UCLA
Arizona State
UCLA to Host Arizona State on Thursday Night
January 21, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – The Bruins will host Arizona State this Thursday evening in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom (8 p.m., PT). Last Saturday afternoon, the Bruins lost at USC, 80-67. Arizona State enters the week after having won a pair of home games against Oregon State (W, 70-67) and Oregon (W, 78-64). UCLA and Arizona State faced each other once last season, with the Sun Devils prevailing at Wells Fargo Arena, 88-79. This Thursday night's game will be the only regular-season meeting in 2018-19 between UCLA and Arizona State.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom
Tipoff Time: 8:15 p.m. (PT)
Television: FS1
TV Talent: Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play), Casey Jacobsen (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
UCLA OPENS LEAGUE PLAY 3-2
The Bruins opened their Pac-12 schedule with a 3-0 start for the first time since going 5-0 to begin Pac-12 play in 2012-13. UCLA downed Stanford (92-70) and California (98-83) at home, before going on the road and splitting a pair of games at Oregon (W, 87-84 in overtime) and Oregon State (L, 79-66). Last Saturday, the Bruins fell to 3-2 in Pac-12 action with a loss at crosstown rival USC (L, 80-67). Kris Wilkes has averaged a team-high 16.0 points in five Pac-12 games, while Prince Ali has shot 51.0 percent from the field and averaged 15.0 points per game in league action.
NOW THAT IS HISTORIC
UCLA trailed by as many as 17 points (65-48, at 6:53 in the second half) at Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 10, before mounting a furious, late comeback. The Bruins were down, 72-59, with 2:31 to play. UCLA's comeback marked the largest deficit overcome in the final minute of a Pac-12 game and tied the sixth-largest deficit overcome in the final minute in NCAA Division I history (according to ESPN Stats & Info).
ON DECK, NEXT SATURDAY
Following Thursday's game versus Arizona State, UCLA will host Arizona on Saturday. Game time that evening is 7 p.m. The Bruins split a pair of games against Arizona last year, winning at the McKale Center (Tucson), 82-74, before falling to the Wildcats in overtime in a semifinal contest at the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas (Arizona won, 78-67). UCLA has gone 4-7 against Arizona over the past five seasons and leads the all-time series by a 56-44 margin. The Bruins have not played Arizona in Pauley Pavilion since Jan. 21, 2017, when Arizona secured a 96-85 victory in a battle of top-10-ranked teams.
SCORING IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Sophomore guard Kris Wilkes has scored in double figures in all 18 games, becoming UCLA's first player to accomplish that feat since TJ Leaf scored in double figures in UCLA's first 21 games in 2016-17. Wilkes has averaged 17.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, scoring at least 20 points in five games this season (and in 11 career contests). Wilkes finished one rebound shy of a double-double (13 points, nine rebounds) in the team's 80-67 loss at USC on Saturday, Jan. 19.
ASSIST LEADER
Sophomore Jaylen Hands leads all Pac-12 players in total assists (115) and assists per game (6.4). The 6-foot-3 guard from San Diego has averaged 11.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists through 18 games. Hands ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in assist-turnover ratio (2.0-to-1), through games played Monday, Jan. 21. He has recorded at least nine assists in six games and tallied at least 10 assists in three straight games in December (versus Hawai'i, Notre Dame and Belmont).
CRASHING THE BOARDS
UCLA led the Pac-12 and ranked No. 5, nationally, in total rebounds per game (42.9) through Sunday, Jan. 20. In addition, the Bruins ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 and No. 33, nationally, in rebounding margin (+6.0). Freshman Moses Brown (11.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg) entered the week ranking No. 4 in the Pac-12 in total rebounds per game (8.9) and was second in overall field goal percentage (65.9%). Brown, a 7-foot-1 center, also ranked No. 3 in the conference in blocks per game (2.3).
HE'S OUR PRINCE
Redshirt junior Prince Ali has averaged 10.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 18 games. He made six of a career-high 15 shot attempts in an 80-67 loss on Saturday afternoon (at USC). Ali scored a team-leading 22 points and was 7-for-10 from the field in the Bruins' overtime win at Oregon two weeks ago (Thursday, Jan. 10). Ali has been among the team's most efficient scorers in Pac-12 play, shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from 3-point territory in five Pac-12 contests.
STANDING TALL
UCLA's 17-person roster includes eight players who measure at least 6-foot-8. 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 redshirt junior Alex Olesinski and redshirt freshman Jalen Hill both stand at 6-feet-10, while freshmen Shareef O'Neal and Kenneth Nwuba, sophomore Chris Smith and redshirt freshman Cody Riley all stand at 6-foot-9. Sophomore guard Kris Wilkes rounds out the eight-person group at 6-foot-8.
NEWS AND NOTES
- UCLA has shot 47.8 percent from the field in 11 home games, going 9-2 in those contests ... in contrast, UCLA has shot 42.0 percent in seven games away from home (three neutral site games and four road contests).
