UCLA
Washington State
UCLA to Play at Washington State on Wednesday
January 28, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – UCLA returns to the road this week, playing at Washington State on Wednesday evening. The Bruins have not played at Washington State since securing a 95-79 win in Pullman on Feb. 1, 2017. As a freshman, TJ Leaf recorded 32 points and 14 rebounds in that night's game. Last winter, UCLA downed Washington State in Pauley Pavilion, 96-82, in the only meeting of the regular season between the two schools. The Bruins have won their last four meetings against Washington State, with the most recent loss having taken place Jan. 3, 2016 in Pullman (the Cougars won, 85-78).
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Beasley Coliseum (capacity: 11,671)
City: Pullman, Wash.
Tipoff Time: 7:06 p.m. (PT)
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), P.J. Carlesimo (analyst)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
XM Radio Channels: Ch. 388
SIRIUS App Channel: Ch. 979
THE LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Kris Wilkes scored a career-high 34 points, connecting on 12 of 16 shots, as UCLA defeated Arizona 90-69 before 11,164 last Saturday night in Pauley Pavilion. That marked the most points scored by any UCLA underclassman in a game since Isaac Hamilton registered 36 points against USC in a Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal win on March 12, 2015. Wilkes is one of just six UCLA underclassmen in the past 25 seasons (1994-95 through 2018-19) to have scored at least 31 points in a game. The others on that list include TJ Leaf (Feb. 1, 2017), Isaac Hamilton (March 12, 2015), Jordan Adams (March 6, 2014), Bryce Alford (Feb. 27, 2014) and Tyler Honeycutt (Dec. 2, 2010).
DOUBLE FIGURE SCORER
Sophomore Kris Wilkes has scored in double figures in all 20 games, standing as the third player in the Pac-12 this season to have scored 10-plus points in every game played (Oregon State's Tres Tinkle has scored 10-plus points in 18 games, while the injured Bol Bol at Oregon scored 10-plus points in nine games). Wilkes has become the first UCLA player to have scored 10 or more points in his first 20 games of a season since TJ Leaf (freshman) did so in his first 21 games in 2016-17. Prior to Leaf, Kevin Love (freshman) scored 10-plus points in all 39 contests during UCLA's 2007-08 campaign.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
UCLA entered the week ranking No. 1 in the Pac-12 and No. 3, nationally, in rebounds per game (43.0), through Sunday, Jan. 27. The Bruins ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 and No. 32 in the country in rebounding margin (+5.8). Freshman Moses Brown (11.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg) ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounds per game (9.0) and is second in the league in field goal percentage (64.1%). Brown, a 7-foot-1 center, also ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in blocks per game (2.2).
PAC-12 ASSIST LEADER
Sophomore Jaylen Hands leads all Pac-12 players in total assists (130) and assists per game (6.5). The 6-foot-3 guard from San Diego has averaged 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists through 20 games. Hands ranks No. 5 in the Pac-12 in assist-turnover ratio (2-to-1), through games played Sunday, Jan. 27. He has recorded at least nine assists in seven games and tallied at least 10 assists in three straight games in December (versus Hawai'i, Notre Dame and Belmont).
LOOKING AHEAD TO SATURDAY
The Bruins will conclude their trip to the state of Washington with an afternoon contest versus the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Feb. 2. UCLA has compiled a 99-42 all-time record against the Huskies. The Bruins won the only matchup between the two programs last season, securing a 74-53 win over Washington in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. In that game, UCLA trailed at halftime 36-28 and closed the contest on a 26-1 scoring run, holding the Huskies without a field goal in the game's final eight minutes. UCLA has not played at Washington since Feb. 4, 2017 (UCLA won that game, 107-66).
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.
PAC-12 PLAY
UCLA went 11-7 in Pac-12 play last season, one year after having gone 15-3 in league action. Over the previous five seasons (2013-14 through 2017-18), UCLA compiled a Pac-12 record of 55-35. The Bruins have recorded double-digit victories in conference action in 12 of the last 14 years, with 15 wins in 2016-17, 16 wins in 2007-08 and 15 victories in 2006-07. The Bruins last won the Pac-12's regular-season title in 2013, going 13-5 in league games that year.
HE'S OUR PRINCE
Redshirt junior Prince Ali has averaged 10.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 20 games. Ali has scored in double figures in six of the team's seven Pac-12 games this season. He totaled a team-leading 22 points and was 7-for-10 from the field in the Bruins' overtime win at Oregon three weeks ago (Thursday, Jan. 10). Ali has been among the team's most efficient scorers in Pac-12 play, shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point territory in seven Pac-12 contests.
SHOOTING OVER 50 PERCENT
UCLA has gone 7-0 this season when shooting at least 50 percent. In four Pac-12 victories, UCLA shot at least 50 percent. The Bruins shot a season-best 57.9 percent in last Saturday evening's 90-69 win over Arizona (Jan. 26). When UCLA's opponents have shot at least 50 percent, the Bruins have gone 0-2 (vs. Michigan State on Nov. 22, at Cincinnati on Dec. 19). UCLA has shot better than 55 percent in two games (vs. Saint Francis U on Nov. 16, and vs. Arizona on Jan. 26).
STREAKING
UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer played in its last 642 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 189 of 194 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 20 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 3.2 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 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point distance.
NEWS AND NOTES
- UCLA has shot 47.9 percent from the field in 13 home games, going 10-3 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).
- Nine of the 11 UCLA players who have secured playing time over the past several weeks are either freshmen or sophomores ... six are freshmen (includes two redshirt freshmen), three are sophomores, and two are redshirt juniors.
- The Bruins have posted a 10-3 record this year when leading at halftime ... those three losses were against North Carolina in Las Vegas (Nov. 23) and versus Belmont (Dec. 15) and Arizona State (Jan. 24) in Pauley Pavilion.
- 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 nine 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 20 games this season ... he leads all current UCLA players in most career points (808), career field goals made (291), career three-pointers made (99) and career free throws made (127).
- 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 (18 games) and Oregon's Bol Bol (9 games).
- Kris Wilkes has scored at least 20 points in six games this season, totaling a career-high 34 points in Bruins' 90-69 win at home versus Arizona (Jan. 26) ... he made a career-high 12 of 16 shots in the win against Arizona.
- 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 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.
