Thanks to All Bruins on SI for the videos
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Stadium who?!? No. 5 UCLA takes care of UNLV 73-51. Bruins now 6-1 leading into Pac12 play. Buffs next.
Full game from Stadium (link)
Post-game Q&As
Thanks to Stadium, Mike Regalado @ BRO and Runnin Rebels for the videos.
UCLA starts Pac12 play with Colorado on Wed Dec 1 at Pauley.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
#1 Gonzaga absolutely annihilates #2 UCLA 83-63. Bruins now 5-1.
Short of it
Long of it
Post-game Q&A
Thanks to ESPN, Matthew Loves Ball, UCLA Athletics for the videos
No. 2 UCLA Falls to No. 1 Gonzaga, 83-63
uclabruins.com | LAS VEGAS – Jaime Jaquez Jr. totaled 19 points and six rebounds as the No. 2-ranked UCLA men's basketball team lost to No. 1-ranked Gonzaga, 83-63, on Tuesday evening in the Good Sam Empire Classic at T-Mobile Arena.
The Bruins (5-1) trailed at halftime by a 45-25 margin and never closed the gap to any fewer than 16 points in the second half.
Gonzaga's Andrew Nembhard scored a game-best 24 points, had six assists and totaled five rebounds in all 40 minutes. Drew Timme registered 18 points and eight rebounds for the top-ranked Bulldogs (6-0).
"We're not a good defensive team, and we got exposed tonight by a great team," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "Their defense was better than ours, their offense was better than ours. We started trying to move the ball and play team basketball, but it was too late, obviously, when you get down 20 to them."
Tuesday's contest, which was nationally televised on ESPN, marked the 43rd meeting between the Associated Press (AP) poll's top two teams, dating back to 1949.
Jaquez Jr. was responsible for nine of the Bruins' first 15 points to open the second half as UCLA trimmed the Bulldogs' advantage to 16 points – at 56-40 – with 14:01 remaining in the game. Gonzaga answered with a 3-pointer by Julian Strawther on its next possession. The Bulldogs maintained a 20-point cushion for the majority of the game's final 13 minutes.
Tyger Campbell scored nine of his 11 total points in the second half, making all three of his shot attempts and a trio of free throws.
Gonzaga finished Tuesday's contest having shot 56 percent from the field. The Bulldogs connected on 18 of 23 free throws (78.3 percent).
The Bulldogs led by as many as 23 points in the first half and entered the locker room at halftime ahead 45-25. Gonzaga used a 29-6 scoring run midway through the first half to open a commanding advantage. The Bruins made just three of 16 shots during that span.
Four of Nembhard's 13 points in the first half came on back-to-back fastbreak layups, helping extend Gonzaga's margin to 33-10 with 8:38 to play before halftime.
UCLA did not stack consecutive baskets for the first time in the game until the 7:58 mark in the first half. Jaquez Jr. helped the Bruins secure a 6-0 scoring run.
The Bruins will stay in Las Vegas through the remainder of the week, taking on UNLV at Thomas & Mack Center this Saturday afternoon. Game time at UNLV is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Bruins' game will be televised by Stadium.
Postgame Quotes – UCLA vs. Gonzaga
POSTGAME QUOTES
Gonzaga 83, UCLA 63
November 23, 2021
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“We’re not a good defensive team and we got exposed tonight by a great team. They’re a great team. Their defense was better than ours. Their offense was better than ours. We started trying to move the ball and play team basketball, but it was too late, obviously, when you get down 20 to them.”
on where team is falling short right now
“Defense. All you’ve got to do is look at our numbers, even before tonight. And like, everybody was happy after Villanova. I showed our guys, you know, we only turned them over seven times in our sold-out crowd, home gym. We had to come from 10 down. I know [Villanova’s] a great team. You take your show on the road, you better take some toughness and defense.”
on Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren
“To be honest with you, I’m not really into talking about Gonzaga. I think you’ve got to ask them about that. He’s a great player. But that’s got nothing to do with why we lost. He’s a great player.”
on fixing any issues as the team moves forward
“Practice. We’ll see. You know, Cody’s not walking through that door for a couple weeks. I’m not playing him until I know he’s safe and ready. He’s got a career – not going to rush him back. So, we’ll see."
on what players have to do going forward
“We became a really good defensive team, we made the Final Four. Our offensive numbers in the six previous games and the six in the NCAA tournament were identical. This is not a secret formula. But I’ve got news for you. As good as Gonzaga is, if they come out, dribble really fast down the court and lay it in seven times in the first half, I don’t like our chances. Seven times. It was 14-0 fast-break points. They weren’t the Lakers. It wasn’t Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) to Magic (Johnson) to Byron (Scott) to (James) Worthy for the dunk. It was the guy with the ball dribbled it all the way the length of the court and laid it in. We didn’t offer much in the way of resistance.”
