UCLA has received permission from Kansas to talk to 6-foot-11
center David Padgett, who will leave Kansas to
transfer to another school at the end of the semester. Padgett, a
Reno, Nev. native, started 19 of 31 games for the Jayhawks as a
freshman, averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. At
Kansas, he showed flashes of versatility on offense that made him
perhaps the most sought-after prep big man on the West Coast the
previous year. Assuming he does transfer, Padgett will have to
redshirt next season under NCAA rules. The Bruins have one
scholarship available for next season due to Trevor
Ariza’s departure. Another Kansas freshman, Los
Angeles native Omar Wilkes, also will transfer.
Wilkes, who was heavily recruited by UCLA, has reportedly shown
interest in Cal and Stanford.
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD: UCLA is now
ranked No. 1 in the country by Trackwire. After Saturday’s
93-70 victory over USC, the Bruins jumped over LSU to secure a
12-point lead over the Tigers. Texas is ranked No. 3. The Bruins
next head to the Pac-10 Championships, held May 15-16 in Tucson,
Ariz.
MEN’S GOLF: The third-ranked UCLA
men’s golf team tied for first at the one-day Northwest
Shootout, held Tuesday at Crosswater Golf Course in Bend, Ore. The
Bruins fired a 36-hole total of 750 (20-over par), good for a first
place tie with Washington. Host Oregon State finished third with a
762. UCLA was led by senior Roy Moon, who won his
first collegiate tournament by firing a 4-under par 140.
Steve Conway and Chris Heintz
tied for third at 5-over par (147). John Merrick
finished 10th (7-over par, 149), Peter Campbell
was 13th (155), Joakim Renstrom was 15th (157) and
John Poucher was 18th (162). Heintz and Renstrom
competed as individuals. Travis Johnson was forced
to withdraw from the tournament after shooting an even-par 72 in
the first round. Crosswater Golf Course is the location of the NCAA
West Regionals, which begin May 20. UCLA is coming off a
third-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships, which were held
last week in Tucson, Ariz.
SOFTBALL: No UCLA player has made USA
Softball’s list of 10 finalists for national player of the
year for the first time in the three-year history of the award.
With reports from David Regan, Bruin sports senior
staff.