UCLA v. Rutgers Preview

The team’s top player is NJIT transfer, junior guard Tariq Francis (6’1″, 180 lbs.). It took a bit for Francis’ game to get accustomed to playing at the high-major level, even early in the season when Rutgers was playing (and losing to) some low-major cupcakes. However, the last several weeks he has come on and been one of the best players at the guard position in the Big Ten. He leads the team in scoring at 16.7 PPG. He isn’t shooting well overall for the season, sitting at below 44% from the floor and less than 33% from behind the arc, but again, those numbers have been trending up lately. He is coming off a 10-19, 26 point performance in a three-point loss to USC in Rutgers’ last game. He is a very good free throw shooter, hitting 89% from the line. his lateral quickness, which is something the Bruins will have to deal with. He also has quick hands, which allows him to get deflections and some of the 22 steals he has on the season. He is a physically slight player, though, and can get bossed around physically.

After Francis, Pikiell’s most important player is probably a sophomore Dylan Grant (6’8″, 220 lbs.). Grant is second on the team in scoring at 11.2 PPG and second in rebounding at 4.8 RPG. Grant would probably be a more pronounced scorer if he was able to get more shot attempts, but Francis is clearly the alpha in that category. Francis has taken 274 shots on the season. Grant is second on the team in shot attempts with 181, which is almost 100 behind Francis. Grant is a more successful shooter, hitting 46% of his shots overall and 36% of his three-pointers. He is a ‘plus’ athlete with good lift and a willing defense. The clearest way to describe him to Bruin fans would be that he is a better version of UCLA’s Brandon Williams. They are very similar players.