feb 14, 2019 | adam zagoria | zagsblog.com | post LINK
UCLA is targeting Virginia coach Tony Bennett as its next coach and he hasn’t turned them down yet, a source told ZAGSBLOG Thursday.
“They are going hard after Tony Bennett and he has not said no yet,” the source said.
Yahoo’s Pete Thamel wrote last week that UCLA “covets” Bennett, and multiple sources confirmed that he is among their top tier of targets.
Still, many in the industry find it hard to believe that Bennett, 49, would ever leave Virginia for UCLA, which though a blue blood is not the program it once was. Bennett is 240-88 (.732) in nine-plus seasons at Virginia and has them positioned for yet another No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. One source close to UCLA said the “only issue with Bennett is the grinding pace” of his style of play.
“That cost [former coach Ben] Howland,” the source said. “They never embraced him because of his defensive approach. The low-scoring and methodical pace was not appreciated by Coach [John] Wooden or the fans.”
Under interim coach Murry Bartow, UCLA is currently 13-12, 6-6 in the Pac-12.
Other names being considered at UCLA include former Chicago Bulls and Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin, Texas Tech coach Chris Beard, Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, sources said.
“All of them are in the mix,” a third source said. “But they’re still in season so it’s difficult to know who’s truly interested from that group.”
The next UCLA coach will be the 10th since John Wooden departed in 1975. That’s 10 in 44 years, about the same average tenure as a typical UCLA student.
One longshot name to keep in mind is Lakers coach Luke Walton, who could be in play at UCLA and his alma mater Arizona if that Pac-12 school opted to move on from Sean Miller.
There is widespread speculation that the Lakers will part ways with Walton, possibly before the season ends, and you can already get good odds on Jason Kidd, Tyronn Lue and Mark Jackson replacing Walton.
Jaylen Hands' career-high 29 points are all for naught. Pac-12 Networks Stanford found a second half spark to extend its lead and grab a huge 104-80 victory over UCLA at Maples Pavilion on Saturday, snapping a 3-game losing streak to the Bruins. It was the first time the Cardinal had scored more than 100 points in conference play since 2011-12. Josh Sharma had a team-high 22 points and 12 rebounds, marking his second double-double of the season and of his career. Jaylen Hands had a game- and career-high 29 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished four assists.
Pac-12 Networks Pac-12 Networks' Ted Robinson and Don MacLean recap UCLA's thrilling 75-67 overtime win over California in Berkeley on Wednesday. The Bruins erased an 11-point deficit midway through the second half to grab their first lead of the game with less than nine minutes in regulation. But the Golden Bears kept pace in a back-and-forth battle with the Bruins to send the game into overtime. Justice Sueing was the only Golden Bear to score (3 points) in overtime, while the Bruins pulled away to secure the victory. UCLA's Kris Wilkes scored a game-high 27 points (9-15 FG, 5-8 3FG) and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, while Darius McNeill led the Golden Bears with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Link to the Courtside with Greenberg & Dakich podcast (link).
For some reason, I can't play the podcast online. It only allows me to download. Once you do, your default media player should be able to play the mp3 file.
UCLA stuff starts at the 7:36 mark.
At the 29:10 mark, they cover their top choices.
Greenberg's Top 5/6: Pitino, Donovan, Keatts, Chris Holtmann, Jay Wright, Brey
Dakich's Top 5/6: Pitino, Steve Kerr (he thinks the Warriors situation is changing...), Brey, Keatts, Donovan, Papovich.
Both ex-coaches reflect on the being a coach in college hoops. Coach Greenberg said coaching is a great profession but a terrible business. They did not (I'm paraphrasing) start coaching to make a lot of money or play on TV. We coached because we love the game and we want to share that love with others. But college hoops has become a multi-million dollar business. UCLA is a tough place. They eat their own. You cannot lose to Liberty and Belmont. That's just the way it is.
They say AD Guerrero should not mess around and hire Pitino right now.
They think UCLA needs someone bigger than the program. Someone above all the static (unhappy players, fans, etc). Someone who can say, this is how we will do it, you are either with me or not. Get out of the way. Someone who says "We charter." Right now, UCLA says "we charter some legs." Kentucky doesn't charter some legs. Duke doesn't charter some legs. They just "charter."
UCLA needs someone with clout. Someone who'll say "This is how we do it. This is what we need, X, Y and Z. If you don't give me the money, I will raise the money (which Pitino has done to pay for things he want in his program)."
