Tuesday, November 6
Los Angeles, CA
6:00 PM
UCLA
vs
Purdue Fort Wayne
Jaylen Hands (photo by Don Liebig)
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
No. 21/20 UCLA Opens Season on Tuesday Evening
November 01, 2018 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – No. 21/20 UCLA will open its regular-season schedule against Purdue Fort Wayne on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Game time is 6 p.m. (PT) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins will play four consecutive home games before traveling to Las Vegas the week of Thanksgiving.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom (13,800)
Tipoff Time: 6:02 p.m. (PT)
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: J.B. Long (play-by-play), Don MacLean (analyst)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS/XM Radio Channels: Ch. 105 / Ch. 197
SIRIUS App Channel: Ch. 959
DOWNLOAD THE UCLA APP
Be sure to download the UCLA Bruins Mobile App to your device, free of charge (download here). The official app of UCLA Athletics allows fans to receive in-game stats and live updates during events. Fans can also sign up to receive push notifications about gameday promotions, game times, live scoring and more. Fans can shop for UCLA gear with one click in addition to getting breaking news from UCLA Athletics. When searching iTunes or Google Play, use the term "UCLA Bruins" for more direct access.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets to UCLA's upcoming home games by clicking here. Fans can also purchase tickets by visiting uclabruins.com/tickets or by calling (310) 206-5991.
KEY NOTES ABOUT UCLA
The Bruins return five of their eight rotation players from last season's team, a squad that went 21-12 overall en route to the NCAA Tournament's "First Four" in Dayton, Ohio. Redshirt juniors Prince Ali and Alex Olesinski, along with sophomores Kris Wilkes and Chris Smith, played in all 33 games last season. Sophomore Jaylen Hands played in 31 of 33 games. This year's team brings in eight freshmen – six true freshmen and a pair of redshirt freshmen (Jalen Hill and Cody Riley).
Both Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands chose to return to UCLA for their sophomore seasons in May after having gone through the NBA's evaluation process prior to June's NBA Draft. Wilkes and Hands represented UCLA's program at Pac-12 men's basketball media day on Thursday, Oct. 11, and they will play even more prominent roles for the Bruins this season. Wilkes averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while Hands registered 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
UCLA defeated New York Institute of Technology in an exhibition game, 125-73, on Saturday, Oct. 27, in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Junior guard Prince Ali scored a team-leading 25 points to lead a group of six UCLA players who scored in double figures. Freshman center Moses Brown shot 8-for-9 from the field, totaling 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 20 minutes. Sophomore guard Jaylen Hands had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the victory.
Junior guard Prince Ali enters his fourth year in the program and will begin his third year on the court. Ali averaged 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season, playing in all 33 games (making 22 starts). He shot 44.0 percent from the field and made 36.0 percent of his three-point attempts. Hailing from The Bronx in New York City, Ali redshirted the 2016-17 season (his second year at UCLA) after having sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee in July 2016.
Steve Alford enters his sixth season as The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. Hired as the Bruins' head coach in March 2013, he has guided the program to an overall record of 117-57 the previous five years. UCLA has made four trips to the NCAA Tournament (and three Sweet 16 appearances) under Coach Alford. In addition, the Bruins have produced 11 NBA Draft selections during Coach Alford's five years as the program's head coach.
SEASON OPENERS
UCLA has compiled a 4-1 record in season-opening games under head coach Steve Alford. Last season, the Bruins edged Georgia Tech, 63-60, in the team's season opener that was played in Shanghai, China. Kris Wilkes scored a game-high 18 points for UCLA in that win, making his collegiate debut. In addition, Jaylen Hands finished with 14 points and four rebounds in the victory over Georgia Tech. The Bruins have never faced Purdue Fort Wayne in men's basketball.
ABOUT PURDUE FORT WAYNE
After compiling an 18-15 overall record last season, Purdue Fort Wayne enters the 2018-19 campaign with two of its five starters back from last year's team. The Mastodons finished in fourth place in the Summit League standings last year, going 7-7 in league play. Bruins' head coach Steve Alford has never faced Purdue Fort Wayne, which enters its 18th season as an NCAA Division I program.
FROM LONG DISTANCE
In the past two seasons, UCLA has shot the No. 1 percentage from 3-point territory of any Pac-12 team. With Lonzo Ball and Bryce Alford in 2016-17, the Bruins shot 40.6 percent from 3-point range. In 2017-18, after losing Ball and Alford along with Isaac Hamilton and TJ Leaf, the Bruins shot 38.1 percent from 3-point distance, a mark that still ranked No. 1 in the conference. Aaron Holiday led the Bruins last season by shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point territory.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
UCLA established its program record for most attempted 3-pointers (872) and made 3-pointers (354) in 2016-17. Last season, the Bruins came close. UCLA made its second-most 3-pointers in program history (310) and recorded its second-highest total of 3-point attempts (813).
