Syracuse assistant accused of molestation by ex-team ball boys

Two former Syracuse ball boys allege that associate head basketball coach Bernie Fine molested them.

Syracuse placed Fine on administrative leave Thursday evening.

Bobby Davis, now 39, and Mike Lang, now 45, told ESPN that Fine used to reach into their shorts and grope them.

Davis says the abuse began when he began working for the team in 1984, while in seventh grade. Lang, who is Davis' stepbrother, said that Fine started molesting him when he was in fifth or sixth grade.

Police told ESPN that they are in the early stages of an investigation and that they plan to interview the alleged victims.

Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim defended Fine in a telephone interview with the New York Times on Thursday evening.

“I’ve known Bernie Fine for 45 years, and there’s absolutely no way that I believe any of this could possibly have happened,” Boeheim said. “That’s the bottom line.”

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Joe Paterno gave ownership of their home to his wife for $1 in July

Judge in Jerry Sandusky case may have benefited from Second Mile

-- Melissa Rohlin

 Photo: Bernie Fine, right, with Syracuse player Fab Melo. Credit: Dennis Nett / Associated Press

Oklahoma State coaches die in plane crash in mountainous terrain

Oklahoma State women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna were on a recruiting trip for the OSU Cowgirls on when their single-engine plane crashed Thursday evening in mountainous terrain in Arkansas.

Budke and Serna died along with the pilot and another individual, who was not affiliated with the university. There were no survivors in the crash of the plane in the eastern Ouachita Mountains in Perry County, Ark.

The cause of the crash has not been announced, and, according to the Associated Press, the National Transportation Safety Board said it could take nine months for its investigators to determine the reason the plane went down.

Budke, 50, had been the Cowgirls' coach since 2005. He helped transform a team that had been winless in the Big 12 in his first season to a perennial conference contender.

Serna had been an assistant for Budke for seven seasons, including a stint at Louisiana Tech.

The Cowgirls opened the season Sunday with a 96-60 win over Rice in Stillwater.

OSU President Burns Hargis said Friday in a statement that the school  was "devastated by this tragedy."

Associate head coach Jim Littell will take over as head interim head coach. The team's weekend games against Grambling State and Texas-Arlington have been canceled.

Budke is survived by his wife, Shelly, and three children, Sara, Alex and Brett. Sara is a student at Oklahoma State.

Mens' basketball Coach Travis Ford told reporters that he went to Budke's house as soon as he heard about the crash.

"I just found out and there are so many unanswered questions," Ford said. "I just saw him. We talked every single day. He came to my shootarounds. It just doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem real."

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Files from Jerry Sandusky's charity are missing, according to officials

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: In January, Oklahoma State head coach Kurt Budke talks with guard Tiffany Bias in the first half of a game against Oklahoma in Stillwater, Okla. Credit: Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press

UCLA basketball: Reeves Nelson reinstated, will play against Chaminade

UCLA Coach Ben Howland reinstated Reeves Nelson on Wednesday, welcoming the volatile junior forward back to the team after a one-game suspension for behavior issues.

Nelson is scheduled to resume practicing with the team Thursday and will travel to Hawaii and play in the Maui Invitational, which starts for the Bruins (0-2) on Monday with a game against Chaminade (3-0).

"Reeves understands that his reinstatement is contingent on his ability to continually meet the high standards we have established for all UCLA men's basketball players," Howland said in a statement. "He expressed to me in our meeting earlier [Wednesday] that he desires to be a better person and better teammate going forward and, given that, I feel as though I should give him that opportunity."

Nelson said in a statement that he acknowledged there were "corrections that need to be made and I'm grateful to Coach Howland and to have this opportunity to improve and work on being a positive force for our team."

Nelson had 13 points and eight rebounds in UCLA's season-opening loss to Loyola Marymount, during which he tuned out coaches during timeout huddles and sulked on the court when things went poorly for the Bruins.

