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UCLA Basketball: 5 things we learned from the Bruins’ exhibition game

By Mike Regalado

KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins watches from the bench during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame Classic game against the Creighton Bluejays at the Sprint Center on November 20, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins watches from the bench during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame Classic game against the Creighton Bluejays at the Sprint Center on November 20, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 13: Prince Ali #23 of the UCLA Bruins grabs a rebound during the game against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 13: Prince Ali #23 of the UCLA Bruins grabs a rebound during the game against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

3. Prince Ali, Fabulous He

I’m going to be the first to say that I did not expect Prince Ali to have the type of game that he did in the exhibition. In the last couple of seasons, he has been more of a role player at the two-spot. He has had games where he has proven that he can score, especially from the outside, but he hasn’t been able to do that on a consistent basis.

light. Related Story. Bruins ranked 21st in the 2018 preseason AP Top 25

Once again, this is only an exhibition, but he came out of the starting gate on fire. He led the team with 25 points which he was able to produce from all over the court. Not only did he shoot 10/17 from the field, but he went 4/8 from beyond the arc, the best among all Bruins in the game.

One thing that Alford‘s offense requires is some top-notch shooting, especially from the outside. If Ali can be the go-to guy and shoot above. 400 (wishful thinking), not only is UCLA’s offense going to burn their opponents, but he is going to make a name for himself as one of the top shooting guards in the Pac-12 Conference.

Ali is the only healthy upperclassman on this roster, and his experience will be needed to help the younger guys get up to speed. If Ali continues to shine, he will no longer have a role as a reserve player but could be an effective starter.