(Note: for some reason, the program used to create this site, isn't allowing apostrophes to be used so there may be some words that need them that don't have them so it's not my grammer, er, grammar that needs fixin'.)

I had a chance to drive up the 110 Freeway Saturday to take in the Nike Say No Classic League basketball game at USC between Rise & Admire Us, featuring UCLA freshmen Lisa Willis, Emma Tautolo and Julia Pitts, and a team called Baker's Dozen.

Rise & Admire Us, playing with just five players, won the game by around 9 points. Lisa Willis hit around 4 or 5 three-point baskets and scored around 18-20 points, while Emma Tautolo scored around 12 points in the game and Julia Pitts around 10. These statistics could be way off because I wasnt really keeping score, just observing. I was hoping, prior to arriving, that I would be able to get a first-hand glimpse of the Bruins prize recruit Nikki Blue, but she was a no-show and I overheard Pitts tell her brother that Blue stayed home in Bakersfield but was going to be at UCLA (Sunday) I believe. That last part I could be wrong on.

First off, let me start by saying that Baker's Dozen wasn't much of a formidable opponent, but they did have former Arkansas State and Lynwood High School player 6-4 Tanisha Johnson. Johnson showed she had range by hitting about 5 three-pointers and muscling her way inside for a few buckets. She was the only player on that team who really stood out, but they were a scrappy team on defense and seemed to play harder on the boards than Rise and Admire Us.

How did Pitts and Tautolo match up against a player like Johnson? Its hard to say in these kind of games, where the clock never stops (until inside the 2-minute mark left in the game) and coaching isnt really a major factor. Having played in a few recreation leagues myself, I understand how hard it is to get into any kind of flow in these kind of games.

Well, I guess I'll start off by breaking down each of the three Bruin players and describing their strengths and weaknesses.

LISA WILLIS: She was the best player out on the floor and pretty much played the point guard position. From the last time I saw her play, it appears that she has really been working on her outside shot. When I last saw her during the Southern California Regional playoff games in March, I commented that she had had a beautiful outside jumper and that many of her shots didn't fall for her as they rattled in-and-out. Saturday, she showed the same beautiful form and this time most of them swished through the net. She didn't just have a stationary shot, either, but at times created her own shot from behind the three-point line with a sweet looking crossover dribble. She did have a few air balls, but if she can hit like she was hitting on Saturday, Bruin fans will find it easy to forgive her for those air balls when she begins playing for the Bruins. Also, in the previous games, I commented on her awesome, pinpoint, no-look passes and she once again displayed the same passes in this game. However, she seemed to be trying to do too much and she either made some ill-advised passes or her teammates were totally unprepared to receive them resulting in a turnover. She did, however, have some nifty moves, something I hadnt seen her do in the two games I saw her play for the Gauchos last season. On one play, going one-on-one against a Bakers Dozen player, she drove inside, put up a running one-handed sort of finger roll which floated into the basket drawing oooos and aaahhs from the crowd. She certainly is a flashy kind of player and that was a pretty sweet looking shot, too, in my book. Overall, I am real excited about Willis. She has a very serious attitude while she is playing, kind of the way Erica Gomez was, all business on the court and very confident. I would have loved to have watched her play along side Nikki Blue and I'm sure we will all enjoy watching them this upcoming season. Greco, Blue and Willis (and hopefully Oren), around the perimeter for the Bruins, will be a lot of fun to watch. How Willis will do against much quicker competition is yet to be seen by me, but I think she can hold her own and make a big impact for us next season. As I said, she has some really nice moves, is a good ball handler and makes some of the coolest passes. She's a great get for the program. Her major weakness is that I feel she needs to just get stronger, both in her upper and lower parts of her body. If she can do this, she'll be an awesome player.

