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Henry Tse's avatar

Hi everyone, I am at the Ackerman Union already, chatting with many of the fellow season ticket holders. It is jammed packed with students too. We are excited, we are all bumped up for the game while the entire area, far as my eyes can see, feel like a carnival going on. We exchanged stories of our last home game on campus before graduation. One of them said during Howland's era, we beat Arizona in the last home game of the season and John Wooden's grandson or great grandson put in a rebound basket as the game clock was winding down. Do any of you recall that epic moment ? He said the entire Pauley trembled because of the deafening cheers and people stomping their feet hard in sheer ecstasy. If you never experienced PANDEMONIUM, he said that was it in every sense of the word.

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Clio 98's avatar

Absolutely - and if you recall a zona player was fouled after that and I swear all of Pauley willed that scrub to miss the free throw so he wouldnt score the final points and ruin the moment. Fries weren't on the line, something far more important! Of course the guy clanked it and Pauley erupted again

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Henry Tse's avatar

I vaguely remember watching it on TV back then. The thunderous roars and cheers momentarily blanked out the TV commentary too. I can imagine what it was like to be in there, pandemonium !!!

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Chenalex's avatar

Yep Tyler Trapani hit that shot and we all went wild. I was there.

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Gen2Bruin1987's avatar

Me too

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Clio 98's avatar

Me as well

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Henry Tse's avatar

Lucky you ( Clio 98 & Gen2Bruin1987 ) !! Gosh, am I jealous !!!

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Henry Tse's avatar

Did you go see an ENT doctor afterwards to check if your hearing still functioned well ?!?

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Henry Tse's avatar

Yeah, that is the name. I hear that he is a PE teacher at some local high school.

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Henry Tse's avatar

Ten more minutes, doors to Pauley will open and we are already on our way.

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Henry Tse's avatar

Oops, the chancellor just walked by too. So gracious of him and missus to come and cheer for the trio of seniors who are at the verge of putting UCLA back where its belongs with a possible #12 !!! Yeah !!!!

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BruinMom17's avatar

Chancellor Gene D. Block

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Henry Tse's avatar

We are in the house that Wooden built, finally ! The air feels electrifying inside. Someone yelled out something to the TV commentators and they laughed out loud. Whatever was said, my goodness !

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gbruin's avatar

My daughter said that students started lining up for tix before midnight last night. Excellent!

I've been doing plenty of complaining lately (surprise, right?) about the lack of respect for our Bruins, how that dumbass Lunardi has them as a tourney 2 seed, how BSPN took College Game Day to see a couple fringe teams in Carolina...but really my complaints don't matter. U.C.L.A. controls its own destiny, and our boys can lock up that one seed and silence the haters and prove Lunardi an idiot by taking care of business and honoring our seniors the right way tonight. LFG, Bruins!!

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Henry Tse's avatar

LO L!!! Dumbass is the precise vocabulary !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Gen2Bruin1987's avatar

While Lunardi may have coined the term “bracketology”, he is by no means even close to being one of the better ones. Check out the bracketology project where is he ranked 88th.

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BruinMom17's avatar

There were some great photos of the students lined on BRO!

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kingjim1954's avatar

Good evening, Bruin Mama, Go Bruins!

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BruinMom17's avatar

Hi Doctor! At a commitment I couldn’t get out of. Watching the thread and the score. Go Bruins!

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Clio 98's avatar

Today is going to be a good test of Bona's growth to guard without fouling which is going to be so big in the Tourney

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Henry Tse's avatar

A student band member just put on an incredible emulation of Michael Jackson's moon walk !! Wow, someone tossed him a baseball cap and, LOL, he puts it on and boy oh boy, where is CNN, ABC, NBC ???? What a thriller it is.

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Gen2Bruin1987's avatar

Does it look like they will have a full band? Most of the band went to Vegas to support the women’s basketball team. Not sure if they were going to come back and go back to Vegas for tomorrow’s championship game.

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Henry Tse's avatar

Yeah, they are there at their section. But I don't know if these are backups or what ? But they are all having fun now, LOL !!! Why not, it is good to be young, right ? Someone dancing again with the bruin mascot. Oh boy, I envy all of them. To be at UCLA ....