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UCLA falls flat in 86-66 loss to Middle Tennessee State

Mike Krzyzewski or Bob Knight: Who's the better coach? [Poll]

--Ben Bolch

Photo: UCLA Coach Ben Howland, left, speaks with forward Reeves Nelson during an exhibition game on Nov. 6. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

John Wooden statue to be erected at renovated Pauley Pavilion

John Wooden and Pauley Pavilion forever will be linked.

His UCLA basketball teams went 149-2 there. The basketball floor is named the "Nell and John Wooden Court" after the legendary coach and his wife.

His memorial service was held there in June 2010. His great-grandson, Tyler Trapani, even scored the final points at the arena before it closed for renovations after last season.

And when Pauley Pavilion reopens in 2012, Wooden certainly will be there in spirit -- and his image will be there in the form of a statue that will be situated on the new plaza on the building's north side along Bruin Walk, Athletic Director Dan Guerrero announced Tuesday in his weekly blog.

The statue will be sculpted by Blair Buswell, head sculptor for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

"I, along with some of my staff, was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit his studio and see his initial maquettes [concepts] for the statue when the football team played at Utah last weekend," Guerrero wrote. "The studio contains life-size replicas of some of his outstanding work, including statues of Jack Nicklaus, Mickey Mantle and Merlin Olsen ... what an amazing place"

He added: "I cannot wait until we unveil the final product."

RELATED:

John Wooden dies at 99

Photos: John Wooden, 1910-2010

Graphic: A bigger Pauley Pavilion coming in 2012

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: John Wooden coaches at Pauley Pavilion. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Was Bob Knight drinking a beer while broadcasting the Duke game?

Legendary Coach Bob Knight was on hand at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night as his record for most coaching victories went down in flames. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski passed him as the winningest Division I college basketball coach when the No. 6 Blue Devils defeated Michigan State, 74-69.

In fact, Knight was working the game as an analyst for ESPN. And it appears the sadness of losing his record may have gotten to him, as there was a shot of him drinking what appeared to be a beer during the game.

OK, it's possible it's something besides beer. Iced tea, perhaps? But there isn't a lot of iced tea sold at sporting events, and it's fun to imagine Knight pounding down a brew while working.

I imagine Coach Knight as a Budweiser guy myself. Maybe Dos Equis though, and he can give "The Most Interesting Man in the World" a run for his money.

Hopefully this post won't entail a visit or phone call to our department from Coach Knight. It's all in good fun, coach. But if you are reading this and are unhappy, my name is T.J. Simers. If you realize this is all in good fun, well, then my name as at the end of this post.

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Poll: Who's a better coach: Bob Knight or Coach K?

Third time isn't a charm for USC against Nebraska

UCLA falls flat in 86-66 loss to Middle Tennessee State

-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: Screenshot of the game, with Knight drinking the mystery substance. Credit: @AOliva3 Twitter page.

UCLA basketball: Reeves Nelson suspended indefinitely over behavior

UCLA Coach Ben Howland announced late Monday that he had suspended junior forward Reeves Nelson indefinitely for unspecified behavior issues.

Nelson, the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder from last season, will not be with the team Tuesday when it plays Middle Tennessee State at the Sports Arena.

"This is a very disappointing situation for Reeves and for our basketball program," Howland said in a 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's status will be reevaluated after he meets with Howland this week, according to the statement. Nelson had 13 points and eight rebounds in UCLA's season-opening 69-58 loss to Loyola Marymount on Friday.

We'll have more later at www.latimes.com/sports.

--Ben Bolch

UCLA basketball: Ben Howland meeting with Reeves Nelson; status on team unclear

UCLA Coach Ben Howland said he would meet with junior forward Reeves Nelson on Monday afternoon to discuss a variety of issues, and Nelson's status on the team remained unclear.

Asked what the meeting was about, Howland said, "Just his behavior after the game [against Loyola Marymount], for example, walking off the court the other day, a number of things of that nature."

Will Nelson be in uniform for UCLA when the Bruins (0-1) play host to Middle Tennessee State (2-0) on Tuesday night at the Sports Arena?

