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LOS ANGELES -- UCLA is poised to unveil the strongest recruiting class coach Steve Alford has brought to Westwood, led by Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf.Their arrival comes just in time.The Bruins were 15-17 last season, only the schools fourth losing season since John Wooden arrived in 1948. Alford, who wasnt a popular hire four years ago, returned a one-year contract extension he signed after his first season and wrote an apology letter to fans.Now, hes hoping Ball, Leaf and fellow freshman Ike Anigbogu are the answer to getting the Bruins back to the postseason.Alfords challenge lies in blending the talented trio with veterans like his son Bryce, fellow senior Isaac Hamilton and junior big man Thomas Welsh while improving the Bruins defense that has never been ranked higher than eighth under him.We messed around with doing too many different things last year, Alford said Wednesday. Last year for the first time in a long time with my teams, we didnt get better month to month. Thats what was frustrating and we ended up having a bad year. Now what do you do moving forward? How do you handle that adversity?The Bruins return most of their roster, with the exception of Tony Parker who graduated and Jonah Bolden who left school over the summer to pursue a pro career.The arrival of Ball brings to mind such previously hyped freshmen as Kevin Love, Kevon Looney and Shabazz Muhammad, all one-and-done players who made a mark during brief stays in Westwood.Theres going to be a lot of hype around you, but you got to realize that once you start college a lot of those things have nothing to do with anything, Alford said. It is a start over, it is a new level, just like when you get to the NBA, what you did in college means nothing.Ball led nearby Chino Hills High to a California state title and undefeated season as a senior who earned national player of the year honors.The vets are ready to win, were ready to win and Im just going to do what I can to contribute to that, he said.Leaf, a 6-foot-9 forward from suburban San Diego, was a McDonalds All-American who scored 3,022 points in his prep career.At 6-10 and 250 pounds, Anigbogu lends some heft in the middle and gives the Bruins a different kind of center than Welsh, a 7-footer with a more delicate touch.Balls arrival figures to have the biggest effect on the younger Alford, who averaged 16.1 points in a team-high 36.2 minutes last season. The senior guard is used to taking the last shot with the game on the line and he has handled the bulk of the ball-handling the last two years.With Balls playmaking ability and passing skills, Alford can slide over to the `2 spot.Now I can finally get back to what I do best off the ball and having a guy like him will really help, Alford said. Hes probably the best passer Ive ever played with, along with Kyle Anderson. Hes going to bring a lot of different aspects that we havent had in a while. Montez Sweat Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Terry McLaurin Redskins Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. https://www.redskinssportsgoods.com/Womens-Clinton-Portis-Inverted-Jersey/ . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Earnest Byner Youth Jersey . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Landon Collins Youth Jersey . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season.TORONTO (CIS) – Sports reporter Richard Boutin, football coach Sonny Wolfe and long-time administrator Bob Philip will be honoured by Canadian Interuniversity Sport on Wednesday night in Toronto. The awards reception will be held at the Mattamy Athletic Centre as part of CIS annual general meeting. Boutin will receive the Fred Sgambati Media Award, presented annually to a member of media in recognition of major contributions to the development and growth of Canadian university sport. Wolfe merits the Jean-Marie De Koninck Coaching Excellence Award, presented since 2007 to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to university sport as demonstrated by long-term commitment and leadership as a coach at the local, provincial, national and/or international levels. Philip will be presented with the Austin-Matthews Award, which honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to interuniversity sport, as demonstrated by long-term commitment and leadership as a coach, director, chairperson and/or executive committee member at the local, provincial and/or national levels. “On behalf of the entire CIS family, in particular our 11,000 student-athletes and 700 coaches, I wish to congratulate our three award recipients and also thank them for their remarkable contribution to Canadian university sport,” said Pierre Lafontaine, chief executive officer of CIS. “Richard, Sonny and Bob are all passionate about CIS and its important that we take time to celebrate and show our sincere appreciation to such outstanding individuals.” FRED SGAMBATI MEDIA AWARD A graduate of Laval University in journalism, Richard Boutin started his career at Le Journal de Québec – one of Quebec Citys two major daily newspapers – in 1992 and, since 1998, has been the Journals main football beat writer, including the high school, CEGEP, university and professional levels. Over the past 15 years, in addition to his daily coverage of the Laval Rouge et Or program, Boutin has attended 10 Vanier Cup finals, five East West Bowl prospect games, every CFL Combines camp since 2003, countless CFL training camps across the country, as well as all but one Rouge et Or spring camps in Florida since 2002. He has also reported from three Grey Cup finals, one Super Bowl and one world junior championship. While passionate about football, Boutin also writes regularly about other activities from the Rouge et Or and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). This past year alone, he covered the CIS mens soccer and mens volleyball championships hosted by Laval, as well as numerous regular season and playoff events in soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming, track & field, cross-country running and other sports. Boutins resume also includes innumerable international competitions, including world championships in snowboarding and alpine skiing, World Cup events in cross-country skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking, the Olympic trials in swimming, World Baseball Classic, Volleyball World League, Skate Canada (figure skating) and Tour de Beauce (cycling). Not