Go Joe Bruin
Fansided

UCLA Basketball: Bruins plummet in the polls after the debacle in Vegas

By Mike Regalado

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on during his team's game against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on during his team's game against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The UCLA basketball team is no longer ranked in the AP Top 25 after two bad losses in Las Vegas. They also had a low ranking in another notable poll.

The UCLA basketball team got a rude awakening last week in Las Vegas when they lost to #11 Michigan State and #7 North Carolina. In both games, the #16 Bruins were brutalized as they lost by an average of 18 points.

RELATED: Is this the Beginning of the End for Steve Alford?

That uninspired effort translated into the Bruins dropping from the AP Top 25 poll completely, though they did collect 30 votes, essentially putting them at 32nd.

More from Go Joe Bruin

The drop in the weekly poll was expected, but the Bruins also showed up another relevant poll, but with an even worse result.

On Monday, the NCAA released their first ever “Net Rankings” of all 353 teams. This poll takes into account: 1. Team Value Index (an algorithm that calculates game results, opponent, location, and winner), 2. Net Efficiency, 3. Winning Percentage, 4. Adjusted Win Percentage, and 5. Scoring Margin.

Based on this formula, the UCLA basketball team ranked 86th in the nation.

This is not exactly where the Bruins expected to be this early in the season, especially after bringing in a solid freshmen class. It is now apparent that the Bruins are suffering from the lack of experience (they only have two upperclassmen on the roster, one of which is injured), three notable injuries, and a lack of leadership on and off the court.

The most glaring issue has to do with that of the coaching staff which had no answer or in-game changes to counter the attacks of Michigan State and North Carolina. Head coach Steve Alford could not get anything going against the Spartans, and when he had a lead against the Tar Heels, he let it slip away to an eventual double=digit loss

Next. The 25 Greatest UCLA Basketball Players of All-Time. dark

What did come from this excursion to Sin City is the fact that the latest incarnation of the UCLA basketball team is not as good as expected and will have trouble competing in the Pac-12. Though the Bruins should pull out a few surprise wins this season, if they continue to play as they did in Vegas, it will be a long, tumultuous season.