Things get started in about an hour. No Chip today (he’s speaking before tomorrow’s practice) and two players likely afterward, unless we’re told otherwise when we go in.

I was curious so decided to watch some film over the weekend on the guys who will be new to the team next season. Below are my quick observations. I spent about an hour and half over 3 days so take it for what its worth.

1) Since I started watching UCLA basketball back in 80s I am not sure I have ever seen such a talented group of players come to UCLA in one season.

2) The only thing I am relatively sure about is that Andrews and Bona will start, otherwise I am not sure who will get minutes

3) Stefanvic is a very skilled basketball player who can shoot, handle and pass

4) I can see why Coach is so excited about Buyuktuncel and compared him to Jaquez. Coach can play him at the 3 and he will be a really tough matchup for opposing teams. He might be the most impactful player joining the team next season.

5) Fibleuil is crazy athletic but also smooth. I can see him picking the ball on D and either windmill dunking or stopping for an all net three.

6) Mack is a scorer. He can take a lot of contact going to rim and still find a way to put it in but can also get hot from beyond the arc

7) Vide can be the backup point guard. His left is strong and like Mack he is really good at putting it in near the rim.

8) B Williams just reminds me of a guy who usually goes to Villanova. Takes a year or two to develop and then is just tough.

9) D Williams is a long bouncy 6'10. It may take him a some time to develop but the talent is there. I can see him as a defensive force down the road.

10) Mara is a unicorn. He is probably nowhere near his potential at this point. Even so, he is so long and skilled for his size, if can start reacting rather than thinking then he will basically be unstoppable on the inside on O and make shots near the rim very tough on D.

11) McClendon and Nwuba may find minutes hard to come by or maybe they will use this as an opportunity step up their games and fight to earn the minutes.

12) Possible Starting Lineups
Andrews, Stefanvic, Buyuktuncel, Bona, Mara - impossible size matchup for opposing teams
Andrews, Mack, Stefanvic, Fibleuil, Bona - Shoot opposing teams off the court while Bona mans the middle of the D
Andrews, Mack, Fibleuil, Bona, Mara - mix of size, athleticism, and scoring
Andrews, Fibleuil, Buyuktuncel, Bona, Mara - Defense

Maybe I am am just biased. Regardless, it is going to be fun to watch.

It's like watching the final season of a popular TV show culminating on final episode...the Final Pac 12 Championship. Every game will have meaning because it's last time these teams will line up under the Pac 12 banner.

In case you didn’t see it at the end of the Saturday practice thread, the story on UCLA’s quarterbacks understanding there can only be one starter but not letting it divide them:

Starts in a little more than an hour. Like I mentioned in the last practice thread, we could be getting some quarterbacks afterward to talk to (just unclear who and how many).

He said his farewell to Turkey this morning

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Gonna upload these as I go. First is Ethan Garbers:

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sad...what was once a proud conference fades into the sunset. The Pac 4 issues a final statement

left the universities speechless. Rumor has it that it's with Apple and the base is for $21M per year with an opportunity for more as they gather more subscriptions and could potentially be more than the Big 12 deal.

To the 2024 season.? I know that I am. I know that the 2024 schedule is pretty much set with no Oregon or Washington but is it?? Are you looking forward to seeing Ohio State at the Rose Bowl or watching UCLA at Ann Arbor?

Also, can’t wait to see the 2024-25 men’s basketball schedule! The Big 10 isn’t really a basketball conference and it will be interesting to see the matchups

and then the Apple deal is off the table....it's an expiring deal. The conference could be done

Chip Kelly will speak for the first time since camp opened at roughly 8:45 a.m.

So once our brief media viewing window is over, I’ll have that video and most likely a story up before practice ends and we do our player media sessions.

Apparently, the Pac 9 commissioner wanted the remaining schools to sign an agreement signing over the rights for the media seal to the commissioner and no one signed it...so the Apple deal is dead. Meanwhile rumor of a Washington Oregon moving to the Big 10 is getting stronger. There are also rumors that Arizona is all but signed a deal wih the Big 12.

Played a really nice game last night for Cleveland, coming off the bench in the 3rd to go 8-for-11
with 2 TDs for the win including a monster block on the Jets CB to spring Demetric Felton for a TD run.

About to get underway

I want to see Dante Moore vs Garber, TJ Harding vs Carson Steele. I'm excited to be the 2023 OL. I'm excited for J Michael Sturdivant, Kyle Ford and Moliki Matavao and of course Laiatu Latu and the Murphys.

I want to see our new (and hopefully improved) defense under our new DC.

Could be Derrick McFall, the RB from Texas

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Alex Johnson:

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The story as we wait for today’s practice to wrap and do interviews:

Aday Mara’s Instagram account announcing he is leaving Spain to play in America.
Translation: He’s coming to UCLA, baby!
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Kam Brown’s media session:

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Darius Muasau’s media session:

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Things get underway around 8:45 a.m., an hour earlier today than all other practices are expected to get underway.

Chip won't speak until Friday, before the third practice of camp. We're tentatively expected to get WR Kam Brown and LB Darius Muasau after practice today.

Unlike the spring, we're back to being limited to watching roughly the first 20 mins of practice. Like most first days, will try to take note of attendance to ensure that everyone listed on the roster is indeed present and make note of any who appear to be injured/unavailable.