Media Policy
UCLA will continue with the same media schedule it has had for the last several years. Practices (3-6 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion) on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday are closed. Tuesday (after 4:30 p.m.) and Friday (after 4:30 p.m.) practices are open to the media and players are available after practice. Exceptions can and will be made, especially over the holiday weeks of Christmas and New Year's (UCLA Sports Information will keep everyone posted on changes in the schedule). Lavin and player interviews can also be set up at other times (strongly encouraged) during the day (not just after practice).

Lavin Press Conference Dates
On most Tuesdays, Lavin will have his press conference (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.) in the Chancellor's Room (upper NE corner of Pauley Pavilion). All Tuesdays unless noted: Dates - Oct. 31, Monday, Nov. 6 (11:30 a.m.), Monday, Nov. 13 (11:30 a.m., a date/time change from Tuesday, Nov. 14), Monday, Nov. 20 (11:30 a.m.), Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12, no scheduled press conferences during Christmas and New Year's, there will be plenty of opportunities after practices during that time frame to meet with Lavin and the players (UCLA Sports Information will keep everyone informed of the holiday schedule), Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March 6.

Lavin Pac-10 Teleconferences
The Pac-10 Teleconferences with the league's women's and men's head coaches will start on Wednesday, Dec. 13 (the first call of the 2000-2001 season), then will begin again on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and continue each Tuesday during the regular season. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the league's women's coaches (UCLA's Kathy Olivier at 10 a.m.), then at 10:30 a.m. the conference's men's calls will begin (Lavin is at 11:47 p.m.).

UCLA's First Exhibition Game

Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Pauley Pavilion, vs. Team Concept

Team Concept, in it's fifth year of touring, is sponsored by Team Concept Youth Foundation, an organization that sends disadvantaged youth to five basketball camps a year in the Pacific Northwest. UCLA will be Team Concept's second game after opening at Cascade College on Oct. 31. After UCLA, Team Concept will play at UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 3), Loyola Marymount (Nov. 4), Minnesota (Nov. 7), UC Irvine (Nov. 9) and Pacific (Nov. 10).

Pac-10 Postseason Tournament To Begin In 2001-2002
On Monday, Oct. 23, the Pac-10 Chie Executive Officers approved the establishment of men's and women's postseason basketball tournaments. The men's tournament will be an eight-team event to be staged at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The women's tournament will be a 10-team event hosted on campus by one of the Pac-10 members. Both tournaments will begin in March 2002. The Conference previously conducted a men's tournament following the 1987-1990 seasons. It has never sponsored a similar event for women. In each case, the winner of the Tournament will earn the Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

Johnson Out Four-to Six Weeks With Left Foot Stress Fracture
UCLA true freshman Josiah Johnson has a stress fracture in his left foot and will be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks, UCLA head coach Steve Lavin announced Friday (Oct. 27). Because of chronic pain in his left foot over the last several days, Johnson had x-rays taken Thursday night, revealing the stress fracture. Placed in a walking boot, he will be on crutches for about a week and reevaluated after the first four weeks in the walking boot.

Johnson, a 6-7, 237-pound forward, last season was a senior high school standout at Montclair Prep. He averaged 24.2 points and 12.5 rebounds, earning USA Today honorable mention All-America.

Josiah is the son of Bruin great Marques Johnson and the younger brother of Kris Johnson, who was a UCLA standout from 1995-98.

Hines Suspended
UCLA senior Rico Hines has been suspended from the Bruins' first two games of the 2000-2001 season for a violation of team rules, UCLA head coach Steve Lavin announced Oct. 12.

Hines will not play in UCLA's exhibition opener in Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday, Nov. 1 vs. Team Concept. He will also miss UCLA's regular-season opener, a Nov. 9 meeting with Kansas in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament is a two-day (Nov. 9-10) affair. On Nov. 9, UCLA plays Kansas and Kentucky faces St. John's and on Nov. 10, the loser's and winner's bracket games will take place. Hines can return to the Bruin lineup on Nov. 10. He will be allowed to participate in the Bruins' daily practices (UCLA opens practice on Saturday, Oct. 14).

From Greenville, NC, Hines has appeared in 72 games during his three-year Bruin career, starting 15 contests and averaging a career 12.8 minutes a game. As a junior last season, he appeared in 29 games with seven starts. He averaged 14.7 minutes, 3.4 points, and 2.1 rebounds.

"Rico broke a team rule and will accept the consequences for his actions," Lavin said. "He has been a team leader for us over the years and he knows what it means to learn from your mistakes."

