UCLA
Gonzaga
No. 2-Seed UCLA Prepares to Face No. 3-Seed Gonzaga
March 21, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – No. 2-seed UCLA (31-5) will compete in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 against No. 3-seed Gonzaga (30-5) on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This marks the Bruins' sixth trip to the Sweet 16 in the last 10 seasons. UCLA's game on Thursday will be nationally televised on CBS. The Bruins' radio broadcast for Saturday's game will be available in the greater Los Angeles area on AM 1150.
The winner of Thursday's game will advance to the West Regional final (Elite Eight) and will take on either No. 8-seed Arkansas (22-13) or No. 4-seed UConn (27-8). Arkansas and UConn are both in the West Region and are facing each other prior to UCLA's game on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
TUESDAY'S MEDIA SESSION (video available here)
Coach Cronin spoke to members of the media on Tuesday afternoon, prior to the team's mid-day departure for LAX. The Bruins flew from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Tuesday, two days prior to the contest against Gonzaga.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Game Time: approximately 6:45 p.m. (PT)
Television: CBS
TV Talent: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), Stan Van Gundy (sideline), Lauren Shehadi (sideline)
Radio Broadcast (UCLA Sports Network): AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
Westwood One Radio: Ryan Radtke (play-by-play), P.J. Carlesimo (analyst)
SIRIUS XM, SIRIUS XM App Channels: Ch. 134 or 202 / Ch. 965 (app)
ABOUT THE BRUINS
– UCLA has totaled 31 wins this season, tied with Alabama for the highest total of any high-major conference team.
– The Bruins have gone 31-5, logging the program's largest win total since going 31-5 in 2016-17.
– The Bruins won the Pac-12 regular-season title for the first time since 2013 (UCLA's 32nd conference title).
– UCLA has won 14 of its last 15 games, including a 68-63 victory versus No. 7-seed Northwestern on Thursday.
– The Bruins have recorded a 14-game winning streak and one 12-game winning streak this season.
– The Bruins tied the Pac-12 Conference record for most victories in league play (18).
– UCLA notched its first undefeated home record (17-0) since the 2006-07 season (the Bruins went 16-0 at home).
– The Bruins have advanced to the NCAA Tournament's "Sweet 16" for the third consecutive season.
– UCLA finished February with an undefeated record (8-0) for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
– UCLA has won 25 consecutive home games, marking the nation's longest active home winning streak.
– UCLA has limited the opposition to fewer than 70 points in 31 of 36 total contests this season.
– UCLA ranks No. 6, nationally, and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in fewest points allowed per game (60.2).
– The Bruins currently rank No. 2 nationally, through Sunday's games, in turnover margin (+5.5).
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
– UCLA has advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 52nd time (the NCAA recognizes 50 of those appearances).
– The Bruins have won a nation-leading 11 NCAA titles, most recently having won the championship in 1995.
– UCLA has advanced to the "Sweet 16" for the third straight year and for the sixth time in the last 10 seasons.
– The Bruins look to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021 (when the Bruins went to the Final Four).
– Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1975, UCLA has made 11 trips to the Elite Eight (regional finals).
– Over the past three seasons (2021-2023), the Bruins have gone 9-2 in 11 NCAA Tournament games.
– UCLA has earned three straight Sweet 16 berths for the first time since 2006, 2007 and 2008.
– Five of UCLA's upperclassmen competed in the 2021 Final Four and in last year's NCAA Tournament (Sweet 16).
– Head coach Mick Cronin has guided his teams to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances in 20 years as a head coach.
LAST WEEK IN SACRAMENTO
– UCLA has improved to 6-0 in NCAA Tournament games played in the city of Sacramento.
– The Bruins also improved to 31-1 in NCAA Tournament contests played in their home state of California.
– Senior Jaime Jaquez Jr. averaged 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in the Bruins' two victories last week.
– Freshman Amari Bailey registered 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in both games last week (57.9% FG).
