Pac-12 Preview: Will 7 teams make the NCAA tournament again?
By Ben Dull
UCLA Bruins
Jordin Canada, Monique Billings and the UCLA Bruins captured a WNIT championship in 2015. The duo that headlined a top-ranked recruiting class will aim to go out with a bang. The 2017-2018 season will be Cori Close‘s seventh as head coach of the Bruins. Close and the Bruins welcome four true freshmen to campus in addition to three redshirts and one transfer.
More on the Bruins:
Numbers & notes
25-9 overall in ’16-’17, 13-5 (4th) in Pac-12, eliminated in Sweet 16 by UConn
UCLA is coming off two straight Sweet 16 appearances.
UCLA was picked first in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll, receiving 7 of 12 first-place votes.
The Bruins also came out on top of the media’s preseason poll, receiving 14 of 21 first-place votes.
UCLA was ranked 8th in the country in the AP’s preseason Top 25 poll.
Jordin Canada and Monique Billings each earned All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defense honors in ’16-’17.
Canada and Billings were members of the 2017 USA Basketball U23 Women’s National Team, which went 3-0 in August in Japan.
The Bruins return four starters from last season.
Departures
Kari Korver — 8.6 PPG, 34.8 3PT%, 28.9 MPG, started all 34 games
Nicole Kornet — 7.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 20.7 MPG, appeared in all 34 games
Paulina Hersler (14.1 MPG, appeared in all 34 games) transferred to Florida, where she will be eligible immediately after graduating from UCLA in the spring with a degree in communication studies.
Returners
Jordin Canada, G (Sr) — 17.9 PPG, 7.1 APG, 5.2 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 34.5 MPG (led team), ’16-’17 honorable mention AP All-American, ’17-’18 preseason All-Pac-12
Monique Billings, F (Sr) — 16.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.9 BPG, 1.8 SPG, ’17-’18 preseason All-Pac-12
Kennedy Burke, G (Jr) — 12.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG, All-Pac-12 honorable mention in ’16-’17
Kelli Hayes, G (Sr) — 5.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Lindsey Corsaro (G, RS Fr) and Lajahna Drummer (F, RS Jr) return to action after redshirting last season with undisclosed injuries. Both received hardship waivers from the NCAA. Junior Chrissy Baird (G, RS Jr) also redshirted last season.
“Lajahnja is a huge thing for us,” Close said at media day. “Rebounding I think was probably the determining factor. We had an eight-minute period in our Sweet Sixteen game that we didn’t get a rebound, and that was the turning point. Outside of that eight-minute segment, which you can’t have at that level, but Lajahnja’s never had an eight-minute segment where she didn’t get a rebound.
“So I’m excited to have her back and healthy. She also has a new maturity about her. She’s expanded her range, so that really helps someone like Monique, for instance. They can play off of each other a lot when we can spread the floor out, combined with their athleticism,” Close said of the junior forward.
Reserves Ally Rosenblum (F, So), Ashley Hearn (F, Jr) and Dominique Williams (G, RS Sr) also return for the Bruins.
Fresh faces
Junior guard Japreece Dean is now eligible to play for UCLA after arriving from Texas Tech last year. Dean played in two games in ’16-’17 before transferring and sitting out the remainder of the season.
Chantel Horvat, G (top 20 prospect in the 2017 class)
Michaelea Onyenwere, F (McDonald’s All-American, 3-time Colorado player of the year)
Kayla Owens, G (2017 McDonald’s All-American nominee, participated in Team USA U17 trials in 2016 and Team USA U16 trials in 2015)
Lauryn Miller, F (2017 McDonald’s All-American nominee, Gatorade Missouri State Player of the Year)
“I think we are pleasantly surprised to say that our freshmen have unexpectedly brought this sort of really fun, bold joy. They’re really unafraid. They really go after things, and they’re mature beyond their years,” Close said of her incoming freshman class.
5 games to watch
November 18 v. Baylor, time TBD (Pac-12 Networks)
November 21 v. UConn, 7:30 PM PST (ESPNU)
January 21 v. Stanford, 3:00 PM PST (Pac-12 Networks)
February 16 @ Oregon State, 8:00 PM PST (Pac-12 Networks)
February 19 @ Oregon, 7:00 PM PST (ESPN)
The two marquee November non-conference dates need no explanation. After the calendar turns, UCLA will host Stanford. The Bruins went 16-0 at home last season; will that streak still be alive after that date? Finally, go ahead and circle the team’s four day swing through Oregon. UCLA only lost back-to-back games twice last season — in January against Washington/Washington State and in February against Oregon/Oregon State. The Bruins will be in the state of Oregon once again in February with the Pac-12 Tournament right around the corner.