Bruin Roster
Here's a quick look at some of the eligible newcomers on the Bruin roster: T. J. Cummings, 6-8 freshman recruit from Homewood-Flossmoor in Homewood, IL, son of NBA and DePaul great Terry Cummings, Jason Flowers, 6-0 senior who sat out last season after transferring from UC Irvine, Josiah Johnson, 6-7 freshman recruit from local Montclair Prep, son of NBA and UCLA great Marques Johnson and Ryan Walcott, 6-1 freshman recruit from Shadow Mountain HS in Phoenix, cousin to Mike Bibby, Arizona All-American and standout with Vancouver Grizzlies.

UCLA also has several eligible walkons - Ryan Mollins, 6-4 freshman from Redondo Union who last year averaged 18.0ppg, Sam Nelson, 6-4 sophomore who has a true freshman last season was on the UCLA men's volleyball roster. Nelson prepped at Estancia HS in Costa Mesa and was a two-year All-CIF basketball selection, and Janou (ja-now) Rubin, 6-3 freshman who prepped last year at Logan HS in Union City, averaging 28.2ppg.

The Bruins' also have two ineligible newcomers - Spencer Gloger, 6-7 sophomore who last year started 28 games at Princeton, tying the Ivy League record for three-pointers (10) in a game and freshman school records for points in a game (34) and three-pointers (65) in a season. Gloger prepped at Santa Margarita HS and is from Mission Viejo, John Hoffart, 6-10 sophomore who attended Cal Poly-SLO last year, appearing in 26 games and averaging 11.8 minutes, 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds. Hoffart attended Davis, CA HS.

Kapono Honors
Jason Kapono, 6-8 sophomore forward, is on the Wooden (top 25) and Naismith (top 30) Awards preseason Player of the Year lists. Last year as a true frosh, Kapono led the Bruins in scoring (16.0), was named the CBS SportsLine National Freshman of the Year and earned All-Pac-10 (first-team) and co-Freshman of the Year honors.

Preseason UCLA Honors
Here's a list of some of the Bruin team and individual preseason honors:

Athlon
Team, No. 4 in Pac-10,
Earl Watson, second-team All-Pac-10
Dan Gadzuric, second-team All-Pac-10
Jason Kapono, third-team All-Pac-10

Basketball News
Team, No. 24 in U. S., No. 4 in Pac-10
Jason Kapono, second-team All-America, first-team All-Pac-10
Dan Gadzuric, second-team All-Pac-10

Blue Ribbon
Team, No. 16 in U. S.
Jason Kapono, fourth-team All-America

CBS SportsLine
Team, No. 13 in U. S.

ESPN.com
Team, No. 15 in the U. S.

Fox Sports.com
Team, No. 21 in U. S.

Lindy's
Team, No. 12 in U. S., No. 3 in Pac-10
Jason Kapono, No. 8 small forward in U. S., second-team All-Pac-10
Dan Gadzuric, No. 8 center in U. S.
Earl Watson, third-team All-Pac-10

Preview Sports
Team, No. 25 in U.S., No. 3 in Pac-10

Slam
Team, No. 7 in U. S.

Street & Smith's
Team, No. 17 in U. S., No. 3 in Pac-10
T. J. Cummings, All-Midwest incoming freshman

The Sporting News
Team, No. 17 in U. S.

Vitale
Team, No. 19 in the U. S., No. 3 in the Pac-10
Earl Watson, third-team All-Rolls-Roycer, No. 3 point guard in U. S., first-team All-Pac-10
Jason Kapono, No. 6 swing forward in U. S., second-team All-Pac-10
Dan Gadzuric, No. 6 center in the U. S., second-team All-Pac-10.

UCLA in the NBA
Twelve former Bruins were listed on the latest NBA preseason team rosters. They are: Toby Bailey, Chicago Bulls (waived), Mitchell Butler, Indiana Pacers, Baron Davis, Charlotte Hornets, Tyus Edney, Indiana Pacers, J. R. Henderson, Sacramento Kings (waived), Don MacLean, Miami Heat, Darrick Martin, Sacramento Kings, Jelani McCoy, Seattle Supersonics, Jerome Moiso, Boston Celtics, Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers, Tracy Murray, Denver Nuggets, Ed O'Bannon, Orlando Magic.

Happy Birthday Coach Wooden
John Wooden celebrated his 90th birthday on Oct. 14. UCLA's head coach from 1949-75, Wooden's UCLA record was 620-147 (80.0), winning a record 10 NCAA Championships, including seven in a row from 1967-73 and 16 conference titles.

Up On The Roof
Pauley Pavilion got a new roof this summer and while working on it, the roofing company offered (and UCLA accepted) to put the UCLA script logo on the Pauley roof (for free). It (the letters are blue with a gold outline on top of a tan color roof) is located on the south side of the Pauley roof in letters large enough to identify UCLA from LAX.

At Arizona Time Change
The game time when UCLA travels to Tucson to face Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 20 has been changed to 10:30 a.m. PST (it was 10 a.m. PST).