Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Syracuse, and UCLA takeaways from Maui Invitational

By Tristan Freeman

Nov 22, 2023; Honolulu, HI, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin (left) and Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few meet upon the completion of the game which Gonzaga won at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2023; Honolulu, HI, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin (left) and Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few meet upon the completion of the game which Gonzaga won at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
UCLA Bruins players Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA Bruins players Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports /

6th place – UCLA Bruins

Positive takeaway: Sebastian Mack looks like an All-Pac 12 guard

After losing Tyger Campbell and Amari Bailey, UCLA’s backcourt was definitely a question. And while the international freshmen and Will McClendon got some offseason hype, they’ve all been coming off the bench. The guy that has emerged early is Mack, a 6’3 freshman guard who leads the team in scoring with 15.8 ppg on 42% shooting.

Mack had a season-high 25 points against Marquette in the near-upset, followed by 16 points and seven rebounds in the game against Gonzaga. He’s a physical slashing guard, who went a combined 20/22 from the FT line in those two games. If nothing else, the Bruins found its lead guard in the tournament.

Negative takeaway: The international freshmen have a ways to go

It’s a bit unfair to be so negative on the newcomers because their opponents were mostly top-10 caliber teams. But it was clear that these players are more “prospects” than contributors at the moment. Against Marquette, Berke Buyuktuncel went scoreless in 27 minutes on 0/7 shooting. And 7’3 Aday Mara got destroyed against the Gonzaga bigs, having three fouls in just three minutes played.

Plus, Jan Vide isn’t even in the rotation at this point, while Illane Fibleuil is getting limited minutes off the bench. UCLA has depth from the American players and Adem Bona taking a leap but regardless of the future pro prospects some of these players have this foreign core has plenty of developing to do.

Home/NCAA Basketball News