The Bruins ended last season with the school’s first sub-.500 record since 2015-16 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in coach Mick Cronin’s tenure. The program made three straight Sweet 16 appearances and the Final Four in 2021 during his first five years. He’s gone from having his youngest team in Westwood to a more experienced and deeper group this season as No. 22 UCLA makes its Big Ten debut.
Dylan Andrews (junior, G, 6-2, 12.9 ppg, 3.7 apg). Andrews emerged late last season as a breakout star, averaging 21.2 points over the final six games. He leads a veteran backcourt that includes Southern California transfer Kobe Johnson, whose playmaking could help Andrews’ scoring soar.
Tyler Bilodeau (junior, F, 6-9, 14.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Transfer Bilodeau was a solid scorer and All-Pac-12 selection at Oregon State who plays an all-around game.
Sebastian Mack (sophomore, G, 6-3, 12.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Mack was the Bruins’ top offensive player early last season and showed potential on defense as well. He was a starter and appears eager to retain that role.
Cronin was aggressive in working the transfer portal. Johnson should make an immediate impact with his scoring and tough defense. Guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. started 16 games last season at Oklahoma State. Guard Skyy Clark joins his third school in as many years after stints at Illinois and Louisville. Guard Dominick Harris is also on his third program, after Gonzaga and nearby Loyola Marymount, where he averaged 45% from 3-point range last season. Six players left the program and the biggest was Adem Bona, who declared early for the NBA draft.
The Bruins host Rider on Nov. 4 in their season opener. It’ll be a Pac-12 reunion of sorts during a three-game stretch against Washington and Oregon (now Big Ten rivals with UCLA) and Arizona (now in the Big 12) in late November and early December. The Bruins have major neutral court contests against No. 9 North Carolina at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21 and No. 6 Gonzaga at the Los Angeles Clippers’ new arena on Dec. 28. The Big Ten Tournament begins March 12.
Five of the six transfers were starters at their previous schools. ... Center Aday Mara added bulk to his 7-foot-3 frame while rehabbing from a foot injury.
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FILE - UCLA guard Dylan Andrews (2) dribbles during an NCAA college basketball game against Southern California, on Feb. 24, 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File)
FILE - Southern California guard Kobe Johnson (0) shoots against Washington during the second half an NCAA college basketball game, on March 2, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)
FILE - Oregon State forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) looks to shoot over UCLA guard Brandon Williams (5) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament, on March 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Groups in Russia created and helped spread viral disinformation targeting Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, a senior U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday.
The content, which includes baseless accusations about the Minnesota governor's time as a teacher, contains several indications that it was manipulated, said the official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Analysts identified clues that linked the content to Russian disinformation operations, said the official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the office of the director.
Digital researchers had already linked the video to Russia, but Tuesday’s announcement is the first time federal authorities have confirmed the connection.
The disinformation targeting Walz is consistent with Russian disinformation seeking to undermine the Democratic campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz, her running mate. Russia also has spread disinformation aimed at stoking discord and division ahead of voting, officials said, and may seek to encourage violent protests after Election Day.
Last month, analysts at Microsoft revealed that a viral video that baselessly claimed Harris left a woman paralyzed in a hit-and-run accident 13 years ago was Russian disinformation. More recently, a video surfaced featuring a man claiming to be a former student of Walz's who accused the candidate of sexual misconduct years ago. Private researchers at firms that track disinformation, including NewsGuard, already have concluded the video was fake and that the man in the footage isn't who he claimed to be.
The Associated Press contacted a former employer of the man whose identity was used in the video. The employer, Viktor Yeliohin, confirmed the man shown in the video was an impostor.
Some researchers have also suggested the video may contain evidence that it was created using artificial intelligence, but federal officials stopped short of the same conclusion, saying only that the video contained multiple indications of manipulation.
China and Iran also have sought to influence the U.S. election using online disinformation. While Russia has targeted the Democratic campaign, Iran has gone after Republican Donald Trump with disinformation as well as hacking into the former president's campaign. China, meanwhile, has focused its influence efforts on down-ballot races, and on general efforts to sow distrust and democratic dissatisfaction.
There is no indication that Russia, China or Iran are plotting significant attacks on election infrastructure as a way to disrupt the outcome, officials said Tuesday.
Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has said improvements to election security mean there is no way any other foreign adversary will be able to alter the results.
Russia, China and Iran have all rejected claims that they are seeking to meddle with the U.S. election. Messages left with the Russian Embassy seeking comment on the Walz video were not immediately returned Tuesday.
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Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin contributed to this report from New York.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
