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UCLA Basketball: Projecting starters for the Bruins in 2017-18

By Lukas Harkins

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Pauley Pavilion on December 21, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Pauley Pavilion on December 21, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: UCLA Bruins mascot Joe Bruin poses on the court before the team’s first-round game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the USC Trojans at MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. USC won 95-71. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: UCLA Bruins mascot Joe Bruin poses on the court before the team’s first-round game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the USC Trojans at MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. USC won 95-71. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Power Forward – Cody Riley, Freshman

Much like Wilkes, Cody Riley could be a major scoring threat for UCLA this season. 247Sports Composite has Riley slated as a four-star recruit and #48 in the class of 2017. With a well-built 6’7″ frame, Riley can play both forward positions for UCLA. His defensive versatility will help the team as he allows more switching on that end of the floor. On offense, though, is where Riley will make his biggest impact.

He is extremely athletic and will be able to overpower several small and power forwards inside. His bounce makes him a special athlete in transition, which fits well with the coaching style of Steve Alford. Unlike the previous two freshmen, though, Riley’s potential to be a “one-and-done” player is lower. For the NBA, he is slightly undersized in terms of height for the power forward position and is too big to play the small forward. A “tweener” forward, Riley could struggle to find his way onto NBA Draft boards this season.

Nonetheless, positionless basketball is rising fast and Riley will make for a very interesting forward at the college level and a tantalizing possibility in the NBA should he progress nicely. Riley chose UCLA over schools like Kansas and Arizona, so he is by no means an under-the-radar recruit.

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