2007-08 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2007–08 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team was a college sports team representing the University of California, Los Angeles
in the Pacific-10 Conference for the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. In his fifth year as head coach, Ben Howland
led the team to its third straight Final Four appearance. The Bruins also set a new record number of wins for the regular season, eclipsing the 26 wins of 2006–07
. Though the team is composed of many standout players, freshman center
Kevin Love garnered much of the media's and school's attention with his .565 shooting percentage, 10.7 rebounds per game, 53 blocks, and 17.6 points per game.
The only losses the Bruins incurred during the regular season were to #8 Texas, and Pac-10 rivals USC and Washington, though the USC victory was later vacated upon discovery that USC player OJ Mayo received illegal benefits while playing for USC. After becoming the Pacific-10 regular season champions and winning the Pacific-10 tournament, the Bruins were seeded #1 in the West Regional bracket of the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Bruins held Mississippi Valley State to 29 points, the lowest total ever allowed in the first or second round of the tournament. After reaching the Final Four
, the Bruins lost to Memphis
, the South Regional Champions, though this win was also later vacated as the result of NCAA rules violations.
On August 20, 2009, Memphis' 38 wins during the 2007–2008 season and Final Four appearances were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for the team's using an ineligible player.
On January 3, 2010, USC's 20 regular season wins during the 2007–2008 season were vacated by USC Athletics for the team's using an ineligible player.
to wear the same jersey number while a player for UCLA. Hazzard's jersey had been retired by UCLA in 1996.
After the season, three members of the team were picked to play in the NBA. Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook were selected as lottery picks in Draft, with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute going in the early second round:
Pac-10 Player of the Year
Pac-10 Freshman of the Year
Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
All-Pac-10 first team
All-Pac-10 second team
All-Pac-10 third team
Pac-10 All-Defensive team
Pac-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Pac-10 All-Tournament Team
U.S. Basketball Writers Association First Team All-America
Oscar Robertson Trophy
nominee
U.S. Basketball Writers Association District IX Player of the Year
U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District IX team
Pac-10 Men's Basketball Player of the Week
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in the Pacific-10 Conference for the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. In his fifth year as head coach, Ben Howland
Ben Howland
Ben Howland is an American college head coach of men's basketball.He has been the head coach of the University of California, Los Angeles since 2003, and in 2008 signed an extension of his contract to run through 2015. Aggressive man-to-man defense is the trademark of Ben Howland-coached...
led the team to its third straight Final Four appearance. The Bruins also set a new record number of wins for the regular season, eclipsing the 26 wins of 2006–07
2006-07 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
The 2006–07 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins finished first in the Pacific-10 Conference standings...
. Though the team is composed of many standout players, freshman center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Kevin Love garnered much of the media's and school's attention with his .565 shooting percentage, 10.7 rebounds per game, 53 blocks, and 17.6 points per game.
The only losses the Bruins incurred during the regular season were to #8 Texas, and Pac-10 rivals USC and Washington, though the USC victory was later vacated upon discovery that USC player OJ Mayo received illegal benefits while playing for USC. After becoming the Pacific-10 regular season champions and winning the Pacific-10 tournament, the Bruins were seeded #1 in the West Regional bracket of the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Bruins held Mississippi Valley State to 29 points, the lowest total ever allowed in the first or second round of the tournament. After reaching the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
, the Bruins lost to Memphis
Memphis Tigers basketball
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers compete in Conference USA, in which they have won six regular season and four conference tournament championships. As of 2011, the Tigers have the 29th highest...
, the South Regional Champions, though this win was also later vacated as the result of NCAA rules violations.
On August 20, 2009, Memphis' 38 wins during the 2007–2008 season and Final Four appearances were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for the team's using an ineligible player.
On January 3, 2010, USC's 20 regular season wins during the 2007–2008 season were vacated by USC Athletics for the team's using an ineligible player.
