UCLA
Washington State
UCLA to Host Washington State on Thursday Night
February 10, 2020 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ The Bruins will host Washington State on Thursday night (8 p.m., PT) in a contest that will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. UCLA absorbed a 79-71 loss in overtime at Washington State during the first weekend of Pac-12 play (Saturday, Jan. 4). Previously, the Bruins had won five consecutive games against Washington State. UCLA has won its past seven games in Pauley Pavilion against Washington State (that does not include one win in the L.A. Sports Arena during the 2011-12 season). UCLA last faced Washington State at home on Dec. 29, 2017, securing a 96-82 win that night.
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GAME INFORMATION
Venue:ย Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom
Venue Capacity: 13,800
Tipoff Time: 8:06 p.m. (PT)
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: J.B. Long (play-by-play), Don MacLean (analyst)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
XM Radio Channels: Ch. 373
SIRIUSXM Internet Channel: Ch. 373
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ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Under the direction of first-year head coach Kyle Smith, the Cougars have gone 14-10 this season with a 5-6 record in Pac-12 play. Most recently, Washington State defeated Washington, 79-67, at home on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore CJ Elleby (averaging 19.0 ppg) registered 34 points and 10 rebounds against the Huskies. Over the previous three weeks, Washington State has won two of its last five games.
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LAST WEEK'S GAMES
The Bruins split a pair of road games last week, falling at Arizona State on Thursday night (84-66) before securing a victory at No. 23 Arizona on Saturday evening (65-52). Chris Smith scored 15 points and Tyger Campbell had 12 points in the Bruins' 13-point win at Arizona. That marked UCLA's third consecutive victory over the Wildcats at the McKale Center. The two schools didn't play each other at Arizona last season, and UCLA won road games in Feb. 2017 and Feb. 18. The Bruins led at halftime, 29-28, and used a 14-0 scoring run midway through the second half to lead 59-44 with 5:15 remaining.
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LOW PERCENTAGES
UCLA limited Arizona to a field goal percentage of 25.4 last Saturday, marking UCLA's lowest opposing FG percentage by a Division I program since Dec. 3, 2014, when Cal State Fullerton shot 24.1% against UCLA (13-of-54). The Bruins had not held a Pac-12 opponent to that low of a percentage since Jan. 10, 1985, when Washington State made just 23.7% of its shots (14-of-59) in UCLA's 75-48 victory. Since the start of the 1970-71 season (as far back as game-by-game field goal percentage records will reach), UCLA has never held an opponent on the road to a percentage lower than 27%.
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MORE NOTES FROM TUCSON
UCLA has won four of its previous six games at Arizona's McKale Center (a span running from 2012-13 through 2019-20). The two schools didn't face each other in 2013-14 or 2018-19. Arizona has gone 119-12 at home over the past eight seasons, and UCLA has handed the Wildcats four of those 12 losses. Arizona's 25.4 percentage from the field last Saturday marks the lowest such percentage by Arizona in the history of the McKale Center, which opened late in the 1972-73 season. Previously, Arizona had shot as low as 32 percent in a game at the McKale Center in 1980 (against Oregon State).
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NOTES ON THE BRUINS
- UCLA has gone 13-0 this season when limiting the opposition to 73 points or fewer.
- Junior Chris Smith has averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 10 Pac-12 games.
- Freshman Jaime Jaquez Jr. (8.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) has led the Bruins in scoring in three games this season.
- Sophomore Jalen Hill has averaged a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per game, which ranks ninth in the Pac-12.
- UCLA has had 11 players, including freshmen, establish new career highs in points scored this season.
- The Bruins ranked first in the Pac-12 in rebounding margin (+6.4 rpg), through games played Monday, Feb. 10.
- UCLA has out-rebounded the opposition in 21 of 24 games this year (currently averaging 37.0 rebounds per game).
- Through games played Sunday, Feb. 9, UCLA ranked No. 27 in the nation in rebounding margin (+6.4).
- In addition, UCLA ranked No. 40 in the nation (through Sunday, Feb. 9) in offensive rebounds per game (12.1).
- Freshman Tyger Campbell's 2.5 assist-turnover ratio leads the Pac-12 and ranks No. 27, nationally (through Feb. 9).
- Junior Chris Smith ranks fourth in the Pac-12 and No. 75, nationally, in free throw percentage (84.4%, through Feb. 9).