- The Bruins have posted a 9-2 record this year when leading at halftime ... those two losses were against North Carolina in Las Vegas (Nov. 23) and versus Belmont in Pauley Pavilion (Dec. 15).
- The Bruins have gone 1-6 when trailing at halftime, with the victory being a dramatic comeback win in overtime at Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 10 ... UCLA trailed by as many as nine points with less than one minute to go in the second half.
- UCLA has made at least 15 free throws in eight games ... the team made a season-high 25 free throws (25-for-33) in a home win over LMU ... UCLA shot a season-high 76.2 percent from the line against Presbyterian on Nov. 19 (16-for-21).
- Kris Wilkes has scored in double figures in all 18 games this season ... Wilkes leads all current UCLA players in most career points (759), career field goals made (274), career three-pointers made (91) and career free throws made (120).
- Kris Wilkes is one of three Pac-12 players to have scored in double figures in every game played this year ... he is joined on that list by Oregon State's Tres Tinkle (16 games) and Oregon's Bol Bol (9 games).
- Kris Wilkes has scored at least 20 points in five games this season, totaling a career-high 27 points in the season-opening victory at home against Purdue Fort Wayne ... Wilkes made 11 of 19 shots in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne (Nov. 6).
- In Dec. 2018, Jaylen Hands became the first UCLA player with multiple games of at least 10 assists in the same season since Lonzo Ball finished his freshman year (2016-17) with seven games of at least 10 assists.
- Prince Ali is the oldest player on UCLA's roster (currently a redshirt junior) and has played in 79 career games, the highest career total of any current Bruin ... Ali leads all current UCLA players in career minutes played (1,528).
- Prince Ali made a career-high five three-pointers (on six attempts), totaling a career-high 23 points, in the team's victory over Hawai'i (Nov. 28) ... he was a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range before the 16:00 mark in the first half that night.
- Moses Brown became UCLA's first player with at least 19 points and 17 rebounds in his collegiate debut since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) tallied a then-school-record 56 points and grabbed 21 rebounds on Dec. 3, 1966.
- Moses Brown had eight blocks in the team's win against Saint Francis U (Nov. 16) ... since the school began to officially record blocks in 1978-79, only three other players at UCLA have recorded at least eight blocks in one game.
- Jalen Hill tallied a season-best 20 rebounds in the team's victory over Presbyterian (Nov. 19) ... that marked the highest single-game rebound total by a Bruin since Kevin Love had 21 rebounds at Oregon State on Jan. 26, 2008.
- UCLA has made a season-high 10 three-pointers in two games – against North Carolina in Las Vegas (Nov. 23) and at home against Hawai'i (Nov. 28) ... the Bruins shot a season-best 50.0% from 3-point range against Hawai'i (10-for-20).
- Presbyterian attempted 45 3-pointers in UCLA's 80-65 victory (Nov. 19) ... that marked the highest total attempted against UCLA since the NCAA adopted the 3-point line (prior to 1986-87) ... Presbyterian made 13 of 45 3-point attempts.
COACHING CHANGE
Murry Bartow currently serves as UCLA's interim head coach, as Steve Alford was relieved of his head coaching duties on Dec. 31, 2018. Bartow, the son of former UCLA head coach Gene Bartow, arrived at UCLA in April 2018. He served as interim head coach at the University of South Florida in 2016-17 after having been a collegiate head coach for 18 seasons – 12 years at East Tennessee State (2003-04 through 2014-15) and six seasons at UAB (1996-97 through 2001-02).
BRUINS AT HOME
UCLA went 14-2 at home last season and has won 39 of 44 games in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. During UCLA's 2016-17 season, the Bruins went 16-1 at home. Last year, the team's only home losses came against No. 25 Cincinnati (12/16/17) and Colorado (1/13/18). Since UCLA renovated Pauley Pavilion prior to the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have tallied an overall home record of 96-17 (posting an 85.0 winning percentage).
STREAKING
UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer played in its last 640 games. That 3-point streak began after the Bruins went 0-for-14 from 3-point territory in a 78-63 loss at No. 2-ranked Stanford on Feb. 3, 2000 (Maples Pavilion). UCLA has made at least three 3-pointers in 187 of 192 games since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Bruins made a school single-game-record 19 three-pointers (on 31 attempts) at Colorado on Jan. 12, 2017 (UCLA won that game, 104-89).
FRESHMEN GUARDS
Freshmen David Singleton and Jules Bernard have played in all 18 games, appearing off the bench. Both players hail from the Los Angeles area. Bernard, a 6-foot-6 guard (Windward School in Los Angeles), has registered 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Bernard has scored in double figures in two games. He scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a win over Saint Francis U (Nov. 16). Singleton, a 6-foot-4 guard (Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, Calif.) has averaged 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, shooting 46.7 percent from 3-point distance.
