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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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TUCSON, AZ – FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on February 25, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ – FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on February 25, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2016-17 vs. 2017-18 UCLA Basketball

Is it hard to decide which is the better team? Let us go over the results side by side:

BOLD indicates the advantage

2016-17 team Position 2017-18 team
 Lonzo Ball  PG Holiday/Hands
 Bryce Alford SG Holiday/Hands 
 Isaac Hamilton SF Kris Wilkes 
 TJ Leaf PF Cody Riley
 Jr. Welsh C Sr. Welsh 
 2016-17 bench BENCH 2017-18 bench 

I would not put money on either of these teams to flat out win, mostly because they are both very good teams. There is no denying what Ball did for the Bruins, but he is just one guy. Having Leaf on your side helps, but the 2016-17 team did have some weaknesses.

That is not to say that this season’s team will be perfect, because there are a lot of things they need to work on, but having the experience of Holiday, Welsh, Goloman and Ali mixed with the talents of Hands, Wilkes, Riley and Hill will keep the Bruins competitive next year.

In 10 games, I could see both teams winning five, but if I was to pick a team that is truly better, I would give the edge to the team we are about to see in November.

They would win the individual position battles, but the most important thing will be the bench. There is no substitute for a deep and talented bench, no pun intended. Depth is something UCLA has not had a lot of in Alford’s tenure so this embarrassment of riches is only going to payoff for UCLA.

Next: The Top UCLA Basketball Recruiting Classes Since 2000

Call me crazy, but I truly believe the 2017-18 UCLA Basketball team could be better than last year. Like I said, there is still a lot to work on and the Bruins need to grasp their roles, but for the most part, it should be a very exciting team. Showtime has definitely not left Westwood, its is just evolving.