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UCLA Basketball: Kris Wilkes to return and what this means for 2018-19

By Mike Regalado

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: Kris Wilkes #13 of the UCLA Bruins reacts against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies during the second half of the First Four game in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: Kris Wilkes #13 of the UCLA Bruins reacts against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies during the second half of the First Four game in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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It was announced today that forward Kris Wilkes, will return to the UCLA basketball team for his sophomore season after “testing the waters” of the NBA Draft. This is a sigh of relief and a good sign for the Bruins for the 2018-19 season.

Take a breathe Bruins fans. Things are little bit more stable now that it has been announced that forward sophomore-to-be Kris Wilkes will return to the UCLA basketball next season.

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Shortly after the end of the 2017-18 season, Wilkes had announced that he was “testing the waters” of the NBA Draft, but did not hire an agent, specifically for the purpose of leaving open a return to the Bruins. Well now he is back and that is really good news for UCLA.

A report from Bruin Report Online a few weeks ago warned that the Bruins could be without four players next season. Freshmen Wilkes, PG Jaylen Hands and PF Cody Riley had all declared for the draft and were expected not to return (though not set in stone). This also included committed high school senior, 4-star PF Shareef O’Neal, who might not make it to Westwood due to academics.

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There has been no further news on the other three, but having Wilkes back is a huge plus for head coach Steve Alford.

Last season, Wilkes was the second leading scorer on the team with 13.7 ppg. He was also second in rebounds with 4.9 per game.

His statistical contributions are a necessity for the Bruins, but more importantly, his experience is key.  Without Wilkes, UCLA would have only returned SG Prince Ali, SF Chris Smith and PF Alex Olesinski who combined for only 21.6% of the Bruins’ total points from last season.

Additionally, if Hands does not return, in-coming freshman Tyger Campbell will be the only point guard on the roster. With Wilkes returning, that pushes more guards (and their depth) to the back court. You can see a potential depth chart (sans Wilkes) in one of GJB’s recent article, How Much Trouble Are The Bruins In?, to see how Wilkes can contribute at the SF spot.

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So for now, there is a little bit more continuity, but if the Bruins want to be effective, they need to try and get Hands and Riley back and hope that O’Neal has enough to get him into UCLA.