You need someone who will sell the program in LA. Someone people would like to come see.
It's all about winning. Period.
They are high on NC State's Kevin Keatts.
Also, some tough love for our highly-touted Bruin players. They're all a bunch Bambi's. No one is ready for the pros.
They also discussed the Pac12 conference. The TV contracts are a mess.
The school has traditionally not been willing to pay like other historic powers. It was slow to up its facilities and hasn't been able to consistently draw well at home games. The fan base is weirdly splintered. There's casual UCLA fans who pepper southern California and treat the program like a fun thing to catch occasionally ... if the team is good. Then there's the hardcore sect that holds the school's athletic administration to the national championship standards set by John Wooden -- 40-plus years ago.
On top of all that, UCLA basketball isn't even a top-five team of importance in its own city. The Dodgers, Lakers, USC football, the LA Rams and even the Clippers draw more interest.
But if UCLA really is one of the 10 best jobs in college basketball, and it's willing to pay as such, then few names will be off the list of potential replacements for Alford. Here's the starting point. Names that already are, and a couple that should be, under consideration.
FRED HOIBERG: The recently fired Chicago Bulls coach is the frontrunner in the minds of some in the industry. Hoiberg, 46, went 115-56 as coach at his alma mater of Iowa State from 2010-2015. He made the NCAA Tournament in four of his five seasons at his only stop as a coach in college, making the Sweet 16 once in those four appearances. Hoiberg has been vocal in the past about his issues with the hassles of recruiting, but if he seeks to get back into college he'll be among the most sought-after candidates. The question is: Will UCLA go after him, and will he want this type of job? Hoiberg has only ever been associated with jobs in the Midwest, where he's from.
ERIC MUSSELMAN: Currently the coach at undefeated Nevada, which is in the midst of its greatest season ever. Musselman has been a buzzy name going on almost a year now, and with a lot of talent set to leave Reno after this season, it would make for an easier exit than last year or in 2020. Musselman would of course listen if UCLA called: it's UCLA. He's traveled a path more varied than almost anyone in college coaching at this point, and hasn't stayed in one place longer than four seasons in the past 21 years. The 54-year-old Musselman is 94-29 as a college coach, all games with the Wolf Pack. If Nevada winds up dominating in Mountain West, the iron will probably never be hotter for him.
TONY BENNETT: If you're UCLA, you have to make the call. Forget about the style of play and all of that. Bennett is considered, unequivocally, as a top-10 coach in college basketball. He's won 73 percent of his games at Virginia and has that program beating out Duke and North Carolina to win the ACC with regularity. Plus, he develops pros. Justin Anderson, Mike Scott, Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris are all good NBAers at the moment, and Bennett's also got a potential future lottery pick on his roster NOW in De'Andre Hunter. Beyond all that, Bennett, 49, coached in the Pac-12 before (back when it was the Pac-10) and did the almost-impossible in winning 68 percent of his games at Washington State. Dan Guerrero, you need to at least make the call.
MIKE BREY: The Notre Dame coach has been mentioned as a potential candidate, but a source told CBS Sports that it's highly unlikely he would leave the Irish at this point, given how good the Irish can be in the coming two-to-three years with a lot of talent. Plus, he recently signed a generous contract extension that will carry him through 2024-25, which could coincide with his retirement.
CHRIS BEARD: Maybe it's an odd fit, but Beard's coaching acumen is not in doubt. The 45-year-old is similar to Musselman in terms of the path he's traveled to get where he is. Beard's coached at the semi-pro, junior college, NAIA and Division I level. Now in his third season at Texas Tech, he owns a 56-25 record with the Red Raiders and an 86-31 overall record in D-I. He's made the NCAA Tournament three times, including last season's run to the Elite Eight. He's recruited lottery picks and made Texas Tech nationally viable, which hasn't been true for most of its existence as a program. Texas Tech is 11-1 this season.
KELVIN SAMPSON: Who knows how long this coaching search will last, but if Houston has a tremendous season and can get another good seed in the NCAAs? Sampson, whose name was put out there for a couple of jobs at the end of last season, is worth a look. He's guiding a Houston team that's one of just four unbeatens left in college basketball. Sampson, 63, has a 591-320 career record. He's a very good college coach who can claim something that no other candidate on this list can, and something that might mean the most to UCLA's most important backers: he's made a Final Four.