STANDING TALL
UCLA's 16-person roster includes eight players who measure at least 6-foot-8. Incoming freshman Moses Brown (7-foot-1, 245 pounds) is the Bruins' tallest player since the late Mike Lanier (7-foot-7, 310 pounds) competed as a reserve center for UCLA in 1991-92 and 1992-93. UCLA's Jalen Hill and Alex Olesinski are both 6-foot-10, while Kenneth Nwuba, Cody Riley, Shareef O'Neal and Chris Smith all stand at 6-foot-9. Kris Wilkes rounds out the group at 6-foot-8.
PLAYER-BY-PLAYER NOTES
- Redshirt junior Prince Ali enters the season as UCLA's most experienced college player, by minutes played (1099 total minutes in 62 career games) ... Ali averaged 9.1 points per game last season after having missed the 2016-17 season.
- Redshirt junior Alex Olesinski averaged 4.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game last season ... hailing from Roswell, N.M., Olesinski sustained a stress fracture in his right foot in late Sept. 2018 (will be sidelined 2-3 months).
- Sophomore Jaylen Hands played in 31 of the team's 33 games last season and made 15 starts ... Hands averaged 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds as a freshman ... Hands, who hails from San Diego, was a McDonald's All-American in 2017.
- Sophomore Chris Smith averaged 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in all 33 games ... he was born in the Chicago before his family moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth region ... he scored in double figures scored in three of UCLA's games last season.
- Sophomore Kris Wilkes secured Pac-12 All-Freshman Team acclaim last season ... he averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in all 33 games (32 starts) ... Wilkes tallied at least 20 points in six games as a freshman.
- Redshirt frehman Jalen Hill did not play in 2017-18 ... the 6-foot-10 forward starred at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif. ... he registered team-high averages of 18.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game during his senior year of high school.
- Redshirt freshman Cody Riley did not play in 2017-18 ... the 6-foot-9 forward excelled at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif. ... Riley was ranked the No. 32 player in his high school class, nationally, during the 2016-17 school year.
- Freshman Moses Brown (Queens, N.Y.) is a 7-foot-1 center who was a McDonald's All-American last spring ... Brown excelled at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, averaging 26.0 points and 17.0 rebounds per game as a senior.
- Freshman Jules Bernard (Los Angeles) graduated from Windward School ... as a senior, he averaged 26.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game ... the 6-foot-6 guard was ranked as the No. 38 player in his high school class by Rivals.com.
- Freshman Tyger Campbell (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) spent his three years of high school at La Lumiere School in Indiana ... Campbell sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in Oct. 2018 and will not play for UCLA this season.
- Freshman Kenneth Nwuba (Lagos, Nigeria) is a 6-foot-9 forward who spent his final season of high school at Huntington Prep in West Virginia ... Nwuba averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game last season.
- Freshman Shareef O'Neal (Los Angeles) spent his final two seasons of high school at Crossroads School ... O'Neal was ranked as the No. 32 player, nationally, in his high school class by ESPN.com ... he will not play this season (medical).
- Freshman David Singleton (Los Angeles) was named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of California after a four-year career competing for Bishop Montgomery High School ... Singleton averaged 23.8 points per game last season.
THE BRUINS' FRONTCOURT
Last season, UCLA ranked No. 28 in the nation in rebounds per game (38.8) and finished the year No. 11 in defensive rebounds per game (28.6). The Bruins will rely on freshman center Moses Brown, redshirt freshmen Jalen Hill and Cody Riley, redshirt junior Alex Olesinski and freshman forward Kenneth Nwuba. Those five players will be responsible for replacing the production of graduates Thomas Welsh and G.G. Goloman, a pair of players who were at UCLA for four seasons.
GLANCING AT THE GUARDS
UCLA's returning guards from last season's team include junior Prince Ali (6-foot-4) and sophomores Jaylen Hands (6-foot-3), Kris Wilkes (6-foot-8) and Chris Smith (6-foot-9). All four guards played major minutes in 2017-18 and are expected to play even larger roles for UCLA this season. Also pushing for playing time at the shooting guard positions are freshmen Jules Bernard (6-foot-6) and David Singleton (6-foot-4), both hailing from the Los Angeles area.
