With the UCLA basketball team releasing their non-conference schedule, Go Joe Bruin predicts how the Bruins will do in the 2018-19 season.
The UCLA basketball team will have an interesting schedule to navigate through during the 2018-19 season. They have several tough non-conference opponents as well as an always rocky Pac-12 conference slate.
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The thing is, UCLA has a loaded roster and they should be able to collect a lot of wins this season, especially during conference play as the Pac-12 will be down as a whole in 2018-19.
Still, under Steve Alford, the Bruins have underperformed from time to time. But giving him the benefit of the doubt, UCLA should come away from the 2018-19 regular season with a good record. Will it be better than their 31-5 mark from 2016-17? Let us find out.
Non-Conference Schedule
-Tue, Nov 6 vs Purdue Fort Wayne (W) 1-0
-Fri, Nov 9 vs Long Beach State (W) 2-0
-Fri, Nov 16 vs Saint Francis (W) 3-0
-Mon, Nov 19 vs Presbyterian (W) 4-0
Despite the fact that the Bruins have a tough non-conference schedule, they also have a handful of cupcakes to feast on. UCLA starts their season with four of them, though Long Beach State could give the Bruins some fits. Still, with all the talent the Alford has, there should be no reason why they should have a loss by the time they meet their first real test of the season.
Las Vegas Invitational
-Thu, Nov 22 vs Michigan State (L) 4-1
-Fri, Nov 23 vs Texas or North Carolina (W) 5-1
Things get real very quickly when Thanksgiving rolls around. Though UCLA should be competitive in both games of the Las Vegas Invitational, I just can’t help shaking the notion that UCLA will split their Vegas Adventure. Under Alford, the Bruins sometimes lose games they should win (or lose games they dominated for the first 3/4 of the contest), so I can’t really say they will win out in Sin City.
The Bruins first go head-to-head with the Michigan State Spartans who ended last season 30-5, though had a deflating second-round exit. Head coach Tom Izzo always plays tough, but UCLA could come out just short of a victory. Though it will not be all bad as they should bounce back in Game 2 of the Invitational, regardless of who they play between Texas and UNC.