SoCalHoops College News

SoCal D-I College Coaches Luncheon
This Thursday @ LAAC--(Oct. 2, 2001)

The John R. Wooden Award folks   might not have the same spectacular website they had last year prior to the collapse of Rivals.com, but some things still work....Each year the John R. Wooden Award Foundation and the downtown LA Athletic Club host a luncheon featuring just about every Division I college coach in Southern California, and this year, they'll be doing the same at the Athletic Club's downtown facilities (located at 431 West 7th Street Los Angeles, CA 90014--click the link for directions), in the room where the Wooden Award, college basketball's most prestigious award, will be handed out to player who is generally thought of as the best college player in the U.S.  You can read more about the Wooden Award at their new official site.

But this luncheon isn't really about the Wooden Award..... The Award isn't given out until after the end of the season.  Instead, this luncheon is a SoCal Division I College preview of sorts.   It's about college coaches in Southern California giving us all a preview of their teams, conference races, and trading a few quips and barbs with each other and the media, cracking wise, imparting a bit of wisdom, and in general having a bit of fun with each other and those in attendance, all before the more serious stuff starts and they have to put their jobs on the line again as they do each season,  depending upon 17, 18, 19 and 20 year old players to save their jobs.....Which, come to think of it, must not an easy proposition to swallow if it's what you do for a living... Anyway, if you've never been to the luncheon, it's time to think about attending,  because it's great fun and tickets are cheap.

Luncheon attendees the past two years have included, among others, UCLA's Steve Lavin,  USC head coach Henry Bibby and former assistant Silvey Dominguez (now at UTEP),  head coach Donny Daniels from Cal State Fullerton, assistant Len Stephens from UC Irvine and head coach Pat Douglass, head coach Bobby Braswell from CSUN,  head coach Bob Williams of USCB, former Cal Poly head coach Jeff Schneider,  UC Riverside head coach John Masi,  Long Beach State head coach Wayne Morgan,  head coach Steve Fisher from San Diego State,  LMU head coach Steve Aggers, former Pepperdine  head coach Jan Van Breda Kolff (now at St. Bonaventure) and current Pepperdine assistant coach Gib Arnold, USD head coach Brad Holland. . . . In short, every D-I head coach from SoCal.  And this year's turnout will likely include every current D-I head coach from the region.

The LAAC and Wooden Award folks issued a press release with just the bare amount of information on the luncheon, but it's enough to get you there if you are interested.  Here's who to call, and the when and where you'll need:

College Basketball Tip Off Luncheon
Thursday October 4, 2001

This annual event features 13 of Southern California's NCAA Division I head basketball coaches from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, in a panel style luncheon discussing their respective programs and prospects for the upcoming 2001-2002 season.

11:30 a.m. - Reception
Noon - Luncheon
$30 per person includes tax and service.

For reservations call Member Services at
213-630-5255 or ext 5255

See you there.

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