The UCLA basketball team has the point guard they desperately needed with the commitment of 4-star Tyger Campbell and with that, Go Joe Bruin looks at the potential depth chart for next season.
The UCLA basketball team received a huge commitment today from 4-star point guard Tyger Campbell, a player in a position of need for the Bruins as current PG Aaron Holiday is expected to jump onto the NBA Draft after this season.
RELATED: 4-star PG Tyger Campbell commits to UCLA
With Holiday gone, that leaves Jaylen Hands as the only player at the one spot. Though he has put his skills on display this season, it is clear he has work to do and would serve Hands well to stay another year. With the PG spot thin, the Campbell commitment comes at just the right time.
UCLA basketball potential 2018-19 Depth Chart
| Point Guard/1 | Shooting Guard/2 | Small Forward/3 | Power Forward/4 | Center/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Hands | Prince Ali | Kris Wilkes | Cody Riley | Moses Brown |
| Tyger Campbell | Jules Bernard | Chris Smith | Alex Olesinski | Jalen Hill |
| David Singleton III | Kenny Nwuba |
Related Story: UCLA Basketball: Scholarship chart after the Moses Brown commitment
With Campbell’s pledge, UCLA has now filled their quota of 13 scholarships, but as stated above, Holiday is most likely to bounce to the NBA. That gives head coach Steve Alford the freedom of having another scholie to hand out. Still, 12 players, especially of this caliber, is really good for UCLA heading into next season.
More from Go Joe Bruin
- UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
- UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
- UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
- UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
- UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show
The great thing about thins class is that it is loaded with backcourt players, something the Bruins have not had the luxury of in recent years (the Lonzo Ball season being the exception with Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton and Holiday). The 2 spot is loaded as they will have both youth and experience with Ali leading a group which includes signed players Bernard and Singleton.
Small forward is a bit thin, which is why we project Smith at the 3 spot. As a tall guard, he can play inside-out, which is why playing as a wingman would suit him. The other question here is Wilkes. He has been excellent in conference play and if he continues to soar, there is a chance he heads to the NBA Draft as well. If that is the case, look for Bernard or Singleton to fill that spot (which also gives Alford two open scholarships to work with).
With the suspensions of Riley and Hill ending after this season, the Bruins will have both players fresh and ready to play next season. Riley, an athletic 4, could claim the starting power forward spot. Olesinski, though he has been very serviceable this season, could play behind him sparingly, especially with the depth and talent at center.
In the middle we could see a position battle with Brown and Hill, though the recently committed Brown could be the favorite. Nwuba is a bit of a project and could be a very versatile 3-4 year player with some development.
Next: The Top UCLA Basketball Recruiting Classes Since 2000
With all of this talent, UCLA could ideally have a 10-man rotation, though realistically Alford might work with eight. Still, this is a very impressive potential depth chart, one that could have the Bruins continue to battle for the Pac-12 Championship in the coming seasons.