on halftime message
“Stop giving up layups. It’s embarrassing.”
on offensive performance
“The ball’s not always going to go in. I thought we tried to take too many hard shots early in the game and by the time we stopped trying to take hard shots to match their run and then we started trying to pass the ball more and get fouled and play more team basketball, make Gonzaga guard us, we did a better job then. But early on, we took too many shots without making them defend us. Got to make them play defense. Can’t beat them if you can’t make them play defense. Got to make them play defense.”
on if any player in particular needs to step up in terms of leadership
“All of them. I’m a big believer that every guy should always be a leader in any company, business, team. You’re either leading people in the wrong direction – even if you’re a freshman that doesn’t play, or a non-scholarship guy – you lead with your attitude, you lead with your effort. Everybody should be doing that. That’s just how we do things.”
Gonzaga 83, UCLA 63
November 23, 2021
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“We’re not a good defensive team and we got exposed tonight by a great team. They’re a great team. Their defense was better than ours. Their offense was better than ours. We started trying to move the ball and play team basketball, but it was too late, obviously, when you get down 20 to them.”
on where team is falling short right now
“Defense. All you’ve got to do is look at our numbers, even before tonight. And like, everybody was happy after Villanova. I showed our guys, you know, we only turned them over seven times in our sold-out crowd, home gym. We had to come from 10 down. I know [Villanova’s] a great team. You take your show on the road, you better take some toughness and defense.”
on Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren
“To be honest with you, I’m not really into talking about Gonzaga. I think you’ve got to ask them about that. He’s a great player. But that’s got nothing to do with why we lost. He’s a great player.”
on fixing any issues as the team moves forward
“Practice. We’ll see. You know, Cody’s not walking through that door for a couple weeks. I’m not playing him until I know he’s safe and ready. He’s got a career – not going to rush him back. So, we’ll see."
on what players have to do going forward
“We became a really good defensive team, we made the Final Four. Our offensive numbers in the six previous games and the six in the NCAA tournament were identical. This is not a secret formula. But I’ve got news for you. As good as Gonzaga is, if they come out, dribble really fast down the court and lay it in seven times in the first half, I don’t like our chances. Seven times. It was 14-0 fast-break points. They weren’t the Lakers. It wasn’t Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) to Magic (Johnson) to Byron (Scott) to (James) Worthy for the dunk. It was the guy with the ball dribbled it all the way the length of the court and laid it in. We didn’t offer much in the way of resistance.”
on halftime message
“Stop giving up layups. It’s embarrassing.”
on offensive performance
“The ball’s not always going to go in. I thought we tried to take too many hard shots early in the game and by the time we stopped trying to take hard shots to match their run and then we started trying to pass the ball more and get fouled and play more team basketball, make Gonzaga guard us, we did a better job then. But early on, we took too many shots without making them defend us. Got to make them play defense. Can’t beat them if you can’t make them play defense. Got to make them play defense.”
on if any player in particular needs to step up in terms of leadership
“All of them. I’m a big believer that every guy should always be a leader in any company, business, team. You’re either leading people in the wrong direction – even if you’re a freshman that doesn’t play, or a non-scholarship guy – you lead with your attitude, you lead with your effort. Everybody should be doing that. That’s just how we do things.”
The Box
#2 UCLA rolls over Bellarmine 75-62. Bruins pushes record to 5-0 leading to Zags showdown.
Short of it
Long of it
Thanks to UCLA Basketball and Matthew Loves Ball for the videos
#2 UCLA beats North Florida 98-63. Bruins 4-0.
Short of it
Long of it
Thanks to Pac12 Networks and Matthew Loves Ball for the videos!
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
#2 UCLA beats pesky Long Beach 100-79. Bruins go 3-0.
Short video
Long video
Post-game Q&As
Thanks to the video posters on You Tube
UCLA Downs Long Beach State, 100-79
uclabruins.com | LOS ANGELES – Johnny Juzang scored a team-leading 25 points and Jules Bernard added 22 points to pace No. 2-ranked UCLA past Long Beach State, 100-79, before 7,129 fans in Pauley Pavilion on Monday evening.
Bernard connected on 8 of 11 shots and registered a career-high seven assists in the 21-point victory. He nailed 4 of 5 shots from 3-point distance as the Bruins improved to 3-0.
Juzang scored 10 points before the 15-minute mark in the first half. He finished the game having made 11 of 21 shots, added four rebounds and tallied a pair of assists.