Recruiting class
Roster
Thirteen scholarships were available to the team, and there were sixteen players on the roster. Kevin Love received permission from Walt HazzardWalt Hazzard
Walter "Walt" Raphael Hazzard Jr. , also known as Mahdi Abdul-Rahman, was an American college, Olympic, and professional basketball player and college basketball coach...
to wear the same jersey number while a player for UCLA. Hazzard's jersey had been retired by UCLA in 1996.
After the season, three members of the team were picked to play in the NBA. Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook were selected as lottery picks in Draft, with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute going in the early second round:
- Westbrook — Seattle Sonics, now Oklahoma City ThunderOklahoma City ThunderThe Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
, fourth overall pick - Love — Memphis GrizzliesMemphis GrizzliesThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
, fifth pick - Mbah a Moute — Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, the 37th pick
Depth chart
| Depth | Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Darren Collison Darren Collison Darren Michael Collison is an American professional basketball point guard for the Indiana Pacers. He was drafted 21st overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by New Orleans. He is a right-hander and a native of Rancho Cucamonga, California... |
Russell Westbrook | Josh Shipp | Luc Richard Mbah a Moute | Kevin Love Kevin Love Kevin Love, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former NASCAR driver. He ran five races in the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season, all for Fiddleback Racing.... |
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Russell Westbrook | Josh Shipp | Michael Roll | Alfred Aboya Alfred Aboya Alfred Aboya Baliaba is a Cameroonian college basketball player with the UCLA Bruins and Cameroon national basketball team. Aboya was one of only four Bruins to play in all 39 games, making 17 starts and playing 594 minutes in the 2007–08 season... |
Lorenzo Mata-Real |
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Josh Shipp Josh Shipp Josh Shipp is an American teen behavior expert, motivational speaker, author, and TV show host. Josh began professionally speaking at age 17. He was president of Oklahoma DECA in High school. Starting in 2005, he was selected as a spokesperson for National Foster Care Month... |
Michael Roll | Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association . Mbah a Mouté is a prince in his native village of Bia Messe , as he is a son of the elected village chief, Camille Mouté à Bidias... |
Nicola Dragovic | Alfred Aboya |
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Michael Roll | Mustafa Abdul-Hamid | Chace Stanback | Lorenzo Mata-Real | James Keefe |
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Mustafa Abdul-Hamid Mustafa Abdul-Hamid Mustafa Abdul-Hamid is an American professional basketball player.-Pro career:In August 2010, Abdul-Hamid signed for KK Hemofarm in Serbia. In March 2011, he moved to France and played with Lille MBC for the remainder of the 2010–11 season.-External links:* at uclabruins.com* at adriaticbasket.com... |
DeAndre Robinson | David McGrath | James Keefe | |
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Matt Lee | |
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Joey Ellis | |
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Schedule and results
The UCLA Bruins played 31 regular season games, including 18 straight Pac-10 games from January 3 to March 8.| Date | Opponent | Rank | Location | Result | Overall | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| November 2, 2007 | 2 | Pauley Pavilion Pauley Pavilion Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams... |
W 111–61 | |
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| November 5, 2007 | 2 | Pauley Pavilion | W 93–55 | |
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| November 9, 2007 | 2 | Pauley Pavilion | W 69–48 | |
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| November 12, 2007 | 2 | Pauley Pavilion1 | W 83–52 | |
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| November 13, 2007 | 2 | Pauley Pavilion1 | W 76–41 | |
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| November 19, 2007 | Maryland 2007-08 Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team The 2007–08 Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represented the University of Maryland in the 2007–08 college basketball season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The team was led by 19th-year head coach Gary Williams. Maryland finished with a 19–15 record, and did not qualify for... |
2 | Sprint Center Sprint Center Sprint Center is a large, multi-use indoor arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The building is located at 14th Street and Grand Boulevard, on the east side of the Power & Light District... 1 |
W 71–59 | |
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| November 20, 2007 | #11 Michigan State | 2 | Sprint Center1 | W 68–63 | |
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| November 23, 2007 | 2 | Pauley Pavilion | W 81–47 | |
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| November 28, 2007 | 1 | Pauley Pavilion | W 83–60 | |
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| December 2, 2007 | #8 Texas | 1 | Pauley Pavilion2 | L 63–61 | |
