UCLA
Stanford
UCLA Looks Ahead to Pac-12 Tournament
March 05, 2018 | Men's Basketball
HEADED TO LAS VEGAS
No. 4-seed UCLA (20-10) will take on No. 5-seed Stanford (18-14)ย on Thursday afternoon in a quarterfinal matchup of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The Bruins secured a first-round bye after having finished the regular season as one of the league's top four seeds. Stanford defeated California in a first-round matchup on Wednesday afternoon to advance to the quarterfinals. UCLA's game on Thursday will begin at 2:30 p.m. (PT).
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GAME INFORMATION (Thursday)
Venue: T-Mobile Arena (18,000)
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. (PT)
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Don MacLean (analyst), Jill Savage (sideline)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG): AM 570 or AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS Radio: Ch. 137
XM Radio: Ch. 197/Ch. 373
SIRIUS App Channel: Ch. 959/Pac-12 Channel
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ON THE RADIO
Fans can listen to the UCLA men's basketball games on the radio in the Los Angeles area. Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray will be courtside at T-Mobile Arena calling the action. Thursday's game will be available on AM 570 (KLAC). Should the Bruins play on either Friday or Saturday evening, those radio broadcasts will be available on AM 1150.
OFFICIAL UCLA PREGAME RECEPTION
All Bruin fans in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament are invited to join official pregame receptions at Beerhaus at The Park (located at 3782 S Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109). Beerhaus is located next to T-Mobile Arena and pregame receptions will begin two hours prior to UCLA's game. The reception on Thursday is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. In addition to appearances from the UCLA Spirit Squad and UCLA Band, the first 100 Bruin fans in attendance will receive one complimentary drink ticket, courtesy of the Wooden Athletic Fund. There's no cost to attend, and no RSVP is required (cash bar and cash menu). These reception events will take place on Friday and Saturday, should UCLA advance in the tournament.
ABOUT THE BRUINS
- Entering the Pac-12 Tournament with a 20-10 overall record, UCLA has won seven of its last 10 games. Most recently, the Bruins secured an 83-72 win at USC on Saturday, March 3, to sweep the regular-season series against the Trojans. First-team All-Pac-12 selection Aaron Holiday scored a career-high 34 points in the win at USC last Saturday.
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- Four players have averaged at least 10 points per game, with Aaron Holiday having registered a Pac-12-best 20.1 ppg through 30 regular-season contests. Freshman Kris Wilkes has ranked second on the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and fourth among all Pac-12 freshmen, while Thomas Welsh has averaged 12.7 ppg and Jaylen Hands has tallied 10.5 ppg.
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- The Bruins posted a 3-0 mark against the Pac-12 Conference's top two teams during the regular season. In addition to a road win at then-No. 13 Arizona on Thursday, Feb. 8, the Bruins secured victories against USC in Pauley Pavilion (82-79, Feb. 3) and at the Galen Center (83-72, March 3). UCLA has won its last four games against USC.
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- UCLA has played nine games versus teams that have compiled a top-50 RPI, posting a 5-4 mark in those contests (RPI figures updated through Sunday, March 4). The Bruins' most notable "top-50" RPI victories include wins against Kentucky in New Orleans (Dec. 23), at Arizona (Feb. 8), USC (Feb. 3, March 3) and Utah (Jan. 11).
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- Aaron Holiday (20.1 ppg, 5.8 apg) secured first-team All-Pac-12 honors and All-Defensive Team acclaim and Thomas Welsh (12.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg) was named a second-team All-Pac-12 selection (10-man first team, five-person second team). Kris Wilkes (14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) was one of five student-athletes to secure Pac-12 All-Freshman Team acclaim.
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HOLIDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Aaron Holiday will enter the Pac-12 Tournament ranking No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring (20.1) and second in assists per game (5.8). He totaled at least 30 points in three games this season and registered at least 20 points in 17 games. Holiday had entered his junior season having scored 20 or more points in three previous games (all in 2016-17). He ranks third in 3-point percentage (43.9%), third in most 3-pointers made (76), second in free throws made (150) and fifth in most free throw attempts (182). Among players in the "Power 6" conferences, only Holiday, Oklahoma guard Trae Young and Kansas guard Devonte' Graham rank among the top two in their league in both scoring and assists (through Sunday, March 4).
