With Tyger Campbell out for the season, UCLA basketball head coach Steve Alford confirmed that sophomore Chris Smith would play backup point guard. With this new development, we look at what the depth chart and rotation would be for 2018-19.
The UCLA basketball team had their first session at Pauley Pavilion yesterday as they prepare for the 2018-19 season. During that session, both head coach Steve Alford and his Bruins met with the media to give their takes on what is expected for the coming year.
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One of the issues that were addressed was the injury to three different Bruins and how the team would adjust. With freshman backup point guard Tyger Campbell out for the season, Alford had to quickly make some changes to his roster and rotation to figure out who would support point guard Jaylen Hands.
On Wednesday, Alford confirmed that 6’9 sophomore wingman Chris Smith would handle the majority of backup point guard minutes. Alford said that Smith is no stranger to the point guard spot as he handled floor general duties in high school. With that in mind, Go Joe Bruin looks at what the depth chart and rotation might be for UCLA this coming season.
UCLA Basketball Projected Depth Chart
- PG: Jaylen Hands, Chris Smith
- SG: Jules Bernard, Prince Ali
- SF: Kris Wilkes, David Singleton
- PF: Cody Riley, Jalen Hill
- C: Moses Brown, Kenny Nwuba
The amount of talent the Bruins possessed in the backcourt, Smith might not have seen a lot of time on the court, but that should change with him backing up the point guard spot. Though he will serve as a ball handler, we can also project that he will play out on the wing when he is on the floor with Hands at the same time.
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The question here is, will UCLA try to play a standard three guard, two big man rotation or will they implement a lot of small ball with four guards and one big man?
The answer is probably both. With UCLA losing Campbell, and two big men (power forwards Alex Olesinski and Shareef O’Neal), we might see three big men get the majority of minutes underneath the basket.
Nwuba, though progressing, is still a project. That means that Brown, Riley, and Hill will see the majority of minutes on the floor of the season. We can assume that UCLA will always have two big men on the floor unless there is (fingers crossed) another injury, foul trouble or a matchup against a team that requires the Bruins to play smaller. Hill will probably be the hybrid player that goes between power forward and center, with Riley staying at the four-spot and Brown at the five.
So how does that affect the backcourt
Hands and Wilkes are going to be the two Bruins with the most floor time. Not only do they have the most talent, but their experience will be needed to help this up-tempo team continue to stay active.
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The question here is who will play shooting guard? The Bruins brought in the talented Bernard and Singleton but they will probably be rotated in at both the two and three spots. Alford also said that if needed, Singleton will back up Hands if the situation calls for it. Other than that, expect these two freshmen to play out on the wings as they are not only excellent shooters, but they have an excellent presence in the paint.
As for Ali, unless he has made tremendous progress in the off-season, I see him getting fewer minutes than he did last year (22.9) as the Bruins are deeper this season. If the past is any indication, Alford has always had a solid eight-man rotation and if he continues that this season, I would consider Ali and Nwuba as the odd men out or at least, the scholarship players that get the least amount of minutes. This also goes Olesinski who is injured but expected to only be out a few months. Though he will add to the Bruins depth, he would most likely be the third choice in at power forward.
Despite the injuries, UCLA is stacked this season. The only issue is inexperience. Getting Riley and Hill back from a season-long suspension will help out with consistency along with Hands and Wilkes, but they are going to need a few games to get the chemistry going.
Still, once they do, this should be a very fun team to watch. Now can they win the Pac-12? It is possible, but let us analyze that after the non-conference schedule. Go Bruins!