EMMA TAUTOLO: I've heard some people say that they are not sure that she will help UCLA out because she lacks speed or whatever. While I can see where they may feel this way, I think Tautolo is a nice addition to the team and can help us out next season. While I agree that she may not be the quickest player, I like her because she is fundamentally sound and has nice footwork and a very nice shooting touch. Her weakness coming out of high school is probably her strength and conditioning. Shes a thick-framed player (not overweight) just what some would call big-boned. If she can add muscle to that frame over the next four seasons, she can really be a force. She also had some nice moves, but some of those shots didnt go down, but I think they would once she hits the weight room on a regular basis when she gets to UCLA. On one play, she displayed a strong dribble move away from her defender, launching the shot which banked off the backboard and swished into the basket, but the shot didnt count as one of her teammates was called for a foul. She also displayed a nice jump shot from around 10-15 feet out. She needs to put herself in better position to rebound, however, and may be overpowered by taller players, which emphasizes the need for coach Kathy Olivier and her staff to sign some players with talent and size. Tautolo is a small 6-2 player and she shouldnt be relied upon in college to play the center position because she will struggle there. That is probably where she will be playing if Krystal Johnson and Sissy Pickett are not in better shape coming into this season. Overall, I liked Tautolo and shes a nice addition to the team.

JULIA PITTS: I like her athleticism the most because that, pretty much, is what she is going by at this point not having had a lot of experience playing the sport. I believe she picked up basketball only when she got into high school and that she didnt play any club ball, which I believe is a huge advantage for players once they get into high school. What I saw in Pitts is that, since the last game I saw of her in the CIF Division II title game in March, she has gotten stronger or maybe more confident. She is still a raw player, in my opinion, and will learn the game much quicker once she gets to UCLA and begins playing against stiffer competition. However, the same goes for Pitts as I have said about Tautolo and that is that neither of these two should be expected to play the center position. However, that is where I think they will be forced to play (much like Malika Leatham and Shalada Allen) and that will hurt their overall game, unless Pickett and Johnson are in much better conditioning going into next season. Pitts strength is her quicknessboth on defense and offenseher jumping ability and, as I have pointed out, her athleticism. Those three strengths combined should allow her to be somewhat successful from the get-go, especially when she will be playing with guards like Grecos, Blues, Williss and hopefully Orens talents who should provide her with some easy buckets. (Note: I am not forgetting about Nakase and Arranaga, either). Her weakness is her lack of ability to dribble the ball (at least I didnt see her dribble the ball), her lack of having any kind of bulk on her frame (she looks very thin) and her lack of an outside shot. She did, however, do well offensively once she positioned herself on the inside. She did take one outside shot (from about 15 feet out) that clanked off the rim. Shell need to work on that shot to be able to really help the team out. Overall, I think eventually she is going to be a great player for UCLA. How soon that will happen, well see soon enough. Im predicting that shell start to emerge sometime between the mid-to-end of her freshman season and definitely by the start-to-mid part of her sophomore season. She just needs experience in my opinion and to bulk up and get as fit as Kristee Porter did while she was at UCLA.

All-in-all, I really did like the potential of all three players. It was just one game that I have had a chance to see Tautolo, but like I said, she seemed fundamentally sound and did display a nice shooting touch once she got open. Again, I believe that with the type of guards we will have, I dont see any reason why she wont be open a lot of the time. She just better be ready to receive the passes that Greco, Blue and Willis will be firing at her. The same goes for Pitts and the rest of the Bruin post players. I still predict that if everything goes the way it is planned with no major injuries, we will be in the top 5 in the Pac-10 and have at least a .500 record or better. All of this will depend on how much Pickett and Johnson have improved their conditioning, how Grecos health is, and just how good Oren will be. This is just my opinion of what Ive seen and I could be way off on this, but my gut feeling tells me that from what I have seen. UCLA is definitely on its way back to the top of the West Coast ladder and if the coaching staff can sign Noelle Quinn and at least one stud of a post player like Erwin, Ervin, or Podominick, and at least another solid local post player, well get back to the Elite 8 and in position to go deeper into the NCAA Tournament within the next 2-3 years and we will all be happy once again. :)