Kelvin Sampson has done a tremendous job at Houston. USATSI
JAMIE DIXON: From the area, has revitalized his alma mater (TCU) and has proven to be a very good college coach over the past 15 years. Dixon's 53, has a 384-151 career record and has made the NCAAs in all but three seasons dating back to his start at Pitt in 2003-04. A big question here would be whether UCLA is willing to pay a lot of money to bring him in. Dixon is handsomely making north of $3 million to live and coach in Forth Worth, Texas, and so UCLA probably would need to open at $4 million annually -- which is true of most coaches on this list.
EARL WATSON: The former UCLA player is 39, coached the Phoenix Suns from 2016-17 and has no coaching experience in college. That doesn't preclude him from success in college, but his connections to the school and the recruiting base in greater Los Angeles could be (and need to be) strong enough to overcome his lack of background in D-I. He was a hotter name a couple years back, but still figures to be in the mix. It's a weird market at the moment and UCLA is not short on options. Watson would be unconventional but not unexpected.
MIKE WHITE: A long shot, but a young and compelling coach with a big future and someone who's bound to be on search-firm lists if Florida continues to make NCAA Tournaments. White is 41, has won 69 percent of his games, is averaging 24 wins per season and has taken Florida to the NCAA Tournament twice, earning a No. 6 and No. 4 seed. His family is well-embedded in college athletics, which can never hurt, either. His father, Kevin, is the athletic director at Duke; his brother, Danny, is the AD at UCF; and another brother, Brian, is AD at Florida Atlantic.
MIKE HOPKINS: The longest shot on this list, but Hopkins, 49, might have a chance if he seeks a return to his home area of LA -- and if he can pick up steam in the coming two months. The reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year has USA Basketball experience and is immediately paying dividends in Seattle at Washington after spending two decades working under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. He's worked in environments with real pressure -- and has gotten it done in recruiting. Plus, the UCLA job would bring him even closer to his ailing father.
Steve Alford was never a good fit at UCLA and is the latest
coach who failed to meet expectations of Bruins fans
Alford paid the price for not meeting UCLA's lofty standards
for success
DEC 31, 2018 | GARY PARRISH | CBS SPORTS | POST LINK
UCLA’s administration, pressured by UCLA’s fans, decided
back in 2013 that it wanted somebody other than Ben Howland to run its
basketball program. So, it didn’t matter that Howland had just enrolled the
nation’s second-best recruiting class and won an outright Pac-12 title by
playing faster than anybody else in his league – or that he’d taken the Bruins
to three Final Fours in the previous eight years. When these people make up
their mind, they make up their mind. Which was always a bad sign for Steve
Alford.
He was a not-great fit from the jump.
Everybody knew that.
But it's never been accurate when people say "UCLA
fired Ben Howland to hire Steve Alford" because that's not what UCLA did
at all. What UCLA did is fire Ben Howland because it wanted to move on from Ben
Howland, plain and simple, for better or worse. And when that decision was
made, trust me, the folks in charge, most notably athletic director Dan
Guerrero, did not think they were going to hire a coach with a 5-7 NCAA
Tournament record. But when UCLA couldn't lure Brad Stevens, Shaka Smart or any
other top-tier candidate, that's exactly what UCLA did. UCLA hired Steve
Alford. And he's lived on the hot seat pretty much ever since despite the fact
that he's one of only nine coaches to make at least three Sweet 16s in the past five seasons.
The Bruins were ranked 21st in the preseason Associated
Press poll thanks in part to another heralded recruiting class. But they've
limped to a 7-6 record featuring double-digit losses to Michigan State, North
Carolina, Cincinnati, Ohio State and Liberty. And their current four-game
losing streak that includes losses inside Pauley Pavilion to a pair of
mid-majors pushed Guerrero to make a change on New Year's Eve.
"Throughout my career, I have maintained a belief that
making a head-coaching change during a season is rarely in the best interests
of our student-athletes or program," Guerrero said. "In this case,
however, it is now clear that what is best for our current students, and for
the overall good of the program, is to make this change now. While Steve led us
to three Sweet 16 appearances, we simply have not been performing at a
consistent level -- and our struggles up to this point in the season do not
bode well for the future."