– Tyger Campbell averaged 9.5 points and 8.5 assists (totaled 17 assists, two turnovers) in UCLA's two games last week.
– The Bruins trailed for less than one minute through both games (first minute in the win over Northwestern on Saturday).
– UCLA shot 52.3 percent and 35.5 percent from 3-point distance in the two victories in Sacramento.
– The Bruins limited their opposition to 37.3 percent shooting and 58.0 points per game in both games last week.
POSTSEASON NOTES
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell have each played in 11 career NCAA Tournament contests (9-2 record).
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. has totaled 171 career points in the postseason, just three shy of entering UCLA's top-10 list.
– Tyger Campbell's 59 assists in the NCAA Tournament rank No. 4 in school history (11 shy of the school record).
– Tyger Campbell's 89.7 free throw percentage (35-39) in the NCAA Tournanent ranks No. 3 in school history.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. has played at least 38 minutes in six of his 11 career NCAA Tournament contests.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. has secured second-team All-America honors from the AP, the NABC and the USBWA.
– Jaquez Jr. was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and earned first-team all-Pac-12 honors.
– Tyger Campbell was honored as a first-team All-Pac-12 selection for the third straight season.
– Campbell ranks No. 3 on UCLA's all-time assists list (646), just six shy of Tyus Edney's total of 652 (ranks No. 2).
– Jaylen Clark is one of four finalists for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Award.
– Clark became the third Bruin to ever be named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
– Mick Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the second time in four seasons.
– Adem Bona was honored as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (UCLA's first selection since Lonzo Ball in 2017).
– Bona's 57 blocks are the most by any Bruin since Moses Brown finished with 62 blocks in 2018-19.
– Jaquez Jr. has become UCLA's first player to average at least 17 points and 8 rebounds since Kevin Love (2007-08).
PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior Jaime Jaquez Jr. (17.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.3 apg) has become the seventh UCLA player to earn the conference's Player of the Year Award (eighth total award). He has become UCLA's first player to be named the league's Player of the Year since Kevin Love in 2008. Jaquez Jr. is one of nine Bruins to rank among the school's top 15 career leaders in both scoring and rebounding. One of 15 candidates for this season's John R. Wooden Award, Jaquez Jr. secured All-Pac-12 honors for the third straight season (was a second-team selection in 2021, and first-team selection in 2022 and 2023).
YEAR-END PAC-12 AWARDS
In addition to Jaime Jaquez Jr. (17.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg) being named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, junior guard Jaylen Clark (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and forward Adem Bona (7.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) was honored as the league's Freshman of the Year. Mick Cronin secured his second John R. Wooden Pac-12 Coach of the Year Award (2019-20), becoming the Bruins' first head coach to have received that award multiple times.
– Jaylen Clark was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the second straight season, becoming UCLA's third player to earn the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Russell Westbrook was honored as the Pac-12's Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and Nigel Miguel was honored in 1985.
– Jaylen Clark and Adem Bona were selected to the five-person Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (Clark, for the second straight year). Between last season (three selections) and this season (Clark and Bona), UCLA's team has accounted for five of the 10 selections on the league's past two All-Defensive Teams.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell were recognized on the league's 10-person All-Pac-12 first team (Jaquez Jr. for the second straight season, and Campbell for the third straight year). Jaylen Clark was named to the five-person All-Pac-12 second team, while Adem Bona secured honorable mention status.
– Jaquez Jr. and Campbell became UCLA's first players to secure All-Pac-12 acclaim in three consecutive seasons since Darren Collison in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Campbell has been honored as a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
– Adem Bona (7.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Amari Bailey (10.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg) were named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, along with USC's Tre White, Oregon State's Jordan Pope and Washington's Keyon Menifield.
GLANCING AT THE METRICS
– UCLA is ranked No. 3 in the Pomeroy College Rankings (KenPom.com), trailing No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Alabama.
– Through Sunday's games, the Bruins were No. 21 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 2 in defensive efficiency.
