2019-20 Pac-12 preview: Oregon atop a deep conference
By Kim Doss
Can the Bruins challenge for the Final Four?
What happened last year?
As non-conference play unfolded last season, it was difficult to determine who the Bruins were. They went a mediocre 7-6 against a schedule that was solid, but not spectacular.
Things looked even worse when UCLA opened Pac-12 play with a 2-4 record. Sitting at 9-10 overall, it looked like the Bruins might miss the NCAA Tournament. Then, they turned it on, rolling out six straight wins and going 10-2 down the stretch.
In the Pac-12 Tournament, they opened with a win over ASU, then dropped an overtime affair to Oregon in the conference semifinals.
The Sweet Sixteen run in the NCAA Tournament included wins over Tennessee and Maryland before narrowly losing to Connecticut.
Key losses
The absences of scoring from Kennedy Burke (15.4 ppg) and Lajahna Drummer (9.0) scoring will certainly be felt. The pair of seniors were second and fourth on the team last season. On the boards, Drummer led the team with 8.6 rpg and Burke was third with 6.2 rpg.
The classes were very balanced in both numbers and talent, though. The Bruins are able to weather the storm of losses because of the continuity. Coach Cori Close and her staff have planned well enough that they don’t have to scramble.
Key returners
Junior Michaela Onyenwere and senior Japreece Dean will lead this team. They proved that they were more than capable last season.
Dean is especially pleased to be back for her fifth year.
“I really want to thank everyone who was involved in helping me get that year back,” she said. “That was a great feeling, and I was super excited. Just really the anticipation of this
season, I’m super excited, super excited about the freshmen and our returners. And I’m excited about what we’re going to do this year. I know we have high expectations. I’m just super excited to play again, so excited would probably be my word. Excited.”
Onyenwere emerged as the clearcut star last season with 18.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Her scoring led the team and she was a mere 0.1 rpg behind Drummer on the boards. She also led the team in blocks per game (0.9) while accounting for the second-most steals per game (1.1). She became just the second player in UCLA history to score at least 600 points.
Along with Burke and Onyenwere, Dean was one of the three Bruins who averaged double figures last year. Her 14.1 ppg were third and her 4.9 assists per game led the team.
Key additions
The Bruins brought in a class that ESPN ranked tenth in the nation. The 2019 group features not one but two of the top five point guard prospects. HoopGurlz ranked both among the top 25 prospects in the class.
“I always say that freshmen will hit the wall. It doesn’t matter,” Close said. “It’ll be a matter of who can get around the wall, over the wall, through the wall, because it is a hard transition. But I think this group has a chance to really be strong contributors.”
Jaden Owens, the No. 3 point guard and No. 13 overall player in the class, headlines the group. The McDonald’s All-American out of Plano West HIgh School in Plano, Texas averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game last season.
Close on her heels is ESPN’s No. 5 point guard and No. 22 overall player, Charisma Osborne. She averaged 21 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 3.2 steals on her way to being named to the McDonald’s All-American roster.
The Bruins also add the No. 28 guard Camryn Brown and the No. 13 forward Brynn Masikewich, both of whom are three-star recruits, to the fold.
“I think that we’ve really needed some size, and I think Brynn Masikewich has been a huge addition to us already,” Close said. “She’s getting healthy a little bit right now, but she has
already made a huge impact on our program, and I think that was maybe the biggest surprise I didn’t know. It was really fun to be over in Thailand coaching in USA Basketball because I got to watch her in competitive environments and be around her to see how she would transfer over. But I will tell you she has done better than I would even have hoped, and I was pretty excited going in.”
The Bruins’ fans will also get their first look at Natalie Chou. The former starter for Baylor sat out her transfer year last season.
Outlook for 2019-20
The coaches not only see the Bruins as a top-four team; they see very little difference between UCLA and No. 3 Oregon State. The question for the Bruins and Close is whether they can take the next step.
UCLA has been to four straight Sweet Sixteens. They were only able to advance to the Elite Eight in one of those seasons. Close is regularly honored with coaching awards. Her players are drafted by WNBA teams. Will this be the year they get to the Final Four?
The Bruins will be battle-tested by the time the postseason rolls around. If they hope to get beyond the Final Four, they will need everything to go their way. That includes a more favorable seed and bracket.
If they’re going to make the breakthrough that many think they can, they need to start next season like they ended 2019. Waiting until halfway through the season to put things together created a situation where they were sent across the country to play Tennessee, Maryland, and Connecticut. Onyenwere and company have the talent needed to avoid that. They just need to prove it.
The team behind them has different problems, but they’re “nothing they haven’t seen” before…