First off, I would like to apologize.
According to some random guy via e-mail, I violated NCAA regulations in my column last week when I specifically discussed basketball recruit Jrue Holiday and why he and others should come to UCLA.
The NCAA may or may not be in the process of investigating the ramifications of my actions, but just in case, I am currently in the back of a fruit truck on my way to Mexico.
Everybody on? Good, great, grand, wonderful … let’s talk recruiting.
Jrue Holiday, shooting guard, 2008: There’s a reason why he spells his name with a “J” ““ he can shoot ’em all day long. This kid plays basketball like Donald Trump plays the stock market ““ he’s making moves faster than anybody else and he’s on the road to some serious money. The only question is where he’ll go and how long he’ll stay. According to Scout.com, his top choices include North Carolina, Washington and UCLA. The only problem is if the Bruins really want to land this guy, they’re going to need to start recruiting his family. That’s the route the Huskies took when they signed his brother, Justin, for their 2007 class. The pressure’s on for the Bruins to make a move, but hey, I hear his mom’s got a mean hook shot. Someone check to see if she’s got any eligibility.
Drew Gordon, power forward, 2008: In the unlikely situation that Kevin Love is still in school in 2008, UCLA would have one of the top post tandems in the country if Gordon came to Westwood. Go ahead and say it out loud. Love and Gordon. Either that’s the worst-sounding law firm I’ve ever heard of or the next best duo to hit the big time since Batman and Robin. We would probably have to call them The Magic Man and El Diablo. Gordon is being heavily recruited by big-name schools including Arizona, Duke and North Carolina, but the Bruins have the location edge as Gordon is a native of San Jose.
Larry Drew Jr., point guard, 2008: This is not a joke. Yes, that’s three Drews. Although he’s only 5 feet 11 inches and 155 pounds with the face of a 12-year-old, Drew is one of the top junior point guards in the country. He is the son of a former 10-year veteran NBA guard and knows the game like Garry Kasparov knows chess. That is to say, I would put my money on Drew if he was to go head-to-head against the Deep Blue computer on the court of Pauley. Drew has a great shot from the outside and has the wingspan of three or four city streets. He is currently rated as the No. 4 point guard in his class on Scout.com ““ the same position that Ohio State’s Mike Conley was rated in his 2006 class and one spot above where Jordan Farmar was in his 2004 class.
If these guys have any doubts that UCLA is the place for them, let’s take a historical look at the success of Drews in Westwood. There was the running back Maurice (future NFL all-star), there was the quarterback Olson (second all-time at UCLA in passing yards, completions and touchdowns), and Drew Bennett (just look him up).
These Drews and Jrues are the real deal. Let’s make it happen, captain.
E-mail Feder at jfeder@media.ucla.edu if you’ve already started a Facebook group for Jrue, Drew and Drew.