UCLA's Schedule Ranked 12th Toughest In Nation

By Bruin Basketball Report

What do college basketball teams: Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Villanova, Gonzaga, Illinois, Washington, and Pittsburgh have in common?

All of them are Top 10 ranked teams; in addition, they all have WEAKER strength of schedules than UCLA.

A weaker strength of schedule than UCLA? Is it possible?

From outlets such as the Los Angeles Times to ESPN, college basketball pundits have repeatedly criticized UCLA for their weak strength of schedule this year.

Former UCLA coach Steve Lavin (via Bruins Nation):

"My only concern is the Bruins have not been tested enough because of their soft non-conference schedule."

Yet, the claim of a weak schedule is a complete and utter fallacy.

According to both CBS Sportsline and Ken Pomeroy ratings, the Bruins have the 12th toughest strength of schedule in the nation. In contrast, No.1 Connecticut has the 72nd ranked strength of schedule.

One wonders if so-called college basketball pundits are neglecting to do their research, or simply just expressing their own opinions.

More from former UCLA coach Steve Lavin (via Bruins Nation):

I've always been a big proponent of playing a schedule that has a balanced schedule of opponents that will allow a team to build the confidence, yet also have enough challenging games against the best competition in the country in order to gain a true sense of your team's strengths and vulnerabilities.

The sooner a coach is able to discover his team's vulnerable areas, the quicker he can do the drill work necessary in practice to neutralize or off set team weaknesses. As a result, the staff and players collectively can build a better and stronger team come March.

We'll let history speak for itself.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)