Junior forward James Keefe quickly became a Bruin fan favorite when he took off his redshirt last season to help the team. Keefe has always been gracious and about the team since the first day he stepped onto the Westwood campus three years ago. One thing that was very noticeable about Keefe is he put in the work in the offseason.

Keefe met with the media after a recent practice.

How has your time been at UCLA?

Keefe: "It has been a great experience the last two years, mostly because of the success we have had."

What did you work on in the offseason?

Keefe: "Mostly, I would say two things. My shot and being in the weight room, I was in the weight room a lot. I had a meeting with the nutritionist and I was eating healthy and eating a lot. Every two hours, I was just gaining weight and getting big for the year."

How much weight did you gain?

Keefe: "When I came into the season I was 238 and last year during the (NCAA) tournament, I was in the low 220's. So I gained about 15 to 16 pounds."

Was that all muscle?

Keefe: "Yeah, I actually lost a pound of fat and gained the rest muscle."

Does the weight gain affect your quickness? Does weight lifting help your quickness at all?

Keefe: "Yeah, I have been able to carry the weight around. That was going to be a concern, that if I got to big, I wouldn't be able to run, but I am happy with the way I am carrying the weight. A lot of it is in the legs, so that is helping me run up and down the floor."

For the rest of the interview, please see BruinBlitz.com...

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