CBS Sports has listed the UCLA Basketball team as 11th best team in the nation in their updated Top 25 preseason rankings.
Gary Parrish of CBS Sports has released his latest college basketball Top 25 (and one) preseason list and the UCLA Basketball team is looking good in his eyes.
Parrish has the Bruins at #11 in his updated rankings, which is unchanged from his previous selections. He states, “Yes, last season was bad. But the immediate and longterm future both seem bright in Westwood..”
Since last season, when the Bruins finished 15-17 and 10th in the conference, UCLA Basketball Head Coach Steve Alford vowed to change the culture. He started doing that by bringing in a Top 5 recruiting class which should help them start playing at an elite level.
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Although UCLA will be without the services of SG Kobe Paras, the Bruins still have 5-star offensive threats PG Lonzo Ball and PF T.J. Leaf as well as defensive specialist C Ike Anigbogu.
They will join a core of veteran players that will look to improve off of 2015-16’s disappointing end. With these freshmen will be SG Isaac Hamilton, SG Bryce Alford, C Thomas Welsh, PG Aaron Holiday and SG Prince Ali (who is out until late November recovering from a meniscus tear).
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The UCLA Basketball team is the second-highest ranked Pac-12 team as Oregon came in at #8 in Parrish’s latest poll. Arizona came in at #13 and Cal at #22. His Top five are: #1 Duke, #2 Kentucky, #3 Kansas, #4 Villanova and #5 Xavier.