Is UCLA Basketball Already In A Downward Spiral? A Look At The State Of The Bruins

Is the UCLA Basketball team limping into the 2016-17 season (which is still three months away)? It looks that way after Jonah Bolden decided to leave the team.

I feel I need a soundtrack for this piece. Something to really set the tone for an article about the UCLA Basketball team and their unfortunate circumstances this off season.

I think I may have found it. If so inclined, please allow the following video to play while you read through the rest of this article.

Ready? Ok.

It seems that the UCLA Basketball team’s season is in jeopardy before it even begins. Now mind you, the Bruins are not yet in panic mode, but they are also not in a great position either. The reason for this is because depth has taken a hit as a fourth player will not be able to see the start of the season in blue and gold after it was announced that Jonah Bolden is leaving the team to go play professionally in Australia (which allegedly stems from being academically ineligible).

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This is tough because Bolden progressed nicely last season, starting in 11 games as a power forward. Though he needed to improve his offense, it was his defense and hustle that will be missed. The Bruins did not really focus on defense last season, which is why Bolden’s exit hurts, but he is not the only one gone.

This is after Prince Ali tore his left meniscus, keeping him out of action for four months, after Kobe Paras left UCLA due to academic concerns and after Noah Allen transferred as a graduate to Hawaii.

With four players now out of the equation, the UCLA Basketball team is now left with 10 scholarship players before the season starts, putting them in the same position they have been in the last three years. That would normally not be a bad thing (and it still is not horrible for UCLA), but considering the Bruins had 14 players to work with, this is not great.

The biggest issue is depth. Considering the Bruins could have been 3-deep at almost every position before Allen left, Head Coach Steve Alford now has to come up with a contingency plan for the scholarship players remaining on the roster.

From what we can project, here is what the new depth chart could look like:

PG: Lonzo Ball, Aaron Holiday

SG: Bryce Alford, Prince Ali (when he reruns from injury)

SF: Isaac Hamilton

PF: T.J. Leaf, Gyorgy Goloman, Alex Olesinski

C: Thomas Welsh, Ike Anigbogu, Ikenna Okwarabizie

As you can see, the balance is not exactly even as UCLA has more big men than guards. The Bruins are down to four guards until Ali returns and, in all honesty, the Bruins can only rely on Weslh, Leaf, Anigbogu and maybe Goloman in the front court.

As my GJB colleague Ashley Tellier wrote in her article Bolden To Go Pro, “we are still three months away from the first game of the season—more injuries or withdrawals could happen before then.” Now if that is not cause for concern, then I do not know what is.

But let us not dwell in the negative and this downward spiral. The Bruins still have all five projected starters and a few backups healthy and are currently getting acclimated to UCLA Basketball during summer workouts. Ball is showing the skills we all expected, experience by Holiday, Hamilton, Welsh and Alford will help the team’s progress and Leaf and Anigbogu should fill their roles nicely come fall/winter.

Next: Pac-12 Releases Their Weekly Conference Match Ups For Next Season

There is a still a lot to be positive about, but seeing the Bruins trajectory, it is also wise for Steve Alford to be cautious moving forward. One wrong move could give Alford the season he was not expecting. A season in which he needs to prove that he can lead the UCLA Basketball team to success.