Saturday, February 14, 2015

UCLA Basketball to Face Oregon on Saturday at Noon

Kevon Looney has scored in double figures in 19 of UCLA's 25 games (photo by Scott Chandler)
Kevon Looney has scored in double figures in 19 of UCLA's 25 games (photo by Scott Chandler)

Courtesy: UCLA Athletics

Courtesy: UCLA Athletics
Release: Thursday 02/12/2015
Article Link
LOS ANGELES – UCLA (15-10, 7-5 Pac-12) hosts Oregon (18-7, 8-4) in a Pac-12 showdown this Saturday at 12 p.m. (PT) in Pauley Pavilion. Oregon enters the weekend with a one-game lead over UCLA in the conference standings. The Bruins have won seven of their previous 10 games, including a 75-59 win in Pauley Pavilion against Oregon State last Wednesday night. UCLA lost to Oregon on the road, 82-64, when the two teams met at Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday, Jan. 24.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 14
Tipoff Time: 12:07 p.m. (PT)
Television: FOX
TV Talent: Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst)
Radio: AM 570 (KLAC)
Radio Talent: Chris Roberts (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS Satellite Radio: Channel 108
SIRIUS XM Radio: Channel 197
GETTING TO THE GAME
Tickets are available by ordering online or calling the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310-UCLA-WIN (825-2946). The Pauley Pavilion Box Office (north side) will open this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for the 12 p.m. game against Oregon. More information about directions to Pauley, parking and tickets can be found through our Gameday Info website.
LISTEN LIVE
UCLA’s game this Saturday versus Oregon (12 p.m. PT) will be broadcast live on the UCLA Sports Network from IMG College on AM 570 (KLAC), the flagship home of UCLA Athletics. The pregame show kicks off at 11:30 a.m. (PT). Chris Roberts and former UCLA basketball standout Tracy Murray will have the call, live from Pauley Pavilion. Fans can also listen to the audio broadcast by using the TuneIn radio app (click here).
HONORING THE ‘95 CHAMPS
The Bruins will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its 1995 NCAA Championship team at halftime during Saturday’s game. UCLA’s 1994-95 team captured the school’s nation-leading 11th NCAA Championship, posting a 32-1 overall record. The championship campaign culminated with a 89-78 win over defending NCAA champion Arkansas in the title game. Former players from that team expected in attendance this Saturday include Tyus Edney, Toby Bailey, Charles O’Bannon, Ed O’Bannon and Kris Johnson as well as former head coach Jim Harrick.
POWELL’S PRODUCTION
Norman Powell is tied for seventh in the Pac-12 (along with teammate Bryce Alford) in scoring, having averaged 15.7 points per game in 25 starts. The 6-foot-4 guard from San Diego has scored in double figures in 20 of UCLA’s 25 games, reaching the 20-point plateau in 10 contests. Powell scored a team-leading 20 points in UCLA’s 69-67 win at Stanford on Feb. 5 before totaling 13 points in a two-point loss at California on Feb. 7.
LAST TIME OUT
The Bruins earned a 75-59 win over Oregon State last Wednesday evening in Pauley Pavilion, evening the season series against the Beavers. Bryce Alford scored 22 points to lead UCLA, registering at least 20 points for the fifth time this season. The Bruins pushed their lead to 40-25 by halftime and never trailed by fewer than 13 points in the second half. Alford made four of six 3-point attempts before halftime, closing the first half with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Tony Parker (15 points, 10 rebounds) notched his fourth double-double of the season.
PICKING THEIR POCKET
UCLA currently ranks third in the Pac-12 in steals per game (6.9, 172 steals in 25 games). UCLA finished with 10 steals in a home victory against Colorado on Jan. 31 (the Buffaloes have surrendered 10 or more steals in three games this season, twice against UCLA). Senior Norman Powell ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with 2.1 steals per game (52 steals, 25 games), while freshman Kevon Looney currently ranks 13th with 1.2 steals per game.
FRESHMAN STANDOUT
Kevon Looney enters this Saturday’s game having averaged 12.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, the highest rebounding average of any freshman in the nation. Likewise, Looney’s 12 double-doubles in 25 games are the most by any freshman, nationally. In comparison, UCLA’s Kyle Anderson had eight double-doubles as a freshman (2012-13) and 16 last year. Looney has scored in double figures in eight of the Bruins’ last 10 games.
POINTS AND ASSISTS
Bryce Alford and teammate Norman Powell are tied for the team lead in scoring (15.7 points per game), while Alford has also dished a team-best 5.3 assists per game (fourth in the Pac-12). The 6-foot-3 guard from Albuquerque, N.M., has scored in double figures in 22 of 25 games. He is one of two Pac-12 players (along with Washington’s Nigel Williams-Goss) to rank among the top 10 in scoring and top five in assists per game. Alford ranks third in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (85.1 pct, 86-for-101) and third in 3-pointers made per game (2.5).
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
UCLA has won seven of its last 10 games after having dropped five straight contests in December and early January. The Bruins, who won eight of their first 10 games this season, entered the year with three of its eight contributors back from last year’s team (Bryce AlfordTony Parker and Norman Powell). Four of UCLA’s starters are currently averaging at least 32 minutes per game. UCLA has compiled a 1.15 assist turnover ratio, the sixth-best mark among Pac-12 teams, having gone 12-1 this season when finishing with more assists than turnovers.
CLIMBING THE CHART
Norman Powell has played in all 130 games for UCLA since the start of the 2011-12 season. He is tied for fifth place with Mitchell Butler (1990-1993) on UCLA’s all-time games played list. Michael Roll ranks first on the list (147), followed by Darren Collison and Alfred Aboya (142). Powell’s career total of 144 steals is just two shy of cracking the school’s top-10 career list (Ed O’Bannon and Gerald Madkins are tied for 10th place with 146).
KEY CONTRIBUTIONS
Sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton has scored in double figures in 16 of 25 games (making 25 starts). A former standout at St. John Bosco High School (Bellflower, Calif.), Hamilton has averaged 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He totaled 16 points and a season-high nine assists in UCLA’s win against Oregon State on Wednesday. Hamilton did not play in 2013-14 (NCAA rules) but did practice with the Bruins. He ranks second on the team in minutes per game (33.9) and leads UCLA in three-point field goal percentage (38.7 pct, 43-111).
PARKER’S PROGRESSION
Junior forward Tony Parker has averaged 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game. The resident of Atlanta, Ga., played just 6.3 minutes per game as a freshman in 2012-13 (2.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg) before averaging 17.2 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2013-14 (6.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg). This season, Parker has scored in double figures in 13 games, including a 15-point, 10-rebound effort against Oregon State on Wednesday. Parker, a 6-foot-9 forward/center, missed UCLA’s road games at Oregon State (Jan. 22) and Oregon (Jan. 24) with back spasms.

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