As I wrote when the hire was made, and as I mentioned on the latest episode of the CBS Sports Eye On College Basketball Podcast, I never
thought Alford-to-UCLA made sense from UCLA's perspective. But, that said, I do
believe Alford was mostly fine -- not great, but definitely fine -- in his
first five seasons that included four NCAA Tournament appearances and those
three trips to the Sweet 16. Problem was, the fans who were against him from
the jump -- and especially the ones who flew a "Fire Alford" banner
above campus just months before the enrollment of Lonzo Ball helped create a
31-win season -- never got on board. As has been the case with most, if not
all, UCLA coaches post-John Wooden, UCLA fans never thought Steve Alford was
good enough even when he was doing well. And when your fans don't care much for
you even when you're doing well, well, good luck trying to make that last.
Simply put, this was always how this would end.
And it should be a lesson for all coaches, really. If you
never win over the fans, or if you lose them at any point, you're almost always
just one bad season away from being fired provided the school can afford to do
it. Tom Crean learned this at Indiana in March 2017. Steve Alford learned it at
UCLA in December 2018. And now this Pac-12 institution will embark on another
coaching search -- once again looking for somebody who can consistently provide
what the program's rich history has its fans convinced is possible even though
UCLA's last national title came before any current UCLA players were even born.
feb
8, 2019 | joseph zucker | bleacher report | post LINK
As they look for a permanent replacement for Steve Alford, the UCLA Bruins have Tony Bennett near the top of their wish list.
Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel reported UCLA "covets" the Virginia Cavaliers head coach but that hiring Bennett would be anything but a sure thing for the Bruins.
Thamel wrote that Bennett has "already turned down plenty of more established programs" and "enjoys attention as much as J.D. Salinger, which wouldn't make the bright lights of LA very appealing."
Thamel went on to throw out Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton and former Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg as possibilities. He expressed skepticism about Walton, positing Walton may instead want to go to the Arizona Wildcats, where Sean Miller appears to be on shaky ground. Hoiberg, on the other hand, might be the "safest bet" of the top contenders for the Bruins' vacancy.
Bennett doesn't really have a compelling reason to leave Virginia, even for a school as prestigious as UCLA.
The Cavaliers have yet to advance past the Elite Eight under his watch, but that's a combination of bad luck and the unpredictable nature of the NCAA tournament. Bennett has Virginia at a place where it can challenge for an ACC title on an annual basis.
At the same time, the fanbase won't be in an uproar if the team falls short in March. Stadium's Jeff Goodman highlighted that point as a reason why UCLA may struggle to poach a star-level head coach:
With Alford at the helm, the Bruins reached three Sweet 16s in five seasons before the team fired him midway through this year. A number of UCLA fans never truly warmed to Alford, and that impacted the general atmosphere around the program.
That's something that may not have gone unnoticed by Bennett in the event UCLA ever made a formal approach.
feb
7, 2019 | pete thamel | yahoo!sports | post LINK
UCLA has long been lumped with the blue bloods of college basketball, the triumphs of John Wooden still reverberating generations later. As coaches, athletic directors, agents and search firms position themselves for his year’s college carousel, that age-old UCLA reputation will get its latest reality check. Is UCLA still an elite job in college basketball?
The answer may lie in the caliber of coach UCLA can lure to Westwood this winter. More than 20 years after UCLA’s last championship, the school will be hiring its fourth coach tasked with attempting to hang a banner next to the one commemorating the 1995 title. The eras of Steve Lavin, Ben Howland and Steve Alford were all solid, with Howland’s three consecutive Final Fours (2006-08) providing the highlight. Who will be next in the wake of Alford’s December firing?
It’s hard to imagine a job better than UCLA opening this year, at least without a surprising NBA defection. It promises to be a busy season out West, as the Pac-12’s irrelevance on the court translates to a busy season with Arizona, California and Washington State all facing potential openings.
But UCLA will be the most coveted spot, and it will be fascinating to see what caliber of a coach they can lure. And it’s also hard to imagine UCLA being a sexy enough job that it could de-trench an established winner like Jay Wright or Tom Izzo from their local comfort zones.
The next coach will have to figure out if the expectations in Westwood intersect with reality. The school fired Alford – owing him nearly $4 million – with a 124-63 record and four NCAA tournaments in his first five years. Basically, he wore out his welcome in Westwood. This came to no surprise to anyone who’d ever actually met him, as Alford’s aloofness and misplaced ego didn’t magically appear when he got the UCLA job.
