Tuesday, July 7

No. 2 seed men’s soccer seeks redemption in NCAA tournament

Then-No. 1 UCLA men’s soccer was rolling. The Bruins hadn’t lost in over a month and were leading 2-0 through the first 15 minutes of their third-round NCAA Tournament game against the unseeded University of Connecticut Huskies on Dec. Read more...

Photo: (Left to right) Sophomore midfielders Gage Zerboni and Felix Vobejda, senior midfielder Leo Stolz, redshirt senior goalkeeper Earl Edwards and the UCLA men’s soccer team have rebounded from a heartbreaking upset loss in last year’s NCAA Tournament by earning the No. 2 seed heading into this year’s NCAA Tournament, which begins for the Bruins on Sunday. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)


UCLA defense faces tough challenge in slowing down diverse USC offense

USC’s offense will be simultaneously familiar and completely new to UCLA’s defense this Saturday. The Bruins have played against teams with similar spread offenses. They’ve faced teams that run a pro-style offense. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt senior Eric Kendricks still remembers USC’s Javorius Allen breaking two of his tackles last season. Allen poses a threat to the Bruin defense due to his combination of size, power, speed and agility. (Katie Meyers/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Men’s basketball works on balancing speed and half-court sets

Ever since coach Steve Alford took over, UCLA is used to going fast. Just maybe not this fast. The up-tempo Bruins begin a five-game stretch Thursday that will cover eight days and more than 2,500 miles as the team heads to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament next week. Read more...

Photo: UCLA men’s basketball has jumped to 2-0 on the season after running a fast-tempo offense in its first two games. Freshman forward Kevon Looney said the Bruins are best in the open court, so pushing the pace works to the team’s advantage. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin)


UCLA football tunes out expectations heading into USC game

In the months leading up to this season, UCLA couldn’t escape the noise. Overwhelmed by those voicing what they could or should be and what they evidently weren’t, the Bruins struggled to deal with the cacophony of hype, expectation and disappointment. Read more...

Photo: Sophomore receiver Thomas Duarte said that growing up in Southern California really put perspective on the UCLA-USC rivalry game. Duarte said that people still congratulated him for beating USC even months after last season’s game. (Austin Yu/Daily Bruin senior staff)


UCLA goalkeeper conquers records, credits success to staunch back line

UCLA women’s soccer already has the No. 1 defense in the country with its 0.187 goals against average. But the team has still managed to convince critics that it possesses the ability to keep the back of its net untouched. Read more...

Photo: According to senior defender Abby Dahlkemper (No. 8), it’s UCLA’s team defense, which starts from the forwards and ends at the goalkeeper, that has allowed the team to keep 17 clean sheets and stay atop national rankings in its goals allowed average. (Keila Mayberry/Daily Bruin)


Lengthy wingspans on UCLA men’s basketball team aid zone defense

UCLA men’s basketball’s biggest difference this season is just that: the difference in its bigs. With their four most-played frontcourt players – freshman forward Kevon Looney, sophomore forward Wanaah Bail, junior forward/center Tony Parker and freshman center Thomas Welsh – possessing wingspans of 6 feet 11 inches or larger, the Bruins’ length is its most noticeable asset this season. Read more...

Photo: Although freshman forward Kevon Looney already posts an impressive height at 6-feet-9, it’s his 7-foot-3 wingspan that gives him the ability to attack the post and dominate in the paint. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)