UCLA Basketball: Is Kobe Paras' departure a big deal for Bruins?

2016 small forward Kobe Paras is leaving UCLA basketball due to academic reasons.

After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, the UCLA Bruins are under significant pressure to bounce back this year. Head coach Steve Alford, who deals with almost unrealistic expectations year-in and year-out, opted to give back a one year contract extension that takes him through the 2020-21 season, in order to prove himself to the Bruin faithful.

But things aren’t starting off on the right foot for a program that is searching for some semblance of consistency.

On Wednesday morning, Kobe Paras, a 2016 three-star small forward from Los Angeles, announced his departure from UCLA after “academic conditions of admission were not met.”

Paras attended Middlebrooks Academy and received offers from Arizona State, California, UC Santa Barbara, Texas-Arlington, UC Irvine and Portland State, in addition to UCLA.

At 6’5″, 190 pounds, Paras is an athletic wing player who plays with energy at both ends of the floor and has some versatility to play in the backcourt. The Los Angeles native is terrific in the open court, can finish in the lane with his body control and power, and has a dangerous first step that could have been a major factor off the bench in Pac-12 play.

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The different facets of his game sound like a player who could have an instant impact in college basketball, but is UCLA truly losing a major piece to the puzzle? Is this going to set the Bruins back? Are they headed toward another year that can be deemed a “failure” in the minds of the ruthless fanbase?

Sure, Paras could very well have given the Bruins more depth and versatility, but it’s not the end of the world for Alford and company.

The first reason is the Bruins have a loaded recruiting class – one of the best in the nation – regardless of the departure of Paras.

In fact, Paras was the lowest rated recruit in the Bruins class that is made up of five-star point guard Lonzo Ball, five-star power forward T.J. Leaf, and four-star center Ike Anigbogu.

Ball is the gem of their 2016 class because of his elite vision and passing ability. He is the best high school floor general in the country, as he never gets sped up, can play in transition and maintains a high basketball IQ. Ball’s mechanics on his jump shot aren’t the prettiest, however, his shot actually falls from beyond the arc and in the mid-range.

Leaf has terrific mobility, athleticism and length, excelling in transition and on the block. At 6’9″, he has decent size and is capable of scoring inside-and-out with a combination of hook shots and mid-range jumpers. While he isn’t a shot blocker or a great defender, he’s a smart effective player that can help the Bruins on the interior.

Finally, Anigbogu is an athletic presence that offers good size, timing and instincts defensively. He certainly doesn’t have the strength of Tony Parker, but he help make up for the loss of the former Bruin center by providing value on the glass.

UCLA Bruins /

UCLA Bruins

The second reason that the Bruins shouldn’t lose their mind over the loss of Paras is because their roster has plenty of players that can slot in at different positions on the floor.

When taking a peak at the UCLA roster, you would think they are at void of a small forward or a talented wing. They lost Noah Allen to Hawai’i and obviously now Paras is unable to remain at the school.

But the Bruins still maintain the presence of Jonah Bolden (who can play the two or three) and Isaac Hamilton (who is really a two guard but can play three). Even though Bolden has battled injuries and inconsistent minutes, he has potential, as shown in two straight Pac-12 games against Arizona (10 points and six boards) and Arizona State (16 points and nine boards) last year.

The most intriguing lineup for the Bruins could consist of three guards: Ball at the point, Bryce Alford at the two, and Hamilton at the three. This will give the Bruins the speed and quickness to play in transition (where Ball excels) and will push Alford off the ball where he is able to showcase his sharp shooting.

UCLA can also mix-and-match using Prince Ali and Aaron Holiday at different positions, as the staple of their offense will consist of using three guard lineups.

The Bruins would probably prefer to have Paras in LA, but regardless, they are set up to excel in the Pac-12 next season.

Next: Summer top 25

If they do miss the Big Dance, this program could be in for big changes….starting at the top.

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UCLA Basketball: Is Kobe Paras’ departure a big deal for Bruins?

By Carmine Carcieri | Jun 29, 2016

2016 small forward Kobe Paras is leaving UCLA basketball due to academic reasons.

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