Juzang returns to UCLA

seccats04

Heisman
Dec 6, 2004
14,585
23,604
113
I considered this, but I feel like comparing last year’s UCLA team to those UK teams on a talent and potential level there is a big difference. Not saying UCLA won’t be a very good team, but anointing them a top 3 team and potential favorite is premature. The jury is certainly still out for what we could be this year too…I wouldn’t put them in the top 10 right now, but they have the potential to be.
With Juzang back they have a NPOY candidate and several other good players. I would absolutely put them in the top 5. The only thing standing in their way is the Angry Leprechaun roaming their sidelines.
 

STL_Cat

Heisman
Dec 4, 2011
65,283
58,567
98
Change the name UCLA to UK with the way they finished the season and their tournament run, with what they have returning and a nice class, and everyone here would say this is easily a top 5-10 team. Change the letters to UCLA and we "aren't buying it."
 

seccats04

Heisman
Dec 6, 2004
14,585
23,604
113
I mean we did add KAT, Lyles, Booker, Ulis....but yeah mostly the same team LOL
Yea but we lost Randle and James Young, the two biggest pieces from the year before. I'm talking about the main core. Every team loses players every year.
 
Apr 13, 2002
44,001
97,152
0
Pretty amazing. Main/only limitation is athleticism and that won't get better. So one wonders if he'll ever really be a high draft pick.

Will be interesting to see if he can keep it rolling. Alot of people forget before their star went down, he had a pretty pedestrian year. After that injury, he really took off.
 

Cal-4-Three

All-Conference
Apr 2, 2011
1,591
1,844
0
Yea but we lost Randle and James Young, the two biggest pieces from the year before. I'm talking about the main core. Every team loses players every year.
I mean you are acting like the 4 we added are scrubs LOL Maybe I misunderstood and took it the wrong way.
 

STL_Cat

Heisman
Dec 4, 2011
65,283
58,567
98
I may be wrong, with my history - probably am.

I just don't see it. I think they got hot last year for a 6 game stretch.
They have a really strong group of returning players with some nice pieces joining them, including a top 8 player nationally.

They'll be good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AGEE11

Paulyv94

Senior
Jan 21, 2020
660
884
63
Yeah, well UCLA did get a pretty lucky run there. I wouldn't rank them top 5 imo. Let's see how they react with the spot light on them.
 

SandyBell'sFaxMachine

All-Conference
Dec 3, 2020
1,532
2,477
113
Good for him! He did exactly what he should have done and went through the process, and now he needs to come back and be even better than he was in the tourney. Do that and he would almost guarantee a first round slot, or a guaranteed two year contract at the very least
Average at least 24 or more per game? It won't be easy to play that well the entire season
 

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,861
13,357
113
Surprising to me honestly. They will be good again but it’s also entirely possible they look nothing like that tourney team and they just caught lightning in a bottle. Let’s remember Cronin also had all of those players during the regular season and it didn’t look like that.
Quite similar to our 13-14 season. We all saw what happened the next year. I think it's folly to suggest that what they did in the post-season was "lightning in a bottle."

UCLA may well be a phenomenal team next year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: STL_Cat

king of cali

All-Conference
Nov 24, 2005
6,955
3,877
0
UK wins close games and advance in the tourney, Rafters: “It will help us next year that we played these tough games.”

Another team wins close games and advance in the tourney, Rafters: “They got lucky and they won’t be able to make that kind of run next season.”

LOL!
Sums up this board perfectly lol.
 

JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
7,633
15,830
113
Quite similar to our 13-14 season. We all saw what happened the next year. I think it's folly to suggest that what they did in the post-season was "lightning in a bottle."

UCLA may well be a phenomenal team next year.
How is that similar at all? That next year we added the number 1 overall pick in the draft in KAT, Trey Lyles who was also a top recruit, Devin Booker another highly ranked one and Tyler Ulis who was ranked top 50 ish.
 

hotelblue

Heisman
Jul 6, 2006
41,683
13,121
0
they have back the best offensive player in last year’s tournament. that’s going to get preseason love every time.
 

Mike-D

Heisman
Jul 14, 2001
50,443
75,612
113
Surprising to me honestly. They will be good again but it’s also entirely possible they look nothing like that tourney team and they just caught lightning in a bottle. Let’s remember Cronin also had all of those players during the regular season and it didn’t look like that.

This. That team was in a play-in game. Give me a break.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BourbonBalz

BourbonBalz

All-American
Mar 5, 2005
11,430
9,235
0
Quite similar to our 13-14 season. We all saw what happened the next year. I think it's folly to suggest that what they did in the post-season was "lightning in a bottle."

UCLA may well be a phenomenal team next year.
LOL. Comparing what UCLA will have this year to what we had in 2014-15 is well, not smart.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheOtherGreatOne

Mike-D

Heisman
Jul 14, 2001
50,443
75,612
113
LOL. Comparing what UCLA will have this year to what we had in 2014-15 is well, not smart.

Yeah, look at the NBA talent that UK team had and the amount of Freshman. Awful comparison.

