NCAAB - Sports Rumors
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Wednesday, Jul 2, 2008 7:21 EDT
UCLA, Howland agree to contract extension
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Saying that he feels "very blessed" to be the UCLA men's basketball coach, Ben Howland signed a new contract that will keep him with the Bruins through the 2014-15 season. The contract guarantees Howland $1.97 million next season and will rise to $2.3 million in the final year. There are also incentives that could top out at $235,000 per year.
Howland's teams have gone to three consecutive Final Fours. Last season's 35-4 finish set a school record for victories. Howland also is only one of three NCAA coaches in history to win at least 30 games in three consecutive seasons.
Having three underclassmen taken in the most recent NBA draft — sophomore Russell Westbrook was picked fourth, freshman Kevin Love fifth and junior Luc Richard Mbah a Moute 37th — Howland said he expects a different kind of pressure next season.
"If you told me right now I'd get back to the Final Four," Howland said, "I'd be elated."
Source: Los Angeles Times
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Friday, Jun 13, 2008 6:14 EDT
Mayo investigation begins with seven-hour interview
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Investigators from the NCAA and Pacific 10 Conference and officials from USC have met with Louis Johnson to discuss his allegations that a sports agency funneled money to basketball star O.J. Mayo through an intermediary before and during his one season at USC according to the Los Angeles Times.
In a seven-hour meeting Monday at the Los Angeles office of one of Johnson's attorneys, NCAA investigators led the questioning of Johnson and reviewed receipts that the former Mayo confidant had provided to ESPN for an "Outside the Lines" report that aired last month, Johnson attorney David M. Murphy said.
State investigating possible payments to USC's O.J. Mayo O.J. Mayo is center of attention at NBA pre-draft campMurphy said the receipts, which included hotel bills, credit card receipts and cellphone statements, would soon be forwarded to the FBI, which along with the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. attorney's office is probing alleged criminal transgressions by Bill Duffy Associates Sports Management and possible tax evasion and misuse of charitable organization funds by Mayo advisor Rodney Guillory.
Spokespeople for the FBI, IRS and U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles declined to comment about the investigation.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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Wednesday, Jun 11, 2008 7:32 EDT
Josh Shipp will return to UCLA
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UCLA basketball Coach Ben Howland said Tuesday that redshirt junior Josh Shipp will return for his final season of college eligibility.
Shipp, who has had surgeries on each of his hips over the last three years, announced after the season that he would explore leaving school early for a professional career. His return means UCLA will have at least two senior starters back from its 2008 Final Four team. Point guard Darren Collison announced in April that he also would return for his senior season.
Howland expects backup center Alfred Aboya will be back for his senior season as well. Aboya had said he might skip his final year of basketball eligibility to concentrate on post-graduate education.
In a statement Shipp said, "I am glad I went through this process. It gave me the opportunity to get input and prepare my body and my game for the next level."
Source: Los Angeles Times
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