![]() will be the Bruin to breakout in the scoring column in 2021-2022. The Robin to Juzang’s Batman in the NCAA tournament a year ago, Jaime Jaquez Jr. executes a reverse layup against CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday. His scoring remaining stagnant may be an unwelcome sight to some, but make no mistake, Juzang is still in for a big year in 2021-2022.ġ.4 SPG Junior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. Look to see Juzang become more of a playmaker – either by choice or by defenses forcing him to give up the ball – while he increases his focus and energy defensively. He’s healthier, has said he is in the best shape of his life and has been working on becoming a more complete player in the offseason after submitting his name for the early NBA Draft process. The situation just isn’t conducive to Juzang becoming the scoring star the nation wants him to be.īut the junior guard will still have a better season than he did a year ago. UCLA’s roster will also have more offensive talent than it had a year ago, and so most players will have to sacrifice a little bit for the betterment of the team. Even if this year’s Bruin squad marks Cronin’s best offensive team in recent memory, Juzang would likely have to score more than a quarter of his team’s points on the season to hit the 20 point-per-game plateau. UCLA averaged 73.4 points per game a year ago, and since Cronin started at Cincinnati ahead of the 2006-2007 season, his offenses have never put up more than 75 points per contest. However, there are only so many points to go around. This isn’t to say Juzang won’t have another standout season donning the blue and gold, as he will still have the ball in his hands at the end of games, and Cronin will rely on him whenever his offense needs a boost. After pacing UCLA in scoring a year ago, the expectation is that the Kentucky transfer will leap into college basketball stardom and lead the Bruins to even more success this season.īut perhaps unfairly, this will raise Juzang’s scoring expectations to a level he can’t possibly be expected to live up to. Juzang was named to multiple preseason All-American teams and is seen as a trendy preseason pick for Pac-12 Player of the Year. What will Johnny Juzang’s role look like after his legendary March run? Where can the rest of the veteran mainstays build upon last season’s success? How will coach Mick Cronin integrate his two newcomers? Daily Bruin Sports answers these questions and more by looking at the future, predicting what’s to come for UCLA’s five most intriguing players entering the new season.Īfter a Final Four run in which he led the Bruins with 22.8 points per game across six contests, the national spotlight will be back in Westwood with a focus on the junior guard. ![]() 2 UCLA men’s basketball returns all 10 rotation players from its Final Four team a year ago, but many questions now surround the 2021-2022 version of the Bruins. ![]()
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