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UCLA Basketball: Kris Wilkes adds some freshmen firepower

By Mike Regalado

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Pauley Pavilion on December 21, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Pauley Pavilion on December 21, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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UCLA Basketball freshman forward Kris Wilkes is a quickly becoming a top scoring threat for the Bruins, one they are going to rely on going forward.

The UCLA Basketball team lost nearly 80 percent of their scoring from last season. With five players graduating or being taken in the NBA Draft, the Bruins would only have Aaron Holiday (12.3 ppg, 5th on the team) and Thomas Welsh (10.8 ppg, 6th on the team) as the main scoring threats.

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Both upperclassmen were going to be important pieces on offense for the Bruins, but where would other offensive production come from?

Head coach Steve Alford thought the answer would come from the majority of his  six-player Top 10 recruiting class, but that was cut in half as LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley have been indefinitely suspended due to events that transpired in China.

Luckily, one of the younger players has stepped up and is making a name for himself early in the season. With just two games in, forward Kris Wilkes, former Indiana Mr. Basketball, has stepped up when the Bruins have needed it.

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Although, it is more likely that he is just doing what he is doing.

So far, Wilkes has averaged 19.0 points. Part of that has to do with his range. Against Georgia Tech in the season opener, he hit 4 of 6 from downtown. In the first two games he has made 6 of 9 (66.7%) total.

Last night he put up another impressive feat as he logged his first collegiate double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. From outside shooting to inside slashing, this guy can do it all.

He even has a bit of defense in him, which saved the Bruins at the end of regulation against Central Arkansas.

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Though the Bruins allowed the Bears back into the game and force overtime, things could have been worse if not for the production of Wilkes. Going forward, it seems clear that he is going to be a major contributor on offense. In a way, because of how things have turned out for the Bruins, he is going to have to.