– The Bruins were ranked No. 7 in last week's most recent AP poll (No. 6 in the USA Today Sports coaches poll).
– UCLA has been ranked in each of the last 38 AP polls (since the start of the 2021-22 season).
REACHING THE 20-WIN PLATEAU
– The Bruins have won at least 20 games in 54 seasons, having notched win No. 20 at Oregon State (on Feb. 9, 2023).
– UCLA's program has won at least 20 contests in 46 of the past 57 seasons (1967 through 2023).
– The Bruins won at least 20 games in 17 consecutive seasons from 1966-67 through 1982-83.
– UCLA has won 20 (or more) games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 2013, 2014 and 2015.
LEADING THE WAY
– Bruins' head coach Mick Cronin has guided the program to a 99-35 overall record through four seasons.
– Coach Cronin was named as one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award.
– Coach Cronin has led his teams to at least 20 wins in 14 of his 20 total seasons as a college basketball head coach.
– Coach Cronin's teams have averaged 25.7 victories per season over the last 13 years (2010-11 through 2022-23).
RUNNING THE POINT
– Tyger Campbell ranks No. 1 among all Pac-12 players in assist-turnover ratio (3.1) and No. 4 in assists per game (4.9).
– Campbell enters this Thursday's game having averaged 13.4 points, 4.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game.
– Campbell's assist-turnover ratio (3.1-to-1) ranks No. 5 in the nation, through games played on Sunday, March 19.
– UCLA has committed fewer turnovers than its opposition in 33 of 36 total games.
HOME COOKIN'
– UCLA has compiled the nation's longest winning streak (25 games, dating back to Jan. 2022).
– The Bruins went 17-0 at home this season, the team's first perfect home record since going 16-0 in 2006-07.
– In all, UCLA has had an undefeated record in Pauley Pavilion in 11 different seasons.
– The Bruins last had a winning streak of 25 games back in 2006-08 (streak ended at 25 in 2008).
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
– UCLA ranks No. 1 among all Pac-12 programs in most offensive rebounds per game (11.42 o-rpg).
– The Bruins have led the Pac-12 this season in more shots taken than shot attempts against (difference of 250 attempts).
– Through Sunday, March 19, the Bruins ranked No. 66 in the nation in most offensive rebounds per game.
– UCLA's 20 offensive rebounds on March 2 (vs. ASU) were the most since totaling 24 against North Florida (11/17/21).
THREE-POINT STREAK
– The Bruins have made at least one 3-pointer in their last 789 consecutive games.
– The 3-point streak began after the Bruins went 0-for-14 from 3-point range in a 78-63 loss at No. 2 Stanford (2/3/00).
– UCLA's single-game 3-point record stands at 19 (19-for-31) in a 104-89 win at Colorado on Jan. 12, 2017.
AFTER 134 GAMES
Bruins' head coach Mick Cronin has recorded more wins (99) as UCLA's head coach than any other Bruins' head coach through the first 134 games (of his Bruins' career). Now in his fourth year at UCLA, Cronin has gone 99-35 through 134 games, which is one win more than Jim Harrick had tallied in the same span.
ELITE COMPANY
Jaime Jaquez Jr. currently ranks among the top 15 in UCLA program history in scoring (No. 12) and rebounding (No. 11). He is one of just nine players at UCLA to rank among the top 15 leaders in both of those career lists. Joining Jaquez Jr. in that elite category of nine players are Don MacLean (No. 1 in scoring), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No. 2 in scoring), Ed O'Bannon (No. 7 in scoring), J.R. Henderson (No. 8 in scoring), Trevor Wilson (No. 9 in scoring), Charles O'Bannon (No. 11 in scoring), Bill Walton (No. 13 in scoring) and David Greenwood (No. 15 in scoring).
