UCLA
Stanford
UCLA Men's Basketball Preps for Pac-12 Tournament
March 11, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS โ The UCLA men's basketball team will face No. 10-seed Stanford in a first-round matchup at the Pac-12 Tournament this Wednesday evening. The No. 7-seed Bruins will play Stanford at 6 p.m. UCLA and Stanford split their two-game regular-season series, with each school winning on its home court. Wednesday's first-round game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.
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WEDNESDAY'S GAME INFORMATION
Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Venue Capacity: 18,000
Game Time: 6 p.m. (PT)
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
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FOLLOWING THE BRUINS IN VEGAS
Should UCLA advance on Wednesday evening, the Bruins would play against No. 2-seed Arizona State (21-9, 12-6) on Thursday at 6 p.m. The matchup on Thursday would be televised by Pac-12 Network with the radio broadcast in the Los Angeles area available on AM 570. UCLA's radio broadcast is scheduled for AM 1150 if the Bruins play on Friday and AM 570 if UCLA advances to the title game Saturday night.
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ABOUT THE BRUINS
UCLA enters the Pac-12 Tournament with a 16-15 record, having won four of its last seven games. The Bruins secured three straight home victories (Feb. 21-28) before dropping a pair of road games last week (at Colorado & Utah). Sophomores Kris Wilkes (17.3 ppg) and Jaylen Hands (13.7 ppg) have been UCLA's go-to scorers and were named second-team All-Pac-12 selections on Monday. Wilkes has scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games and stands just 12 points shy of reaching the 1,000-career point milestone at UCLA. Wilkes ranks fourth among all scorers in the Pac-12, while Hands leads all Pac-12 players in total assists (194) and assists per game (6.3 apg). Both Wilkes and Hands are the only Bruins who have started all 31 games for UCLA this season.
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HISTORY IN THE PAC-12 TOURNAMENT
This will mark the first season since 2016 in which the Bruins have played in the tournament's first round. For the third straight season, the Pac-12 Tournament will take place at T-Mobile Arena. UCLA last won the tournament in March 2014, winning consecutive games against Stanford, Oregon and Arizona. Since that season, the Bruins have played in the semifinal round in 2015, 2017 and 2018. In all, UCLA has won the conference tournament four times (1987, 2006, 2008 and 2014).
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UCLA has gone 23-16 all-time in the conference tournament. Since the tournament resumed in 2002, UCLA has gone 17-13 (17 appearances). The Bruins have reached the title game six times, capturing four tournament championships (1987, 2006, 2008, 2014). UCLA has advanced to the semifinal round 13 times, including recent appearances in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. In those 13 games, the Bruins have gone 6-7. Since the tournament moved to Las Vegas in 2013, UCLA has gone 8-5. That includes one tournament title in 2014 (vs. Arizona) and one runner-up finish in 2013 (vs. Oregon).
WATCHING ON PAC-12 NETWORK
All of Pac-12 Networks coverage of this year's tournament can be seen on either Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Nowย app (forย iOSย andย Android) or on appropriate and available Pac-12 Networks regional channels. More information on the multiple options to access and receive Pac-12 Networks anywhere in the United States is available atย GetPac12Networks.com. Coverage of the 2018-19 season for all Pac-12 sports can also be followed all year long across the Pac-12 and Pac-12 Networks' digital and social media channels onย Pac-12.com, Twitter (@Pac12Networkย andย @Pac12), Facebook (facebook.com/Pac12Conference), Instagram (@Pac12Conference), Snapchat (@pac12conference) and Pac-12 Networks'ย YouTube channel.
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CHECKING ON STANFORD
The Bruins split a pair of regular-season contests against Stanford, with each team winning on its home court. Through both games, Jaylen Hands averaged 22.0 points and 5.0 assists per contest while shooting 56.0 percent (14-for-25) from the field and making 11 of 12 free throw attempts. Last season, UCLA defeated Stanford 88-77 in a quarterfinal matchup on the second day of the Pac-12 Tournament (March 8, 2018).
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KEEPING AN EYE ON ARIZONA STATE
The winner of Wednesday evening's game between Stanford and UCLA will face Arizona State on Thursday (6 p.m., PT). UCLA lost its only game against ASU this season, dropping an 84-73 decision in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins did not face the Sun Devils in Tempe, Ariz. In the lone meeting at UCLA, Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes were the Bruins' only double-figure scorers (15 points each).
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ALL-PAC-12 SELECTIONS
Sophomore guards Kris Wilkes (17.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Jaylen Hands (13.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.3 apg) were both honored as second-team All-Pac-12 selections (the complete list is available here). The Pac-12 Conference names 10 student-athletes to the "first team" and five to the "second team." Moses Brown (10.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg) was one of five student-athletes selected to this year's All-Freshman Team. In addition, Brown was an honorable mention selection for the league's All-Defensive Team.
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LAST WEEKEND
The Bruins dropped a pair of road games last weekend (at Colorado on Thursday, at Utah on Saturday). Colorado downed the Bruins 93-68, pushing a 12-point lead to as many as 25 points in the game's final five minutes. Kris Wilkes scored a team-leading 19 points against Colorado and followed that effort with a 20-point game at Utah. UCLA reduced Utah's 27-point first-half cushion to eight points with under seven minutes to play in the second half on Saturday.
