Game Daily: Scouting the Bruins

Dec 30, 2015, 6:58 PM

UCLA enters Pac-12 competition ranked No. 25 in the AP poll after a 9-4 start to the season, with victories over powerhouses Gonzaga and Kentucky along the way. The Bruins have proven they have the depth to compete against some of the nation’s best teams, and they have an outside chance at winning the Pac-12 this season. The Bruins have won six of their past seven games since dropping two straight at the Maui Invitational tournament. Their only loss since their trip to Hawaii came against No. 7 North Carolina. Offense has come easy for the Bruins this season, with all five starters averaging over 10 points per game. Standout junior guard Bryce Alford leads the charge for UCLA with a scoring average of 16.5 points per game. Alford, the son of head coach Steve Alford, averages 5.5 assists per game, good for second-best in the conference, and has spent more time on the court this season than anyone else in the Pac-12, averaging 36.5 minutes per game. The only freshman in the starting lineup, guard Aaron Holiday, is putting up a strong 10.2 points per game and is second on the team with 3.8 assists per game. These two lead the charge on a team that possesses the ball effectively and ranks near the top of the conference in assist to turnover ratio. While the offense may be firing on all cylinders, the Bruins have the most generous scoring defense in the Pac-12, giving up 74.4 points per game, though that number is certainly inflated by the quality of competition they played during the nonconference schedule. Against the Huskies, the Bruins will need 7-foot sophomore center Thomas Welsh to step up in the paint, forcing the Huskies to shoot outside, and clog up the driving lanes for the UW’s young and athletic swingmen. The Huskies are the second-worst 3-point shooting team in the conference and UCLA has the big bodies needed to force tough shots outside the key. The Huskies have a smaller frontcourt than the Bruins, but there should be a battle on the boards between two of the top rebounding teams in the Pac-12. UCLA’s senior center Tony Parker is second in the Pac-12 and leads the team with 10.3 rebounds per game, averaging a double-double and leading the conference in offensive rebounding as well. This could be problematic for a UW team that lacks an imposing presence in the paint. Without a large force in the post, the Huskies should play head coach Lorenzo Romar’s signature up-tempo style and maximize the number of possessions in the game to make up for poor team shooting (.421 percent from the field, worst in the Pac-12) and force the Bruins to run. The Huskies will need senior guard and Pac-12 leading scorer Andrew Andrews (19.7 points per game) to compete with the Bruins offensively. Reach reporter Evan Franklin at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @franklination13

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Game Daily: Scouting the Bruins

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