| | By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
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Friday, Oct. 13
UCLA did not live up to expectations last season -- especially its own. That is until just before the NCAA Tournament rolled around.
The Bruins were facing the possibility of seeing their bubble busted until they got JaRon Rush back and went on a minor roll to end the season, including a huge victory at Stanford. Once in the tournament, UCLA made its way to the Sweet 16 before bowing out to a very good Iowa State team.
Throughout last season, UCLA struggled to find a rhythm on offense and had problems with unforced turnovers. In addition, the Bruins had an inability to choose the easy play rather than the spectacular try. Steve Lavin did a nice job of keeping his kids in it when everyone around the UCLA program had given up on the season. And it paid off.
This year, UCLA has big holes to fill with the early departures of Rush and Jerome Moiso. It will be vital for the Bruins to shoot better from the free throw line, after shooting an abysmal 58 percent from the line. They'll also need to keep the turnover rate low.
UCLA is a young team, but it has very good talent to build another foundation around.
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Frontcourt
Dan Gadzuric has had a career that has been defined by his injuries rather than his play. His junior season needs to be based on performance.
Gadzuric (9.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.6 blks, 56 percent FGs) had a good sophomore season, not a great
one, but he finished strong. At 6-foot-11, he seems to do better against guys his size, putting in impressive performances against Syracuse and North Carolina. He had 17 rebounds against Colorado State and is a good-low post
threat with some decent power moves.
Because Gadzuric is a poor free-throw shooter, he often avoids contact inside, opting for fallaway shots
instead of going right into the defender. Unless Gadzuric improves his free-throw shooting, he will be fouled at will.
Matt Barnes (5.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) is a physically gifted forward who played well at times. He missed the entire first semester, so he was never really in a flow. Barnes, 6-7, can face up and really powers the ball to the basket.
UCLA will play two 6-8 freshmen with NBA ties. T.J. Cummings, the son of former NBA and DePaul star Terry Cummings, and Josiah Johnson, the son of former Bruin Marques Johnson, will be immediate help along the frontline, but they will probably come off the bench.
Backcourt
Without question, UCLA will be led by 6-8 swing guard Jason Kapono, who tallied 16 points a game to lead the Bruins in scoring as a freshman last season. Kapono scored in double figures in 29 games and showed a great feel and understanding of the game.
He is a great perimeter shooter. Need proof? He shot 47 percent from behind the arc with a nice mid-range game, as well. Versatile and unselfish, Kapono was deadly from 3-point territory and proved to be a special player who
could make plays consistently.
Kapono worked out for the Lakers and the Clippers to test his draft status, but he chose to stay at UCLA for another season. This kid
is a throwback player who is confident, understands angles, passes well and has great overall skills. While he is not a great athlete, he is certainly a player.
Earl Watson is the Bruins' stalwart at the point and was brilliant in the NCAA Tournament victories last season. Watson is a natural shooting guard who showed he can still score from the point, averaging 11.9 points last season to go with 5.9 assists and 1.8 steals a game. He struggled with his shot early last season, but he improved with better shot selection.
Watson is very steady, mentally tough and plays the entire game. He is a good passer and a solid
defender with great hands and feet. He has quietly had an outstanding career at UCLA, and
needs to be this team's leader more than ever this season.
|  | | Jason Kapono sometimes plays head and shoulders above the competition. |
Ray Young (5.8 ppg) is also a good defender. He is an athletic and strong 3-point threat. About half of
Young's shots are from behind the arc, but he is streaky. Young needs to
have a more mature and consistent season for UCLA.
Ryan "Moose" Bailey has played some point and is very strong and physical. Bailey adds a nice dimension off the bench and will do dirty work when he's in the game. Rico Hines is a hard worker who comes in and really scraps and makes tough plays. Billy Knight is a capable lefty shooter who uses ball fakes well. He improved as a defender by staying in front of his man and being more disciplined.
Ryan Walcott comes in as a 6-2 freshman guard who will provide minutes at the point. Walcott is a good passer and handler but will be brought along slowly. Jason Flowers, a transfer from UC
Irvine, will round out the guards.
Bottom Line
The Bruins were at their best last season in an open-court game and when they could crash the offensive glass. The
problems came from impatience, when the Bruins would settle for quick shots
and lose composure and poise.
This season's team will work to find Kapono, but the Bruins also will be looking to get the ball
inside to Gadzuric. Lavin has coached teams to three Sweet 16s in four seasons and should guide this group to another NCAA berth.
This might also be his toughest coaching challenge. Lavin, however, has proved resilient and has done a solid
job at UCLA under less than optimum circumstances. | |
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