HOME COOKIN'
UCLA went 14-2 at home last season and has won 30 of 33 games in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom over the past two seasons. During the 2016-17 season, UCLA went 16-1 at home. Last season, the Bruins' only home losses came against No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 16, 2017 and to Pac-12 foe Colorado on Jan. 13. Since UCLA renovated Pauley Pavilion prior to the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have tallied an overall home record of 88-15 (logging an 85.4 winning percentage).
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom (13,800)
Tipoff Time: 6:02 p.m. (PT)
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: J.B. Long (play-by-play), Don MacLean (analyst)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS/XM Radio Channels: Ch. 105 / Ch. 197
SIRIUS App Channel: Ch. 959
DOWNLOAD THE UCLA APP
Be sure to download the UCLA Bruins Mobile App to your device, free of charge (download here). The official app of UCLA Athletics allows fans to receive in-game stats and live updates during events. Fans can also sign up to receive push notifications about gameday promotions, game times, live scoring and more. Fans can shop for UCLA gear with one click in addition to getting breaking news from UCLA Athletics. When searching iTunes or Google Play, use the term "UCLA Bruins" for more direct access.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets to UCLA's upcoming home games by clicking here. Fans can also purchase tickets by visiting uclabruins.com/tickets or by calling (310) 206-5991.
KEY NOTES ABOUT UCLA
The Bruins return five of their eight rotation players from last season's team, a squad that went 21-12 overall en route to the NCAA Tournament's "First Four" in Dayton, Ohio. Redshirt juniors Prince Ali and Alex Olesinski, along with sophomores Kris Wilkes and Chris Smith, played in all 33 games last season. Sophomore Jaylen Hands played in 31 of 33 games. This year's team brings in eight freshmen – six true freshmen and a pair of redshirt freshmen (Jalen Hill and Cody Riley).
Both Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands chose to return to UCLA for their sophomore seasons in May after having gone through the NBA's evaluation process prior to June's NBA Draft. Wilkes and Hands represented UCLA's program at Pac-12 men's basketball media day on Thursday, Oct. 11, and they will play even more prominent roles for the Bruins this season. Wilkes averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while Hands registered 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
UCLA defeated New York Institute of Technology in an exhibition game, 125-73, on Saturday, Oct. 27, in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Junior guard Prince Ali scored a team-leading 25 points to lead a group of six UCLA players who scored in double figures. Freshman center Moses Brown shot 8-for-9 from the field, totaling 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 20 minutes. Sophomore guard Jaylen Hands had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the victory.
Junior guard Prince Ali enters his fourth year in the program and will begin his third year on the court. Ali averaged 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season, playing in all 33 games (making 22 starts). He shot 44.0 percent from the field and made 36.0 percent of his three-point attempts. Hailing from The Bronx in New York City, Ali redshirted the 2016-17 season (his second year at UCLA) after having sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee in July 2016.
Steve Alford enters his sixth season as The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. Hired as the Bruins' head coach in March 2013, he has guided the program to an overall record of 117-57 the previous five years. UCLA has made four trips to the NCAA Tournament (and three Sweet 16 appearances) under Coach Alford. In addition, the Bruins have produced 11 NBA Draft selections during Coach Alford's five years as the program's head coach.
SEASON OPENERS
UCLA has compiled a 4-1 record in season-opening games under head coach Steve Alford. Last season, the Bruins edged Georgia Tech, 63-60, in the team's season opener that was played in Shanghai, China. Kris Wilkes scored a game-high 18 points for UCLA in that win, making his collegiate debut. In addition, Jaylen Hands finished with 14 points and four rebounds in the victory over Georgia Tech. The Bruins have never faced Purdue Fort Wayne in men's basketball.
ABOUT PURDUE FORT WAYNE
After compiling an 18-15 overall record last season, Purdue Fort Wayne enters the 2018-19 campaign with two of its five starters back from last year's team. The Mastodons finished in fourth place in the Summit League standings last year, going 7-7 in league play. Bruins' head coach Steve Alford has never faced Purdue Fort Wayne, which enters its 18th season as an NCAA Division I program.
FROM LONG DISTANCE
In the past two seasons, UCLA has shot the No. 1 percentage from 3-point territory of any Pac-12 team. With Lonzo Ball and Bryce Alford in 2016-17, the Bruins shot 40.6 percent from 3-point range. In 2017-18, after losing Ball and Alford along with Isaac Hamilton and TJ Leaf, the Bruins shot 38.1 percent from 3-point distance, a mark that still ranked No. 1 in the conference. Aaron Holiday led the Bruins last season by shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point territory.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
UCLA established its program record for most attempted 3-pointers (872) and made 3-pointers (354) in 2016-17. Last season, the Bruins came close. UCLA made its second-most 3-pointers in program history (310) and recorded its second-highest total of 3-point attempts (813).