Who could be next? There’s no obvious answer like when Howland got hired from Pitt. The coach that UCLA covets is Virginia’s Tony Bennett, but he’s already turned down plenty of more established programs in favor of the elite program he’s established in Charlottesville. Also, Bennett enjoys attention as much as J.D. Salinger, which wouldn’t make the bright lights of LA very appealing.
Where does UCLA turn from there? Luke Walton appears to have about as much chance to remain with the Lakers as his father does joining President Trump’s cabinet. But does he covet a college gig? And would he prefer to try and help his alma mater, Arizona, through the NCAA fallout from the federal basketball investigation if the school decides to move on Sean Miller?
Former Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg played scintillating and aesthetically pleasing basketball at Iowa State, but his transfer-based recruiting approach would need to be overhauled. Hoiberg, as of now, is the safest bet from this field if he doesn’t stick to his NBA-first preference.
Then there’s a flurry of the next tier of college candidates, all excellent coaches who’d be interesting fits. Nevada’s Eric Musselman leads the West Coast candidates, and his record and acumen are without question. He could jolt the Bruin program, but a reputation as being high maintenance from his early days in the NBA still lingers.
Others who could come up? The school has expressed interest in Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall before, but he’d be pricey as he’d need a cost-of-living raise from the $3.5 million he’s making from the Koch Brothers at Wichita State. Texas Tech’s Chris Beard has proven an exquisite tactician and motivator, but he’s expensive as he makes more than $3 million on average at Tech. Could Washington’s domination of the league – 10-0 after winning at Arizona on Thursday – earn Mike Hopkins a look? He’s a Southern California native and his energy and personality would be a refreshing change from Alford.
Mick Cronin’s consistent success at Cincinnati will always have him on the list for elite jobs, but he’s been hesitant to leave. Providence’s Ed Cooley, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Virginia Tech’s Buzz Williams and Marquette’s Steve Wojciechowski could also earn looks. It’s a muddled field with no clear frontrunner, which is fitting with UCLA’s place in the greater college basketball stratosphere.
UCLA fails to protect home court as Utah and Colorado sweep So Cal schools.
Pac12 Networks
Down by 22 with 12:10 in the second half, Utah rallied to take down UCLA 93-92 as Parker Van Dyke drilled the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. Van Dyke ended the day with 15 points, while Timmy Allen racked up 22 and Sedrick Barefield finished with 19.
Pac-12 Networks Pac-12 Networks' Ted Robinson and Richard Jefferson recap Colorado's 83-74 victory over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday night. Colorado's Shane Gatling racked up a career-high 28 points and ended the game with seven 3-pointers. The Buffs also finished with a season-high 22 assists, including 8 assists from McKinley Wright. Despite 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and a career-high 4 steals from Moses Brown, UCLA has now lost three-straight to Colorado and drops to 10-4 at home this season.
Washington overcame a slow start behind a strong defensive effort as it topped UCLA 69-55 Saturday afternoon at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies scored 21 points off 23 Bruin turnovers (14 steals) with Matisse Thybulle accounting for seven steals to go along with 14 points. David Crisp and Jaylen Nowell added 15 points while UCLA's Kris Wilkes had a game-high 20.
jan 31, 2019 | BEN
BOLCH | THE L.A. TIMES | ARTICLE LINK
If UCLA loses to Washington on Saturday, the Bruins won’t be able to cite a quick turnaround as a contributing factor.
The teams will have had two days between games, a rarity for UCLA on the road in Pac-12 Conference play. The Bruins typically have only one day between road games but will have an extra day off on three of their four two-game trips this season, matching their combined total from the previous three seasons.
“I’ll be honest, I’d rather play on Thursday and Saturday to get back home,” UCLA point guard Jaylen Hands said late Wednesday after the Bruins completed the first part of their trip with an 87-67 victory over Washington State, “but it’s whatever; I’m just trying to get two wins.”
UCLA interim coach Murry Bartow said he would adjust his team’s schedule as a result of the scheduling quirk. The Bruins (12-9 overall, 5-3 Pac-12) will spend Thursday reviewing game footage in an attempt to clean up the mistakes they made against the Cougars before holding a practice on Friday in preparation for the showdown against the first-place Huskies (17-4, 8-0).
An extra day off didn’t help UCLA on its first trip of the season. Three days after an emotional overtime victory over Oregon, the Bruins faded down the stretch of a 79-66 loss to Oregon State.
UCLA will also have two days between road games at California and Stanford later this season before resuming the usual one-day break between road games at Colorado and Utah.
