1. Will men’s basketball improve its record over last year’s team?
Kevin Bowman: UCLA’s 25-10 season last year was largely viewed as a disappointment, despite the Bruins winning the Pac-12 regular-season title and reaching the championship game of the Pac-12 tournament. With the departure of starters Shabazz Muhammad and Larry Drew II, as well as the firing of coach Ben Howland, this year’s squad will have a very different identity. With reports that sophomore forwards Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker trimmed up over the offseason, a year’s worth of development from sophomore guard Jordan Adams, the addition of freshman guard Zach LaVine and departure of the constant distractions posed by Muhammad, the Bruins are in good shape for the future – but maybe not for this season. While Adams and LaVine should provide consistent perimeter scoring, UCLA’s lack of depth, rebounding and athleticism in the frontcourt poses a serious problem – one that will hold the team back this season. Coach Steve Alford’s first season at the helm of UCLA men’s basketball may not provide the quick return to success that fans are hoping for.
Jordan Lee: While last year’s early March exit left fans underwhelmed and cost Ben Howland his job, 25 wins certainly isn’t anything to sneeze at. Questions abound for year one of the Steve Alford era as there is the unknown at point guard now that Larry Drew II has graduated and the unproven depth of the team is a concern. Still, that is not to say this team is without talent. Sophomores Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams return after strong freshman campaigns, and while not as heralded as Shabazz Muhammad, incoming freshman guard Zach LaVine figures to contribute early. The nonconference schedule appears favorable as the Bruins will be home for 9 of their 13 contests, and play only one team, Duke, who finished in the top 25 a year ago. However it remains to be seen whether the addition of LaVine and the growth of Anderson, Adams and sophomore forward Tony Parker will be enough to overcome the loss of both Muhammad and Drew II. The team still has the same concerns it did a year ago – namely depth and rebounding – and the growing pains of learning a new system mean the Bruins may fall just short of repeating the 25-win season they had a year ago.
Sari Zureiqat: Disappointment characterized much of UCLA basketball’s fanbase after last season – stemming, of course, from high expectations. UCLA would be playing in a newly renovated Pauley Pavilion, guarded by none other than a newly established and ever-regal John Wooden statue. “Free Shabazz” shirts dotted the campus, and when Shabazz Muhammad was finally cleared to play, the campus buzzed with apprehension and hope. When the team didn’t match the hype, people weren’t too happy. This year, however, the buzz has died down. Fans are sobering up to the fact that wins don’t simply get handed to UCLA because it is UCLA. A new coach is going to take adjustments. And although new excitement likely won’t be built up within a season, when it does return it’ll hopefully be much more mature, and much more lasting.
Chris Kalra: Despite all the negative media attention UCLA basketball received last year, the Bruins still managed to rack up 25 wins total. For most other teams around the nation, this would have been quite an accomplishment for such a young team. For UCLA though, it was seen as an underachieving season. Unfortunately for Bruin fans, this season doesn’t promise to be any better. Even though the team’s sophomores – guard Jordan Adams, forward Kyle Anderson and forward Tony Parker – all appear to have improved their game since last season, the Bruins lost two of their most valuable players in guards Larry Drew II and Shabazz Muhammad. Muhammad led the team in scoring and Drew led the team in assists. Freshman guard Zach LaVine should provide some punch from the point guard position, and the Wear twins will be a formidable duo yet again, but overall the Bruins don’t have the talent to match last year’s squad. Also, the Pac-12 conference as a whole appears to be on the rise, and the bump in competition should be another roadblock for UCLA.
2. How many wins will UCLA football get this season?
Kevin Bowman: UCLA’s second-half beatdown of Nebraska on Sept. 14 showed what the Bruins are capable of when things are clicking. But their silent first half showed what can happen when things aren’t. While UCLA certainly has the talent to go far this year, any dip in consistency could prove costly, especially with teams like Stanford and Oregon still looming on the schedule. With those two matchups – the Bruins’ toughest games of the season – coming in back-to-back road games, winning just one of the two would be a huge success for the Bruins. Right now, I have UCLA notching 10 wins on the year, excluding the postseason, and if it can pull out a win in Palo Alto, a BCS bowl game could be on the horizon.
Jordan Lee: Coach Jim Mora once again has his team off to a strong start in year two as he and redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley appear to have avoided the proverbial slump. UCLA should handle Utah and must avoid overlooking an improved California team before heading to Palo Alto. That two-week stretch in October – consecutive road trips to Stanford and Oregon – may ultimately decide if UCLA is competing for the Rose Bowl or settling for the Holiday Bowl again. Throw in winnable games against Colorado and Arizona, followed by back-to-back home contests against No. 15 Washington and No. 22 Arizona State and culminating in the first time in a long time that a win against USC should be expected and the Bruins could very well be looking at their first 10-win season since 2005.
Sari Zureiqat: If UCLA football could be on top of its game for the duration of the season, the team should easily get 10 wins, factoring in the possible struggles with Oregon and Stanford. However, although it doesn’t seem likely, the chances of falling short in a game expected to end in victory are a complete possibility – take last year’s disappointing 43-17 loss to California, for instance. UCLA has been riding high on emotions since the unfortunate loss of Nick Pasquale, but at some point in the middle of the season this driving force may start to waver; it likely won’t happen, but you never know. Couple that notion with the shifting tides of Pac-12 football – a much weaker USC team, a new Cal coach and an improved Cal team, for example – and a speculator is left with strong predictions but no absolute certainty. I’ll put my prediction at nine to 10 wins.
Chris Kalra: The Bruins have ripped through their first three games, winning each contest by more than 20 points, including a win over a ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers team on the road. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley appears to be improving every game and senior linebacker Anthony Barr is showing why NFL draft pundits have him as a possible top-five pick next year. UCLA has two tough road tests against top-five teams in Oregon and Stanford in back-to-back weeks in October. Even if UCLA loses both those games, the Bruins should manage to win the rest of their games, including top-25 matchups against Arizona State and Washington at home, and win the Pac-12 South for the third year in a row. That would put UCLA right on line to win 10 games in the regular season.
3. Which UCLA sport, beside football and men’s basketball, has the best home environment?
Kevin Bowman: UCLA softball has the best home environment of any team that plays on campus. Easton Stadium’s 1,328 seats are generally mostly filled for home games, as softball boasts more impressive crowd support than baseball. An on-campus location, with parking right next door, makes attending games easy for students and commuting fans alike, while the team’s history of success, with UCLA’s 11 NCAA championships the most of any school, ensures the team itself is perennially competitive.
Jordan Lee: Having covered UCLA softball last year, I have to agree with Kevin – Easton Stadium knows how to bring it, especially if one of the other Pac-12 powerhouses is in town. Easton itself is a great facility, and the pine trees that surround the outfield wall create for both a secluded and intense atmosphere. It also doesn’t hurt that coach Kelly Inouye-Perez and company regularly field a team that can compete for a championship.
Chris Kalra: When the volleyball teams were playing in the Wooden Center during Pauley Pavilion’s renovation, this was a no-brainer. Now I’ll have to go with Easton Stadium, home to UCLA’s historic softball program. The small space reserved for the crowd bolsters the crowd’s noise level and the landmark scenery in the background of the stadium provides quite a view. It’s a home environment worth taking in.
Sari Zureiqat: What they said.