UCLA Bruins Being Haunted By Familiar Problems

The UCLA Bruins are seeing some very familiar issues persist in the early stages of the 2024-25 college basketball season.

Nov 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) drives to the basket as Rider Broncs guard Ruben Rodriguez (2) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins entered the 2024-25 college basketball season with considerable expectations thanks to a wave of impressive transfers that made their way to Hollywood.

There is no doubt that UCLA is talented. Heck, some were saying that this was the best Bruins roster since Lonzo Ball was on the squad in 2016-17.

And you know what? It's possible.

UCLA went just 16-17 last season, but it entered the year ranked 22nd in the preseason AP poll (the Bruins are obviously sure to drop now). Clearly, many felt good about the team.

But UCLA has already been dealt a rather deflating blow, as the Bruins fell to New Mexico by a score of 72-64 in their second game of the year.

So, what exactly was the culprit in the Bruins' loss?

A familiar foe: poor outside shooting.

UCLA shot just 5-of-23 from three-point range against New Mexico, with Tyler Bilodeau (2-for-7) representing the only Bruins player who made more than one triple.

Remember: last year, shaky perimeter shooting was a regular theme for UCLA, which connected on just 33.2 percent of its long-range attempts as a team. That was good for 213th in the nation.

That isn't going to cut it, especially in a modern era of basketball that is beginning to focus more and more on the three-point line.

Heck, the Bruins weren't exactly great from downtown during their season-opening win over Rider, either, as they went a pedestrian 10-for-29 from deep.

It was Rider, so UCLA was able to win by 35 regardless, but once the Bruins start playing better opponents (like New Mexico, for example), the lack of consistent shooting is going to become a significant problem.

Now, it must be said that UCLA's roster is entirely different from last season's, so a direct comparison is not entirely fair.

But sometimes, issues start to transcend different roster combinations. Once a problem manifests, there are instances where it continues to persist.

Let's hope that isn't happening to the Bruins this season.

UCLA will look to right the ship when it takes on Boston University on Monday night. This upcoming stretch of games will be pivotal for the Bruins to gain some traction.

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