Bruins' Depth is Unmatched Amongst the Nation's Top Teams

The UCLA Bruins are one of the most experienced and deepest teams in all of college basketball this season and have shown it in the past several games to the fullest extent. On any given night, any player on the roster can be the star.

Dec 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Dylan Andrews (2) shoots the ball against Prairie View A&M Panthers guard Jordan Tillmon (1) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (10-1) are riding a nine-game win streak behind some impressive play from not one or two players, but the entire team. They have found a way to incorporate every player on the roster into being a major threat in any given contest and have shown their ability to distribute scoring.

Over the Bruins' first 11 games of the season, they have seen six different players lead the team in scoring. That is a very uncommon stat for any college basketball team, as maybe two, three or possibly four different players may lead the team at any given point during the year.

The fact that the Bruins have a large handful of scoring threats across the floor and ones that have not yet led the team is a scary thought for opposing teams, specifically in the Big Ten.

Despite the Bruins only have two players that are averaging over 10 points per game: junior forward Tyler Bilodeau (14.1) and sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. (11.6). Nine of the 12 players on their roster are averaging five or more points per game.

The depth and distribution of the basketball is something that most teams in the college basketball realm dream about, but Coach Mick Cronin has put that team together this year. The power of the transfer portal is shining through as multiple players rise as key stars for this team.

Bruins junior guard Dylan Andrews posted his first season-high on Tuesday with a 21-point and six assists performance against Prairie View A&M at Pauley Pavilion. After the game, he spoke on what makes this team so great and their ability to have any single player be the star, no matter what game it is.

"Everybody on this team is a potential leading scorer," Andrews said. "On this team, it could be anybody's night, especially when we go to New York. It could be Eric Dailey's night, it could be Kobe's [Johnson] night, it could be Skyy's [Clark] night, that's what I love about this team. Everybody's ready when their name is called."

The Bruins will continue to rely on their ability to share the basketball and let any single player on their roster have a big night offensively. They will need to maintain that focus this Saturday as they travel to Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels (6-5).

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