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| December 8, 2007 | 8 | Honda Center3 | W 75–63 | |
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| December 15, 2007 | 8 | Pauley Pavilion | W 89–49 | |
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| December 18, 2007 | 8 | Pauley Pavilion | W 77–52 | |
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| December 22, 2007 | Michigan 2007–08 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team The 2007–08 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 2007–08 season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference. Under the direction... |
8 | Crisler Arena Crisler Arena Crisler Arena, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, is the home arena for the University of Michigan men's and women's basketball teams. Constructed in 1967, the arena seats 13,751 spectators. It is named for Herbert O... |
W 69–54 | |
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| December 29, 2007 | 5 | Pauley Pavilion | W 76–48 | |
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| January 3, 2008 | #20 Stanford | 5 | Maples Pavilion Maples Pavilion Maples Pavilion is a 7,392-seat multi-purpose arena in Stanford, California built in 1968. Maples underwent a $30 million renovation in March 2004, which wrapped up in time for conference play in December of that year... |
W 76–67 | |
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| January 5, 2008 | 5 | Haas Pavilion Haas Pavilion The Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion is the home of the University of California's men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's and women's gymnastics teams... |
W 70–58 | |
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| January 10, 2008 | Washington | 5 | Pauley Pavilion | W 69–55 | |
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| January 12, 2008 | #4 Washington State 2007-08 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team The 2007–08 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represented Washington State University for the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Tony Bennett... |
5 | Pauley Pavilion | W 81–74 | |
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| January 19, 2008 | USC | 4 | Pauley Pavilion | L* 72–63 | |
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| January 24, 2008 | Oregon | 7 | McArthur Court McArthur Court McArthur Court is a basketball arena located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene and the former home of the Oregon Ducks men's and women's basketball teams, replaced in 2011 by Matthew Knight Arena.... |
W 80–75 | |
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| January 26, 2008 | 7 | Gill Coliseum Gill Coliseum Gill Coliseum is a 10,400-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Opened in 1949, the arena is home to the Oregon State Beavers' basketball, wrestling, volleyball, and gymnastics teams. It is named after famed basketball coach Amory T... |
W 85–62 | |
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| January 31, 2008 | 5 | Pauley Pavilion | W 84–51 | |
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| February 2, 2008 | Arizona 2007–08 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team The 2007–08 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season... |
5 | Pauley Pavilion | W 82–60 | |
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| February 7, 2008 | #17 Washington State | 4 | Beasley Coliseum Beasley Coliseum Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena, in Pullman, Washington, on the campus of Washington State University. The arena opened in 1973 and is named for Wallis Beasley, a long-time WSU sociology professor, executive vice president and interim president. Beasley was also WSU's... |
W 67–59 | |
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| February 10, 2008 | Washington | 4 | Bank of America Arena Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, commonly known as Hec Ed, is an indoor arena on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, the home of the Washington Huskies of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1927, the brick venue is home to the UW men's and women's... |
L 71–61 | |
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| February 17, 2008 | USC | 6 | Galen Center Galen Center The Galen Center is a multipurpose indoor arena and athletic facility owned and operated by the University of Southern California. Located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles, it is right across the street from the campus and... |
W 56–46 | |
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| February 21, 2008 | Oregon State | 6 | Pauley Pavilion | W 84–49 | |
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| February 23, 2008 | Oregon | 6 | Pauley Pavilion | W 75–65 | |
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| February 28, 2008 | Arizona State | 4 | Wells Fargo Arena Wells Fargo Arena (Tempe) Wells Fargo Arena is a 10,754-seat multi-purpose arena at 634 E Veterans Way in Tempe, Arizona, USA, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona.Constructed in the spring of 1974 as the as the Arizona State University Activity Center and at the cost of $8 million, the facility also plays host to graduation... |
W 79–40 | |