Juzang and Bernard were among two of UCLA's five players to score in double figures. Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 17 points, Tyger Campbell added 15, and Jaylen Clark totaled 10.
Long Beach State's Joey Murray totaled a game-high 30 points, while Colin Slater finished with 27 points. Murray connected on 13 of 17 shots from the field.
Six different Bruins recorded at least one steal against Long Beach State (1-1). Five UCLA players had at least one block.
The Bruins forced 25 turnovers against Long Beach State, the most turnovers committed by any of UCLA's opponents since CSUN had 27 in the season-opening game on Nov. 12, 2010.
UCLA (3-0) led by a 48-45 margin at halftime and used an 11-2 scoring run to open the second half. Bernard was a spark plug for UCLA in that early run, hitting his first four shots as part of a 10-point half. UCLA utilized a balanced attack in the second half on Monday, as five players registered at least eight points (after the intermission).
The Bruins pushed ahead with a 7-0 scoring run, capped by a David Singleton 3-pointer at the 10:28 mark in the second half. That scoring run was sparked by an old-fashioned 3-point play from Clark, with 13:06 to play. His initial layup pushed the Bruins' cushion to 10 points. UCLA led by at least 10 points through the remainder of the contest.
The Bruins advantage swelled to 20 points on a 3-point basket from Campbell with 2:21 to play in the second half.
Long Beach State kept the margin close in the first half, thanks to strong shooting from its backcourt duo of Murray and Slater. Those two players combined for 37 of Long Beach State's 45 first-half points (making 16 of their first 20 shots, combined).
UCLA will conclude a season-opening four-game homestand against North Florida this Wednesday evening. Game time is 7:30 p.m. (PT). The Bruins' game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.
Bernard connected on 8 of 11 shots and registered a career-high seven assists in the 21-point victory. He nailed 4 of 5 shots from 3-point distance as the Bruins improved to 3-0.
Juzang scored 10 points before the 15-minute mark in the first half. He finished the game having made 11 of 21 shots, added four rebounds and tallied a pair of assists.
Juzang and Bernard were among two of UCLA's five players to score in double figures. Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 17 points, Tyger Campbell added 15, and Jaylen Clark totaled 10.
Long Beach State's Joey Murray totaled a game-high 30 points, while Colin Slater finished with 27 points. Murray connected on 13 of 17 shots from the field.
Six different Bruins recorded at least one steal against Long Beach State (1-1). Five UCLA players had at least one block.
The Bruins forced 25 turnovers against Long Beach State, the most turnovers committed by any of UCLA's opponents since CSUN had 27 in the season-opening game on Nov. 12, 2010.
UCLA (3-0) led by a 48-45 margin at halftime and used an 11-2 scoring run to open the second half. Bernard was a spark plug for UCLA in that early run, hitting his first four shots as part of a 10-point half. UCLA utilized a balanced attack in the second half on Monday, as five players registered at least eight points (after the intermission).
The Bruins pushed ahead with a 7-0 scoring run, capped by a David Singleton 3-pointer at the 10:28 mark in the second half. That scoring run was sparked by an old-fashioned 3-point play from Clark, with 13:06 to play. His initial layup pushed the Bruins' cushion to 10 points. UCLA led by at least 10 points through the remainder of the contest.
The Bruins advantage swelled to 20 points on a 3-point basket from Campbell with 2:21 to play in the second half.
Long Beach State kept the margin close in the first half, thanks to strong shooting from its backcourt duo of Murray and Slater. Those two players combined for 37 of Long Beach State's 45 first-half points (making 16 of their first 20 shots, combined).
UCLA will conclude a season-opening four-game homestand against North Florida this Wednesday evening. Game time is 7:30 p.m. (PT). The Bruins' game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.
Postgame Quotes – UCLA vs. Long Beach State
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 100, Long Beach State 79
November 15, 2021
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening remarks
“First of all, I’ve got to give congratulations to Murray and Slater. Those guys played great. Give them a lot of credit. I’ve been doing this long enough, you’ve got to give other people credit. So good for those kids. That’s not going to ease my pain of (our) horrendous defense. You’ve got to give those guys credit well.”
on what worked on defense in the second half
“Not a whole lot. I would say they ran out of a bit of gas. Right now, my opinion defensively – I don’t know one thing we’re good at. On the ball, off the ball, our talk in transition. That’s my opinion.”
on averaging 93.7 points
“We better. We better. If I had a pair of sneakers, I think I could have scored on some of our guys tonight. I turn 50 this summer, just to remind you.”