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ZERO WASTE COMPETITION
This Saturday's game against Washington will be the Bruins' annual Zero Waste Game, part of theย Pac-12's Zero Waste Competition, in which conference universities compete with each other in pursuit of a zero waste home game. UCLA has been working with its partners at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom, campus student groups, and student-athletes to engage and encourage everyone at Saturday's game to do their part by reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. There will be several student organizations in attendance promoting sustainability efforts and helping with the annual waste audit which will take place after the game, outside on the east plaza.ย Fans in attendance are encouraged to help show the Bruins' active commitment to zero waste and sustainability.
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UCLA'S LEADING SCORER
Junior guard Chris Smith leads the team in scoring (12.7 ppg) and ranks second in rebounding (5.3 rpg), through 24 contests. He has posted career-high percentages this season in overall field goals (47.9%), 3-pointers (33.3%) and free throws (84.4%). Through all 24 games, Smith has scored 304 points this season, nearly equaling his two-year total from his freshman and sophomore years (337 points, 66 games). He has scored in double figures in 16 of the team's 24 games and has been the Bruins' leading scorer in 10 contests.
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THE 30-POINT CLUB
Against Colorado on Thursday, Jan. 30, Chris Smith became the sixth UCLA player in the past four seasons to have scored at least 30 points in a game. Last season, Kris Wilkes had 34 points in a victory over Arizona (Jan. 26, 2019). In 2017-18, Aaron Holiday had four games with at least 30 points. During the 2016-17 season, UCLA received at least 30 points in a game from Bryce Alford (twice that season), Isaac Hamilton (once) and TJ Leaf (once).
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GLANCING AT UCLA'S ROSTER
UCLA's roster features 14 student-athletes, including 12 players who were on the team last season. The Bruins have returned eight of 11 players who competed in the bulk of the team's games last season. That returning nucleus has included fifth-year seniors Prince Ali and Alex Olesinski, junior Chris Smith and sophomores Jalen Hill, Cody Riley, Jules Bernard, Kenneth Nwuba and David Singleton. The Bruins returned redshirt freshman Tyger Campbell and added incoming freshmen Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Camarillo, Calif.) and Jake Kyman (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), a pair of 6-foot-6 guards.
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UCLA'S FREE THROW SHOOTING
The Bruins have shot 71.0 percent from the free throw line, seventh among all Pac-12 programs. UCLA's percentage is significantly higher than last year's mark of 63.3% (a jump by nearly eight percent). The Bruins have shot at least 70.0 percent from the line in four of the previous seven seasons. Chris Smith has led the way with his 84.4% free throw percentage (through all games), but freshman Jaime Jaquez Jr. has shot nearly 91 percent (30-for-33) in 11 Pac-12 games.
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REBOUNDING MARGIN
UCLA has registered a rebounding margin of +6.38 through 24 games, marking the Bruins' best rebounding margin since the 2007-08 season. That year, UCLA went 35-4 and advanced to the NCAA Final Four with a rebounding margin of +8.2. Over the past 30 seasons, UCLA has only had four teams post rebound margins of at least 6.0 or better. UCLA's 1995-96 squad recorded a rebounding margin of +6.0, and the Bruins' 1993-94 team had a rebounding margin of +7.7.
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SINGLETON FROM 3-POINT RANGE
Sophomore David Singleton currently ranks No. 5 on UCLA's career list for highest 3-point percentage (minimum of 100 career 3-point attempts). Singleton has made 43.4% of his career 3-point attempts (shooting 59 for 136) through 55 games. UCLA's all-time leader in that category is former four-year standout Pooh Richardson (52-for-112, 46.4%). Two years ago, Aaron Holiday concluded his three-year career at the No. 5 slot on the career list (180-427, 42.2%).
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FRESHMAN POINT GUARD
Tyger Campbell missed the entire 2018-19 season, as he recovered from a torn ACL in his left knee (sustained on Oct. 7, 2018, in practice). He enters this Thursday night's home game having averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 assists per game. Campbell has registered 105 assists and 42 turnovers, compiling the best assist-turnover ratio in the Pac-12 (2.5). Campbell has scored in double figures in nine games. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 assists in two contests last week.
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KYMAN'S 20-POINT GAMES
Freshman Jake Kyman has recorded a pair of 20-point games in Pac-12 play. He scored a season-high 21 points in a two-point win at Washington on Jan. 2, connecting on 7 of 12 shots from 3-point range. In that contest, Kyman hit the game-winning 3-point shot with under nine seconds to play in the second half. He also scored 20 points in a loss at Oregon on Sunday, Jan. 26. Kyman made 7 of 11 shots in that game, including 4 of 8 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.
