Sam Connon

Content @DKNetwork + @DraftKings | Past: @FastballFN, @FN_AllBruins, @dailybruin, @BruinReport, @PatsCountryFN, @BleavNetwork, @AP_Top25 MBB Voter | UCLA 21

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

Happy to announce that I am now part of the content team at @DraftKings / @DKNetwork!

I'm really looking forward to working with an amazing collection of writers, editors and researchers at one of the biggest brands in sports. Thanks to everyone who made it possible!

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

*THE* UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team is coming to the one and only Champaign, IL, next season?

[Ben Bolch @calpostbbolch]

UCLA men's basketball announced Big Ten games for next season: 2 each against USC, Oregon & Washington + home games against Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State & Wisconsin. Road: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue & Rutgers

[UCLA Beach VB @uclabeachvb]

QUEENS OF THE BEACH! 👑 👑 👑

The Bruins are the 2026 NCAA Beach Volleyball champions!

#GoBruins | #ChampionsMadeHere

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

UCLA guard Donovan Dent not earning an invite to either the NBA Draft Combine or the G League Combine feels…weird?

[Jonathan Givony @DraftExpress]

Sources: G League Combine invite list (44 players, alphabetical, subject to change):

Michael Ajayi — Butler
Alijah Arenas — USC
Donovan Atwell — Texas Tech
Nate Bittle — Oregon
Elliot Cadeau — Michigan
Rafael Castro — George Washington
Zach Cleveland — Liberty
Jacob Cofie — USC
M.J. Collins Jr. — Utah State
Quadir Copeland — NC State
Melvin Council Jr. — Kansas
Tucker DeVries — Indiana
Tre Donaldson — Miami (FL)
Reynan dos Santos — Mexico City (G League)
Malique Ewin — Arkansas
Jamal Fuller — Long Island
Isiah Harwell — Houston
Jaden Henley — Grand Canyon
Bryce Hopkins — St. John's
Graham Ike — Gonzaga
Kasen Jennings — Appalachian State
Trey Kaufman-Renn — Purdue
Keba Keita — BYU
Kobe Knox — South Carolina
Xaivian Lee — Florida
Malique Lewis — SE Melbourne (Australia)
Tamin Lipsey — Iowa State
Fletcher Loyer — Purdue
Aidan Mahaney — Santa Barbara
Robert McCray V — Florida State
Boopie Miller — SMU
Mark Mitchell Jr. — Missouri
Paulius Murauskas — Saint Mary's
Jaron Pierre Jr. — SMU
Kowacie Reeves Jr. — Georgia Tech
Jaylin Sellers — Providence
Markhi Strickland — North Dakota State
Aiden Tobiason — Temple
Seth Trimble — North Carolina
Cade Tyson — Minnesota
Ernest Udeh Jr. — Miami (FL)
Lamar Wilkerson — Indiana
Darrion Williams — NC State
Noam Yaacov — Oostende (Belgium)

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

Our greatest scientific minds do not understand it, but I trust we will make a breakthrough before the end of the century.

[Benjamin Royer @thebenroyer]

Jackie Robinson Stadium is in Westwood — AKA, in Los Angeles.

And yet, it is the coldest stadium in the country.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

UCLA got three clips from their R64 win over UCF into One Shining Moment 2026.

[NCAA March Madness @MarchMadnessMBB]

ONE SHINING MOMENT 🙌

#MarchMadness

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

My first beat at the @dailybruin was covering @UCLAWBB back during the 2017-18 season. I covered the team on-and-off for the next six years.

So satisfying to see this program win its first NCAA championship, a real full-circle moment.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

Does Mick Cronin deserve criticism for not being able to retain Aday Mara? To some extent, sure – hard to know exactly what happened BTS in the portal era, but it was certainly a devastating loss.

But criticizing Cronin’s use of Mara on the court? THAT is revisionist history.

[Aaron Torres @Aaron_Torres]

Aday Mara had 10, 6 and 5 in 20 minutes of play in the NCAA Tournament last year.

The talent was always there, and anyone trying to claim there's some weird revisionist history on Aday Mara is an idiot.

UCLA misused him. Period.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

@Aaron_Torres Which is all to say, Mara produced at a very similar rate across the board in his last year at UCLA compared to this year at Michigan. He’s just playing slightly more because his conditioning has improved, plus people are noticing him more because he’s been on a better team.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

@Aaron_Torres Mara went from 29.6 points, 18.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 7.4 blocks per 100 poss. in 24-25 to 29.4 points, 16.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 6.3 blocks in 25-26. PER went from 28.8 to 26.7, USG went from 24.8% to 23.4%, WS/40 went from .222 to .227. TRB% and BLK% down, TOV% up.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

This is not an accurate representation of Aday Mara’s time at UCLA.

[Aaron Torres @Aaron_Torres]

Never forget: Mick Cronin couldn't figure out how to use Aday Mara.

Make it make sense.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

UCLA men’s basketball ranks No. 5 in @totally_t_bomb’s Power Rating since February 18.

Still absolutely bonkers to see that adjusted offense/defense split for a Mick Cronin team, no matter how many times he tells us exactly who and what this team is.

[Jeff Borzello @jeffborzello]

Donovan Dent's last seven games:
- 15 assists, 0 turnovers
- 8 assists, 0 turnovers
- 15 assists, 1 turnover
- 8 assists, 1 turnover
- 7 assists, 0 turnovers
- 12 assists, 2 turnovers
- 12 assists, 2 turnovers

77 assists, 6 turnovers

Casual 12.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

The women had to play the full Big 12 tournament on this monstrosity, but suddenly it’s a safety concern now that the men are complaining about it?

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

NEWS: The Big 12 will be transitioning to a hardwood court for the remainder of the Big 12 tournament. The LED glass basketball court has been greeted with mixed reviews, including feedback that it is slippery.

[DraftKings Network @DKNetwork]

https://t.co/U58OMEJnVy

[DraftKings Network @DKNetwork]

The Spurs are 3-0 on their current homestand and have won eight straight at home 🔥

Our @SamConnon is backing San Antonio tonight in their primetime matchup against the Celtics 👇

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

Back in Indianapolis to watch UCLA-Iowa in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Finals.

Hot start for the Bruins 👀

[OptaSTATS @OptaSTATS]

At home this season, @UCLAMBB:

won 17 games
never lost in regulation
beat 3 AP Top 10 opponents

The only other team in the last 40 years to do that at home in a season was the 2011-12 Kentucky squad that won the national title.

[Sam Connon @SamConnon]

If this actually happened, I think roughly 45% of UCLA’s fanbase would need to be admitted to an insane asylum…

[Ralph D. Russo @ralphDrussoATH]

Editor: “We want to project every P4 team’s coach in 2030?”

Me: “Crazy. Impossible. How? Sure! Sign me up.”

Who will be coaching your school in 2030? Predicting every Power 4 football program’s head man https://t.co/3kSwydkWcJ via @NYTimes

[Kyle Bray @KyleBrayWBZ]

The Catman Cafe in Mansfield goes WILD as Matt Boldy, whose mom works here as a bartender, scores the opener against Canada. 1-0 USA @wbznewsradio