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The UCLA Bruins tip tomorrow — and the hottest team in the country shouldn’t be afraid of anyone.
We can still call them the hottest team in the country, right? I mean, they won 11 of 14 to close out the year, no one wanted to play them in January, February and certainly not March (April), they return everyone, received a starpower transfer and were finally gelling as a team last year when the season was canceled.
Yeah, so for those reasons, we can still call ‘em the hottest team in the country.
And for those reasons — I was happy to write up the Bruins in our flagship SB Nation’s Top 25 preview for this season.
22. UCLA
Projected lineup: G Tyger Campbell, G Johnny Juzang, G Chris Smith, F Jaime Jaquez, F Jalen Hill
Everyone’s back for UCLA, PLUS they receive the services of Johnny Juzang who received clearance to play immediately this season from the NCAA. The backcourt should be nearly impossible to defend against as such with Campbell who can penetrate on any defense in the country, Juzang who is probably the best pure shooter on the team and Smith, who spurned the NBA for another run at it with UCLA. Smith is a true guard who just so happens to stand 6’9 and averaged 13 points while making nearly 50% of his shots. Jaime Jaquez is a star-in-the-making and Jalen Hill may very well be the Pac-12’s best offensive rebounder. Add in the fact that Mick Cronin’s crew was the hottest team in basketball when the season was canceled last year, the fact that there’s 14 starts from last year sitting on the bench with David Singleton and also a top 75 recruit in Jaylen Clark waiting in the wings, and this team is afraid of no one, but everyone should be afraid of it.
— Cam Mellor, Bruins Nation
It had to be quick but it also had to spell out a ton of information to the thousands and thousands of eyes that will read over that page — letting them know they should be very, very afraid of the Bruins this year.
The whole article features all top 25 teams with a writeup from some of those closest. Take a look at it, for sure, but definitely comment on just how good this Bruins 5-6 are going to be this year.
Our experts preview the top 25 men’s college basketball teams
Yeah, I wrote a UCLA Basketball thing, and yeah, it has me pumped for tip-off tomorrow.