UCLA has already been on quite the roller coaster ride this season and we are only 6 games into the season. The season started with the most talented player on the team being suspended. Bruin Nation was worried about how long Shabazz Muhammad would be out this season. Luckily, for us we found out that answer quite early and were able to move on.
In the meantime while we were all concerned about the Shabazz situation, the season started. UCLA needed some players to step up in his absence and one player was up to the challenge. Jordan Adams who may have been the least hyped of the four recruits this season became a tenacious scorer. He scored more points than any Bruin in his first 3 games not named Lewis Alcindor. Ben Howland and the rest of the Bruins have found a dynamic scorer to complement Shabazz.
Shabazz gets cleared and is ready to play in his first game against a good Georgetown team. He looked like it was his first game and yet he played quite well. The problem was they got outplayed by a team that is a little more experienced and together at this point in the season. But, I thought for sure that UCLA would learn from that game and they did slightly in their win over Georgia the next night.
This week started off okay. The team seemed to be getting closer to a finished product. More and more practice time could only benefit the team. Then we hear that Tyler Lamb was going to be leaving the team and transferring. Bruin fans again are starting to get worried. What is going on in the program that is causing so many transfers. We don't need another Sports Illustrated issue about the state of the program.
Lamb was probably the best defender on the Bruins last year and he was expected to be that again this season, but I am sure that he saw Jordan Adams playing well and Shabazz about to come back and his minutes were going to be massively cut. Unfortunately, when big time players enter the program more seasoned players like Lamb see a diminish in productivity. It happens all the time and Lamb decided he had a better chance to transfer and play.
Less than 24 hours after Lamb decides to transfer the Bruins take on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo which should be a blowout game. UCLA struggles out of the gate, but gets things in order to take an 18 point lead. Then everything fell apart as if UCLA had never put away a team before. They looked lost and gave up the lead only to lose in the last minute. Embarrassing to say the least.
The Bruins have a lot to figure out by the time March rolls around. I think they will be able to get their stuff together just in time to make a good run in the NCAA tournament, but we in Bruin nation don't know how much more losing we can take. Especially, to a second rate team like Cal Poly. Go Bruins!
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