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| March 2, 2008 | Arizona | 4 | McKale Center McKale Center McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena located at 1756 E University Blvd on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is primarily used for basketball, but also features state-of-the-art physical training and therapy facilities. Its construction is marked with a large... |
W 68–66 | |
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| March 6, 2008 | #7 Stanford | 2 | Pauley Pavilion | W 77–67 (OT) | |
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| March 8, 2008 | California | 2 | Pauley Pavilion | W 81–80 | |
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| 2008 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament * Denotes a vacated win, as the result of a January 3, 2010 announcement that USC has vacated all wins during the 2007–2008 season, including its Pac-10 Conference Tournament victory over Arizona State .... |
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| March 13, 2008 | California | 2 | Staples Center Staples Center Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles... |
W 88–66 | |
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| March 14, 2008 | USC | 2 | Staples Center | W 57–54 | |
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| March 15, 2008 | #11 Stanford | 2 | Staples Center | W 67–64 | |
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| 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season... |
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| March 20, 2008 | 2 | Honda Center | W 70–29 | |
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| March 22, 2008 | Texas A&M 2007-08 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team The 2007–08 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in the 2007–08 college basketball season. The team is led by first-year head coach Mark Turgeon, who replaced Billy Gillispie in April 2007... |
2 | Honda Center | W 51–49 | |
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| March 27, 2008 | 2 | US Airways Center US Airways Center US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena... |
W 88–78 | |
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| March 29, 2008 | #12 | 2 | US Airways Center | W 76–57 | |
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| April 5, 2008 | #3 Memphis 2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team The 2007–08 Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represented the University of Memphis in the 2007–08 college basketball season, the 87th season of Tiger basketball... |
2 | Alamodome Alamodome The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S... |
V* 78–63 | |
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| *Conference games in green. Opponent rankings from Coaches' Poll. 1 College Basketball Experience Classic College Basketball Experience Classic The College Basketball Experience Classic is an annual season-opening college basketball tournament founded in 2001. The tournament is currently sponsored by Progressive and is held in mid-November... 2 Big 12/Pac-10 Challenge 3John R. Wooden Classic John R. Wooden Classic The John R. Wooden Classic is an annual season-opening men's college basketball competition. Four teams compete in one round of play. The Classic is not considered a tournament since it does not include a championship or consolation game.-History:... |
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Awards
- Kevin Love
Pac-10 Freshman of the Year
- Kevin Love
Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
- Russell Westbrook
All-Pac-10 first team
- Kevin Love
All-Pac-10 second team
- Darren Collison
All-Pac-10 third team
- Russell Westbrook
Pac-10 All-Defensive team
- Darren Collison
- Russell Westbrook
- Kevin Love (honorable mention)
- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (honorable mention)
Pac-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Darren Collison
Pac-10 All-Tournament Team
- Kevin Love
- Russell Westbrook
U.S. Basketball Writers Association First Team All-America
- Kevin Love
Oscar Robertson Trophy
Oscar Robertson Trophy
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's college basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association . The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 1959...
nominee
- Kevin Love
U.S. Basketball Writers Association District IX Player of the Year
- Kevin Love
U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District IX team
- Kevin Love
- Darren Collison
Pac-10 Men's Basketball Player of the Week
- Kevin Love — November 19–25
- Kevin Love — January 7–13
- Kevin Love — January 21–27
- Darren Collison — February 12–18
See also
- 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
- 2008 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament2008 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament* Denotes a vacated win, as the result of a January 3, 2010 announcement that USC has vacated all wins during the 2007–2008 season, including its Pac-10 Conference Tournament victory over Arizona State ....
- 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball seasonThe 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 5, 2007 ended with the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 7, 2008 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.-Season headlines:...
- 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankingsTwo human polls made up the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls.-Legend:-AP poll:...