"I can’t comment any further until I sit and talk to him," Howland said.

Nelson, the Bruins' returning leading scorer and rebounder from last season, appeared frustrated for much of UCLA's season-opening 69-58 loss to Loyola Marymount. He finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, missing all three three-point attempts he took.

Sophomore center Joshua Smith said the Bruins were "going to keep practicing" despite the uncertainty regarding Nelson's situation.

"I really don't know how he's feeling right now, to be honest," Smith said. "I still take it as he's part of the team."

Asked whether he had spoken to Nelson about his status, Smith appeared to indicate that Nelson was thinking of quitting the team.

"I’ve talked to him, but there’s not really any information to tell me where he’s leaning," Smith said. "I want him to stay."

Nelson has been an enigmatic figure for much of his UCLA career, sulking when things aren't going well on the court and occasionally berating his teammates. He threw the ball in teammate Brendan Lane's chest during a game last year.

Nelson can also be one of the most galvanizing players on the team, firing up the crowd with hand gestures and playing tight defense when inclined to do so. He was a first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference player last season and a big reason the Bruins were picked by the media as the preseason favorite this year in the Pac-12.

We'll have more later at www.latimes.com/sports.

--Ben Bolch

UCLA basketball: Marques Johnson Q&A regarding opening loss

Former UCLA All-American and five-time NBA All-Star Marques Johnson (above), who is also an analyst for Fox Sports Net, spoke with The Times on Saturday evening regarding his thoughts about the Bruins' season-opening 69-58 loss to Loyola Marymount on Friday at the Sports Arena.

Did Friday night show that for all the hype about UCLA's big men, college basketball is really mostly about guard play?

That's what it's all about. That's the main ingredient for success. If you have good guards in college and adequate big guys, you can win a lot of games. If you have good big guys and average to adequate guard play, you're going to struggle.

Did Loyola Marymount expose anything with its approach to the Bruins' big men?

Smart coaches know you spread them out, whip that ball around the perimeter and get these bigs firing out and then use the quickness of their guys, the dribble penetration, to create all kinds of problems. It's gonig to be tough to stop quicker teams and that's what you saw.

Did Joshua Smith seem significantly different than last year as far as conditioning, and was he a disappointment?

Yes. And again, you say that taking into account that the defensive strategy that Loyola brought into the game was to surround him, front him, get deep backside, weak-side help to discourage the pass over the top. And UCLA's got to do a better job; they missed him on five or six occasions where he was either posting up or coming across the lane. That's the one thing they need to stress more in practice -- feeding the post. That was the same thing Kevin Love kind of went through at times when he was there. He might have great post-up position, and it's a small window of opportunity. It's like, one-thousand-one and it's gone and if you don't pull the trigger with a pass, the opening is closed. And that's where UCLA was a little slow in pulling the trigger on some of those passes.

The weight, I was hoping, as we all were, that he would come back in better physical condition. It is what it is. He's probably not going to be in shape to run up and down the floor to be an effective player within a month or so, but he's still a force. I'm watching him just beat up those interior guys last night establishing position and catching it. I mean, he's going to pound anybody he plays against, but he needs to get in better condition and once he does that, he's obviously going to play a lot better.

Does UCLA need to consider zone defense?

UCLA basketball: Recruit Kyle Anderson stands by Bruins

(Over)reaction was predictably swift after No. 17 UCLA's ugly opening loss to Loyola Marymount on Friday at the Sports Arena.

Fans started a "Potential Ben Howland Replacements Thread" on a message board, alluding to their momentary desire to replace the coach who had just presided over the Bruins' first loss to the Lions since 1941.

Sophomore center Joshua Smith logged on to Twitter to vent his frustration, writing, "Just lost to some straight bums lol."

That left UCLA recruit Kyle Anderson as the voice of reason Saturday. The 6-foot-8 senior standout from Jersey City (N.J.) St. Anthony High who attended the Bruins' 69-58 defeat was standing by his future teammates.

