Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

#26 UCLA Basketball 2023-2024

Key Departures: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell, Jaylen Clark, Amari Bailey, David Singleton III, Mac Etienne, Abramo Canka

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Dylan Andrews (So.)

SG: Sebastian Mack (Fr.)

SG: Ilane Fibleuil (Fr.)

SG: Lazar Stefanovic (Jr.)

C: Adem Bona (So.)

Key Reserve Players:

SG: Will McClendon (RS So.), PF/C: Devin Williams (Fr.), PF: Brandon Williams (Fr.), C: Kenneth Nwuba (RS Sr.), SG: Jan Vide (Fr.)

Discussion:

It is going to be bizarre not seeing guys like Jaime Jaquez or Tyger Campbell in Westwood. This 2023-2024 team is going to be completely revamped with UCLA losing their top five scorers. Mick Cronin is going to rely heavily on returnees Adem Bona and Dylan Andrews, transfer Lazar Stefanovic and the incoming freshmen class.

Expect Dylan Andrews to have a monster jump in production as a sophomore. In his freshman year, he played in just 10.9 minutes per game. That should be doubled in year two. Will McClendon should also see a bump in playing time. Cronin is going to rely heavily on the incoming freshmen class, which includes Ilane Fibleuil and Sebastian Mack. Fibleuil is an intriguing prospect from France to keep an eye on. Another international prospect coming in is Jan Vide (Slovenia).

Lazar Stefanovic is going to have to step into that Jaime Jaquez position. Those are some incrediblly difficult shoes to fill. He did average 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals for the Utes last season. Getting Adem Bona back was probably the biggest win of the offseason for Cronin and UCLA. Bona is going to be a major focal point to what the Bruins want to do on both sides of the basketball.

Speaking of relying on freshmen, when it comes to the frontcourt, Devin Williams and Brandon Williams are going to be two important bigs behind Bona. The Bruins will also have veteran Kenneth Nwuba back.

This Bruins team does not have as much talent or veteran experience as the last few years, but I believe in Mick Cronin and think he has done a wondrous job at UCLA. I think he will make things work and will have the Bruins competing at the top of the Pac 12 with USC and Arizona.

Recent news suggests that the Bruins could possibly be adding two more foreign pieces.

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

#10 UCLA Basketball 2022-2023

Key Departures: Johnny Juzang, Jules Bernard, Cody Riley, Myles Johnson, Peyton Watson, Jake Kyman

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Tyger Campbell (RS Sr.)

SG: Amari Bailey (Fr.)

SG: Jaylen Clark (Jr.)

SF: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Sr.)

C: Adem Bona (Fr.)

Key Reserve Players:

SG: David Singleton III (RS Sr.), SG: Will McClendon (RS Fr.), PG: Dylan Andrews (Fr.), PF/C: Mac Etienne (RS So.), PF/C: Kenneth Nwuba (RS Sr.), SF: Abramo Canka (Fr.)

Discussion:

Expectations were high for the Bruins in 2021-2022 after a historic run in 2020-2021. UCLA ultimately fell to the red hot Tar Heels in the Sweet Sixteen. Johnny Juzang didn’t seem to have the same juice that he had during their final four run and Jaime Jaquez didn’t have the monster season that many were anticipating. Jaquez is back to lead the Bruins in 2022-2023 along with a veteran point guard by his side and two incoming McDonald’s All-Americans.

Tyger Campbell is the veteran point guard coming back to help lead the Bruins. You could say that he had his best season last year, where he averaged a career high in points (11.9 ppg), field goal percentage (44.4 percent), free throw percentage (83.8 percent) and 3-point percentage (41 percent). Campbell is a steady point guard who controls the pace of the game and is pretty good when it comes to taking care of the basketball. A veteran point guard with his experience is really nice to have if you are Mick Cronin. Joining Campbell in the backcourt will be Amari Bailey, a top ten recruit and one of the McDonald’s All-Americans. He decommitted in 2019 after committing in 2018, but then recommitted in 2021. The lefty guard has a good combination of physicality, athleticism and speed at his position. Tyger Campbell will be looking to find him early and often in the open court.

