Steve Alford sat in a small booth at a local diner in Tarzana, Calif. A plate of eggs and bacon was on the table before him, a birthday cake sat opposite him and the face of John Wooden smiled down at him from the wall. Read more...

Photo: New UCLA coach Steve Alford, like the many coaches before him, has had to deal with continual comparisons to John Wooden in his first few months on campus. Alford’s Indiana roots are a similarity he and Wooden share.

Zach LaVine waited anxiously on the UCLA bench in the opening minutes of an exhibition game against Cal State San Bernardino. “I tried not to seem like I had jitters or anything, but it’s human nature,” LaVine said. Read more...

Photo: After committing to UCLA early, freshman guard Zach LaVine flew under the radar in high school. But he expects to prove his talent quickly in college.