The Pac-12 basketball weekly pairings for 2017-18 have been released. How will UCLA Basketball perform?
UCLA Basketball has not won a Pac-12 regular season championship since 2013. The 2016-17 Bruin team had the talent to end the streak but Oregon’s experience and Arizona’s athleticism won out.
Thomas Welsh and Aaron Holiday return from that team and lead a deeper, more athletic squad into 2017-18. Depth and skill will be enough to carry UCLA Basketball to an 11-2 non-conference record but will it bring a conference championship?
Let’s explore the recently released Pac-12 Basketball weekly pairings and find out:
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Week of Dec. 27-31: (2-0)
vs. Washington—WIN
For the first time in 16 seasons, Washington will start a season with a new head coach. Lorenzo Romar won 60% of his games in Seattle but his teams massively underachieved. Despite fielding NBA talent like Markelle Fultz, Dejounte Murray, Marquese Chriss and Nigel Williams-Goss, the Huskies last made the NCAA tournament in 2011. New coach Mike Hopkins’s first order of business is to change that culture. He hit the ground running and has managed to convince Noah Dickerson, Matisse Thybulle and David Crisp to stick around. Dickerson averaged 16.5 points and 9 rebounds against the Bruins in 2016-17. He’s the player to watch for Washington in 2017-18.
However, Hopkins is a first year head coach in a major conference. There will be some growing pains. Edge goes to Steve Alford and UCLA Basketball.
vs. Washington State—WIN
Josh Hawkinson, Ike Iroegbu, Charles Callison and Connor Clifford are gone from a team that went 6-12 and finished 9th in the Pac-12. The Cougars will struggle to replace them and need Malachi Flynn (9.7 points per game) to further increase his production. Coach Ernie Kent has developed hidden gems before (see: Josh Hawkinson) and can do so again. However, Washington State does not have enough to upset UCLA Basketball at Pauley Pavilion.
Week of Jan. 3-7: (2-0)
at Cal—WIN
Cal Basketball’s future is murky. After Cuonzo Martin left for Missouri, the Bears promoted assistant coach Wyking Jones to replace him. The plan was to use Jones’s relationship with players to prevent a mass exodus. It didn’t work. 4-star Guard Jemarl Baker asked out of his commitment and headed to Kentucky. Top returning scorer Charles Moore soon followed. Sprinkle in the losses of Ivan Rabb, Jabari Bird and Grant Mullins and the Bears have a long season ahead of them.
at Stanford—WIN
Stanford on the road will be UCLA Basketball’s first big Pac-12 test. The Cardinal will field a very experienced team in 2017-18. It all starts with All Conference Forward Reid Travis who is the leading returning scorer and rebounder in the Pac-12. Two seniors, Michael Humphrey and Dorian Pickens, will join Travis and strengthen what could be the Pac-12’s most improved team. This could go either way but UCLA will earn a tough victory.
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Week of Jan. 10-14: (2-0)
vs. Colorado—WIN
vs. Utah—WIN
These games might go differently if they were on the road. However with Colorado missing Derrick White and Xavier Johnson, and Utah dealing with Kyle Kuzma’s exit, these are games that UCLA should win at home. Colorado and Utah are always in the mix in the Pac-12 and 2017-18 will feature more of the same. But once again UCLA Basketball will benefit from facing teams with roster questions at Pauley.
Week of Jan. 17-21: (2-0)
at Oregon—WIN
at Oregon State—WIN
The prevailing theme of these predictions so far is that most Pac-12 teams lost a lot of players. Oregon is no different. They went 33-5 and split the regular season title with Oregon but lose five key players from that team. Dana Altman will figure some things out but UCLA Basketball prevails here.
Week of Jan. 24-28: (2-0)
vs. Cal—WIN
vs. Stanford—WIN
Week of Jan. 31 – Feb. 4: (0-1)
vs. USC—LOSS
Coming off one of their most successful seasons in a while (26-10), USC is one of the few Pac-12 frontrunners that did not lose a key player to the NBA draft or graduation. Chimezie Metu, Bennie Boatwright, Elijah Stewart, Jordan McLaughlin, De’Anthony Melton and Jonah Matthews all came back. Charles O’Bannon Jr. committed to play in Los Angeles and Derryck Thornton transferred from Duke. The talent, depth and continuity in this team make Southern Cal the early favorites to win the Pac-12. Let’s see if Andy Enfield and company can make good on that promise.
Week of Feb. 7-11: (1-1)
at Arizona—LOSS
Arizona only plays UCLA once next season. That alone is a travesty. Factor in that UCLA Basketball will be on the road for their lone matchup and the set up favors the Wildcats. The McKale Center is one of the toughest venues to play in and the crowd is always extra salty whenever UCLA rolls into town. Expect the Bruins’ key freshmen to struggle.
at Arizona State—WIN
Week of Feb. 14-18: (2-0)
vs. Oregon—WIN
vs. Oregon State—WIN
Week of 21-25: (1-1)
at Colorado—LOSS
at Utah—WIN
This is the most difficult road trip in the Pac-12. Since Steve Alford came to Westwood, UCLA has completed the sweep just once. That was last season and it took a once in a generation college player to do it. I picked Colorado as the loss but it could easily be Utah. Point is, the Bruins go 1-1 on this road trip.
Week of Feb. 28- Mar. 3: (0-1)
at USC—LOSS
Next: What Josh Rosen's return would mean in 2018
OVERALL RECORD
UCLA Basketball 2017-18 Pac-12 Record: 14-4
UCLA Basketball 2017-18 Non-conference record: 11-2
2017-18 regular season record: 25-6
14-4 is not a good enough record to win a top heavy Pac-12 but with a 25-6 overall record, UCLA will have a good seed in the NCAA tournament and the opportunity to make a long run.