2011 UCLA Bruins Basketball

Written by Anthony Moretti - Google +

2010-11 Results

Overall: 23-11
Conference: 13-5 (2nd)

Roster

Seniors

Jerime Anderson
Larry Drew II
Lazeric Jones
Matt DeMarcus
Tyler Trapani

Juniors

Kenny Jones
Brendan Lane
De’End Parker
Reeves Nelson

Sophomores

Anthony Stover
Tyler Lamb
David Wear
Travis Wear
Joshua Smith

Freshmen

Nick Kazemi
Norman Powell
David Brown
Khalid McCaskill

Head Coach

Ben Howland

Key Losses

Last spring coach Ben Howland was left frustrated as both Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee left UCLA without a guarantee of being taken in the first round, and indeed neither one was. Honeycutt made 55-of-152 three-pointers while Lee hit 39-of-132. Their departure means the loss of two of their top three scorers from last season and also more than one-third of their three-point shots.

UCLA will also be without Anderson for a two-game suspension, after he reached a plea agreement in September over misdemeanour charges in connection with a laptop theft. Added to that, the Bruins must play all of their matches away from home because Pauley Pavilion is undergoing renovation. UCLA will play an exhibition game in Ontario, Calif., four games at the Honda Center in Anaheim and the rest at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, adjacent to USC’s campus.

Schedule

Date	Opponent / Event
11/6/2011	vs. Cal State San Bernardino (Exhibition)
11/11/2011	vs. Loyola Marymount
EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Opening Game
11/15/2011	vs. Middle Tennessee State
EA SPORTS Maui Invitational
11/21/2011	vs. Chaminade
11/22/2011	Kansas/Georgetown
11/23/2011	TBD
Regular Season
11/28/2011	vs. Pepperdine
12/3/2011	vs. Texas
12/10/2011	vs. Penn
12/14/2011	vs. Eastern Washington
12/17/2011	vs. UC Davis
12/20/2011	vs. UC Irvine
12/23/2011	vs. Richmond
12/29/2011	@ Stanford
12/31/2011	@ California
1/5/2012	vs. Arizona
1/7/2012	vs. Arizona State
1/15/2012	@ USC
1/19/2012	@ Oregon State
1/21/2012	@ Oregon
1/26/2012	vs. Utah
1/28/2012	vs. Colorado
2/2/2012	@ Washington
2/4/2012	@ Washington State
2/9/2012	vs. Stanford
2/11/2012	vs. California
2/15/2012	vs. USC
2/18/2012	@ St. John’s
2/23/2012	@ Arizona State
2/25/2012	@ Arizona
3/1/2012	vs. Washington State
3/3/2012	vs. Washington
Pac-12 Conference Tournament
3/7/2012	First Round
3/8/2012	Quarterfinals
3/9/2012	Semifinals
3/10/2012	Finals

2011-12 Preview

For most teams the loss of two players of the quality of Honeycutt and Lee plus the lack of home advantage would prove devastating, but the Bruins have one huge advantage – the best frontcourt in the Pac-12.

UCLA could go with an imposing frontcourt featuring the 6-10 David Wear at small forward, bruising 6-8 junior Reeves Nelson at power forward and 300-plus-pounder Joshua Smith at center. That’s with 6-10 sophomore shot-blocker Anthony Stover, 6-9 junior Brendan Lane and 6-10 forward Travis Wear, David’s twin brother, coming off the bench.

UCLA is still loaded with talent and Howland will be looking to make it count. UCLA will almost certainly be one of the most entertaining, if not the best team in the Pac-12.

Lazeric Jones (6-0) improved as the season progressed, in spite of a sprained wrist suffered in February. Strong and athletic, Jones is expected to be more of the finished article this year.

Tyler Lamb (6-5) made only 20.5 percent from three-point territory last season, but he contributed well defensively and has a lot more potential than his stats reveal. He will have to rise to the pressure on his position from De’End Parker Norman Powell.

Joshua Smith (6-10) failed to have the impact that you might expect from a 300-pound McDonald’s All-American. Smith did show that he is not only a giant space-eater inside, he’s also a very skilled player around the basket.

Jerime Anderson (6-2) had his problems off-court last year and UCLA opted to suspend Anderson for only the first two games of the season. When he returns, Anderson will add size, length, and a crafty set of moves to the Bruins armory. He is a steady ball handler at the point who can also play shooting guard.

Norman Powell (6-3) isn’t a great shooter but he’s an explosive athlete who can drive inside and has a strong mid-range game. He’ll challenge Lamb and Parker for the starting shooting guard spots.

Anthony Stover (6-10) is a great favorite with the fans, a tough defensive player whose efforts don’t always show in the box score. He averaged nearly a block per game despite averaging only eight minutes, with 12 starts in 32 games played.

De’End Parker (6-6) is a versatile wing capable of playing point guard from San Francisco and is the second junior college player signed by Howland in 2 years after Lazeric Jones.

Khalid McCaskill (6-5) is an invited walk-on from Harlem, with a toughness and confidence about him that just might be enough to secure him some valuable minutes.

David Wear (6-10) is one of the big twins who transferred from North Carolina. David, who made 8-of-16 threes as a freshman, seems the most likely of the two to start at small forward, where he could make a difficult target to stop.

Travis Wear (6-10) has a similar game but missed time during the end of his freshman year with an ankle injury. The twins give Howland versatility and size for a number of different frontcourt looks.

Reeves Nelson (6-8) possesses great determination aligned with skilful work around the and made 57 percent of his field goals and getting to the free-throw line a team-high 5.5 average times per game.

Brendan Lane (6-9) is a versatile forward who can play center or small forward. He started five games. and came off the bench for eight points and four rebounds against Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins are so loaded with frontcourt players that it’s possible that Lane will redshirt.

More Pac 12 Basketball Predictions

Washington Huskies	Oregon Ducks	California Golden Bears
Arizona Wildcats	Colorado Buffaloes	UCLA Bruins
Stanford Cardinal	Oregon State Beavers	Washington State Cougars
Arizona State Sun Devils	Utah Utes	USC Trojans

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