I initially shrugged off UCLA’s poor performance at the Anaheim Classic. “It’s UCLA,” I said. “They’ll figure something out.” After another beat-down at the hands of Mississippi State, perhaps the Bruins won’t figure something out. It’s apparent that this team simply doesn’t have much talent, which is unbelievable considering the type of high school prospects Ben Howland has access too. Right now, UCLA is led by a cast of role players. Michael Roll, for example, has never averaged more than 20 minutes per game in any of his first three seasons but somehow leads the team in scoring this year. Malcolm Lee hasn’t panned out. Drew Gordon just decided to transfer. And Nikola Dragovic has battled legal issues. It’s shameful what’s occurring at UCLA right now, and it’s frankly inexplicable. Even in a poor Pac-10 conference, the Bruins don’t even look like an upper-half team in that conference.

Thought 3: Hey Deon, don’t miss it!