Edit: nvm, thought he was talking about the 13-14 team that came on late. The 14-15 comparison is even dumber.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BourbonBalz

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,861
13,357
113
How is that similar at all? That next year we added the number 1 overall pick in the draft in KAT, Trey Lyles who was also a top recruit, Devin Booker another highly ranked one and Tyler Ulis who was ranked top 50 ish.
Team caught lightning in a bottle then added some great pieces the next year. I'm by no means saying the situations are the exact same. Obviously. They're merely similar in the modern 1-and-done era.

Team that made a dream run in the post-season after a very lackluster regular season returns key components and, AMAZINGLY, has the pieces to complement the upcoming recruiting class.

Is UCLA going to have a KAT or basically anyone like we did in the new recruiting class? Hell no. Are they going to have the same level of success we had? Also no. Just saying it's not a good idea to write them off this coming season because their post-season was a fluke. They got to the FF for a reason.
 

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,861
13,357
113
You’re the one that brought up the comparison, not me. Now you’re backpedaling.
I'm clarifying my point since some folks took what I said and completely misinterpreted it. Instead of asking questions and having a pleasant dialogue, it went straight to spiteful BS and attacks on intelligence. That's what this board is famous for, and the reason I quit following UK basketball as closely as I once did. Some fans make following the best program in college basketball an unpleasant endeavor.

That said, I hope you have a great day! Go Big Blue!
 
  • Love
Reactions: STL_Cat

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,861
13,357
113
UK wins close games and advance in the tourney, Rafters: “It will help us next year that we played these tough games.”

Another team wins close games and advance in the tourney, Rafters: “They got lucky and they won’t be able to make that kind of run next season.”

LOL!
It boggles the mind. Truly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: STL_Cat

SandyBell'sFaxMachine

All-Conference
Dec 3, 2020
1,532
2,477
113
Quite similar to our 13-14 season. We all saw what happened the next year. I think it's folly to suggest that what they did in the post-season was "lightning in a bottle."

UCLA may well be a phenomenal team next year.
So you don't think they make the final 4 this year? Because 14 made it further than 15 did and 15 added KAT Booker Ulis and Lyles and still didn't make it as far come tourney time
 

SandyBell'sFaxMachine

All-Conference
Dec 3, 2020
1,532
2,477
113
Didn’t say he needed to score more, he just needs to polish his all around game
Even playing as well as he did in the tournament for a whole season might give him all he needs. Show that he can do it year round instead of a good stretch
 
Last edited:

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,861
13,357
113
So you don't think they make the final 4 this year? Because 14 made it further than 15 did and 15 added KAT Booker Ulis and Lyles and still didn't make it as far come tourney time
I can't tell if this is sarcasm, but on the off chance it isn't, 15 was a demonstrably better team than 14, but happened to fall prey to an off game, a BS no-call, and the curse of a single-elim tourney. Such is life.
 

SandyBell'sFaxMachine

All-Conference
Dec 3, 2020
1,532
2,477
113
I can't tell if this is sarcasm, but on the off chance it isn't, 15 was a demonstrably better team than 14, but happened to fall prey to an off game, a BS no-call, and the curse of a single-elim tourney. Such is life.
Thats basketball. 15 obviously was better, they made a bigger improvement from a title game than UCLA did from a final 4. No guarantee they will be great
 
  • Like
Reactions: JPFisher

BourbonBalz

All-American
Mar 5, 2005
11,430
9,235
0
I'm clarifying my point since some folks took what I said and completely misinterpreted it. Instead of asking questions and having a pleasant dialogue, it went straight to spiteful BS and attacks on intelligence. That's what this board is famous for, and the reason I quit following UK basketball as closely as I once did. Some fans make following the best program in college basketball an unpleasant endeavor.

That said, I hope you have a great day! Go Big Blue!
I get what you’re saying, but don’t take it so serious. It’s just a message board. No disrespect intended.
 
  • Like
Reactions: christophero

christophero

Heisman
May 2, 2017
17,371
21,082
113
You need breaks to get to the FF no doubt. But UCLA is as equipped to get back there as anyone. I don't think any of their guys have transferred. The top 10 recruit is said to be a lottery pick as a wing. And the Rutgers transfer can back up Reily. They were also fairly young last year, so they will be much more experienced, and that usually helps with consistency. But it's all just on paper.
 

CatsIndy2010

Senior
Jan 27, 2010
1,948
742
0
Having Juzang back for UCLA, means that a lot of good players want to get better.

I think its good that you got players deciding to not go to the nba early. This trend should help us this year. But im not going to argue that UCLA has us beat in overall recruiting, we do pretty well.

Juzang wanted playing time, and probably the stress of KY basketball is worse than at UCLA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: christophero
KSR

Latest

  1. 01 KSR SEC bans former pros, gives Greg Sankey authority to suspend schools that violate the rule
  2. 02 KSR Kentucky football reveals Kroger Field upgrades for 2026
  3. 03 KSR 11 Personnel: No Huddle! with Former Kentucky Star Jeremy Jarmon
  4. 04 KSR The Big Ten's NFL ban could bring good news for Kentucky's Alex Afari
  5. 05 KSR Week 0 is here: One reason to watch all eight games