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- Since the Pac-12 began to consistently record assists in 1983-84, five players have registered at least 20 points and five assists per game. Holiday could become the sixth such player if his current pace continues. In addition, no UCLA player has averaged at least 20 points per game through a full season since 1994-95 (Ed O'Bannon averaged 20.4 points per game in 33 games as a senior, leading UCLA to the 1995 NCAA Championship).
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- No UCLA guard has registered 19.0 points or more per game in a season since Reggie Miller averaged 22.3 points per game as a senior in 1986-87. Bill Walton (1973-74) is the only previous UCLA player to have ever logged at least 19.0 points and 5.0 assists per game in one season. As a senior in 1974, Walton finished the year having registered 19.3 points, 14.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
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- Holiday has become just the fourth UCLA player in the last 30 seasons (1988-89 through 2017-18) to have scored at least 30 points in three or more games in a single season. Don MacLean had six games of 30+ points in 1990-91 (and three such efforts in 1989-90). Ed O'Bannon had three games of 30+ points in 1994-95, while Trevor Wilson scored at least 30 points in three games during the 1988-89 season.
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- Holiday's game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds to play helped UCLA edge Wisconsin, 72-70, in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 21. UCLA trailed the Badgers, 65-59, with 3:30 to play before Holiday scored the Bruins' final 10 points. He scored six of UCLA's final 10 points in the Bruins' 83-75 win over Kentucky in New Orleans (Dec. 23). Likewise, Holiday scored the Bruins' last nine points in last Saturday's 83-72 victory at USC in the regular-season finale.
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AT THE PAC-12 TOURNAMENT
- UCLA has gone 22-15 all-time in the conference tournament, including a four-year span from 1987 through 1990. Since the tournament resumed in 2002, UCLA has gone 16-12 (spanning 16 tournament appearances). The Bruins have reached the tournament's title game six times, capturing four tournament championships (1987, 2006, 2008, 2014).
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- The Bruins have advanced to the tournament's semifinal round 12 times, including recent appearances in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. In those 12 games, the Bruins have gone 6-6. Since the tournament moved to Las Vegas in 2013, UCLA has gone 7-4. That includes one tournament title in 2014 and one runner-up finish in 2013.
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- UCLA's game on Thursday afternoon (versus Stanford or California) will mark the Bruins' first Pac-12 Tournament game against a school other than Arizona or USC since the Bruins downed Stanford, 84-59, in the 2014 semifinals (March 14, 2014 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena). Since that game, the Bruins have played five Pac-12 Tournament games over the course of three seasons against Arizona and USC. Last season, the Bruins defeated USC before losing to Arizona in a semifinal matchup.
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- Through five previous Pac-12 Tournament games, senior Thomas Welsh has averaged 10.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest. In addition, he has shot 62.9 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from the free throw line. Junior Aaron Holiday, in three previous Pac-12 Tournament games, has averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. G.G. Goloman will enter this year's Pac-12 Tournament having registered 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in five prior tournament contests.
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- In four previous seasons as the Bruins' head coach, Steve Alford has helped UCLA compile a 5-3 record in the annual Pac-12 Tournament. During his first season as UCLA's head coach, he led the Bruins to three wins in three days as UCLA captured its first Pac-12 Tournament crown since 2008. The Bruins edged Arizona, 75-71, in a thrilling championship game before a crowd of 12,916 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (March 15, 2014).
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MORE ABOUT BIG TOM
- Thomas Welsh, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection, enters the Pac-12 Tournament tied for the No. 5 slot on UCLA's all-time rebounding list (992 rebounds, tied with Don MacLean). Welsh has totaled 315 rebounds this season, which is tied for the No. 14 spot on UCLA's single season list (Kyle Anderson also had 315 rebounds in 2014). Welsh's 315 rebounds this season are the most since Kevon Looney had 331 in 2015ย and Kevin Love totaled 415 in 2008.
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- Standing 7-feet tall and hailing from Redondo Beach, Calif., Thomas Welsh is one of just two players in the Pac-12 (along with Arizona's Deandre Ayton) to be averaging at least 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. Welsh has logged 12.7 ppg and 10.5 rpg, while Ayton has registered 19.9 ppg and 11.4 rpg. Welsh has totaled at least 10 rebounds in 19 of the Bruins' 30 games. He is UCLA's first player to have recorded at least 900 career rebounds and made more than 30 three-pointers.
