Men’s basketball win brings promise of strong upcoming season
Junior guard Isaac Hamilton had a standout performance leading the Bruins in points with 20. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Claire Fahy
Nov. 2, 2015 1:08 a.m.
UCLA men’s basketball showed glimpses of potential last season, particularly during the Bruins’ deep postseason run to the Sweet 16. While two of the cornerstones of that program – guard Norman Powell and freshman forward Kevon Looney – have since departed for the NBA, new talent has arrived to make UCLA as promising as last year.
Freshman guard Aaron Holiday made his collegiate debut Friday in the Bruins’ 95-57 win over the Cal State Los Angeles Eagles, racking up 16 points with seven rebounds and five steals.
“I just tried to play with a lot of tempo, just push the pace a little bit, and then on the defensive end I just tried to play aggressively,” Holiday said. “I want to dictate what they want to do.”
Holiday was the starting off guard for UCLA against CSULA, a move coach Steve Alford said was determined by the freshman’s work ethic during preseason training. A natural point guard, Alford said junior guard Bryce Alford will continue to run the offense due to his familiarity with the Bruins’ schemes.
“We’re just messing with (the lineup) right now. I think Aaron has done an awful lot in the last month,” Steve Alford said. “That’s why we wanted to start that way, so that he’d have a chance to really understand how starting in a game (works).”
The freshman wasn’t the only spark for the Bruin offense, as junior guard Isaac Hamilton led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds after averaging 10.6 points per game as a starter last season. As one of the few vestiges of last year’s Sweet 16 starters, Hamilton will look to further capitalize on the potential he showed as a sophomore.
UCLA’s lone senior, center Tony Parker, continued where he left off last season by dominating the paint and registering 14 points. Sophomore Thomas Welsh helped switch off with Parker at the center spot by drawing the senior’s double team and forcing switches down low.
“They’re both role guys, so coach (started) Tom being the pop guy, so that opens up the lane,” Hamilton said. “It helps rebounding defensively and offensively.”
Alford said that while that particular combo was used sparingly last season, this season’s added depth allows more experimentation in on-court pairings.
Sophomore guard Jonah Bolden returned to the court after serving a suspension last season mandated by the NCAA, scoring 11 points and adding more options for UCLA at off guard.
Freshman forward Alex Olesinski also added a large presence down low, both with his 6-foot-10 frame and his nine-point, eight-rebound stat line.
“I thought Alex was just really good, I thought he just did a lot of good things,” Alford said. “He was great defensively, he passed the ball well.”
With the combination of underclassman talent and upperclassman experience, UCLA looks to pick up where it left off last season. The regular season opens in Pauley Pavilion Nov. 13 with a matchup against Monmouth.