STANDING TALL
UCLA's 16-person roster includes eight players who measure at least 6-foot-8. Incoming freshman Moses Brown (7-foot-1, 245 pounds) is the Bruins' tallest player since the late Mike Lanier (7-foot-7, 310 pounds) competed as a reserve center for UCLA in 1991-92 and 1992-93. UCLA's Jalen Hill and Alex Olesinski are both 6-foot-10, while Kenneth Nwuba, Cody Riley, Shareef O'Neal and Chris Smith all stand at 6-foot-9. Kris Wilkes rounds out the group at 6-foot-8.
PLAYER-BY-PLAYER NOTES
- Redshirt junior Prince Ali enters the season as UCLA's most experienced college player, by minutes played (1099 total minutes in 62 career games) ... Ali averaged 9.1 points per game last season after having missed the 2016-17 season.
- Redshirt junior Alex Olesinski averaged 4.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game last season ... hailing from Roswell, N.M., Olesinski sustained a stress fracture in his right foot in late Sept. 2018 (will be sidelined 2-3 months).
- Sophomore Jaylen Hands played in 31 of the team's 33 games last season and made 15 starts ... Hands averaged 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds as a freshman ... Hands, who hails from San Diego, was a McDonald's All-American in 2017.
- Sophomore Chris Smith averaged 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in all 33 games ... he was born in the Chicago before his family moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth region ... he scored in double figures scored in three of UCLA's games last season.
- Sophomore Kris Wilkes secured Pac-12 All-Freshman Team acclaim last season ... he averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in all 33 games (32 starts) ... Wilkes tallied at least 20 points in six games as a freshman.
- Redshirt frehman Jalen Hill did not play in 2017-18 ... the 6-foot-10 forward starred at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif. ... he registered team-high averages of 18.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game during his senior year of high school.
- Redshirt freshman Cody Riley did not play in 2017-18 ... the 6-foot-9 forward excelled at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif. ... Riley was ranked the No. 32 player in his high school class, nationally, during the 2016-17 school year.
- Freshman Moses Brown (Queens, N.Y.) is a 7-foot-1 center who was a McDonald's All-American last spring ... Brown excelled at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, averaging 26.0 points and 17.0 rebounds per game as a senior.
- Freshman Jules Bernard (Los Angeles) graduated from Windward School ... as a senior, he averaged 26.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game ... the 6-foot-6 guard was ranked as the No. 38 player in his high school class by Rivals.com.
- Freshman Tyger Campbell (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) spent his three years of high school at La Lumiere School in Indiana ... Campbell sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in Oct. 2018 and will not play for UCLA this season.
- Freshman Kenneth Nwuba (Lagos, Nigeria) is a 6-foot-9 forward who spent his final season of high school at Huntington Prep in West Virginia ... Nwuba averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game last season.
- Freshman Shareef O'Neal (Los Angeles) spent his final two seasons of high school at Crossroads School ... O'Neal was ranked as the No. 32 player, nationally, in his high school class by ESPN.com ... he will not play this season (medical).
- Freshman David Singleton (Los Angeles) was named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of California after a four-year career competing for Bishop Montgomery High School ... Singleton averaged 23.8 points per game last season.
THE BRUINS' FRONTCOURT
Last season, UCLA ranked No. 28 in the nation in rebounds per game (38.8) and finished the year No. 11 in defensive rebounds per game (28.6). The Bruins will rely on freshman center Moses Brown, redshirt freshmen Jalen Hill and Cody Riley, redshirt junior Alex Olesinski and freshman forward Kenneth Nwuba. Those five players will be responsible for replacing the production of graduates Thomas Welsh and G.G. Goloman, a pair of players who were at UCLA for four seasons.
GLANCING AT THE GUARDS
UCLA's returning guards from last season's team include junior Prince Ali (6-foot-4) and sophomores Jaylen Hands (6-foot-3), Kris Wilkes (6-foot-8) and Chris Smith (6-foot-9). All four guards played major minutes in 2017-18 and are expected to play even larger roles for UCLA this season. Also pushing for playing time at the shooting guard positions are freshmen Jules Bernard (6-foot-6) and David Singleton (6-foot-4), both hailing from the Los Angeles area.
HOME COOKIN'
UCLA went 14-2 at home last season and has won 30 of 33 games in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom over the past two seasons. During the 2016-17 season, UCLA went 16-1 at home. Last season, the Bruins' only home losses came against No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 16, 2017 and to Pac-12 foe Colorado on Jan. 13. Since UCLA renovated Pauley Pavilion prior to the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have tallied an overall home record of 88-15 (logging an 85.4 winning percentage).
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