When choosing the most disappointing Bruin from the 2016-17 season, there were numerous worthy candidates, some more obvious than others. Depending on which fan segment you ask, everyone from Jimmy Hayes, to David Krejci, Backes and especially Matt Beleskey could be included. Objectively, Beleskey was clearly never fully healthy and while Backes’ freshman season left plenty to be desired, it paled in comparison to others player’s disappointing efforts.
For this writer, the player who had the best opportunity to succeed but still failed in nearly every facet was one Ryan Spooner for the reasons detailed below.