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UCLA Basketball: A decision on Cody Riley, Jalen Hill could come soon

By Mike Regalado

KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts from the bench during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame Classic game against the Creighton Bluejays at the Sprint Center on November 20, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts from the bench during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame Classic game against the Creighton Bluejays at the Sprint Center on November 20, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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UCLA basketball head coach Steve Alford said that a decision on the indefinitely suspended Cody Riley and Jalen Hill could come soon. Both have missed the first nine games of the season after the shoplifting incident in China back in October.

To no fault of his own, UCLA basketball head coach Steve Alford has been without substantial depth this season. Last month, Cody Riley, Jalen Hill and LiAngelo Ball (who has since quit the team) were indefinitely suspended and barred from all basketball activities after being arrested for shoplifting in China.

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Without three payers that were expected to play a lot of minutes this season, the Bruins have had to rely on players that were not expected to play a lot this season. Though Gyorgy Goloman, Alex Olesinki and Chris Smith have been playing better than expected, UCLA is definitely missing out on the athleticism, skill and defensive talents of Hill and Riley.

In the first nine games of the season, UCLA has gone 7-2 and had to do it without Riley and Hill. What was more aggravating was the fact that no one knew what or when a decision on the fate of these two Bruins would come.

Hopefully, we will know very soon.

On Thursday, Alford said in his meeting with the media that a decision could come by the end of the week. This means we will finally find out if they can return to the team, will face more suspension time or if they will be kicked off the team or out of school. Alford had said that Riley and Hill have met the requirements put on them which came from the suspension.

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If UCLA will be without Riley and Hill, then it could be a long season, especially since the next two out of three games come against Top 25 teams, with the start of Pac-12 play following that. If they can play, then the Bruins get a boost in depth and talent which could give them a chance to compete for the Pac-12 Championship this season. Hopefully it is the latter and we can finally see this team’s potential.