Jaylen Clark is the breakout candidate for the Bruins. With Jules Bernard, Johnny Juzang and Peyton Watson gone, there is a huge opportunity for Clark. Known for his energy and defensive impact, this could be the year that he also gets it going offensively. In order for UCLA to get back to the final four, Jaquez needs to have an All-American type of season. His shooting numbers took a dip, especially his 3-point shooting. I don’t think it is unfair to say that he needs to be averaging around 18 points per game as a senior. Defensively, he has been really solid. Adem Bona is the second McDonald’s All-American coming in and will take over the center duties. Bona ultimately chose UCLA over Kentucky. Although he is a big, Campbell will be looking to find Bona in the open court as well because he can really run. He has a high motor, which is something to really like about him. He will need to continue to develop his offensive skill set, but he has the drive and the physicality already.

David Singleton is back to utilize his additional year of eligibility and will be a nice piece off the bench. Singleton will be a solid veteran to have to go along with the young guards, McClendon and Andrews. McClendon unfortunately missed the entire season with a torn ACL last year. Mac Etienne redshirted last season after getting some experience the year prior during the final four run. He will provide depth behind Bona along with veteran Kenneth Nwuba. Mick Cronin also recently added Abramo Canka to his 2022 Class.

UCLA has some youth and some experience on this team. They should be favorites in the Pac 12 and could go deep again if we get a big senior year from Jaquez. The Bruins round out the Top 10.

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

#3 UCLA Basketball 2021-2022

Key Departures: Chris Smith

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Tyger Campbell (RS Jr.)

SG: Johnny Juzang (Jr.)

SF: Peyton Watson (Fr.)

SF: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Jr.)

PF: Cody Riley (RS Sr.)

Key Reserve Players:

SG/SF: Jules Bernard (Sr.), SG: David Singleton III (Sr.), SG/SF: Jake Kyman (Jr.), C: Myles Johnson (GS.), SG: Jaylen Clark (So.), SG: Will McClendon (Fr.), PF/C: Mac Etienne (So.), PF/C: Kenneth Nwuba (RS Jr.)

Discussion:

In just his second season at UCLA, Mick Cronin took his 11 seeded Bruins to the final four, completely exceeding expectations. The Bruins had three of their NCAA tournament games go to overtime, including the thriller against Gonzaga. They were beyond fun to watch. Their deep run has propelled them to a top-five preseason ranking in 2021-2022.

The Bruins return virtually everyone from a season ago. They do lose Chris Smith, but he was only able to suit up in eight games due to a torn ACL. Tyger Campbell returns as their steady point guard after leading the team in assists last season with 5.4. He started all 32 games for the Bruins and was one of the best facilitators in the conference. Johnny Juzang pondered heading to the NBA, but ultimately decided to come back to Westwood. Juzang was absolutely sensational in the tournament and really became a go-to option for Mick Cronin. He scored in double figures in every single NCAA tournament game, including 57 points combined in the last two. He struggled during the NBA combine, so I think coming back to UCLA to compete for a championship was a good option for him. There is no doubt that Coach Cal would still like to have him in Lexington. His sidekick, Jaime Jaquez, was also tremendous in the tournament. He scored in double figures in five of the six tournament games. Like Campbell, he started in all 32 games. Jaquez is a mismatch for many opponents because he plays at the four spot. He is a also a very solid rebounder. Both guys will be two of the best players in all of college basketball. Now we get to Peyton Watson, the five-star freshman coming in and potential top-ten pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Watson has great size and length for his position, but does have plenty of room to grow in physically. Expect him to become a super versatile player on both ends of the court. Jules Bernard, who started 28 of 32 games last season, may start to begin the year.

When it comes to the bigs, Cody Riley returns as the big man up front after having his best season as a Bruin. He averaged 10.0 points, 5.4 boards, and shot 53.8 percent from the field. Mick Cronin added a really good rim protector in Myles Johnson, who will be a grad transfer, after coming over from Rutgers. He was second in the Big Ten in blocks per game with 2.4. On the academic side, he will enroll in the engineering graduate program. Mac Etienne and Kenneth Nwuba will also be part of the big rotation. Etienne graduated from Brewster Academy early and gained valuable experience by being a part of UCLA’s deep run.

