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UCLA Basketball: Comparing last year’s squad to this year’s

By Mike Regalado

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the USC Trojans at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UCLA won 76-74. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the USC Trojans at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UCLA won 76-74. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 24: Lonzo Ball
MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 24: Lonzo Ball /

With the UCLA Basketball team in transition, Go Joe Bruin compares last season’s squad to the latest edition as we try to put into perspective which is the better team.

The UCLA Basketball team is once again going through a make over, although unlike last season, the Bruins have a bigger recruiting class, which helps with depth, but are these freshmen better than last year’s?

RELATED: The iconic midcoast logo returns to Pauley Pavilion

Another question that needs to be asked is how good will the Bruins be with fewer veterans? Does UCLA have enough upperclass leadership or will they heavily rely on their youth? Let us find out…

Point Guards

Lonzo Ball vs. Aaron Holiday/Jaylen Hands

It seems like replacing one of the best point guards in recent UCLA history will be hard, but the Bruins have two options that are going to do their very best.

There is no doubt that Ball was a, well, Big Baller. Last season he led the NCAA in assists per game with 7.6, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Ball also had 14.6 points per game, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Ball was an all-around player that was too talented to not jump to the NBA. As you might know, he was a lottery pick for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft where he looks to also turn that team around.

RELATED: Should UCLA be worried about LaMelo Ball’s eligibility?

But that is not our concern as we cover UCLA. Our concern is having the next point guard doing as good of a job (or very close) to what Ball did.

Holiday has experience as a starter and Hands is quite possibly the best “true point guard” Head Coach Steve Alford has landed. Still, this is a no brainer.

Advantage: Lonzo Ball