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The UCLA Bruins might enter the upcoming season with the most sheer talent of any team in the nation. Head coach Ben Howland was able to secure one of the nation's best recruiting classes, headlined by No. 1 prospect Shabazz Muhammad. Combine his talents on the wing with fellow freshman Kyle Anderson and post players Travis Wear, David Wear and Josh Smith and you can't help but like UCLA's chances in the Pac-12.
As preseason rankings begin coming out, many feel the Bruins are a top-15 team. Athlon Sports recently released their rankings and placed the Bruins at No. 12 on their list. That is second-best in the conference, only behind No. 7 Arizona.
The biggest issue for Howland and UCLA this year will be getting all their newcomers to mesh in his system. It's never easy to incorporate any freshmen to a program, let alone four top-100 recruits. Combine this with the uncertainty transfer point guard Larry Drew brings along with him from North Carolina and it'll likely take some time for the Bruins to figure it out next season.