Recently, Andy Katz did a great preview of the Pac-10 Conference at espn.com (updated August 31, 2009):
Pac-10 ShootAround: Three new head coaches arrive as conference rebuilds
The whole piece was a great read and it touched on (among other things) the turmoil at SC, Sean Miller going to Zona and then gutting out the Trojans, and of course, Malcolm Lee's impressive summer. But I chose to slice and dice what really counts, the UCLA stuff. So, here goes.
Things To Know From The Offseason
Lee blossoms during the summer
Photo:Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Malcolm Lee came to UCLA with plenty of hype, but there was a logjam last season with Darren Collison returning and Jrue Holiday taking up plenty of minutes as a star freshman. Lee averaged 10.7 minutes in 29 games, putting up a modest 3.2 points and 0.6 assists a game. But the UCLA staff is giddy over reports that Lee became a workaholic this summer. He needed to and had to, because he'll be the Bruins' featured perimeter player. Lee increased his shooting range, and the expectation is he'll make a major jump from his freshman to sophomore seasons.
Key Players
Photo: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
Nikola Dragovic
Dragovic is the Bruins' top returning scorer (9.4 points per game), and he made 38.2 percent of his 3s last season. But more will be expected as a senior. Dragovic isn't a star. He's a complementary player. But he still can do more if he gets the touches. Dragovic can play facing the basket and, if need be, use his body a bit more in the post. He can be a difficult matchup if he gets his shot off from deep. But he must make himself more of a factor, especially on the defensive end.
Freshmen We Can't Wait To See
Photo: Olivia Bucks, The OregonianMike Moser, PF, UCLA: Offensively, Moser is a jump shot away from being an all-conference candidate. Defensively, he has the physical attributes to guard all three perimeter positions.
Photo:Phil Klein
Tyler Honeycutt, WF, UCLA: He may be headed for a redshirt year if his lower back doesn't heal in time. Nonetheless, this late-blooming wing type has a bevy of upside. He can stroke the 3-point shot and pass with the best of them. And his shot-blocking ability is impressive.
Nonconference Games We Can't Wait To See
* Kansas at UCLA, Dec. 6: The Bruins will be searching for a marquee win in nonconference play, something that eluded them last season. This game against Kansas will come on the heels of the 76 Classic in Anaheim. If the Bruins can't pick up quality wins in that event, the KU matchup at Pauley Pavilion will hold even more meaning.
* UCLA versus Mississippi State, Dec. 12 (Wooden Classic): The Bruins picked up a challenging opponent for their short trip to Anaheim. Getting Mississippi State early in the season should challenge UCLA's frontcourt more than any game besides KU. This game will come a week after UCLA plays the Jayhawks, so it may be in desperation mode for a quality win. And if Renardo Sidney is eligible, it will be interesting to see how he performs against the program he originally appeared to be leaning toward.
One potential matchup …
* UCLA versus Butler, Nov. 27 (76 Classic): If UCLA beats Portland and if Butler takes out Minnesota, the Bruins will have one of their most challenging games of the season against the Bulldogs. Playing Butler would be a stingy defensive affair. The Bulldogs have been known to keep the games in the 50s or low 60s, and UCLA doesn't mind playing in that range, either.
Team Analysis
Andy Katz
This is a whole new era for coach Ben Howland. The Bruins don't have Alfred Aboya, Josh Shipp or Darren Collison for the first time in four years. The three-year Final Four run now seems like distant history. The Bruins will be leaning heavily on potential stud Malcolm Lee as well as Drew Gordon, Nikola Dragovic, Michael Roll, Jerime Anderson, James Keefe and J'mison Morgan -- not exactly national names. But the competition at every position should be as intense as it has been under Howland. He will be searching for an identity for this squad early and often in fall practices. Lee might hold the only lock on a position, while the rest clearly are open. UCLA has a challenging nonconference slate, but the talent should carry this squad toward the top of the Pac-10, getting the Bruins enough wins to make another NCAA tournament appearance.
Doug Gottlieb
Talentwise, the Bruins are down. That's just a fact. But Ben Howland will win games with his defense and the team's cohesion more so than when Kevin Love and Darren Collison were bailing them out. Malcolm Lee has to be the type of on-the-ball defender Darren Collison was the past three years, and Mike Moser and Tyler Honeycutt must contribute right away. Otherwise, how will the Bruins score?
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