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Henry Tse's avatar

Cronin just stepped out to talk with the press. Whatever he is saying, I want to know too, LOL !!! But a Pauley attendant keeps me back. Oh please, do I have to show this young man my UCLA diploma or what ?!?

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Chenalex's avatar

Lots of upsets today. Tennessee, Kansas, Kansas State, Alabama and Baylor all went down, which could greatly impact UCLA's seeding if they win tonight. Baylor and Kansas State both lost to very mediocre teams and they were thought to threaten UCLA's ability to hold a 2-seed in the West according to ESPN.

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Henry Tse's avatar

No ifs and buts, my friend. We WILL win this evening !!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will be #1 seed. Somebody said he saw Ben Howland in the building somewhere.

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Henry Tse's avatar

Fans are pouring in now. It looks as if the temperature must be dropping precipitously. They are bundled up. When we arrived around four, there was still some warm sunshine.

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Principal Terry's avatar

Hi all - looking for a great win tonight. I don't see our chant started yet, so let me start it!!

U - Clap! Clap!

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Henry Tse's avatar

Noooo ..... the chants inside come in waves.

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Clio 98's avatar

C! clap clap clap

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bruinballer's avatar

L! clap clap clap

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Henry Tse's avatar

Me too, baby ! LOL !!!

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gbruin's avatar

A! clap clap clap

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Henry Tse's avatar

Let's toast our seniors. They have come so far. They have done so much. Thank you, thank you guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Henry Tse's avatar

Someone just told me they are all Steve Alford's recruits. They stick it out with Cronin through thick and thin, come hell or high water. Such incredible young men. The don't make them any better than this trio !

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bruinballer's avatar

Hmm... Jaime's first year iirc was 2019-20, and Salford was long gone by then. Given that Jaime's the elder statesman of the team, not sure where your friend is getting his information; every player on this team would have played for (n recruited by) Cronin, who started in 2019. Think Salford was recruiting for Nevada in 2019 fwiw. You really need to check your friend on this one.

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Henry Tse's avatar

He has a copy of today's LA Times. There is a long article about it

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bruinballer's avatar

OMG it must be true, then, if it's in the LA Slimes! Cuz you know you can believe everything you read...

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Henry Tse's avatar

We'll talk later buddy. The seniors and their families abut about to be honored. People are so happy and some ladies are getting misty eyed. Okay, talk to you soon

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Henry Tse's avatar

Yeah, he just showed me. The article said they were the other guy's recruits.

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Gen2Bruin1987's avatar

Alford was fired the previous season. When was hired, Cronin spoke with tonight’s seniors and told them if they stayed, he would treat them as his recruits.

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bruinballer's avatar

I know Salford was fired end of 2018, and that Jaime graduated in 2019 from Camarillo. What team would Jaime have been staying on? He wasn't offered until like April 2019, at which time Salford was with the Wolfpack.

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bruinballer's avatar

Oh wait, just looked it up and my memory sucks LOL Here is a BN article on Jaime's recruitment May 8, 2018:

https://www.bruinsnation.com/ucla_recruiting/2018/5/8/17334092/ucla-mens-basketball-gets-commitments-from-jaime-jaquez-jr-and-jake-kyman

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Gen2Bruin1987's avatar

To be fair, Jaime really wanted to be a Bruin and Alford happen to be the coach.

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bruinballer's avatar

Should also be true of Singleton, Nwuba, and Campbell, who all should have been recruited by Salford. Man, did they dodge a bullet!!

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Henry Tse's avatar

Looks like Pauley will be packed to the brim tonight. People are coming in every direction.

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Henry Tse's avatar

Some of us started talking about the extension you-know-who received. Ai ya ya, not now, not now please I know how they feel but let's enjoy this game first. Tomorrow is another day, folks.

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Henry Tse's avatar

There is a heightened sense of anticipation inside Pauley because the seniors and their families are about to be honored. I will stop chatting soon because I want to really soak in the moment. They are such incredible players.

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Principal Terry's avatar

A! Clap Clap Clap

U C L A - Fight! Fight! Fight!