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GENERATING OFFENSE
UCLA has seven of players who have led the team in scoring in at least one game. Junior Chris Smith has led the Bruins in 10 of 24 games this season (including in six of the last 10 games). Through 11 Pac-12 contests, Smith has led the Bruins in scoring six times, Jake Kyman twice, Tyger Campbell once, Cody Riley once and Jaime Jaquez Jr. once. Kyman has scored at least 20 points in two Pac-12 games, while Campbell registered a career-high 22 points in a win over Utah (Feb. 2). Smith has had one game with 30 points (versus Colorado) and another with 22 points (at Washington State).
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FIFTH-YEAR SENIORS
Redshirt seniors Prince Ali (7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and Alex Olesinski (1.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg) are the first players at UCLA to have spent more than four years on the team since Michael Roll was a fifth-year senior in 2009-10. Roll finished his UCLA career as the program's all-time leader in games played (147 games, 2005-06 through 2009-10). Recent fifth-year seniors who didn't spend all five seasons in Westwood have included Travis Wear (senior in 2013-14), David Wear (senior in 2013-14) and Larry Drew II (senior in 2012-13) Both Ali and Olesinski have fulfilled their undergraduate degree requirements.
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NEWS AND NOTES
- Looking at UCLA's 14-man roster, nine of the team's student-athletes either grew up in the Southern California region or attended high school in the Los Angeles area. Cody Riley (listed as Kansas City, Kan.), moved to the Los Angeles area when he was in middle school and attended Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth, Calif.).
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- UCLA has out-rebounded the opposition in 21 of 24 games. The Bruins were out-rebounded in January by USC (35-31) and California (35-33) and were even at Arizona State (36-36). USC became the first team this season (in UCLA's 16th game of the year) to out-rebound the Bruins. Sophomore Jalen Hill has been the leading rebounder (7.2 rpg, 165 total rebounds). He ranks ninth among all Pac-12 players in rebounding and has tallied a team-leading 364 career rebounds.
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- The Bruins have two players who have scored at least 500 career points โ senior Prince Ali and junior Chris Smith. Ali has scored a team-best 834 career points in 110 games (averaging 7.7 points per game). Smith has registered 626 career points through 89 games (averaging 7.0 points per contest).
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- Freshman Jake Kyman set the school's single-game record for most 3-pointers by a freshman (7), as he made 7 of 12 attempts from long range in the team's 66-64 win at Washington on Thursday, Jan. 2. Kyman is UCLA's only freshman and just the ninth player in school history to have made seven or more 3-point field goals in one game.
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- UCLA's 22 offensive rebounds in the win at Washington (Jan. 2) marked the team's highest single-game offensive rebound total since Jan. 1, 2016. The Bruins had 23 offensive boards in a double overtime loss (96-93) at Washington on Jan. 1, 2016, to open Pac-12 action. In that game back in 2016, the Bruins totaled 59 rebounds against the Huskies.
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- The Bruins' 50 points scored in a 50-40 win over California on Sunday, Jan. 19, marked UCLA's lowest point total in a victory since winning at Washington State (50-30) on Feb. 9, 2006. UCLA had not limited the opposition to 40 points (or fewer) since a 55-40 win over USC in the Pac-12 Tournament at Staples Center on March 7, 2012.
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- The largest single-game point total of any current UCLA player belongs to junior Chris Smith, who tallied a career-best 30 points in the team's win over No. 20 Colorado (Jan. 30, 2020). The largest single-game rebound total of any current Bruin belongs to sophomore Jalen Hill, who tallied 20 boards in a win against Presbyterian last season (Nov. 19, 2018).
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NEXT NOVEMBER
UCLA will join Georgetown, Virginia and Kansas in the 2020 Paycom Wooden Legacy during the week of Thanksgiving (Anaheim Convention Center). This will mark UCLA's first appearance in the Wooden Legacy since winning the event in 2016. UCLA played in the tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center (2009) when the event was named the 76 Classic. In 2016, the Bruins defeated Portland and Nebraska on consecutive days at Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 24-25, 2016) before recording a 74-67 win over Texas A&M in the championship contest at the Honda center (Nov. 27, 2016).
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THE BRUINS WHEN ...
Since the start of the 2016-17 season, UCLA has gone 66-9 when leading at halftime (spanning 125 games). During that span, the Bruins have gone 14-34 when trailing at halftime (2-2 when tied at the break). UCLA's largest halftime deficit overcome in that stretch has been 16 points โ UCLA trailed at home against Oregon, 44-28, on Feb. 23, 2019, and outscored the Ducks in the second half (62-39) to win, 90-83. When the Bruins have built a 10-point lead (or larger) at any point in the game, UCLA has gone 72-9. When trailing by 10 or more points in a game, UCLA has gone 10-36.
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STREAKING
UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer played in its last 681 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 225 of 231 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 road game, 104-89.
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