"It was a surprise, but it was a tough loss," Anderson said. "Everyone goes through them. I'm sure UCLA will bounce right back."

What did Anderson see as the difference in UCLA's first loss as the home team at the Sports Arena since an 88-79 defeat to Utah on Dec. 29, 1961?

"LMU played their best game and it just so happened that UCLA didn't play their best game," Anderson said. "LMU made a lot of tough shots, a lot of long shots and a lot of layups. We just missed a couple of layups, nothing really major."

Anderson, who signed a letter of intent with UCLA earlier this week, said the defeat that is sure to knock the Bruins out of the national rankings did not change his perception of the team or the program.

"No," Anderson said. "Not at all."

Of course, UCLA clearly has issues to address before heading to Hawaii next week for the Maui Invitational. Heck, the Bruins have things to sort out before thinking they can even beat Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday.

They must stay in front of their man on defense and close out better on the perimeter. On offense, they must find a way to more effectively utilize Smith and forward Reeves Nelson while resisting the urge to shoot too many three-pointers like they did Friday, when they made only two of 15 attempts from beyond the arc.

Anderson said he hung out with the Bruins in the dorms after the game.

"They were upset," Anderson said. "They understood it's a tough loss. They just have to come together as a team."

--Ben Bolch

Photo: UCLA center Joshua Smith is blocked out by Loyola Marymount guard Jarred DuBois (4) and forward Godwin Okonji (22) during a rebound Friday night. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / US Presswire

UCLA upset by Loyola Marymount, 69-58

UCLA, nationally ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2008, was promptly upset by Loyola Marymount, 69-58, in its season opener on Friday night at the Sports Arena.

The Lions made 10 of 15 shots from three-point range against the No. 17-ranked Bruins. Ashley Hamilton scored 23 points and Anthony Ireland added 21 to lead Loyola to its first victory over UCLA in 14 games.

The Wear twins, transfers from North Carolina, accounted for nearly half the Bruins' points; David scoring 13 and Travis finishing with 11.

Reeves Nelson also had 13 points for UCLA, which shot only two of 15 from three-point range. Bruins point guard Lazeric Jones struggled from the field to finish with three points on one-of-12 shooting.

The Lions led for most of the game, including one point at halftime, despite playing without starting forward Drew Viney and coasted to the victory by maintaining a double-digit lead down the stretch.

Loyola opened its first double-digit lead, 53-42, on two free throws by Hamilton that capped a 12-0 run.

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-- Dan Loumena

Wire services contributed to this report.

Photo: Loyola's Ashley Hamilton scores inside against UCLA during a season opener on Friday night at the Sports Arena. Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

USC defeats Cal State Northridge, 66-59, in season opener

Dewayne Dedmon had a successful debut for USC as the highly-touted sophomore forward finished with 16 points and eight rebounds to lead the Trojans to a 66-59 victory over Cal State Northridge in the season opener for both teams on Friday at the Galen Center.

Trojans Coach Kevin O'Neill has called the 7-foot Dedmon, who didn't begin playing organized basketball until he was a senior in high school, a future NBA lottery draft pick.
 
Dedmon played only 25 minutes against the Matadors because of foul trouble and cramping in his legs, but his dunk with 3:17 left gave the Trojans a three-point lead that they would not relinquish.

Transfer Aaron Fuller had 16 points and nine rebounds in his USC debut while Maurice Jones added 16 points, making 12 of 15 free throws.

Jones made only two of 13 shots from the field, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. USC did not make a long-range shot in 15 tries.

Northridge trailed by eight points at halftime before pulling into a 54-52 lead with 4:13 left in the second half. Stephan Hicks led the Matadors with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Allan Guei and Vinnie McGhee each had 14 points.

--Dan Loumena

Wire services contributed to this report.

USC basketball: Trojans lead Northridge at half, 29-21; Dedmon has 8 points

Dewayne Dedmon won the opening tip in his debut for USC on Friday night against Cal State Northridge.

