Yellow Jacked Up
Fansided

Georgia Tech Basketball vs UCLA 2017 gameday guide

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 07: A general view of the tipoff of the Louisville Cardinals' basketball game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the game at Hank McCamish Pavilion on January 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 07: A general view of the tipoff of the Louisville Cardinals' basketball game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the game at Hank McCamish Pavilion on January 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 19: Lonzo Ball
SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 19: Lonzo Ball /

UCLA in 2016-17 (31-5):

Last season, the Bruins were one of the best teams in the entire country from start to finish. The Bruins were led by the foursome of Bryce Alford, Lonzo Ball, Isaac Hamilton, and TJ Leaf. All four of them have moved on from UCLA and have moved onto professional basketball.

The Bruins in the regular season were at times a juggernaut, reaching as high as 2nd in the AP poll. After going undefeated in their non-conference slate including a 97-92 win at Kentucky, the Bruins entered their Pac-12 schedule with their eyes on a Pac-12 Championship and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

However, once the Bruins entered their Pac-12 schedule, they didn’t have the same amount of success. Ultimately they would drop three regular-season games on their conference slate, losing to three respectable programs in Oregon, Arizona, and USC. They would enter the Pac-12 tournament and nearly get by USC in their first matchup but fell to the Arizona Wildcats for the second time.

After finishing the regular season and conference tournament with a 29-4 record, the Bruins were selected as the 3rd seed in the South region. They would open the NCAA tournament with victories over Kent State and Cincinnati before running into Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

In the end, the Bruins finished with a 31-5 record, their first 30+ win season since 2007-2008 when they won 35.

The Bruins enter the season with pretty high expectations but are not nearly expected to be the team they were a year ago. The Pac-12 media selected the Bruins to finish third in the Pac-12 behind Arizona and USC respectively.

A major reason the Bruins aren’t projected to finish higher than third is the loss of Alford, Ball, Hamilton, and Leaf. Combined, the Bruins lost a combined 60.5 points per game.

Their leading returning scorer is preseason All-Pac 12 selection, junior guard Aaron Holiday. Holiday last season averaged 12.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Following up Holiday will be senior center Thomas Welsh, another All-Pac 12 preseason selection. Welsh last season averaged 10.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and one assist per game.