Potential UCLA Position Battles To Watch

The first position battle worth mentioning — and one that could define UCLA’s season — is how the power forward position is handled. Right now, UCLA has a lot of players competing for that role, including Brandon Williams, Filip Jovic, Joe Philon, and Sergej Macura. Because of that, things could get messy when deciding who the starter will be.

But the more realistic battle at the position will likely come down to Philon and Jovic. Both players possess skill sets that fit the role well, but there are also major differences between them. Because of that, the power forward spot may never truly be consistent.

If Philon develops significantly throughout the offseason, he could eventually earn the starting spot. More realistically, though, that opportunity would come later in the season if Jovic struggles to meet expectations and Philon shows real growth. This is definitely a battle worth monitoring.

Freeny vs. Petty: Starting Shooting Guard

The next position battle that could emerge is at shooting guard. UCLA’s guard room is beginning to fill up, highlighted by Trent Perry, Jaylen Petty, Azavier Robinson, and Eric Freeny. But the real battle in question is between Freeney and Petty.

Last season, Freeny proved to be an excellent rotational piece late in the year. His defensive prowess, combined with flashes offensively, gave fans real hope that UCLA could see a much larger version of Freeney next season. But at the same time, UCLA just brought in a very talented guard in Petty.

Petty’s offensive game is elite when he is playing at his best. Not only is he a great scorer, but he also rebounds very well. However, if Petty struggles early adjusting to Mick Cronin’s system and becomes a defensive liability, there is little doubt Freeney could push for the starting shooting guard role.

Xavier Booker vs. Filip Jovic vs. Sergej Macura: Triple Threat for Center

The one position group that still has not been adequately addressed this offseason is center. Because of that, Xavier Booker will most likely be the starter. But as we saw last season, his role can change quickly depending on his on-court production.

Right now, Booker may feel comfortable because UCLA does not have another true center. But the Bruins do have a lot of depth in the frontcourt. That means we could potentially see Macura or Jovic jump ahead of Booker in the depth chart if things do not go Booker's way.

At the moment, Booker is in a comfortable position. But as mentioned earlier, if he struggles defensively and is not the anchor Cronin envisioned, his role could change quickly. The ball is in Booker’s court, but there is still a strong possibility that the role gets reduced after a few rough performances.

The bottom line is UCLA has a lot of talent, which is a very good thing. But it could also heavily affect how the lineup changes from game to game. If consistency is not found early, the Bruins could find themselves in a very ugly situation throughout the season.