Two weeks into the season, it's difficult to distinguish the contenders from the pretenders. The usual suspects are sure to be there - Kansas and Michigan State have won the two biggest games of the season so far.
Marcus Smart has made Oklahoma State look better than they’ll finish. Smart is a dominant player, but he won't be able to carry the Cowboys by himself all season.
UCLA is 3-0 and coming off a cupcake game against an utterly overwhelmed Sacramento State team. Through the first three games, what have we learned about this Bruins squad?
Two weeks into the season, it's difficult to distinguish the contenders from the pretenders. The usual suspects are sure to be there - Kansas and Michigan State have won the two biggest games of the season so far.
Marcus Smart has made Oklahoma State look better than they’ll finish. Smart is a dominant player, but he won't be able to carry the Cowboys by himself all season.
UCLA is 3-0 and coming off a cupcake game against an utterly overwhelmed Sacramento State team. Through the first three games, what have we learned about this Bruins squad?
We know Jordan Adams can score. That may have been obvious if you watched him play at all last season - the kid can put up points in a hurry, and is leading the Bruins in scoring this season at a shade under 20ppg.
Kyle Anderson is the driving force behind this offense. He will be counted on to fill up the stat sheet. So far his 9/9/7 numbers are pretty good, but it would be nice to see him score a little more.
Tony Parker and Norman Powell are the biggest question marks. If they can consistently play like they have through three games, UCLA will be just fine. Parker and Powell got just what they needed with the recent coaching change.
The Wears are going to do what they’ve been doing - hitting open shots and playing hard on the defensive end. They’re being looked to for some leadership on this young team.
The bench is led by Zach LaVine, who needs to be able to come off the bench and score when the offense is struggling. If he can do that, UCLA will be a dangerous opponent for anyone.
Morehead State presents the first real test for UCLA. A team that frequents the NCAA tournament and brings a 4-1 record into Pauley, they’re a good mid-major to play at this point in the season.
It will be tough to gauge UCLA until they play some top teams, but they have some coming up on the schedule soon. The Bruins play Mizzou and Duke in the next month, and also have upcoming games against Nevada and Northwestern.
The Duke game will be the best barometer of where this UCLA team could go. Are they another first round exit, or a second-weekend contender?
Only time will tell, but watch out for this Bruins squad. Last year, they had a lot of potential, and a lot of hope followed their recruiting class from last season only for them to head home after a first-round exit. This team doesn't have Shabbazz Muhammad, but they're much more balanced and cohesive.
The Bruins may not be convincing people they can cut the nets down just yet, but don't be surprised to see this team rise in the rankings all season. UCLA is a contender. We know Jordan Adams can score. That may have been obvious if you watched him play at all last season - the kid can put up points in a hurry, and is leading the Bruins in scoring this season at a shade under 20ppg.
Kyle Anderson is the driving force behind this offense. He will be counted on to fill up the stat sheet. So far his 9/9/7 numbers are pretty good, but it would be nice to see him score a little more.
Tony Parker and Norman Powell are the biggest question marks. If they can consistently play like they have through three games, UCLA will be just fine. Parker and Powell got just what they needed with the recent coaching change.
The Wears are going to do what they’ve been doing - hitting open shots and playing hard on the defensive end. They’re being looked to for some leadership on this young team.
The bench is led by Zach LaVine, who needs to be able to come off the bench and score when the offense is struggling. If he can do that, UCLA will be a dangerous opponent for anyone.
Morehead State presents the first real test for UCLA. A team that frequents the NCAA tournament and brings a 4-1 record into Pauley, they’re a good mid-major to play at this point in the season.
It will be tough to gauge UCLA until they play some top teams, but they have some coming up on the schedule soon. The Bruins play Mizzou and Duke in the next month, and also have upcoming games against Nevada and Northwestern.
The Duke game will be the best barometer of where this UCLA team could go. Are they another first round exit, or a second-weekend contender?
Only time will tell, but watch out for this Bruins squad. Last year, they had a lot of potential, and a lot of hope followed their recruiting class from last season only for them to head home after a first-round exit. This team doesn't have Shabbazz Muhammad, but they're much more balanced and cohesive.
The Bruins may not be convincing people they can cut the nets down just yet, but don't be surprised to see this team rise in the rankings all season. UCLA is a contender.
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