Count Bruins shooting guard Prince Ali among those who don’t consider having double the usual time between games as being twice as nice.
“Me personally, I’m not a big fan of it,” Ali said. “I like the [faster] turnaround. But the game is on Saturday, so we’re just going to prepare for it.”
Being away from home is only part of the drawback of the extra day on the road; the Bruins are also missing classes as midterms approach next week.
“We have a few study halls, they do a great job with that,” Ali said, “but it’s hard being on the road that long when you’re missing that much school.”
Promise kept
Ali had a request for Bartow when he checked out of the game against Washington State: He told his coach to check the stat sheet.
Bartow laughed, knowing what Ali meant.
“He’s been clowning me a lot lately about my rebounding,” Ali explained, “so I told him [Wednesday] morning I’d get him six defensive rebounds.”
Ali almost didn’t get there. He grabbed his fifth defensive rebound with more than nine minutes to play, leading to encouragement from assistant coaches.
“They were like, ‘Get another one, get another one,’ ” said Ali, who averages only 2.7 rebounds per game. “So I got one.”
It came with 1:34 left in the game, giving him a season high in rebounds. It also fulfilled the pledge to his coach.
JAN 31, 2019 | UCLA MEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE |
POST LINK Huskies are 8-0 in the Pac-12, 17-4 overall
LOS ANGELES – The Bruins conclude their road trip at Washington this Saturday afternoon (TV: ESPN2). UCLA has compiled a 99-42 all-time record against the Huskies and won the only matchup between the two programs last season (74-53 in Los Angeles, on Dec. 31, 2017). In that game, UCLA trailed at halftime 36-28 and closed the second half on a 26-1 scoring run, holding the Huskies without a field goal in the final eight minutes. UCLA has won its last three games against Washington. GAME INFORMATION Venue: Alaska Airlines Arena (capacity: 10,000) City: Seattle, Wash. Tipoff Time: 1:05 p.m. (PT) Television: ESPN2 TV Talent: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst) Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 1150 Radio Talent:Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst) XM Radio Channels: Ch. 387 SIRIUS App Channel: Ch. 979 RECENT GAMES AT WASHINGTON When UCLA last played at Washington (March 1, 2017), the Bruins used a 48-29 advantage in the first half to secure an 107-66 victory. The meeting in Seattle prior to that featured a double overtime showdown on New Year's Day (Jan. 1, 2016). Washington won the double-OT thriller, 96-93. Bryce Alford made 17 of 18 free throws and totaled 30 points, while Washington's Andrew Andrews was 17 for 18 at the free throw line and totaled 35 points. THE LAST TIME OUT Kris Wilkes, Moses Brown and Prince Ali each scored 16 points to guide UCLA past Washington State on Wednesday evening in Pullman, Wash. The Bruins led at halftime, 44-37. UCLA used a 13-2 scoring run after Washington State had pulled to within two points (49-47), securing a 62-49 lead at the 13:20 mark. Wilkes 16-point effort game just four days after he tallied a career-high 34 points, connecting on 12 of 16 shots, in UCLA's 90-69 win at home last Saturday (Jan. 26). DOUBLE FIGURE SCORER Sophomore Kris Wilkes has scored in double figures in all 21 games, standing as the third player in the Pac-12 this season to have scored 10-plus points in every game played (Oregon State's Tres Tinkle has scored 10-plus points in 19 games, while the injured Bol Bol at Oregon scored 10-plus points in nine games). Wilkes has become the first UCLA player to have scored 10 or more points in his first 21 games of a season since TJ Leaf (freshman) did so in his first 21 games in 2016-17. Prior to Leaf, Kevin Love (freshman) scored 10-plus points in all 39 contests during UCLA's 2007-08 campaign. CRASHING THE BOARDS Through games played Wednesday, Jan. 30, the Bruins ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 (and had been No. 3, nationally) in rebounds per game (42.7). The Bruins ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 and No. 32 in the country in rebounding margin (+6.2). Freshman Moses Brown(11.