On the first missed shot on the defensive end, the 7-foot sophomore touted by USC Coach Kevin O'Neill as a future NBA lottery pick, snatched the rebound with two hands.  

And with 18:25 in the first half, Dedmon caught a no-look pass from a driving Maurice Jones on the left side of the basket, and Dedmon came up on the other side and dunked it strong with his right hand.

Then he took that right hand, balled it into a fist, beat his chest three times with it and roared.

Like that, Dedmon had matched his career-high in points scored for all of high school.

Yes, he only scored two points in high school -- all in his senior year, which is the first year he began playing organized basketball. His is a remarkable story that was featured in The Times. 

In the first half, which USC finished with a 29-21 lead, Dedmon had eight points, making four of five shots from the field while grabbing four rebounds.

He checked out of the game with 8:20 before halftime after picking up his second foul and did not return.

But before that, he scored six consecutive points during one stretch -- hitting three short-range jumpers -- and after a rebound the USC student section was chanting, "Ded-mon, Ded-mon, Ded-mon."

Aside from Dedmon, USC has looked young. It led 14-4 before the Matadors scored six unanswered points. USC responded with a 9-0 run, and the two teams exchanged more runs before the buzzer sounded.

USC is shooting 10 of 24 (41.7%) from the field while Northridge is shooting only four of 29 (13.8%). Junior forward Aaron Fuller is the leading scorer for USC with nine points.

For Northridge, Vinnie McGhee and Stephan Hicks each have six points. 

-- Baxter Holmes

Photo: Dewayne Dedmon. Credit: USC

USC signs two, including guard rated No. 1 junior-college player

On Wednesdsay, the first day of the fall signing period, the USC men's basketball team received letters of intent for its 2012 signing class from two players, one of whom has been rated the top junior-college player in the nation.

Guard J.T. Terrell, a Wake Forest transfer who is playing at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Wash., verbally committed to USC last month and is rated the No. 1 junior-college player in the country by Swanny's Roundball Review. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining beginning in 2012-13.

At Wake Forest in 2010-11, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Terrell played in all 32 games as a freshman and was second on the team in scoring (11.1 points per game). Terrell scored in double figures in 16 games, including three games of at least 20 points. His 32 points Nov. 11 against Iowa, a game in which he made seven of 11 three-point shots, were a season high for an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman. 

Terrell will be reunited with another Wake Forest player who transferred to USC, Ari Stewart. Both will be eligible next season.

"He's an NBA talent," Peninsula Coach Lance Von Vogt said of Terrell. He added that Terrell scored 29 points in an exhibition game this weekend.

In a statement, USC Coach Kevin O'Neill said, "J.T. is a dynamic scorer that will be able to impact our team offensively next year. He comes in with the experience of playing in the ACC, which will allow him to have an immediate impact in the conference. He's an exceptional athlete that can score in a number of ways. He's as talented a perimeter player as I've coached in college."

UCLA basketball: Reeves Nelson has bothersome left ankle

You could blame it on the Sports Illustrated jinx, except UCLA forward Reeves Nelson's left ankle started bothering him the day before he graced the cover of the sports magazine.

Nelson sat out the latter portion of practice Tuesday and did not practice Wednesday because of his ankle, though an X-ray was negative.

"We're not even sure what it is," Coach Ben Howland said. "It's not an ankle sprain, it's a part of his foot that he feels like was giving out on him all of a sudden. I don't know if it's from wearing a different pair of shoes or what."

UCLA hopes the only image of Nelson in action it sees the rest of the week isn't a regional cover of SI's college basketball preview issue; the Bruins would like to have their returning leading scorer and rebounder in the starting lineup as usual when they open the season Friday at the Sports Arena against Loyola Marymount.

Being chosen for the SI cover seemed to take Nelson by surprise, at least judging from his Twitter post.

"Who woulda thought that some low class white boy from Modesto would be on the cover of Sports Illustrated?" Nelson wrote.

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--Ben Bolch

Photo: Reeves Nelson graces the cover of Sports Illustrated's regional college basketball preview issue. Courtesy Sports Illustrated.

