UCLA Basketball has announced that Cody Riley and Jalen Hill will be suspended for the rest of the 2017-18 season. Here’s what this news means for the Bruins.
It is now official. UCLA Basketball’s Cody Riley and Jalen Hill will not appear in a game this season. Both players have had their suspensions extended to include the rest of the 2017-18 season. However, the two players will be allowed to practice with the team and participate in other team activities.
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Riley and Hill were part of a highly touted recruiting class that was supposed to help ease UCLA Basketball’s transition away from the Lonzo Ball era. Instead, both players along with Liangelo Ball, were involved in an international incident and suspended indefinitely. Ball has now moved on, signing to play basketball professionally in Lithuania. Meanwhile, Riley and Hill remain in Westwood and from every indication have continued to participate in classes and do everything asked of them.
The decision to extend the suspensions is the right one. This is UCLA Basketball, the house that John Wooden built and Wooden always emphasized character above all else. However, this decision will have wide ranging consequences.
UCLA Basketball will continue to lean on Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh
Today’s decision puts to bed any hopes that help might be on the way for Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh. Against Michigan, Holiday and Welsh scored 49 points between them but wore down as the Wolverines mounted a comeback and won in overtime. Both players accounted for 34 points against South Dakota and UCLA Basketball barely won. Kentucky is next on the schedule and for UCLA to have a chance, Welsh and Holiday must play big.
The kids have to grow up quickly
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Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands were the jewels of the 2017 recruiting class. Hands was an athletic point guard, dangerous on the break with a developing jump shot. Wilkes was a prototypical small forward with length. He showed the ability to shoot threes and had the athleticism to attack closeouts and finish above the rim. So far, they have looked like freshmen.
Hands is averaging 12 points a game but has struggled to make good decisions against pressure. Wilkes is contributing 11.6 points per game but has been mired in a bad stretch. Chris Smith although raw, is an important player off the bench. UCLA Basketball needs all three players to grow into key roles for the team to compete in the Pac-12.
The future is brighter
Today’s news increases the possibility that Riley and Hill will return next year. Additionally, Wilkes, Hands and Smith should all return as well. This along with the addition of Jules Bernard, David Singleton III and Kenneth Nwuba in next year’s recruiting class gives Steve Alford a lot of talent to work with.
Next: What does Atonio Mafi bring to the Bruins?
All of this is dependent on the current crop of freshmen developing and reaching their potential.