UCLA
USC
No. 8 UCLA to Play at USC on Thursday
January 23, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ No. 8 UCLA (17-3, 8-1 Pac-12) will take on USC (14-6, 6-3 Pac-12) this Thursday evening at the Galen Center near downtown Los Angeles. The Bruins' game at USC will be nationally televised on ESPN2, with Dave Pasch and Bill Walton calling the action. UCLA has won 14 of its last 15 games. Most recently, the Bruins returned home after splitting a pair of games at Arizona State and Arizona.
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GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Galen Center (Los Angeles)
Game Time: 6 p.m. (PT)
Television: ESPN2
TV Talent: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
Radio Broadcast (UCLA Sports Network): AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS XM, SIRIUS XM App Channels: Ch. 83, Ch. 83
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ABOUT THE BRUINS
โ UCLA will play at USC this Thursday, reaching the halfway mark of its Pac-12 schedule (the Bruins are 8-1 in league play).
โ The Bruins are seeking their first win against USC at the Galen Center since March 3, 2018 (UCLA won, 83-72).
โ The Bruins saw their 14-game winning streak end with a 58-52 loss at No. 11-ranked Arizona last Saturday afternoon.
โ UCLA has gone 17-3 through 20 games, having won 14 of their last 15 contests dating back to the end of November.
โ Following Thursday night's game at USC, the Bruins will play six of their final 10 games in Pauley Pavilion.
โ UCLA has limited the opposition to fewer than 70 points in each of the last 15 games.
โ UCLA ranks No. 11, nationally, in fewest points allowed per game (59.8) and No. 29 in 3-PT percentage defense (29.6%).
โ The Bruins have committed fewer turnovers than their opponent in all 20 contests this season.
โ UCLA has gone 6-3 in nine games played away from home this season ... the Bruins are 11-0 at home.
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THE CROSSTOWN RIVALRY
โ The Bruins have compiled an all-time record of 146-114 against USC in a series that began in 1927-28.
โ Jaylen Clark made a game-winning 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in UCLA's 60-58 win against USC on Jan. 5, 2023.
โ After losing at the Galen Center last season (in February), UCLA has won three consecutive contests against USC.
โ UCLA and USC have gone 10-10 against each other in the last 20 meetings (dating back to March of 2015).
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INDIVIDUAL NOTES
โ Jaime Jaquez Jr. (16.1 ppg, 7.2 ppg) is one of five players in the Pac-12 to rank among the top 10 in the conference in scoring and rebounding (No. 5 in scoring, No. 7 in rebounding) ... he ranks No. 4 in the league in steals per game (1.75).
โ Tyger Campbell ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in assist-turnover ratio (2.6) and No. 6 in assists per game (4.6) ... Campbell has shot 45.2 percent from 3-point distance in nine Pac-12 games and is 18-for-22 at the free throw line in league games.
โ Jaylen Clark leads the Pac-12 in steals (51) and steals per game (2.68) ... the junior from Riverside, Calif., ranks No. 6 in the country in steals per game (2.68) ...ย his 51 steals this season is 13 shy from breaking into UCLA's single-season list.
โ David Singleton, a fifth-year senior, has recorded career-high averages in scoring (10.3 ppg), rebounding (3.1 rpg) ands steals (1.1 spg) ... he ranks second among all Pac-12 players this season in 3-point shooting percentage (44.1%).
โ Adem Bona leads the Bruins in blocked shots (28 blocks, 1.47 bpg) and has averaged 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19 games as a freshman ... he ranks No. 6 among all Pac-12 players in blocks per game (1.47).
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LOW TURNOVERS
Led by point guard Tyger Campbell (13.8 ppg, 4.6 apg), UCLA has registered an assist-turnover ratio of 1.5-to-1, which ranked No. 12 in the nation through Sunday, Jan. 22. Campbell's assist-turnover ratio (2.6) ranks No. 23 in the nation, through games played on Sunday. The Bruins have committed fewer turnovers than their opponent in all 20 games this season. Through Sunday's contests, UCLA ranked No. 2 in the nation in turnover margin (+7.0 per game), the best turnover margin among any Pac-12 program (Arizona State was second in the Pac-12 at +1.65 per game).
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PROGRAM'S BEST STARTS
UCLA's 17-3 start through 20 games stands as one of the progarm's best starts to a college basketball season over the past 40 years. The Bruins opened their 2016-17 campaign with 19 wins in 20 games. UCLA went 18-2 to open the 2007-08 and 2006-07 seasons, a pair of basketball campaigns that concluded with trips to the NCAA Final Four. UCLA's recent 14-game winning streak was the Bruins' longest such streak since winning 14 in a row near the end of the 2007-08 season.