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Henry Tse's avatar

Got to go to bathroom, LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The atmosphere inside Pauley is getting insane now, impossibly heated as we speak. Guys, we will chat some more after the game. I know you all will be hollering at home as much as we are inside Pauley. Sore throat be darned. Who cares ? LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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kingjim1954's avatar

I'm glad to hear it is hot inside, Henry!

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kingjim1954's avatar

U clap clap!

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kingjim1954's avatar

C clap clap!

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kingjim1954's avatar

L clap clap!

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kingjim1954's avatar

A clap clap!

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kingjim1954's avatar

U C L A! go Bruins, beat zona!

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Principal Terry's avatar

U C L A! Fight! Fight! Fight!

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Principal Terry's avatar

A Clap Clap!

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Principal Terry's avatar

L Clap Clap!

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BruinMom17's avatar

UCLA! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

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ArmyBruin's avatar

Russell Stong dunked in warmups!

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bruinballer's avatar

Doubt he'll see the floor much tonight

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Principal Terry's avatar

Wouldn't it be great if he could come in with about 2 min. left!!

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bruinballer's avatar

That'd be pretty, pretty good!

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bruinballer's avatar

Wonder how much Big Red will be rooting for AZ tonight; he's a homer for them

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Jeffro_TBS's avatar

Afternoon everyone LFG Bruins!

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bruinballer's avatar

Let's go!!!

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bruinballer's avatar

Wow it's loud in Pauley!

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Principal Terry's avatar

Strong starting - great move by Cronin.

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Jeffro_TBS's avatar

My heart rate is already up!

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bruinballer's avatar

Stong starting!!!

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kingjim1954's avatar

Good to sea Silk looking healthy and comfortable.

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bruinballer's avatar

Love Cronin for starting our seniors-- class act!!

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Jeffro_TBS's avatar

Yeah -love it

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bruinballer's avatar

Well, we're missing shots and not getting rebounds so far... stop me if you've heard this...

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Principal Terry's avatar

Get it out of the way early.

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bruinballer's avatar

Hope it's gone!!

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gbruin's avatar

We're right on schedule lol

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bruinballer's avatar

Let's go, defense!!

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kingjim1954's avatar

Jaime, O-reb and 2!

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Principal Terry's avatar

Jaquez is energized!

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Jeffro_TBS's avatar

Yes, but not a good 3

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Principal Terry's avatar

Ok - let's put a stop to this right now.

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kingjim1954's avatar

Sheet, can't buy a basket, down 9-2.

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Principal Terry's avatar

Good news is open looks are easy to come by - just need to settle down and hit them.

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Gen2Bruin1987's avatar

Another cold start

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bruinballer's avatar

Wait, they called a technical on Jaylen? WTF??

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bruinballer's avatar

NVM StatsBroadcast just confused LOL

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bruinballer's avatar

Nope, announcers just said double technical on Clark and another. Shit!

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Jeffro_TBS's avatar

We really need Jaylen on the court

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Bruin90's avatar

Cold as ice. Let's stop shooting 3s and drive to the hoop.

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Chenalex's avatar

Arizonas defense is designed to prevent drives to the hoop and force us to make 3s. Right now we’re playing into their hands

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Bruin90's avatar

0 for 6 from 3.

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Chenalex's avatar

Arizona is going to give us all the 3-pointers we can take and just pack the paint. Not the worst strategy for them but we have to make them pay.

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bruinballer's avatar

This media time-out may really help us refocus and start anew.

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gbruin's avatar

Make your shots, Bruins

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Jeffro_TBS's avatar

C’mon pull it together

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bruinballer's avatar

OMG how can we be this cold at home??

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Principal Terry's avatar

They should not be rattled, but they are playing nervous.

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wseitz's avatar

Not making shots. Not defending. Not a winning combination.

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Principal Terry's avatar

Wow - this is awful!!!!

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Jeffro_TBS's avatar

Can’t buy a basket

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kingjim1954's avatar

Jaime misses a three, not a good sign.

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bruinballer's avatar

Wow, they got away with holding on Jaquez twice

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wseitz's avatar

And Bona to the bench for the rest of the half. This could get ugly.

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