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First off, note, I don't have lunch with Ben Howland, Tim Floyd and Lute reguarly so this is all pieced together, hearsay etc.
Jennings and Derozan grew up together essentially almost best friends in Compton. For awhile it was essentially assumed they would play together, when Jennings verballed to USC most assumed that meant Derozan too, huge coup for USC. When jennings changed his mind it was a huge loss because it was assumed Derozan was gone too. Obviously he picked USC later, said he was still friends with Jennings. He is of course tight with Romeo and Master P so who knows what was up but he and Jennings insist they're still tight and they look to be on the court.
UCLA stopped recruiting Jennings sometime before his junior year started. Not becaues they think he's a bad kid, they simply did the math. They thought they had a shot at getting all of Holiday, Lee and a pure PG either Anderson or Drew Jr. So they offered them all and in the case of Anderson and Drew told them both whoever takes the offer first gets it, we can only take one of you. Anderson took the offer. Lee's verbal was rumored for over a month before he finally made it public. It's thought the reason he waited was he'd heard talk UCLA may be trying to get Derozan, if they did, Lee wasn't going to UCLA. Eventually they convinced Lee he was their preference and he verballed. UCLA didn't think Lee was "better" just a better fit, Derozan might be one and done, Lee figures to be 3 or 4 years. Derozan was more of a 3, Lee can play both the 1 and 2 as well as some 3, which was very helpful in case UCLA didn't get their top target Holiday.
Holiday eventually made Howland look smart when he picked UCLA. If he had picked UW or UNC, Howland still had 2 talented prospects but lost the kid he wanted most. So it was a gamble that paid off.
In the end Howland figured he wasn't going to get both Derozan and Jennings, for whatever reason it appeared at the time they weren't going together. He knew getting Derozan would cost him Lee, he knew getting Jennings would cost him Holiday, so he went for broke and got 3 instead of 1.
UA got the verbal from Jennings and I'm sure he'll be a very good player there I'm just not sure he's a guy who plays the game to win. You can't knock the talent he's a phenom, I just think he doesn't play the game consistently hard he takes too many plays off on defense.
So when UCLA fans or USC fans bag on him it's not really because he didn't pick their school, I think many just think in the end their school got the better deal. UCLA with 3 guards, USC with Derozan.
Jennings and Derozan grew up together essentially almost best friends in Compton. For awhile it was essentially assumed they would play together, when Jennings verballed to USC most assumed that meant Derozan too, huge coup for USC. When jennings changed his mind it was a huge loss because it was assumed Derozan was gone too. Obviously he picked USC later, said he was still friends with Jennings. He is of course tight with Romeo and Master P so who knows what was up but he and Jennings insist they're still tight and they look to be on the court.
UCLA stopped recruiting Jennings sometime before his junior year started. Not becaues they think he's a bad kid, they simply did the math. They thought they had a shot at getting all of Holiday, Lee and a pure PG either Anderson or Drew Jr. So they offered them all and in the case of Anderson and Drew told them both whoever takes the offer first gets it, we can only take one of you. Anderson took the offer. Lee's verbal was rumored for over a month before he finally made it public. It's thought the reason he waited was he'd heard talk UCLA may be trying to get Derozan, if they did, Lee wasn't going to UCLA. Eventually they convinced Lee he was their preference and he verballed. UCLA didn't think Lee was "better" just a better fit, Derozan might be one and done, Lee figures to be 3 or 4 years. Derozan was more of a 3, Lee can play both the 1 and 2 as well as some 3, which was very helpful in case UCLA didn't get their top target Holiday.
Holiday eventually made Howland look smart when he picked UCLA. If he had picked UW or UNC, Howland still had 2 talented prospects but lost the kid he wanted most. So it was a gamble that paid off.
In the end Howland figured he wasn't going to get both Derozan and Jennings, for whatever reason it appeared at the time they weren't going together. He knew getting Derozan would cost him Lee, he knew getting Jennings would cost him Holiday, so he went for broke and got 3 instead of 1.
UA got the verbal from Jennings and I'm sure he'll be a very good player there I'm just not sure he's a guy who plays the game to win. You can't knock the talent he's a phenom, I just think he doesn't play the game consistently hard he takes too many plays off on defense.
So when UCLA fans or USC fans bag on him it's not really because he didn't pick their school, I think many just think in the end their school got the better deal. UCLA with 3 guards, USC with Derozan.