As far as the rest of the bench goes, the Bruins will have plenty of options. David Singleton will be a valuable veteran, just like Jules Bernard. He shot 47.6 percent from 3-point range last season. Will McClendon comes in as a freshman along with Peyton Watson and will bring some toughness as a young player. And then Jake Kyman and Jaylen Clark add even more depth.

UCLA was super impressive last season and earning a final four appearance cemented Mick Cronin as “The guy” in Westwood for quite some time. With a loaded veteran core returning and the addition of a McDonald’s All-American, the Bruins will be a final four contender once again.

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

#19 UCLA Basketball 2020-2021

Key Departures: Prince Ali, Alex Olesinski

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Tyger Campbell (RS So.)

SF: Chris Smith (Sr.)

SF: Johnny Juzang (So.)

SF: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (So.)

PF: Jalen Hill (RS Jr.)

Key Reserve Players:

PF: Cody Riley (RS Jr.), SG/SF: Jules Bernard (Jr.), SG/SF: Jake Kyman (So.), SG: David Singleton III (Jr.), SG: Jaylen Clark (Fr.), PF: Kenneth Nwuba (RS So.)

Discussion:

Mick Cronin did an incredible job in his first season in Westwood. Sure, it got off to a rocky start and many people questioned the hire, but UCLA was one of the best teams in college basketball for the second half of the season. The Bruins won 11 of their final 14 games. It was definitely a rollercoaster of a season, but you have to give Mick Cronin a ton of credit. He will look to have an even better season in 2020-2021.

Getting their best player back in Chris Smith was the biggest news for UCLA. Instead of heading off to the NBA a year early, Smith decided to return to Los Angeles for his senior season. He led the Bruins in scoring last year with 13.1 points per game. Smith was a First-team All-Pac-12 member and was the Pac-12 Most Improved Player. He had his best season by far as a junior and will look to build up his draft stock in 2020-2021.

Tyger Campbell returns as the floor general for the Bruins. He started in all 31 games last season as a redshirt freshman and led UCLA with 5.0 assists per game. I was super excited to see how Campbell and Daishen Nix would complement each other, but with Nix decommitting from UCLA, Campbell will continue to take on all of the point guard duties. Mick Cronin had to have been stoked when he found out Johnny Juzang was granted immediate eligibility. Juzang never really found his place at Kentucky last year as a freshman, but will look to have a bounce back season as a sophomore back home in California. Juzang will bring immediate shooting for UCLA. He was the 30th ranked recruit in 2019, according to ESPN. I was really impressed with Jaime Jaquez and Jake Kyman in their freshmen seasons. Jaquez was the third leading scorer last season with 8.9 points per game in 23 starts. Kyman led the Bruins in three point shooting with a 40.3 percent clip from downtown. The Bruins are going to be deep when it comes to guards and wings. They also have juniors Jules Bernard and David Singleton, and bring in four-star Jaylen Clark.

Jalen Hill and Cody Riley will be the primary bigs for Mick Cronin. Hill was second on the team in scoring with 9.0 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 6.9 boards per game. Kenneth Nwuba, who redshirted last season, will add depth behind Hill and Riley.

The Bruins have a real shot to compete for the top spot in the Pac 12. I think Mick Cronin has a chance to do some great things with this team. The switch from Cincinnati to UCLA is not an easy one, but Mick Cronin looks like he is the man for the job.

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

Keion Brooks Jr. Announces Decision Date

Keion Brooks Jr., a 6’7″ forward from Fort Wayne, Indiana, announced on Twitter that he will make his college decision on Friday, March 15th. Brooks is ranked as the 38th overall recruit in 2019 according to ESPN.

Brooks cut his list to six back in September. The schools to make the cut were Indiana, Michigan State, Kentucky, UNC, UCLA, and Purdue.

Being from the state of Indiana, the Hoosiers have been a heavy contender, but Kentucky has come on as of late. The Wildcats leads the Crystal Ball Predictions at 46%, Indiana is second at 31%, and the Spartans are third at 15%.

Trayce Jackson-Davis decided to stay home, will Brooks do the same? If not, Kentucky seems to be the biggest threat to land him. If Brooks ends up in Lexington, you will probably see him slide up to the four, with Kahlil Whitney playing the three.