USC basketball: Dewayne Dedmon given a clean bill of health

USC 7-foot sophomore center Dewayne Dedmon broke his right hand Oct. 11, but it has healed properly and he has been given a clean bill of health, team athletic trainer David Borchardt said Wednesday.

X-rays were performed Tuesday night and showed that his hand had healed.

Borchardt said Dedmon is pain-free and practiced without a soft splint in practice Wednesday, the first time he practiced without a cast, brace or splint of any kind since his injury.

USC Coach Kevin O'Neill had already said Dedmon would play in the Trojans' season opener Friday against Cal State Northridge, but it appears Dedmon's injury won't be a factor as he makes his USC debut.

Dedmon, whose improbable journey to USC was chronicled in The Times on Wednesday, improved his left-hand skills mightily while his right hand was in a cast.

-- Baxter Holmes

Pac-12 basketball: Who is the conference favorite?

A group of reporters who cover Pacific 12 Conference schools, including The Times' UCLA beat writer Ben Bolch, recently gathered for a virtual roundtable to discuss pertinent issues as the college basketball season opens this week:

True or false: The Pac-12 is destined for a disappointing season after losing so much talent to the NBA.

Bolch: True. It's another hodgepodge of mediocrity, with no team poised to earn the national spotlight for a third consecutive season. Even the conference favorites have severe flaws that likely will be exposed during the NCAA Tournament. UCLA and coach Ben Howland have shaky wing players. Cal has a nice starting five but questionable depth. Arizona? Two words: Seattle Pacific.

Percy Allen, Seattle Times: False. I think 2010, when the Pac-10 sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament, was an aberration and won't occur again any time soon. Last season four conference teams made the 68-team tournament. I predict five will receive invitations in March, although four is a safer bet.

Bob Clark, The (Eugene, Ore.) Register-Guard: I'm saying false, on the basis that not much is expected, so with the bar set low, there's a chance for the league to exceed expectations.

Jeff Faraudo, Contra Costa Times: False. I think the league has lots of intrigue this season, partly because traditional powers UCLA, Arizona and Washington saw players defect to the pros. Cal has great experience, Oregon is coming on and there is plenty of young talent. I predict a great conference race, where no team avoids losing at least two or three times.

Doug Haller, Arizona Republic: False. There may not be a Final Four contender among the bunch, but 1-through-8 this conference should be pretty competitive. Outside of the big four, Oregon, Stanford and Oregon State are poised to make an upper-division push, and I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin O'Neill finds a way to keep USC relevant, even without injured point guard Jio Fontan.

Who's the conference favorite?

 

UCLA basketball: Reeves Nelson, Joshua Smith on Naismith list

The Pacific 12 Conference had only three players on the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy, and two of them reside in Westwood.

UCLA junior forward Reeves Nelson and sophomore center Joshua Smith are among the 50 players up for the award given to the top men's basketball player in the country as selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Washington's Terrence Ross was the only other Pac-12 player on the list.

The list will be winnowed to 30 in February by the Tipoff Club before the winner is announced in April during the Final Four in New Orleans.

UC Santa Barbara senior guard Orlando Johnson was also on the preseason list.

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--Ben Bolch

Photo: Joshua Smith, Reeves Nelson. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

UCLA basketball: Are Bruins needlessly huffing and puffing?

UCLA Coach Ben Howland recently voiced concerns about his team's conditioning, saying the Bruins "were really sucking air" as the result of practicing on a high-school length court inside the men's gymnasium on campus while Pauley Pavilion undergoes renovations.

Here's the thing: UCLA has a regulation court available to practice on and isn't using it.

School spokesman Ryan Finney said the Bruins are not using the Wooden Center, which features a college-length court and will be used by the women's team for its home games this season, because of two factors: difficulty coordinating practice times with student workouts and intramurals, as well as Howland's preference for holding closed practices.

If the Bruins practiced at the Wooden Center, Finney said, they would not be able to close the facility to other students.