WEST COAST, BEST COAST
The Bruins have compiled a 49-4 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament when playing in the states of California (31-1), Oregon (13-3) and Washington (5-0). Thursday's games at T-Mobile Arena will mark the first-ever NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament contests played in the state of Nevada. The Bruins have now gone 6-0 (three different NCAA Tournaments) in the city of Sacramento – in 2007, 2017 and 2023 (all in the first/second rounds, going 2-0). Six years ago, the Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed in Sacramento and defeated No. 14-seed Kent State, 97-80, and No. 6-seed Cincinnati, 79-67. Last week's games were the Bruins' first postseason contests in California since March 2017.
BRUINS VERSUS GONZAGA
This marks the third consecutive season in which UCLA has faced Gonzaga. The two schools faced off in the 2021 Final Four, with Gonzaga outlasting UCLA (93-90) in overtime in Indianapolis. Last season, the "rematch" saw Gonzaga defeat the Bruins, 83-63, in a game played at T-Mobile Arena. In all, UCLA has gone 2-5 in seven previous contests against Gonzaga. Three of those seven contests have taken place in the NCAA Tournament (2006, 2015 and 2021), with UCLA winning just one of those games. The Bruins last defeated Gonzaga, 71-66, on Dec. 12, 2015, at Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. UCLA's win back in Dec. 2015 was the only time in which the Bruins ever played a game at Gonzaga.
LOOKING AHEAD
Taking a look at potential opponents in what would be an Elite Eight matchup (if UCLA defeated Gonzaga), the Bruins have gone 2-1 against Arkansas and 1-0 against Connecticut. UCLA defeated Connecticut in the 1995 NCAA Tournament (Elite Eight), 102-96, before moving into the Final Four. The Bruins took down Oklahoma State, 74-61, before capturing their 11th NCAA title with an 89-78 win over Arkansas in the national title contest (played at the Kingdome in Seattle). Two of UCLA's three all-time meetings versus Arkansas have occurred in the NCAA Tournament – the Bruins lost to Arkansas, 74-70, in the 1978 regional semifinals (Sweet 16) and defeated the Razorbacks, 89-78, in the 1995 championship game.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Bruins have gone 13-5 in 18 road and neutral site contests. UCLA will enter Thursday's game against Gonzaga having won seven of their last eight road and neutral site games (with the loss being against Arizona, 61-59, in the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas). Jaime Jaquez Jr. has averaged a team-leading 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds in 18 games played away from home. Tyger Campbell has averaged 14.9 points and shot 43.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc in UCLA's road and neutral site games. Since the start of UCLA's 2021-22 season, the Bruins have gone 26-12 in games that were played away from home. Last season, UCLA went 13-7 in road and neutral site games.
POSTSEASON SUCCESS
UCLA has compiled a 9-2 NCAA Tournament record over the past three seasons (2021, 2022 and 2023). Last week, UCLA went 2-0 against UNC Asheville and Northwestern in first and second-round matchups in Sacramento, Calif. Last season, the Bruins went 2-1 during their trip to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. UCLA went 5-1 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, advancing from the First Four to the Final Four while playing in the "bubble" in the state of Indiana. There was no NCAA Tournament in March of 2020 (canceled, due to COVID-19). UCLA is one of four teams to have advanced to the Sweet 16 (or farther) in 2021, 2022 and 2023 (along with Arkansas, Gonzaga and Houston).
REPEAT FINAL FOUR APPEARANCES: No school advanced to the NCAA's Final Four in both 2021 and 2022. Only Arkansas and Houston moved on to the Elite in 2021 and 2022. Arkansas and Houston are both playing in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 this week (Arkansas in the West Region and Houston in the Midwest Region).
HISTORY IN THE TOURNAMENT
While the Bruins have earned 19 total NCAA Final Four appearances, UCLA's program has made eight trips to the Final Four (the national semifinals) since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1975. Two seasons ago (2021), UCLA became the first Pac-12 program to advance to the Final Four since Oregon in 2017. Through UCLA's last 10 trips to the Elite Eight (including a win over Michigan in 2021), the Bruins have compiled an 8-2 record. Under then-head coach Ben Howland, the Bruins advanced to three consecutive Finals Fours in 2006, 2007 and 2008 (and the national title contest in 2006).