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GLANCING AT THE METRICS
UCLA has been ranked No. 4 in the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings (KenPom.com), trailing (1) Houston, (2) Tennesee and (3) Alabama. Through Sunday's games, the Bruins had the No. 22-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency rating and the No. 3-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency ranking. Ranked No. 8 in this week's AP poll and No. 7 in the USA Today Sports Coaches poll, the Burins have been ranked in each of the last 31 AP polls (since the start of the 2021-22 season).
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ELITE COMPANY
Senior Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been named as one of 25 top players in the nation to the midseason watch list for the Wooden Award. Through Sunday's games, Jaquez Jr. ranked No. 5 in the Pac-12 in scoring (16.1 ppg). Jaquez Jr. ranks No. 22 on the Bruins' all-time scoring list and No. 21 on UCLA's all-time rebounds list (682 total rebounds). He's one of just 11 UCLA players to rank among the school's top 25 lists in career scoring and rebounding. Jaquez Jr., who hails from Camarillo, Calif., has averaged 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 117 career games (109 career starts).
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JAQUEZ JR. AND DAVID GREENWOOD
Since the NCAA (and UCLA) began to record the "block" and "steal" statistic at the start of the 1978-79 season, the only UCLA players to tally at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in one game have been Jaime Jaquez Jr. and David Greenwood. Jaquez Jr. had 23 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and four steals in a home victory against Colorado (on Saturday, Jan. 14). Greenwood is UCLA's only other player on record, to have come close to that. He registered 22 points, 18 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in UCLA's 85-83 home win versus Arizona State on Feb. 15, 1979.
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TOP POINT GUARD
Senior Tyger Campbell opened the season on the watch list for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, having been named one of five finalists for that award last season. He has averaged 13.8 points and 4.6 assists per game in all 20 contests for UCLA this season. Campbell currently ranks second among all Pac-12 players in assist-turnover ratio (2.63). He has become one of eight UCLA players to have logged at least 1,000 career points and 500 career assists in the Bruins' uniform (the assist stat has been regularly tracked at UCLA since the start of the 1973-74 season).
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10 STEALS, 10 BLOCKS
UCLA totaled 15 steals and 11 blocks in a 68-54 home victory against Colorado (Jan. 14, 2023). That marked the first time since Feb. 9, 2012, in which the Bruins totaled at least 15 steals and 11 blocks in a game. The Bruins also had 15 steals and 11 blocks in a 72-61 win against Stanford at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on Feb. 9, 2012. Since the start of the 2010-11 season (427 games), UCLA has had at least 10 steals and 10 blocks in just five games. The Bruins totaled 17 steals and 12 blocks in the team's season opener in 2010-11 (versus Cal State Northridge on Nov. 12, 2010).
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UCLA'S ROSTER CONSTRUCTION
The Bruins returned five of their primary 11 contributors from last year's team. UCLA went 27-8 overall last season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Key returners include seniors Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kenneth Nwuba and David Singleton and junior Jaylen Clark. Each of those student-athletes played in at least 20 games in 2021-22. All five competed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament (the First Four to the Final Four). UCLA also has returned two redshirt freshmen in forward Mac Etienne and guard Will McClendon, who both missed last season with knee injuries (torn ACL).
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ROAD WARRIORS
The Bruins have gone 6-3 in nine total road and neutral site contests, this season. In addition to a 74-49 double-digit win at Washington on New Year's Day (Sunday, Jan. 1), the Bruins also notched an 87-60 victory at Maryland on Dec. 14. Against Maryland, UCLA led 39-11 with 3:30 remaining before halftime. Last season, the Bruins had substantial road victories with a 67-56 win at Marquette in Dec. 2021 (UCLA led at halftime, 35-21) and at Oregon State in March 2022 (UCLA won, 94-55). Playing at Stanford this season (Dec. 1, 2022), the Bruins raced to a 17-0 lead and won the contest, 80-66.
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โ Last season, UCLA went 13-7 in road/neutral site games. Since the start of the Bruins' 2021-22 season, UCLA has compiled a 19-10 record in 29 games played away from home.
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JAYLEN THE SPARK PLUG
Junior Jaylen Clark has registered career-high averages across the board during his junior season โ 13.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg and a Pac-12-best 51 steals (and 2.68 steals per game). The 6-foot-5 guard from Riverside, Calif., has scored at least 10 points in 15 of 19 games played. He tallied a season-high 24 points in the Bruins' home victory over Denver on Dec. 10, 2022. Clark finished with 15 points and five rebounds in UCLA's 60-58 win against USC on Jan. 5, sinking the go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds left (the 3-pointer put the Bruins ahead by a 59-58 margin after USC had taken the lead).
