This week it's a review of the UCLA Bruins, the team headed by the controversial Kathy Olivier, also known here as KO.
UCLA suffered the most losses through graduation/transfer of any Pac10 team. Gone are 2/3 of the Terrific Trio, Nikki Blue and Lisa Willis. Also gone is solid backup Guard Ortal Oren. And to compound the losses, potential Point Guard Lauren Pedersen transferred out during the summer.
On the other hand, Noelle Quinn returns for her senior season, climaxing a wonderful career at UCLA. She will move from Wing to Point Guard, and certainly be the leader of this team. As KO said, "It's Noelle's Team."
The leader, 6-0 senior Noelle Quinn will start at Point Guard and move to the 2 when 5-9 freshman Jerica Williams enters the game. Noelle averaged 18 points per game last season, and while Blue was the full time PG, Noelle also averaged 3.8 assists per game. This is an extremely solid number, reflecting her outstanding court vision.
The other starting Guard will be 5-10 sophomore, Tierra Henderson. Tierra only scored a point a game while playing just 10 minutes a game last season, but the Bruins and their fans are high on her. Keep in mind that with Willis and Blue playing 34 minutes per game last year, there wasn't much playing time for many.
Others who will vie for playing time at the Guard positions include 5-10 freshman Amy Horton, a big time scorer in High School, and seldom used 5-8 senior Shaina Zaidi. An interesting note, KO's daughter, 5-8 freshman Alexis Olivier has walked on to the team.
There are only three true post players on this team; 6-3 sophomore Chinyere Ibekwe and 6-6 freshman Moniquee Alexander lead the way. Ibekwe averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds per game in only 12 minutes per game as a freshman. In my very humble opinion, she was the cause of UCLA's defeating Stanford in the Pac10 Tournament finals. She's a banger with a tremendous amount of desire and hustle. Ibekwe could also play the 4, when Moniquee (Double E) moves into the Center position. In UCLA's first game, an 87-62 win over UCSB yesterday, Double E scored 8 points, grabbed 10 rebounds in only 14 minutes. She also had a frosh-like 5 turnovers. The backup will be 6-4 senior Consuelo Lezcano who played only 18 games and 6 minutes per last season while fighting injuries.
The starter at the 4, and maybe the 3 down the road is 6-4 junior Lindsey Pluimer. Lindsey is not a banger, but she grabbed 11 rebounds in the Bruins' first game. She was highly recruited, including by Stanford. Lindsey has had to guard a post player during her UCLA career, but this year she may get to play more wing, and really display her talents. Last year she averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds per game. However Quinn was their leading rebounder at a very good 8 per game, and it remains to be seen if UCLA can afford to play both Pluimer and Quinn outside.
For now, maybe, the starter at the 4 is 6-1 senior Amanda Livingston. Amanda saw plenty of action last season, 19 minutes per game, but had only 6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. However, as so often happens, the fact that Amanda knows she will play could give her increased confidence and a solid increase in productivity.
Other Forwards are 6-2 senior Julia Pitts, who has often been injured and remains so as of this writing, and 6-0 freshman Erica Latimer, a top recruit who will see considerable playing time.
Kathy gets the players, but the loss of Point Guard Ashlee Trebilcock, a top 25 high school player, who transferred out after playing four games last season, will haunt this team. However superstar Quinn and extremely solid players like Pluimer will keep UCLA in the top half of the Pac10.
Recruiting: KO did extremely well in recruiting this year. Her class has been ranked as high as 8th nationally. We all write her off, and she comes back with a great class.
No 5-Star players, but five 4-star recruits and a 3-star recruit make this six player class one of the deepest in the nation. Leading the way is #6 Center in the US, 6-4 Regina Rogers. Lots has been said about her need to get into shape, but KO also landed her high school teammate, 6-3, #11 F, Christina Nzekwe. Christina, is a sleek and very athletic Post type player.
Other recruits include #22 F, 6-4 Candice Brown; #43 Guard, 6-1 Nina Earl; #52 Guard 5-10 Doreena Campbell and 3-Star Guard, 5-8 Darxia Morris.
All six players are ranked in the 40-90 area nationally. Quite a year recruiting, and KO convinced a number of other top players to visit. The allure of Westwood remains strong.
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