The Way-Too-Generous Way-Too-Early Predictions For The 2015-16 UCLA Basketball Season
It is that time of the year basketball fans… it is the “Way-Too-Early Predictions” Season! Yes indeed, even though college basketball has completed for another year, the media cannot wait for it to start all over again (in seven months), so they begin their assessment of the 2015-16 season early.
UCLA Bruins
In a lot of these way-too-early predictions, UCLA is not only listed, but listed high, which is very, very, very, very generous. I am not saying that the future Bruins will not or could not be ranked that high, I just think that not everything has been considered with the Bruins going forward.
Heck, we have not even gotten into the Spring signing period where the Bruins have are in the running for two top their recruits, Stephen Zimmerman and Jaylen Brown.
This coming Fall, the Bruins are getting some young guns with Aaron Holiday and Prince Ali, as well as finally being able to use the services of Jonah Bolden, but it will take a lot of work to replace graduating senior Norman Powell and recently-declared Kevon Looney. UCLA has a solid core with Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton and Tony Parker returning, but at this point, it is way too early to rank (highly) these Bruins.
As for the rankings themselves, here are some that have recently been published:
The Way-Too-Early Rankings For UCLA Basketball
Ranking – Source
12th – USA Today
12th – AZCentral.com
17th – NBCSports.com
18th – Sports Illustrated
26th – SB Nation
Projected #16-25 – 247Sports.com
More from UCLA Bruins Basketball
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- College Basketball: Top Five 2023 Recruiting class rankings
- UCLA Basketball and Football: Westwood is the place to be for recruits
- UCLA Basketball: The Bruins arguably has the No. 1 2023 Recruiting Class
I can maaaaaaaaybe see the Bruins getting a #20 or above ranking (we all know that pre-season rankings do not mean squat anyway), but anything above that is a bit of a stretch. But seriously, the Bruins at #12? If you think that is ridiculous, Sporting News has Arizona at #2.
Still, I can see UCLA being a high selection if they land Zimmerman and Brown, but that is an unknown at this point.
For now though, I think it would be safest to say that the Bruins have a lot to improve upon and can build off of their second consecutive Sweet Sixteen. But in reality, let us worry about the defense improving before we start making some Top 25 predictions, yeah?