Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
UCLA's basketball team is always among the best college teams in the nation, but this year's team will have many new faces. In this FanHouse exclusive we talk to some of the new recruits and also hear from the Wizard of Westwood, former Bruins head coach John Wooden.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
The Hangar Athletic Exchange is the most advanced basketball gym in Los Angeles, with six full-size courts under one roof. It's a gym where NBA stars like Elton Brand and Paul Pierce rub elbows with up-and-coming players of all ages. But HAX is much more than a place to shoot hoops, it's the place where kids can get academic assistance. So it's no surprise the Wizard of Westwood John Wooden has teamed up with HAX to help them raise money for their foundation. On Sept. 12 Coach Wooden will be honored in a special gala, with proceeds going to the HAX foundation. In this FanHouse exclusive, we talk to coach Wooden about his success and what advice he has for young players.
John Wooden is, without question, one of the greatest college basketball coaches to ever set foot on the hardwood. A (seriously) spry 96 years old, Coach Wooden was kind of enough to take some time out of his Championship Monday to speak with FanHouse. From his upcoming Gatorade commercial (it debuts tonight, you can get a sneak preview of it here), to how he feels about the money and attention that college coaches receive, to who he has pegged to win Monday night's big game, Coach Wooden had plenty to say. Hit the jump to read the full interview.
Recently, FanHouse was lucky enough, courtesy of our friends at Gatorade, to speak with Coach John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood about the NCAA Tournament. Coach Wooden will also be appearing in Gatorade's new commercial for "G," which will air tonight in select markets during the NCAA Championship Game. Below is a sneak preview of the commercial, which features highlights set to Coach Wooden reading "The Little Chap That Follows Me." If you have even the most remote sense of college basketball history, you should find this inspiring.
Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA was voted one of the toughest college arenas to play, according to a poll on EA Sports. And a spokesman for the company indicated that yes, the poll was serious. EA Sports conducted the poll to use in its upcoming NCAA basketball game.
UCLA made the cut of 15 in the poll made up of college basketball fans who have obviously never been to a game at Pauley Pavilion. Because those of us who have been to there would know that is just not the case. In fact, UCLA might have the most forgiving home courts for a big-time college basketball program. Ever.
You may not know what he looks like, who he was and why people felt he was special enough to teach them but Pete Newell was one of the best coaches college basketball has ever seen.
Newell died yesterday at the age on 93.
Newell was a legend and held the respect and admiration of the game's other legends. Newell coached for 14 years at San Francisco, Michigan State and California. He compiled a 234-123 record and won the 1959 NCAA Tournament while at Cal. His final head coaching gig came the very next year when he took an Olympic team with Oscar Roberston, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas to a gold medal.
He also beat UCLA's John Wooden the last eight times they met.
He's legacy lives on with his "Pete Newell Big Man Camp". The camp has been going on for over 30 years and has taught the likes of Lew Alcinder, Bill Walton, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. The camps have become a mandatory stop for any big man wanting to get into the NBA.
There's really not a weakness in this 19-year-old's game, but I thought it was interesting that as Dick Vitale was breaking down the UCLA game on ESPN, it was the four assists that he singled out.
"I think his passing ability is the best I've seen from a big guy in many a year," Vitale said.
There's a great YouTube of former UCLA coach John Wooden praising Love's passing ability, and when Wooden sings your praises, you know your game is fundamentally sound. Says Wooden, "I always like those that pass well, are always looking for the pass first, then the shot. I think he does that. I haven't seen anyone since Bill Walton and the one before him was Wes Unseld, and I've seen him twice in the last week get the ball off the board, turn, keep the ball up as he should, three quarters of the length of the floor to a player who took off and is streaking up. He likes to score and add to his statistics and there's nothing wrong with that, but not at the expense of others."
"Dad's spirits are good," [daughter Nan] Muehlhausen said in a statement. "He is up and joking around with the family. He will probably be in the hospital for a couple of more days before he goes home."
"We appreciate everyone's concern, but we are requesting that people do not call the hospital and do not try to visit Dad at this time," Muehlhausen said.
At his age, a fall is no joke. Falls are one of the leading causes of injuries, hospitalizations and death among the elderly. The 97-year old Wooden was hospitalized a year ago with diverticulitis and is currently walking around with a cane. Still, he is quite active in the UCLA Bruins program.
So it is great news to hear that he should be fine. Every college basketball fan wishes him the very best and a speedy recovery.
When you're 97 years old you should probably be spending whatever limited amount of time you have left doing the things you love to do. Like playing shuffleboard, or watching Matlock. If you're John Wooden, that probably means spending some time around UCLA and its men's basketball team.
Unfortunately for the legendary Wooden, the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that Wooden is the greatest threat to this country's youth (even more than bears). As the L.A. Times reports, the NCAA is after him.
Just before the start of this college basketball season, UCLA received a letter of inquiry from the NCAA, seeking information about possible illegal contact between a recruit and a person representing the interests of the university.
The recruit was Kevin Love, now the Bruins' star freshman center.
The person representing the interests of the university was John Wooden.
The NCAA has not disclosed who made the complaint.
Are you kidding me? The NCAA has decided to go after the man that helped make the game relevant in the first place? Did Congress subpoena Babe Ruth today as well for their steroid hearings?
Topps, the sports card manufacturer, wanted to try something a little different with their latest product, the 2007 Allen & Ginter Baseball set. Named after the former tobacco company that introduced the concept of baseball cards to the world in 1887, this year's Allen & Ginter set features unique artwork of today's baseball stars instead of the standard posed photographs.
In addition to featuring baseball players, the set also includes sporting legends from other sports, such as Mike Tyson, Carl Lewis, John Wooden -- even the famed hot dog eater Takeru Kobayashi. But what really sets this set apart is that it also includes some non-sports items, as this story from Beckett.com explains:
Chad Smith, of Wolverine Sportscards in Westchester, Ohio, bought a case of Allen & Ginter from Dave & Adam's Card World on the [National Sports Collectors Convention] show floor. Like many dealers, Smith lugged the case back to his hotel room to bust, with the intent of selling its key singles the next day.
Halfway through the case, she appeared. The 1/1 Mother Teresa cut autograph.
"We had been busting for a few hours, and about to quit at 3:00 a.m. (EST) when I saw it," Smith said. "I started shaking. I didn't say anything, but my buddy knew I hit something big.
How big? He's already turned down an offer of $20,000 in hopes of making more money on eBay -- the auction goes for another week and is already up to $6,000 after 20 bids. I'm sure somewhere up there Mother Teresa is smiling down at him: if there's one thing she stood for, it's unbridled capitalism.
UCLA's basketball team is always among the best college teams in the nation, but this year's team will have many new faces. In this FanHouse exclusive we talk to some of the new recruits and also hear from the Wizard of Westwood, former Bruins head coach John Wooden. 
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to 
Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA was voted one of the toughest college arenas to play, 
You may not know what he looks like, who he was and why people felt he was special enough to teach them but 
UCLA beat Western Kentucky 88-78 Thursday night, and freshman center 
UCLA legend 
Topps, the sports card manufacturer, wanted to try something a little different with their latest product, the 
