Chris Nguyen
Every so often, there is just an overwhelming number of hot topics enveloping the UCLA sports scene. The month of March represents a crossroad of sorts for winter and spring sports, so we’re opening the floor to basketball, gymnastics and baseball in this edition of the weekly showdown between DB Sports senior staffers.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott has said the conference won’t expand to 16 teams in the near future. Is it the more the merrier, or is 12 teams enough?
Nguyen: Twelve teams is plenty. We draw so much revenue being situated in Los Angeles that expansion would only require us to give up funds to teams that don’t draw as much attention. It wouldn’t be worth the money given up due to revenue sharing. Plus, the Pac-12 has inked its own television deal, so things could get messy.
Peck: Twelve is the right number of teams for now. The southern and northern divisions are well thought out and effective the way they are, and the introduction of the Texas and Oklahoma schools would make the division breakdown more complicated. The Pac-12 should remain the Pac-12 for at least a few years. Don’t tread on us, Texas.
On the hot seat, should Rick Neuheisel work freshman Brett Hundley into the offense or keep him on the bench?
Nguyen: It’s too late to try and use Hundley this season. We’ve gone at least a quarter of the way through the season without him and it wouldn’t be worth sacrificing a year of eligibility to have him gain a marginal amount of experience. If Hundley is used and emerges as a dual-threat, then Neuheisel’s hot seat might cool down a bit.
Peck: There’s still time for Brett Hundley to make an impact this year if Neuheisel chooses to utilize him. He could be effective in the pistol, even if he’s more of a running threat than anything else. However, playing time for Hundley still won’t do anything to remedy UCLA’s struggling defense.
Should Jeff Locke remain at placekicker, or should Kip Smith and Joe Roberts carry the load this season?
Nguyen: Locke seems like the safe bet right now. Smith had gained momentum after the San Jose State game, but it wouldn’t be worth putting in a redshirt freshman kicker with an injury when we have a possible All-American in our midst. Locke hit two long field goals against Texas and would be surer-footed in a very important Pac-12 game.
Peck: Locke was one of the only bright spots for UCLA in the game against Texas, but the team needs to start developing Smith and/or Roberts to fill Kai Forbath’s shoes. Locke should keep punting, but he needs some help from the younger kickers, barring any more injuries.
*Who is the frontrunner for the Heisman at this point in the season? *
Nguyen:Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Boise State’s Kellen Moore are in a close race. Both have had impressive beginnings to their season, but the edge has to go to Luck. Luck has thrown one less interception and has shown power and speed in his scrambling, while Moore seems to refuse to leave the pocket.
Peck: Andrew Luck all the way. The man has it all ““ accuracy, size, mobility, and he’s Peyton Manning smart. When you add on that he has an extra week to prepare before playing UCLA at home on October 1st, his odds for a huge game look pretty good. The Bruins will need some luck of their own when they travel to Palo Alto next weekend.