UCLA Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Bruins

Starters

In a stark contrast from several teams expected to repeat their successes from last season, the Bruins will return virtually everyone from their March Madness run – including all five pieces of their starting lineup.  Cronin’s steady and consistent opening five rarely shifted throughout the season, particularly after Chris Smith’s injury – all five started at least 26 games and supplied at least 54.5% of minutes played for the Bruins, per KenPom.

Returning for his third campaign in Los Angeles is floor general Tyger Campbell, who captained the 11th-most efficient offense in the nation last year and led the Bruins in assist rate (30.2%), and ranked 32nd in the nation in assists per game (5.4).  Campbell was instrumental in UCLA’s success early on, recording double-digits in eight of the Bruins’ first 13 games.

After back-to-back double-digit efforts in wins against Arizona and Arizona State, a late-season lull saw Campbell’s numbers dip to single-digits for eight-straight tilts, including during the squad’s four-game losing streak – but the then-sophomore came alive in the later stages of the NCAA Tournament, averaging 13.7 points and 4.7 assists against Alabama, Michigan, and Gonzaga.

Undeniably, the biggest cog to UCLA’s jolt into the national spotlight was Johnny Juzang, who shockingly returned to the Bruins after heavily flirting with a jump to the NBA.  Juzang’s flourishment in March Madness – and his simultaneous NBA Draft stock surge – was a bit unexpected, to say the least, considering the sophomore had logged just four appearances with at least 20 or more points prior to UCLA’s March 18th showdown with Michigan State.

Few players will enter the 2021-22 campaign as touted as Juzang, and the junior genuinely have an opportunity to vie for Naismith College Player of the Year honors.  Juzang fell just four points short of setting UCLA’s all-time record for most points by an individual in the NCAA Tournament, tallying 137 – barely trailing Gail Goodrich’s 140 – in addition to logging one of the best individual performances in the tourney behind a game-high 29-point showcase on 12-18 shooting in the Final Four loss to Gonzaga.

Barring any injuries, UCLA’s small forward and power forward positions should both be locked down by Jules Bernard and Jaime Jaquez Jr. – both of whom were, for all intents and purposes, the Bruins’ key role-players among those in the starting five – but both of whom stepped up on numerous occasions to lead UCLA last season.

After dropping out of the starting lineup due to early-season offensive woes, Bernard gained another opportunity after Smith’s injury – and, by the end of the regular season, helped keep UCLA’s season afloat.  After four straight single-digit efforts that culminated in him being relegated to the bench in a loss to Washington State, the now-senior ripped off nine double-digit tilts in the ensuing 12 games, including tying the team-high in points with 17 in the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament win over Alabama.

Jaquez, meanwhile, was even deadlier.  The team’s leading rebounder throughout the season, Jaquez led the team in minutes – which ultimately produced 21 double-digit performances, including a crucial career-best 27 points in the First Four duel with Michigan State.  Just one of two Bruins to start all 32 games, with the other being Campbell, Jaquez maintained the team’s highest offensive rating among significant contributors, per KenPom – and was one of UCLA’s biggest gears in their March Madness run, averaging marks of 15.0 points, 6.3 boards, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

The lone question mark, arguably, comes at center, where Cody Riley thrived for a majority of the season, particularly after Jalen Hill’s exit from the team halfway through the season.  Rutgers graduate transfer Myles Johnson has a stake in starting here almost immediately, but Riley is the safe bet after playing in – and starting in – 31 games last season.

Used in a greater percentage of possessions than anyone else on the roster, Riley was sturdy and steady for the Bruins throughout the year, tallying 19 double-digit nights on the season, including a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double against Gonzaga.

There is little reason for Cronin to shift around a starting lineup that proved itself at the most critical points in the season – and, although regular season woes may plague UCLA as it typically has done lately and roster shifts may occur – this still should be the most-played lineup throughout the season, especially if the Bruins yield dominating results immediately.