifed two kids to offer scholarships to. One they had seen many times. They knew he was a half step slow, but the rest of his pedigree was exemplary: 6'8, 240 lb PF. Out of Montclair Prep - same school that had sent Mitchell Butler to UCLA a few years before. 24.1 pts, 12. 8 rebs, 2.5 assists 2.0 blocks, 54% from the floor, 70 percent from the line - even hit 30 threes as a senior. USA Today Honorable Mention All America. Josiah Johnson. And a UCLA Legacy - his father is Marques Johnson. So far so good for Lavin.
With the other scholarship, he offered Ryan Walcott. Pretty good athletic Pedigree - first cousin of Mike Bibby. Nephew of UCLA great Henry Bibby. Two other first cousins played in the NFL Shaun and Tariq McDonald. In 1996, Mike Bibby qb'd Shadow Mountain HS to the Arizona State Championship, before moving on to Arizona. The next season, freshman Ryan Walcott took over as Shadow Moutains PG. He was the starting PG all 4 seasons in high school, which culminated in 2000 with Shadow Mountain winning the Arizona State Championship again. The 6'1 180 Walcott averaged 16.2 pts, 7.0 rebs, 6.4 assts, 5.0 steals, shot 52%, 41% 3s, 78% Fts.
Pedigree, 4 year HS starter, Leader, Winner. Just about everything you could ask for in a 3rd string PG - what I call a doomsday player.
But those with the agenda started a campaign against the kid to strike at Lavin " recruited from a video", no buseinss at a school like UCLA. Etc. To be fair, it didn't help that there was at the time also a backlash against Henry Bibby - who by taking the Head Coaching Job at hated rival USC in 1996 (where he'd remain till 2005), had gone from one of the most beloved Bruins to one of the most Reviled. Still is to this day.
Anyway, the kid was crucified. Didnt' help when he broke his foot during fall practice, and had to redshirt his freshman year. but remember, his ride wuld STILL be unusable for TWO more years if he wasn't there. As a Redshirt frosh, he had what most would consider a decent season. Played 28 games, got doulbe digit minutes (10.4 per). High point was in the Pac 10 Tourney, when he got 10 pts 6 assts 4 rebs vs Cal off the bench. Again - never INTENDED to be more than a 3rd string. UCLA went on to their 5th sweet 16 in 6 years...
Next year - the Doomsday scenario came into being. Lavin had been reduced to a veritible "lame duck" that previous spring, where word leaked the Atheletic Director had contacted Rick Pinino and offered him the UCLA job for 2002-03 - the move cost Lavin 2 of his recruiting targets that year, including a backup PG. Three starters, Dan Gadzuric, Billy Knight, & Matt Barnes, plus 6th man Rico had graduated. Then soph PG Ced Bozeman went down with a knee injury. And transfer guard Jon Crispin, who'd started for Penn States Sweet 16 team in 2001, had his chronic bad back (which eventually ended his career) flare up. And the 3rd string doomsday PG was suddenly the ONLY PG. All the kid did was lead the Bruins in assists for the year, (7th best in conference). He was NOT a great player. He was b decent. But he stood up when called on, did things that if the propaganda campaign against Lavin hadn't included him, would have left him as one of those guys you talk about for great moments. In two games against his Uncle's USC Trojans that year, he had 19 assists - an 11 assist game (tied for 4th best ever at UCLA, and best in the Pac 10 that year, and an 8 assist game. All as a redishirt Sophmore. When Ben Howland came onboard, his first signees were Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo and Josh Shipp in the backcourt, where Ced Bozeman and UNC Transfer Brian Morrison already were, so after 1 year of deep bench backup to Bozeman in 2004,Ryan transferred to finish up his career with some PT when Farmar and that group arrived. Unfortunately a leg injury fall practice cost him his senior year as well. Even more unfortunately, Ced Bozeman tore his ACL that same fall - had he stayed, he'd likely have been first backup to Farmar in 2005.
But you know, "wasted scholarship", "not d-1 level" players just don't get you games of 11 assists and 8 assists against high D-1 rivals. Don't get you double digit scoring and 6 assists in Major conference tourney games. Don't finish 7th in a major D-1 conference in assists for a season. Don't lead a high D-1 team in assists for a season. They just DON'T. Like I said earlier - not a great player. Was never anticipated to be, nor intended to be.
I got no problem if Steve can find a guy like that for the 13th ride. Of course, maybe he has - just at a different position in Jones.....