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UCLA basketball roster

UCLA players Tony Parker, from left, Kyle Anderson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jordan Adams pose for a photo after an NCAA college basketball news conference at the UCLA campus on Oct. 10, 2012.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
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UCLA BASKETBALL ROSTER

Starters

David Wear, 6-10, Jr., F: Bulked up this off-season. Should spend more time on the wing in pick-and-roll situations in transition. A mid-range jump shot would come in handy.

Travis Wear, 6-10, Jr., F: Has shorter hair than his brother, but with a similar game and build. Ben Howland will feature the twins from Santa Ana Mater Dei High as much as possible.

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Norman Powell, 6-4, So., G: Stout defender is expected to make a large leap into prominence this season — an even bigger jump than he took when soaring over Larry Drew in a recent dunk contest.

Larry Drew, 6-2, Sr., G: Speedy North Carolina transfer can push the tempo and brings leadership to a young roster. But he’ll need to shake off rust from sitting out a season.

Kyle Anderson, 6-9, Fr., G: The last time a touted point guard this tall hit L.A., it was Magic Johnson. But the player nicknamed “Slow-Mo” will need to pick up the pace to bring “Showtime” to Westwood.

Reserves

Jordan Adams, 6-5, Fr., G: The best marksman on the roster, according to Howland. When teams pack their defenses inside, look for Adams spotting up outside.

David Brown, 6-3, So., G: Tied Mater Dei record with nine steals in a game but will find it hard to steal minutes away from his teammates this season.

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Sooren Derboghosian, 6-10, Jr., C: The correct pronunciation is SOO-ren dair-boh-GHO-see-uhn. The Glendale College transfer adds bulk to the frontcourt.

Adria Gasol, 6-10, Fr., C: Younger brother to a pair of NBA All-Stars looks more like Pau than Marc, but his game is much further behind. Didn’t make the roster for the team’s trip to China.

Nick Kazemi, 6-2, So., G: Played two minutes last season. With new freshman class, topping that number won’t be easy.

Tyler Lamb, 6-5, Jr., G: Versatile veteran played in every game last season but underwent knee surgery in October. Howland hopes to have him available Friday night.

Khalid McCaskill, 6-6, Fr., G: Harlem native was a redshirt last season.

Shabazz Muhammad, 6-6, Fr., G/F: Everyone wanted him, UCLA got him. Considered a potential NBA lottery pick, but the NCAA has yet to determine whether he’ll ever play for UCLA.

Tony Parker, 6-9, Fr., F/C: A markedly different player from the San Antonio Spurs star of the same name. If Josh Smith can’t stay out of foul trouble, the 275-pound Parker could get a lot of playing time.

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Josh Smith, 6-10, Jr., C: Smith could be the most dominant center on the West Coast if he were in better shape. Will this season be different? The early returns offer little optimism.

Josh Thomas, 6-7, So., F: Played one season of volleyball in high school, but, thus far, not much basketball in college.

Aubrey Williams, 5-8, Jr., G: His UCLA biography so far lists only his high school achievements.

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