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UCLA Basketball: 5 reasons why the Bruins will be better than USC in 2018-19

By Brian Rauf

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 03: Holiday and Smith.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 03: Holiday and Smith. /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: UCLA Bruins mascot Joe Bruin poses on the court before the team’s semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: UCLA Bruins mascot Joe Bruin poses on the court before the team’s semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

UCLA Basketball and USC are two of the Pac-12’s elite programs. Both have NCAA Tournament aspirations – and the Bruins are still the better team in Los Angeles.

The Pac-12 went through a down year last season as only three teams made the NCAA Tournament, one of which was UCLA. Meanwhile, USC failed to make the tournament despite lofty expectations.

Both the Bruins and Trojans enter 2018-19 with tempered, yet optimistic, expectations.

UCLA head coach Steve Alford has led the program to the NCAA Tournament in four of his five seasons but has yet to advance past the Sweet 16. This year is expected to be a crucial one for him in Westwood as the Bruins have lost at least 12 games in three of the last four seasons.

Cross-city rivals USC are in a similar boat. Head coach Andy Enfield has survived the FBI scandal, is coming off of a disastrous season, and is facing a crucial year.

The future of both programs is bright – both currently have 2019 recruiting classes that rank in the top three nationally – but what will happen this season? Here’s why the Bruins will have a better season than the Trojans this year:

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