If Friday goes anything like the preseason, UCLA will win its first game of the year by at least 20.
If things go like they did last year, the Bruins will lose to a team they should beat by at least 20.
If UCLA’s exhibitions have taught fans anything at all, it’s that the latter isn’t going to happen.
This is not the same set of Bruins.
“I’m excited about our team,” coach Ben Howland said.
And that in and of itself is a bit of a change.
UCLA starts afresh tonight in its season opener against Cal State Northridge, still haunted by last year’s season-opening loss to Cal State Fullerton, but without some of the baggage.
Gone are Drew Gordon and J’mison Morgan, both of whom transferred. Gone is Nikola Dragovic, who graduated in June.
And ““ poof ““ gone are the team chemistry issues.
Gone, too, is Howland’s methodical, kill-the-clock half-court offense, in favor of an up-tempo style that emphasizes points in transition.
Things really have changed, and Howland is not the only one who’s excited.
“Coach wants us to run, and that’s what our players have been wanting,” sophomore forward Brendan Lane said.
They might want to run now, but perhaps not by Tuesday. Tonight’s game against CSUN is the first of three games that the Bruins will play in five days. And UCLA isn’t exactly in prime condition.
The Bruins have only 10 scholarship players on their roster, not including two transfers forced to redshirt: Travis and David Wear. Of those 10, three are already nicked up. Freshman center Joshua Smith will wear a wrap tonight to protect a sprained right thumb, sophomore forward Reeves Nelson sat out Tuesday’s exhibition with a strained right hip flexor and freshman guard Matt Carlino has been held out of practice with a concussion.
Junior guard Malcolm Lee has even been the victim of cramps.
“(It’s) going to be a real grind,” Howland said of the next five-day stretch.
Northridge’s style of play won’t do anything to help the undermanned Bruins. Howland said that the Matadors like to “pressure, pressure, pressure” on defense and believes the team will “have its hands full.”
But if the first two games are of any indication, UCLA won’t have any trouble with its season opener this time around.
Freshman guard Tyler Lamb, who will be appearing in his first official game as a Bruin tonight, reflects the team’s mind-set. Even though he wasn’t a part of last year’s 14-18 finish, he knows not to let it happen again.
“I think this is what we’ve been waiting for,” Lamb said of tonight’s contest. “We’ve been practicing really hard, and everyone’s just so anxious to start the season and turn it around.”