Brooks will announce at 8pm on the 15th.

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

Cody Riley Out 3 Weeks

UCLA’s Cody Riley will miss at least three weeks with a jaw injury. Steve Alford and the Bruins can not catch a break. Shareef O’Neal and Tyger Campbell are both out for the year, Alex Olesinski is out for a couple months with a foot injury, and now Cody Riley will be sidelined. Expect Jalen Hill and Kenny Nwuba to take advantage of all of these injuries in the frontcourt.

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

Trayce Jackson-Davis cuts list to 3

Five-star center Trayce Jackson-Davis has cut his list of schools to three. The Indiana native is ranked as the 16th overall recruit in the class of 2019 according to ESPN and 15th overall recruit according to 247Sports.

The final three schools are UCLA, Michigan State, and Indiana. According to 247Sports, the Hoosiers are the favorite, sitting at 100% to land TJD.

 

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

Tyger Campbell out for the year

UCLA’s Tyger Campbell will miss the entire 2018-2019 season with a torn ACL.

This is devastating news for Coach Alford and company, who recently lost Shareef O’Neal for the year with a heart condition. Campbell was going to serve as the secondary point guard to Jaylen Hands.

Posted on by collegebasketball20172018guide

#21 UCLA Basketball 2018-2019

Key Departures: Aaron Holiday, Thomas Welsh, GG Goloman

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Jaylen Hands (So.)

SG: Prince Ali (RS Jr.)

SF: Kris Wilkes (So.)

PF: Cody Riley (RS Fr.)

C: Moses Brown (Fr.)

Key Reserve Players:

PF/C: Jalen Hill (RS Fr.), PG: Tyger Campbell (Fr.), PF: Shareef O’Neal (Fr.), SG: Jules Bernard (Fr.), PF: Alex Olesinski (RS Jr.), SF: Chris Smith (So.), SG: David Singleton III (Fr.), PF/C: Kenny Nwuba (Fr.)

Discussion:

UCLA has an extremely youthful roster headlined by talented freshmen and sophomores. After losing their star point guard in Aaron Holiday, someone will have to step into the spotlight for the Bruins.

Jaylen Hands is the first name that comes to mind because he will take over the point guard duties. The athletic point guard averaged 9.9 points and 2.6 assists as a freshman, and also started 15 games. If he can bulk up his frame, he will become a big time player for UCLA this year. Expect both his points and assists to go up as a sophomore. Prince Ali will join Hands in the backcourt as one of the few veterans on this team. Freshman point guard Tyger Campbell will play behind Hands, but should see valuable time in his first season. Although undersized, Campbell will bring his handles and vision. Playing at the La Lumiere School, he was in charge of distributing the wealth to all of the talent around him.

Kris Wilkes is the other big name that comes to mind. Like Hands, Wilkes wisely returned to college for his sophomore season. Wilkes has a smooth, old-school type of game, and has ideal size and length for a wing. He was the second leading scorer for UCLA last season, averaging 13.7 points per game. Wilkes excels in the mid range game and should turn into the go-to guy for the Bruins this year. Coach Alford brings in two scoring guards in Jules Bernard and David Singleton, and has the lanky sophomore Chris Smith to roundout the perimeter rotation.

Moses Brown is the highest-ranked recruit coming in for UCLA. The McDonald’s All-American was ranked as the second best center in the 2018 Class according to ESPN. Brown gives Steve Alford a big time presence in the paint. He is a big target to feed it to and he has the chance to really affect the game on the defensive end. Cody Riley and Jalen Hill are both eligible to play after all the shenanigans from a year ago. Riley is a physical beast, but he is able to combine his strength with some outside perimeter skill as well. Hill adds another post presence in addition to Brown, and he should bring his rim protection to the table as well. Shareef O’Neal is not quite Shaq, but he does have game. He is athletic, runs really well, and can shoot it some too. Alex Olesinski is a skilled big who can shoot it as well, and Kenny Nwuba is a big body who could possibly redshirt due to all the other bigs on the roster.

UCLA has the talent to have a really good season, but they lack experience and leadership. Will Steve Alford be able to get UCLA back to the tournament?