2015-16 Outlook
There is definitely something to be said about having a full roster going into this season. The Bruins have both an experienced core, depth and plenty of young talent. Coach Alford said before the season that having 11 scholarship players helps in practice because, for the first time since he arrived in Westwood, he can run 5-on-5 scrimmages.
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This cannot be underestimated.
The Bruins will be two-deep at each position and nearly every player, sans Thomas Welsh, can play at least two positions. This will help with match-ups, rotations and even the dreaded injuries and occasional foul trouble. The Bruins essentially had a 7-man rotation last year and when injuries and foul trouble occurred, the game never turned out good for UCLA.
If the Bruins can get an early season rhythm going, that will benefit them going into Gonzaga, Kentucky, UNC and the Maui Invitational. They can then to take that experience to the Pac-12 and be able to compete like they did in Alford’s first season.
This past Pac-12 Media Day, UCLA was picked to finish 5th in the conference behind Arizona, Cal, Utah and Oregon. If UCLA can get their chemistry down early and solidify their rotations (and not give up huge leads late in the games), the Bruins could be contenders for the 2015-16 Pac-12 title.
Projected Record: 21-10
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