LIMITING THE TURNOVERS
Through games played on Sunday, March 19, UCLA ranked No. 17 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.1). UCLA has committed nine or fewer turnovers in 20 of 36 games this season. Last year, UCLA concluded the season ranked No. 2 in fewest turnovers per game (8.9), while Wisconsin ranked No. 1 in that category (8.7). Last season, the Bruins committed just one turnover in the 75-68 win at home against USC (March 5, 2022), the fewest turnovers by a Pac-12 team in one game (on record). UCLA has consistently recorded assist and turnover stats since the start of the 1973-74 season.
– UCLA senior Tyger Campbell ranked No. 5 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in assist-turnover ratio (3.1) through games played on Sunday, March 19. Last season, Campbell concluded the year as the Pac-12 leader in assist-turnover ratio (3.2) and ranked No. 6 in that category, nationally.
– The Bruins have committed fewer turnovers than the opposition in 33 of their 36 games. Through games played on Sunday, March 19, UCLA ranked No. 2 in the nation in turnover margin (+5.5), well ahead of the second-best turnover margin in the Pac-12 (Arizona State, at +2.3 per game in 36 total contests).
THIS SEASON IN LAS VEGAS
The Bruins will enter Thursday's game against Gonzaga having gone 2-3 in five previous contests at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this season. UCLA lost back-to-back games against Illinois and Baylor in November at the Continental Tire Main Event (Nov. 18 and Nov. 20). Two weeks ago at the Pac-12 Tournament, the Bruins registered victories over Colorado (quarterfinals) and Oregon (semifinals) before dropping a 61-59 decision to Arizona in the tournament's title game. Last season, UCLA went 3-2 in five games at T-Mobile Arena, including a similar 2-1 mark at the Pac-12 Tournament in March.
STRONG RECORDS
The Bruins' 31-5 record stands as one of the program's best resumes in a college basketball season over the past 40 years. UCLA posted a 31-5 overall record in 2016-17, losing to No. 2-seed Kentucky in the Sweet 16. The Bruins concluded the 2006-07 season with a 30-6 mark and went 35-4 overall in 2007-08. Both of those UCLA teams advanced to the NCAA Final Four, losing in the semifinal round. Last year's UCLA team went 23-6 during its regular-season schedule (and finished 27-8 overall), as several games were canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 virus.
UCLA IN PAC-12 PLAY
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, UCLA has compiled a 46-13 mark in the Pac-12 (13-6 in 2020-21, 15-5 last season and 18-2 this year). The Bruins have won 34 of their last 36 home games in Pac-12 action. UCLA dropped a game at home to USC in March of 2021 and in overtime against Oregon last season on Jan. 13, 2022. The Bruins won their final seven home Pac-12 games in 2019-20, during Coach Cronin's first year as UCLA's head coach.
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.).
THE BRUINS WHEN ...
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Bruins have gone 102-19 when leading at halftime (through 200 games). During that span, UCLA has gone 31-43 when trailing at halftime (3-2 when tied at the break). UCLA's largest halftime deficit overcome in that stretch has been 16 points – 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 111-13. When trailing by 10 or more points in a game, UCLA has gone 20-44.
"THE HUNGRY DOG GETS THE BONE"
Under head coach Mick Cronin, the Bruins have established a team competition to see which player can accumulate the most deflections – a defensive stat, compiling how often a player can get their hands on the ball. At the conclusion of the season, the UCLA player who has tallied the most deflections will be awarded with a large dog bone as the award (this year's done bone measures two-feet long). As a freshman (2020) and sophomore (2021), Jaime Jaquez Jr. was award the Hungry Dog Award. Last season, then-senior Myles Johnson was honored with the Bruins' Hungry Dog Award.