surprisingly, the tireless worker did not travel from Quebec City to Toronto only to receive the Sgambati Award. He was in Hamilton from Monday until Wednesday morning to follow the progress of former Rouge et Or and RSEQ football standouts at the Tiger-Cats training camp and will make the short trip to Mississauga on Thursday morning to attend the Toronto Argonauts camp. “Richard is an undeniable media ally in Quebec City and its surroundings. Always on the lookout for the latest developments in university sports, he is passionate and offers unparalleled visibility to our student-athletes and our teams,” said Benoit Doloreux, director of university programs at the RSEQ. “He doesnt hesitate to go the extra mile, especially in the fall during the football season, to cover all Rouge et Or activities.” JEAN-MARIE DE KONINCK COACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD Sonny Wolfe completed his 24th and final season as a CIS head football coach in 2011, with stints at Acadia (19 years) and McGill (5). He has also served 15 years as an assistant coach at various CIS institutions, including Sir George Williams (3), McGill (8), StFX (1) and Montreal (3). His 24 years as a sideline boss ties him with the legendary Gino Fracas for the seventh highest career total in CIS football history. He owns a career 83-94 coaching record in CIS regular-season competition and has developed 20 players who went on to pro football careers in the CFL. Fluently bilingual in English and French, the 69-year-old native of Montreal was raised in the Cote des Neiges district. Wolfe began his coaching career in 1968 as a defensive line mentor with the NDG Maple Leafs, followed by three seasons as a defensive coach at Sir George Williams University (1969-71) and four years as a defensive coordinator at Vanier College (1972-75).ddddddddddddHe played briefly with the Redmen and graduated from McGill with a physical education degree in 1976, then served as a full-time assistant coach and recruiter at McGill for eight seasons under Charlie Baillie from 1976 to 1983. Wolfe, who holds his level IV coaching certification, left McGill in 1984 for Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., where he served through the 2002 season. He guided the Axemen to 16 post-season appearances in 19 years, reaching the Atlantic conference final 12 times. He led Acadia to three league championships (1986, 1995 and 1998) and won AUS coach of the year honours twice (1986 and 1995).In 2003, Wolfe moved on to St. Francis Xavier University, where he served as offensive coordinator under Dennis McPhee and helped guide the X-Men to the AUS final. In 2004, he returned to Montreal and joined the Université de Montréal Carabins for three seasons as a defensive coordinator under head coach Jacques Dussault. He also served as an interim head coach for nine months when Dussault took a leave of absence and was the teams offensive coordinator for one year under Marc Santerre.In 2007, he was appointed head coach and offensive coordinator at McGill and served in that capacity for five years before stepping down in 2011. “Sonnys four decades of coaching made a mark not just on the Canadian university game, but on a generation of young men,” said Drew Love, executive director of athletics and recreation at McGill. “That type of dedication and longevity is rare and a testament to his love and knowledge of the game. Were proud that Sonny both started and finished his full-time coaching career at McGill, a place where football traditions are honoured and cherished.” AUSTIN-MATTHEWS AWARD Bob Philip retired as director of athletics and recreation at the University of British Columbia in 2012 after occupying the position for 20 years. Before moving to Vancouver, the native of Montreal served for 21 years at Concordia University (and its predecessor Sir George Williams) in administrative positions, including athletic director and mens hockey coach. He was President of CIS (then CIAU) from 1992 to 1995. During his 20-year reign at UBC, Philip oversaw one of the most successful periods in Canadian sports history, at any level. The Thunderbirds won 54 CIS championships between 1992 and 2012 to overtake Toronto for most national titles all-time. UBC currently sits at 85.Over the last two decades, UBC has been represented 79 times at the Olympics by either current student-athletes or Thunderbird alumni. Most recently, former T-Bird Brent Hayden won a bronze medal in swimming at the London Games. But the success of UBCs teams is just a part of the impact Philip has made on the BC sports scene.Under his watch, scholarship endowments at the school, collected through events like the TELUS Millennium Breakfast, have grown tremendously, recently topping $10 million. That has allowed the very best BC athletes to stay home and reach their dreams in front of friends and family for almost a generation. Philip has helped various sports flourish in BC. He has led the charge in building new world-class athletics facilities, such as the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, Thunderbird Park and the John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse, giving local athletes and coaches the means necessary to succeed on the national and international stage.He has also been instrumental in the International University Sports Federation movement, volunteering his time as Canadas delegate to the FISU Games and overseeing ice sports for the Winter Universiade. Under his leadership, UBC has subsidized the cost of sending hundreds of athletes to both the summer and winter world university games. Finally, Philips impact can be felt in the coaching aspect of Canadian sports. After becoming athletic director at UBC, he made the decision to hire full-time assistant coaches for many varsity teams. This gave improved prospects for young coaches starting their careers, allowing them to continue teaching athletes instead of moving on to other careers. “Bobs greatest strengths have always been his vision and his attitude. He is an extraordinary visionary with the ability to see things through; and his attitude of we can always be better – better for student-athletes and better for coaches is what I believe to be his greatest legacy,” said Theresa Hanson, associate director, intercollegiate and high performance sport at UBC. “On behalf of the UBC Thunderbirds, both past and present, I wish to genuinely thank Bob for his vision, his attitude of making us better and his passion for university sport.&rdquo ' ' '