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PRECISION FROM 3-POINT RANGE
Fifth-year senior guard David Singleton has averaged a career-best 10.3 points per game (20 contests). He ranks No. 2 among all Pac-12 players in 3-point shooting percentage (44.1%), having connected on 41 of his 93 long-range attempts. In addition, Singleton's career 3-point percentage (43.9%) currently ranks No. 4 among all UCLA players in program history.ย Singleton ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 last season in 3-point shooting percentage (45.1%) and as a true freshman in 2018-19 (46.7%). He has now made at least 37 attempts from 3-point distance in each of his five seasons on the court at UCLA.
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THREE-POINT STREAK
UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer in its last 773 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 316 of 325 games since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Bruins made a school single-game-record 19 three-pointers, on 31 attempts, in a 104-89 win at Colorado on Jan. 12, 2017. UCLA's previous 3-point record was set earlier that season, as the Bruins made 18 of 30 attempts in the regular-season opener against Pacific (Nov. 11, 2016).
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POSTSEASON SUCCESS
UCLA has compiled a 7-2 NCAA Tournament record over the past two seasons. The Bruins went 5-1 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, advancing from the First Four to the Final Four. There was no NCAA Tournament in March of 2020 (COVID-19). UCLA is one of six teams to have advanced to the Sweet 16 or farther in 2021 and 2022 (other five schools are Arkansas, Gonzaga, Houston, Michigan and Villanova). No school advanced to the Final Four in both 2021 and 2022. Only Arkansas and Houston moved on to the Elite Eight in 2021 and 2022. Gonzaga, Houston and Michigan are the only programs to have advanced to the Sweet 16 or farther in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
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NOTES ON PAULEY PAVILION
This marks the 57th basketball season in which UCLA has played in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins' home arena opened in time for the 1965-66 season. The first game in Pauley Pavilion took place on Dec. 3, 1965, as the No. 1-ranked Bruins defeated Ohio State, 92-66. UCLA spent 47 consecutive seasons in Pauley Pavilion before the venue was closed for an 18-month renovation. The Bruins played 18 home games in 2011-12 at two venues in Southern California (14 games at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and four games at the Honda Center in Anaheim).
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โ UCLA has gone 11-0 at home this season and went 14-1 in 15 home games last year. The Bruins won their final eight home games last season and have strung together a streak of 19 consecutive home victories. vilion. UCLA has won its last 19 home games, which is the second-longest home winning streak in the nation (behind Auburn, at 28 games). UCLA's only loss at home last season was an overtime defeat (84-81) to Oregon on Jan. 13, 2022. Since taking over as UCLA's head coach (fall of 2019), Mick Cronin has led the Bruins to a 49-6 record in 55 home games.
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โ With the COVID-19 pandemic prompting teams to close their arenas to fans, none of UCLA's home games in 2020-21 were played in front of a crowd. Likewise, three of UCLA's games in January of 2022 were played before no fans (arena was limited to players' family members only). Including a seven-game home win streak to close the 2019-20 home schedule, UCLA has won its last 30 home contests with fans in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
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โ Through 11 home games this season, the Bruins have averaged 78.6 points per game and have limited the opposition to 56.6 points per game. UCLA has won its 11 home contests by an average margin of 22.0 points per game. UCLA's most narrow victory in those 11 contests took place against USC โ the Bruins won, 60-58, on Thursday, Jan. 5. The Bruins largest margin of victory at home this season occurred against Pepperdine โ UCLA won, 100-53, on Wedneday, Nov. 23. Only two of the Bruins' 11 home victories this year have been by nine or fewer points (vs. USC and vs. Oregon).
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HISTORY & TRADITION
The 2022-23 school year marks the 104th season in which UCLA has fielded a men's basketball team (first season was 1919-20). In all, the men's basketball program has won a nation-leading 11 NCAA Championships and has advanced to the NCAA Final Four 19 times. As an athletics department, UCLA has won 120 team NCAA titles. That total ranks second in the nation behind Stanford (131). Most recently, the UCLA women's soccer team captured its second NCAA title by defeating North Carolina, 3-2, in double overtime in the 2022 NCAA Championship (played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.).
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UCLA IN PAC-12 PLAY
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, UCLA has compiled a 36-11 mark in the Pac-12 (13-6 in 2020-21, and 15-5 last season). The Bruins have won 28 of their last 30 home games in Pac-12 action. UCLA dropped a game at home to USC in March of 2021 and against Oregon (overtime) last season on Jan. 13, 2022. The Bruins won their final seven home Pac-12 games in 2019-20, during Coach Cronin's first season as UCLA's head coach.
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