UCLA Basketball: How will the return of Holiday and Welsh affect the Bruins next year?
With the announcement of Thomas Welsh and Aaron Holiday’s return to the UCLA Basketball team, a huge sigh of relief was heard throughout Westwood.
UCLA Basketball was already losing 72% of last year’s offense with the departure of their five players. If Thomas Welsh and Aaron Holiday also decided to go, UCLA would have been left with Gyorgy Goloman as their top returning scorer (3.7 points per game).
Even though the Bruins are bringing in the #4 recruiting class next year, a team full of freshmen and role players would have a difficult time competing in the Pac-12.
That’s why the importance of Welsh and Holiday returning will be felt in three ways.
Related Story: The UCLA Basketball All-Time Team
Scoring
Most agree that Holiday was the best sixth man in the Pac-12, if not the country, last year. Coming off the bench he provided an offensive spark averaging 12.2 points and 4.4 assists a game in limited minutes.
Welsh became a deadly shooter from around 15 feet averaging nearly 11 points while shooting 58.5%. Most times he let fly from the baseline, you could count it even before hearing the snap of the net. The Redondo Beach native also shot 89.4% from the foul line, good enough to lead the Bruins in that category.
Defense
Holiday was effective on defense averaging just over one steal a game. The 6’1” guard even contributed a defensive rebound every ten minutes.
When called upon, Holiday can also be given the task to defend the other team’s best guard. Although this could change if Jaylen Hands shows he can defend or if Prince Ali comes back healthy.
Holiday’s quickness is also utilized when Coach Alford plays a 3-2 zone. He can cover a large amount of space in a short time, forcing his opponents to make an extra pass that could lead to a turnover.
Welsh was seventh in the Pac-12 in rebounding, using his size on the glass to pull down 8.7 rebounds a game.
The 7-footer from also ranked eighth in the Pac-12 in block shots with 1.3 per game.
With Welsh returning as the Bruins’ leading rebounder and shot blocker, the incoming freshmen will have a reliable man in the paint to clean up any messes on defense.
Experience
Welsh and Holiday have started a combined total of 93 games. Five of those games were at the hostile McKale Center against Arizona and two were played in Kentucky.
More from Go Joe Bruin
- UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
- UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
- UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
- UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
- UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show
It is this experience that will be needed during the season to calm down the three or four freshmen on the court when a team like Arizona goes on a 12-0 run, igniting their home crowd.
These two veterans can also take the reigns and show the others how to put a team away when the Bruins are up one at USC with a minute to go.
Last year the Bruins’ high powered offense didn’t see too many close games. In their 32 games, UCLA only had nine games decided by single digits. But I don’t see this year’s team replicating the 89 points per game after losing their top four scorers.
They will probably find themselves in several tight games with the clock running out. Opposing fans yelling, referees not giving them any calls. But in the Bruins’ corner, they will have two well-versed players who can step up and take control of the situation.
Next: UCLA Basketball in the (mock) NBA Draft
And at that time, I will exhale a huge sigh of relief knowing that these two Bruins returned.