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UCLA'S HOME FINALE
Five Bruins scored in double figures on Thursday, Feb. 28, as UCLA downed USC in overtime, 93-88. Jaylen Hands finished with a team-leading 21 points, connecting on 5-of-10 shots from 3-point range. Kris Wilkes had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Moses Brown logged his ninth double-double of the season (10 points, 14 rebounds). UCLA shot nearly 48 percent from the field, draining 11 of 30 shots from 3-point territory in the overtime win versus USC.
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SCORING AND REBOUNDING
UCLA ranks No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring (78.4 ppg) and rebounding (41.2 rpg), through games played on Saturday, March 9. In addition, the Bruins ranked No. 5 in rebounding and No. 42 in rebounding margin, nationally, through Saturday's games. Freshman Moses Brown (10.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg) currently ranks fourth in the league in rebounding, first in offensive boards per game (3.5), and third in blocks per game (2.0) and overall field goal percentage (62.0%).
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ASSIST LEADER
Jaylen Hands secured Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on March 4, after having led the Bruins with 21 points in the win over USC (Feb. 28). Hands leads all Pac-12 players in total assists (194) and assists per game (6.3). Hands (13.7 ppg, 6.3 apg) ranks fourth in the league in assist-turnover ratio (2.1-to-1), through games played Saturday, March 9. He has recorded at least nine assists in eight games and tallied 10 (or more) assists in three consecutive games in December.
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HOT HANDS VERSUS OREGON
Jaylen Hands scored all of his game-high 27 points in the second half to lead UCLA past Oregon, 90-83, on Saturday, Feb. 23. The Bruins trailed by 16 points at halftime (44-28) and by as many as 19 early in the second half (47-28) before using a 27-6 scoring run over the next 7:30 to lead, 55-53, with 10:36 to play. UCLA outscored the Ducks in the second half, 62-39, marking the Bruins' highest-scoring half all season. Kris Wilkes and Jules Bernard each totaled 20 points.
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ERASING THAT DEFICIT
UCLA erased a 16-point halftime deficit (44-28) in the home victory against Oregon. That marked the largest halftime deficit the Bruins had overcome since Jan. 29, 2005, when UCLA downed crosstown rival USC at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, 72-69, after having trailed by 18 points at the break (USC led, 43-25).
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ROLLER COASTER
UCLA has overcome deficits of 19 points (Feb. 23) and 17 points (Jan. 10) in the second half against Oregon this season. Back on Jan. 10, UCLA trailed by nine points in the game's final minute, tying the contest (80-80) to force overtime before winning in the extra session, 87-84. Utah overcame a 22-point deficit against UCLA on Saturday, Feb. 9. The Bruins led Utah at halftime, 49-32, and pushed their advantage to 69-47 with 12:10 remaining. Utah's rally in the final 10 minutes was capped by a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer by Parker Van Dyke, giving the Runnin' Utes a 93-92 victory.
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LAST SEASON'S TOURNAMENT
The Bruins secured the No. 4 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament last March and defeated No. 5-seed Stanford in the quarterfinals (Thursday, March 8). Aaron Holiday tied his career high with 34 points, hitting 12 of 25 shots to lead UCLA past Stanford, 88-77. Thomas Welsh had 18 points and 11 rebounds. The next night, UCLA lost to Arizona in overtime, 78-67 (Friday, March 9). Jaylen Hands helped the Bruins tie the game in the final 10 seconds, before Arizona held UCLA scoreless through the five-minute overtime session. Welsh tallied 17 points and 17 rebounds in the semifinal contest.
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FIVE YEARS AGO
UCLA last won the Pac-12 Tournament five seasons ago, securing the No. 2 seed in the tournament before winning three games in three consecutive days. After having suffered a 73-55 loss at Washington State in the regular-season finale, the Bruins downed Oregon 82-63 in the quarterfinal round. UCLA advanced to the finals with an 84-59 win over Stanford in the semifinal round. In a back-and-forth championship game, the Bruins outlasted Arizona by a 75-71 margin. Jordan Adams nailed a 3-pointer to break a 68-68 tie with 45 seconds left in the second half, and UCLA held on for the thrilling victory.
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HANDS NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jaylen Hands secured Pac-12 Player of the Week acclaim for the week of Feb. 25-March 3. He earned his first career conference Player of the Week award after having scored a team-leading 21 points and registered 10 assists (with zero turnovers) in the Bruins' 99-83 overtime win against USC on Thursday, Feb. 28. Hands nailed a deep 3-pointer with 21 seconds to play, pushing UCLA's cushion from 89-88 to 92-88. Hands recorded his sixth game with at least 10 assists in the win over USC and continues to lead the Pac-12 in total assists and assists per game.
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UCLA'S STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Bruins' non-conference schedule had been ranked No. 4, nationally, through games played Saturday, March 9. According to the NCAA Evaluation Tool, abbreviated as the NET rankings, UCLA faced the fourth-most challenging non-conference schedule. Belmont (26-5), Liberty (28-6) and Saint Francis U (18-13) finished in a tie for first place in their respective regular-season standings (Liberty won the ASUN Tournament on Sunday). The other three teams with the top-ranked non-conference schedules include Kansas (1), VCU (2) and Middle Tennessee (3).
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