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg) ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounds per game (8.9) and is second in the league in field goal percentage (65.0%). Brown, a 7-foot-1 center, is tied for No. 2 in the Pac-12 in blocks per game (2.1). ASSIST LEADER Sophomore Jaylen Hands leads all Pac-12 players in total assists (138) and assists per game (6.6). The 6-foot-3 guard from San Diego has averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists through 21 games. Hands ranks No. 6 in the Pac-12 in assist-turnover ratio (2-to-1), through games played Wednesday, Jan. 30. He has recorded at least nine assists in seven games and tallied at least 10 assists in three straight games in December (versus Hawai'i, Notre Dame and Belmont). STANDING TALL UCLA's 17-person roster includes eight players who measure at least 6-foot-8. Freshman Moses Brown (7-foot-1, 245 pounds) is the Bruins' tallest player since the late Mike Lanier (7-foot-7, 310 pounds) competed as a reserve center for UCLA in 1991-92 and 1992-93. UCLA redshirt junior Alex Olesinski and redshirt freshman Jalen Hill both stand at 6-feet-10, while freshmen Shareef O'Neal and Kenneth Nwuba, sophomore Chris Smith and redshirt freshman Cody Riley all stand at 6-foot-9. Sophomore guard Kris Wilkes rounds out the eight-person group at 6-foot-8. PAC-12 PLAY UCLA went 11-7 in Pac-12 play last season, one year after having gone 15-3 in league action. Over the previous five seasons (2013-14 through 2017-18), UCLA compiled a Pac-12 record of 55-35. The Bruins have recorded double-digit victories in conference action in 12 of the last 14 years, with 15 wins in 2016-17, 16 wins in 2007-08 and 15 victories in 2006-07. The Bruins last won the Pac-12's regular-season title in 2013, going 13-5 in league games that year. BRUINS AT HOME UCLA went 14-2 at home last season and has won 40 of 46 games in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. During UCLA's 2016-17 season, the Bruins went 16-1 at home. Last year, the team's only home losses came against No. 25 Cincinnati (12/16/17) and Colorado (1/13/18). Since UCLA renovated Pauley Pavilion prior to the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have tallied an overall home record of 97-18 (posting an 84.3 winning percentage). 3-POINT PROWESS David Singleton has shot 13-for-28 from 3-point territory in the team's 13 home games (46.4 percent). Singleton has attempted 28 of his 37 3-point shots at home this season, averaging 5.7 points per home game. STREAKING UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer played in its last 643 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 190 of 195 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 game, 104-89). NEWS AND NOTES - UCLA has shot 47.9 percent from the field in 13 home games, going 10-3 in those contests ... in contrast, UCLA has shot 42.0 percent in seven games away from home (three neutral site games and four road contests). - Nine of the 11 UCLA players who have secured playing time over the past several weeks are either freshmen or sophomores ... six are freshmen (includes two redshirt freshmen), three are sophomores, and two are redshirt juniors. - The Bruins have posted an 11-3 record this year when leading at halftime ... those three losses were against North Carolina in Las Vegas (Nov. 23) and versus Belmont (Dec. 15) and Arizona State (Jan. 24) in Pauley Pavilion. - The Bruins have gone 1-6 when trailing at halftime, with the victory being a dramatic comeback win in overtime at Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 10 ... UCLA trailed by as many as nine points with less than one minute to go in the second half. - UCLA has made at least 15 free throws in 10 games ... the team made a season-high 25 free throws (25-for-33) in a home win over LMU ... UCLA shot a season-high 76.2 percent from the line against Presbyterian on Nov. 19 (16-for-21). - Kris Wilkes has scored in double figures in all 21 games this season ... he leads all current UCLA players in most career points (824), career field goals made (298), career three-pointers made (101) and career free throws made (127). - Kris Wilkes is one of three Pac-12 players to have scored in double figures in every game played this year ... he is joined on that list by Oregon State's Tres Tinkle (19 games) and Oregon's Bol Bol (9 games). - Kris Wilkes has scored at least 20 points in six games this season, totaling a career-high 34 points in Bruins' 90-69 win at home versus Arizona (Jan. 26) ... he made a career-high 12 of 16 shots in the win against Arizona. - In Dec. 2018, Jaylen Hands became the first UCLA player with multiple games of at least 10 assists in the same season since Lonzo Ball finished his freshman year (2016-17) with seven games of at least 10 assists. - Prince Ali made a career-high five three-pointers (on six attempts), totaling a career-high 23 points, in the team's victory over Hawai'i (Nov. 28) ... he was a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range before the 16:00 mark in the first half that night. - Moses Brown became UCLA's first player with at least 19 points and 17 rebounds in his collegiate debut since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) tallied a then-school-record 56 points and grabbed 21 rebounds on Dec. 3, 1966.
