Thursday, December 19, 2013

No. 22 UCLA to Face No. 8 Duke at Madison Square Garden



Courtesy: UCLA Athletics
Release: Monday 12/16/2013
Article Link
The No. 22 UCLA men’s basketball team (9-1) will face No. 8 Duke (8-2) in the Carquest Auto Parts Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, Dec. 19. Game time is 4:30 p.m. (PT). The non-conference contest will be nationally televised on ESPN. This marks the fourth time in the last five seasons in which UCLA has played at least one game in New York City.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Madison Square Garden (19,812)
Tipoff Time: 4:33 pm (PT)/7:33 pm (ET)
TV: ESPN
TV Talent: Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (analyst) and Andy Katz (sideline)
Radio: AM 570 (KLAC)
Radio Talent: Chris Roberts (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS Satellite Radio: Ch. 91
SIRIUS XM Radio: Ch. 91
HISTORY VERSUS DUKE
UCLA has not faced Duke on the hardwood since dropping an 84-73 decision to the Blue Devils on Nov. 30, 2002 in the Wooden Tradition (Indianapolis, Ind.). UCLA has registered a 6-9 all-time record against Duke, including a 1-7 mark during Mike Krzyzewski’s tenure as the Blue Devils’ head coach. UCLA last defeated Duke on Feb. 23, 1997, earning a 73-69 win in Pauley Pavilion.
THROUGH 10 GAMES
The Bruins have opened the season 9-1 after having raced to an early 8-0 start. UCLA has scored at least 90 points in five games, entering this Thursday’s game having averaged 89.1 ppg. Most recently, the Bruins cruised past Prairie View A&M, 95-71, at home after having dropped their first contest of the year (80-71 loss at Missouri on Dec. 7). Sophomores Jordan Adams (21.6 ppg) and Kyle Anderson (13.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg) have keyed UCLA’s offense in the early going. UCLA ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring (89.1 ppg) and field goal percentage (54.3 pct).
GETTING BUCKETS
Sophomore guard Jordan Adams leads UCLA with 21.2 points per game, having scored at least 20 points in seven of the Bruins’ 10 contests. Adams has led UCLA in scoring in all 10 games (twice tied with at least one other teammate), having scored a career-high 30 points against Morehead State on Nov. 22 in Pauley Pavilion. Adams logged his first collegiate double-double (22 points, 10 rebounds) in UCLA’s 80-71 loss at Missouri on Dec. 7.Jordan Adams has made 66 free throws, the second-highest total among Pac-12 players through Sunday, Dec. 15. Adams is shooting 85.7 percent from the free throw line (66/77). The sophomore from Atlanta, Ga., has scored a team-high 31.1 percent of his total points from the charity stripe.
TRIPLE THREAT
No player in the country is averaging as close to a triple-double as is UCLA’s Kyle Anderson (13.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 6.7 apg). Through games played Sunday, Dec. 15, Anderson was the nation’s only player to be averaging at least 10.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.0 apg. Eastern Washington’s Drew Brandon (11.7/7.3/5.9), Connecticut’s Shabazz Napier (15.3/7.0/5.9) and BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth (12.7/8.3/5.6) all trail Anderson in that vaunted category.
MAKING HISTORY
Kyle Anderson registered the third triple-double on record in school history on Nov. 22, logging 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against Morehead State. That marked UCLA’s first triple-double since Dec. 18, 1995, when Toby Bailey had 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Stephen F. Austin. Previously, Anderson had finished three assists shy of a triple-double three times in his UCLA career (once earlier this season, twice in 2012-13). Since the assist became an official stat in 1983-84, UCLA has just three triple-doubles on record (including Anderson’s) – Toby Bailey’s on Dec. 18,1995 and a point-rebound-block triple-double by Jelani McCoy against Maryland (Dec. 9, 1995) with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocks.
NATIONAL RANKS
Through games played on Sunday, Dec. 15, UCLA ranked third in the nation in points per game (89.1), third in field goal percentage (54.3) and third in assists per game (18.9). Likewise, the Bruins were third in assist turnover ratio (1.85) and second in the country in steals per game (11.4). Jordan Adams ranked second in steals per game (3.5), while Kyle Anderson was ninth in assists per game (6.7) and one of 56 players to have logged at least four double-doubles. Anderson is one of just six players in the nation to have compiled one triple-double.
BRUINS IN NYC
UCLA has recorded a 16-13 all-time record while playing in New York City, logging a 14-11 mark in games played at Madison Square Garden. This will mark the Bruins’ fourth trip to New York City in five seasons. Last November, the Bruins went 1-1 in their first-ever games played at Barclays Center (Brooklyn), as part of the 2012 Progressive Legends Classic. UCLA dropped a 78-70 decision to Georgetown (Nov. 19) before defeating Georgia, 60-56 (Nov. 20). The Bruins and Blue Devils have never played each other in New York City. Duke defeated UCLA, 90-81, in the NCAA Tournament (Sweet 16) in East Rutherford, N.J., on March 22, 1990.
POINT PRODUCTION
UCLA had compiled a seven-game streak of at least 80 points scored in victories, a feat that had not been accomplished at UCLA since Feb. 22-March 17, 1995. The last time UCLA had scored at least 80 points in seven or more consecutive games was in 1998 (Jan. 17-Feb. 22) when the Bruins totaled at least 80 points in 11 straight games (7-4 during that stretch). Ironically, the streaks this season and in 1995 were both disrupted by Missouri.
BIG OFF THE BENCH
UCLA freshmen Zach LaVine and Bryce Alford have played instrumental roles off the bench. In all, the Bruins’ bench this season has accounted for 30.5 percent of its total scoring (272/891). LaVine is tied for second on the team with 13.8 points per game (along with Kyle Anderson), while Alford has scored 7.1 points per game and averaged 3.4 assists per game. LaVine scored 21 points against Nevada on Nov. 28 and followed that with an 18-point effort versus Northwestern on Nov 29. Alford scored a season-high 18 points against Northwestern, connecting on 7 of 9 shots. LaVine leads all Pac-12 freshmen in scoring (13.8 ppg), through Sunday, Dec. 15.
INJURY REPORT
Freshman Noah Allen suffered multiple fractures to his face after a collision with one of Oakland’s players on Nov. 12. He underwent surgery on Nov. 14. A timetable for his return has not been determined. Freshman Wanaah Bailmissed UCLA’s first five games of the season recovering from left knee surgery before making his collegiate debut in Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 28. Senior Travis Wear missed UCLA’s first three games (appendectomy on Oct. 28).

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