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- Welsh went nearly three full seasons before he ever attempted a three-point shot. In fact, it wasn't until the 31st game of the Bruins' 2016-17 season (Welsh's junior year) in which he attempted a three-pointer. He made his only attempt in that win over Washington State (March 4, 2017) before opening his senior season. Welsh has made at least two three pointers in 10 games this season, sinking a career-high four three-pointers in the team's win at California (Jan. 6, 2018).
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- A two-time second-team All-Academic Pac-12 selection (2015, 2016), Welsh ranks No. 3 on UCLA's all-time blocked shots list (please note, the blocked shot statistic has only been tracked at UCLA since 1978-79). Welsh will enter the Pac-12 Tournament having tallied 142 blocks. The top two spots on UCLA's career blocked shots list are occupied by Jelani McCoy (188) and Dan Gadzuric (184). McCoy played at UCLA from 1995-98, while Gadzuric starred at UCLA from 1999-02.
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- Welsh has totaled 28 blocks this season and has recorded at least one block in 86 of 129 games played. He has registered at least two blocked shots in 33 career contests. Welsh logged a career-high five blocks in UCLA's season opener versus Monmouth during his sophomore season (Nov. 13, 2015). As a freshman (2014-15), he finished the year with 39 blocks. Welsh registered 32 blocks as a sophomore and 43 during his junior campaign.
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WILKES SECURES ALL-FRESHMAN ACCLAIM
- Kris Wilkes, a 6-foot-8 freshman from Indianapolis, Ind., was one of five players to secure Pac-12 All-Freshman Team acclaim, as announced on Monday, March 5. Wilkes has averaged 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, starting all 30 regular-season games for UCLA. He earned McDonald's All-America honors during his senior season at North Central High School in Indianapolis and has scored in double figures in 24 of UCLA's 30 games.
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- Wilkes scored a season-high 22 points in the Bruins' 83-72 win at USC on Saturday, March 3. He finished the Bruins' regular-season finale having made 9 of 16 shots and 3 of 8 attempts from three-point range. A talented shooter with outside range, Wilkes has shot nearly 36 percent from three-point territory as a freshman, making at least three three-point attempts in eight games. In fact, Wilkes has made 13 of 30 three-point attempts in the Bruins' last four games (43.3%).
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- Wilkes opened his freshman year with an 18-point effort, making 4-of-6 attempts from three-point range, in UCLA's 63-60 victory over Georgia Tech in Shanghai, China (Nov. 11). He totaled 20 points and 12 rebounds in his first game in Pauley Pavilion, helping the Bruins outlast Central Arkansas in overtime, 106-101 (Nov. 15). He played at least 25 minutes in 26 of 30 games, including a season-high 40 minutes in UCLA's 86-78 overtime win at home versus Oregon (Feb. 17).
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NOTES ON UCLA
- Aaron Holiday leads all Pac-12 players in scoring (20.1 ppg) and in scoring among league games (21.7 ppg). Through the 18-game league schedule, he led all Pac-12 players in 3-point field goal percentage (51.4%), making 55 of 107 attempts. Only two other Pac-12 players made more 3-pointers in league action (Dorian Pickens and Justin Bibbins each made 56).
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- The Bruins have shot 50.0% or better in 10 games (9-1 in those contests). UCLA shot a season-best 58.2% in the 107-84 win at California (Jan. 6). Most recently, the Bruins shot 50.8% (30-for-59) in a road win at USC (March 3). UCLA entered the Pac-12 Tournament (through all games played) leading the league in three-point field goal percentage (38.6%).
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- UCLA has shot 72.2 percent from the free throw line, through 30 games. The Bruins made just 67.2 percent (180/268) of their free throws through their first 11 games, but have since shot 75.5 percent (312/413) through their last 19 games. The Bruins made a season-best 92.0 percent (23-for-25) of their free throws in a home win over Stanford (Jan. 27).
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- Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh both reached the heralded 1,000-career-point milestone in a Pac-12 victory against Washington State earlier this season (Dec. 29, 2017). In a 33-point, 11-rebound performance, Holiday crossed the 1,000 point marker in the first half of the game. Welsh reached the milestone in the second half of UCLA's victory that night.
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- Aaron Holiday ranks No. 11 in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (82.4%) and has made the second-largest free throw total (150) among Pac-12 players. Holiday (150/182) is just 16 free throws shy of cracking UCLA's single-season top-10 list for most free throws made (at the No. 10 spot is J.R. Henderson, who made 166 free throws in 1997-98).
