Kapono Wooden Award Candidate
Senior Jason Kapono is once again a preseason top-50 Wooden
Award candidate, as he has been for the last three seasons.
Other candidates in the Pac-10 include Jason Gardner and Luke
Walton of Arizona, and Luke Jackson and Luke Ridnour of Oregon.
Ariza to UCLA
Trevor Ariza, a 6-foot-8-inch small forward at Westchester High
School in Los Angeles, has verbally committed to attend UCLA next
year.
Ariza, who would replace Kapono as a deep shooter and ball
handler, chose UCLA over Florida and USC.
Saia to UTEP?
UCLA assistant coach Jim Saia has been floated as a candidate
for the coaching vacancy at the University of Texas-El Paso
(UTEP).
Former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson was the top
candidate for the job, but he decided to reject the opportunity in
order to pursue other projects.
Richardson has not ruled out taking the position for the 2003-04
season, so UTEP might promote a current assistant coach as an
interim solution, instead of hiring a new permanent coach.
Saia was a candidate for the UTEP position in 1999, but the
Miners decided to go with Jason Rabedeaux instead.
Notes compiled by Greg Schain, Daily Bruin reporter