The UCLA Bruins come bombing into the NCAA Tournament, hitting shots from all over the court as their offense has truly found its groove in recent weeks. They are led by the underrated Eric Dailey Jr., a 6'8" forward who brings it on both ends of the court.
Dailey only averaged 11.6 points per game this season after transferring from Oklahoma State, but his impact was felt everywhere. He is an active defender and an efficient shot-maker, shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. Tyler Bilodeau may have led the team in scoring, and Skyy Clark was a higher-volume shooter from distance, but the star of the team is Dailey for his all-around impact.
Even so, it's undeniable that the Bruins come into the tournament with an ensemble cast ready to key some upsets and make a deep run - a run that will mean facing a number of teams with much more high-wattage stars. Three All-Americans wait in UCLA's path, as well as an honorable mention.
Who will UCLA need to take down to prove their balanced attack is the best approach? If they are goung to pull off some upsets, they will need to find a way to stop these four players.
No. 4: Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the nation's best teams all season, and they are led by a pair of stars - one old and one new. Zakai Zeigler is the rare senior who has spent all four seasons of his career with one school, and three different times he has led the SEC in assists per game -- including a career-best 7.3 this season.
The 5'9" Zeigler is diminutive but destructive, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He is a four-time SEC All-Defense selection and a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, including this season. That impact earned him an All-American Team selection this season as well. Zeigler has expanded his offensive game, taking more shots and getting to the line at a much higher rate.
The two-way impact of Zeigler is palpable, and he will lock up whomever he elects to guards on the Bruins. UCLA will need to find a way to generate offense with their other perimeter players to upset Tennessee in the Second Round.
No. 3: Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Zeigler may be the heart and soul of this Tennessee team, but Chaz Lanier is the guided missile deployed to blow up opposing defenses. Following in the footsteps of Dalton Knecht a season ago, Lanier transferred to the Volunteers from North Florida and has been a revelation as a scoring machine.
The All-American Honorable Mention averaged 17.7 points this season to lead Tennessee, shooting 40 percent from deep on a whopping 8.1 attempts per game. Only Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard attempted more per game in the SEC, and because of Lanier's accuracy no one had more makes. In fact, Lanier's 110 total 3-pointers were sixth in the entire nation.
UCLA has to find a way to keep Tennessee from dominating inside, because if they have to send help it will leave Lanier free to slaughter them from outside. Solving Zeigler offensively and Lanier defensively will decide whether UCLA can pull off the upset.
No. 2: LJ Cryer, Houston
On the other side of the bracket, if the Bruins make it to the Elite Eight, their most likely opponent are the Houston Cougars. And while they have an absolutely star-studded lineup -- all five starters are ranked in the nation's Top-58 players according to EvanMiya.com -- the straw that most stirs the offensive drink is LJ Cryer.
Named to the All-American Third Team, Cryer averaged 15.2 points per game for the first-place Cougars. He hit 42.2 percent of his 3-point field goals and shot 91.5 percent from the free-throw line. Given the Bruins' propensity to foul, they could set themselves up to collapse under a deluge of LJ Cryer made free-throws. if they are not careful.
Solving the Houston defense is the No. 1 goal; yet again the Cougars ranked first in the nation defensively, and players like J'Wan Roberts and JoJo Tugler are going to slow down UCLA's prolific offense. On the other end, the Bruins have to find a way to stop LJ Cryer from breaking them with a few timely jumpshots.
No. 1: Braden Smith, Purdue
Houston may be the best team in the Midwest Region, but they are in a particularly nasty pod. Their potential Second Round opponent is Gonzaga, a team that ranks Top-10 by most predictive metrics. Houston could lose before the first weekend is even over. If that happens, the Purdue Boilermakers are set up to make a run.
A year removed from the National Championship Game, point guard Braden Smith has elevated into stardom. The junior guard averaged a stellar 8.7 assists per game to go with 16.1 points, both career highs. He also doubled his 3-point volume and hit 38.4 percent of his 7.2 attempts per game. Add in 2.2 steals, and you see why he was named a First-Team All-American this season.
UCLA has multiple players it can throw on Smith, but they most need to find a way to stay home on shooters and be diligent at the rim. If not, Smith will simply carve them up as a passer and allow his teammates to do the scoring. Relax at the point of attack, and Smith will do the work himself.
There is no easy path in store for UCLA. They need to take down a number of really good teams, with really good stars, to make the impossible happen.
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