Asked Sunday after UCLA's 80-72 exhibition victory over Cal State San Bernardino if he thought his team's conditioning had improved from its closed scrimmage against Cal State Fullerton, Howland said: "I thought our guys were really excited. I thought Reeves [Nelson] got tired early in the game because sometimes you have the adrenaline flowing so much. Everybody was kind of like that to start the game. I think our conditioning will continue to get better as we keep pushing it, but I don't want to overdo it either."

Nelson said the Bruins had taken measures to improve their conditioning, including extra running in practice to make up for the shortened length of the court inside the men's gym.

No. 17 UCLA opens its season Friday night at the Sports Arena against Loyola Marymount.

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Bruins get ragged victory over Cal State San Bernardino

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-- Ben Bolch

UCLA basketball: Bruins pull away for ragged 80-72 victory

There was a roll call, a recognizable voice over the loudspeakers and even the fan with blue hair heckling opponents when they shot free throws.

There was a comforting familiarity for UCLA at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on Sunday afternoon when the No. 17 Bruins started their season-long road show.

UCLA turned in an uneven but ultimately triumphant performance, pulling out an 80-72 victory over Cal State San Bernardino before 6,259.

Sophomore Joshua Smith helped the Bruins rally from a 60-58 deficit with 7 minutes 33 seconds left by continually taking feeds and bulling his way around the interior during a 9-0 run. Smith finished with a game-high 26 points and seven rebounds, making 14 of 18 free-throw attempts.

Junior forward Reeves Nelson had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins, who were missing Jerime Anderson as the backup point guard started serving his two-game suspension in connection with the theft of a laptop computer on campus this summer.

Senior guard Lazeric Jones and sophomore forward Travis Wear added 10 points apiece for UCLA, which outrebounded the Division II Coyotes, 40-30, and committed three fewer turnovers.

Senior forward Theron Laudermill scored 16 points for Cal State San Bernardino, which shot 44.4% to UCLA's 39.6% but had two key players, forward Kwame Alexander and Tre' Brewer, foul out in the final 5:11.

We'll have more later at www.latimes.com/sports.

-- Ben Bolch

Greatest sports figures in L.A. history No. 4: John Wooden

Continuing our countdown of the 20 greatest figures in L.A. sports history, as chosen in voting by our online readers, with No. 4, John Wooden.

No. 4 John Wooden (251 first-place votes, 5,922 points)

A lot of people will be surprised that Wooden didn't win this voting, but he was entirely left off quite a few ballots, leaving him in fourth place.

In 27 years as Bruin coach, his teams registered 620 wins and only 147 losses while earning far more national honors than any other university.

Under Wooden, UCLA won an unprecedented 10 NCAA men's basketball titles, including seven consecutive championships (1966-73). Included in the string is one of the most amazing winning streaks in all of sports: 88 games over four seasons, including consecutive 30-0 seasons in 1971-72 and 1972-73. UCLA also won 149 of 151 games in Pauley Pavilion during his Wooden's tenure.

Wooden was the only coach to compile four undefeated seasons of 30-0 and his Bruin teams won 19 conference championships. He is the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

In 2003, President George W. Bush presented Wooden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a civilian.

Wooden and his wife, Nell, who died in Los Angeles on March 21, 1985, were married for 53 years. The legendary UCLA coach died on June 4, 2010.

RELATED:

No. 6: Jerry West

No. 7: Chick Hearn

No. 8: Kobe Bryant

No. 9: Fernando Valenzuela

No. 10: Jackie Robinson

No. 11: Tommy Lasorda

No. 12: Wayne Gretzky

No. 13: Walter O'Malley

No. 14: Don Drysdale

No. 15: Merlin Olsen

No. 16: Jerry Buss

No. 17: Elgin Baylor

No. 18: Marcus Allen

No. 19: Jim Murray

No. 20: Wilt Chamberlain

Your votes are in: The 20 greatest sports figures in L.A. history

-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: John Wooden in 1996. Credit: Chuck Robinson / Associated Press