on Jules Bernard performance
“He’s a really good player. Right now, I don’t need contribution. I need some leadership, some accountability in our locker room. I know everybody’s happy we beat Villanova, but the game was at home. So, to me, that game shouldn’t even come down the way it came down. We’ve got a lot of room for improvement.”
on stopping Murray and Slater
“When you let good players get started, giving them layups, the basket gets better. We don’t have a lot of great one-one-one players. We have to play team defense. The answer is team defense.”
on how sustainable winning is with defense like tonight
“Completely unsustainable. Completely. You can’t win on the road if you don’t defend.”
on message to the team after the game
“They know I’m extremely upset. There’s three options. You try to teach and coach. When that don’t work, you go to option two and scream and yell. Then option three: run in practice or sit in the game. So, we’re on option three. … I’ve got a lot of issues, but being convicted to what I believe in is not a problem for me. So right now, I’m just trying to search for somebody who can guard the ball, help when they’re supposed to help and follow the scouring report.
junior guard Johnny Juzang
on what they have to do better
“Game plan, they had two very talented guards. We just didn’t follow the scouting report well. We made it too easy for them. We’ve just got to take away those things.”
on the disconnect of winning the game and having coach be upset
“We have a team where everyone is returning, so we know the level that we’re capable of playing at, so just winning a game isn’t always satisfy us. It’s how you performed, how you won the game or lost the game. You know when you’ve made too many mistakes.”
senior guard Jules Bernard
on what they have to do better
“We gave up 57 points to two players, and that’s obviously unacceptable, especially for us, where the standard of defense is set at a high bar. So there’s definitely a lot to work on and a lot to watch from this game into our next game and learn from this.”
on what Long Beach State was doing to be efficient in making shots
“When you let players like that who have talent and are good players – when you let them get going early, and they have the juices flowing and you let the water start flowing, they’re just going to keep hitting shots, whether they’re tough, or they find ways to get open shots. I think we let them get going way too early offensively in the game.”
on if they felt like they needed to match what Murray and Slater were doing
“No, we’re just out there playing, just doing what we’re supposed to on the offensive end and playing together. But regardless of that, in the game, we’re not thinking let’s go bucket for bucket; we’re thinking how do we stop these guys. They’re on fire. They’re the two main guys who are scoring for them and keeping them in the game. We have to figure out a way to stop them, and unfortunately we did a poor job of that tonight.”
Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson
on the team’s overall performance
“I give us about a B-plus. I give us a C-minus offensively, a B-plus for rebound. Well, maybe I’ll give us an A for rebounding. Going in, we were concerned about our rebounding because UCLA had outrebounded their opponents, but we held our own. The rebounding didn’t really cost us the game.”
on the play of Murray and Slater
“As the kids would say, they were cookin’. I just wish we could have fed them more. We just have to keep doing what was working for us. We came out and we went to zone to try to keep them off-balance, but as the game went on, they looked more comfortable in the second half, and they started rolling after that.”
on where the team goes from here
“We just have to get better. We showed that we could compete against good teams for stretches, but the game is 40 minutes. We competed well in large stretches, but we just have to put it all together.”
UCLA 100, Long Beach State 79
November 15, 2021
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening remarks
“First of all, I’ve got to give congratulations to Murray and Slater. Those guys played great. Give them a lot of credit. I’ve been doing this long enough, you’ve got to give other people credit. So good for those kids. That’s not going to ease my pain of (our) horrendous defense. You’ve got to give those guys credit well.”
on what worked on defense in the second half
“Not a whole lot. I would say they ran out of a bit of gas. Right now, my opinion defensively – I don’t know one thing we’re good at. On the ball, off the ball, our talk in transition. That’s my opinion.”
on averaging 93.7 points
“We better. We better. If I had a pair of sneakers, I think I could have scored on some of our guys tonight. I turn 50 this summer, just to remind you.”
on Jules Bernard performance
“He’s a really good player. Right now, I don’t need contribution. I need some leadership, some accountability in our locker room. I know everybody’s happy we beat Villanova, but the game was at home. So, to me, that game shouldn’t even come down the way it came down. We’ve got a lot of room for improvement.”
on stopping Murray and Slater
“When you let good players get started, giving them layups, the basket gets better. We don’t have a lot of great one-one-one players. We have to play team defense. The answer is team defense.”
on how sustainable winning is with defense like tonight
“Completely unsustainable. Completely. You can’t win on the road if you don’t defend.”
on message to the team after the game
“They know I’m extremely upset. There’s three options. You try to teach and coach. When that don’t work, you go to option two and scream and yell. Then option three: run in practice or sit in the game. So, we’re on option three. … I’ve got a lot of issues, but being convicted to what I believe in is not a problem for me. So right now, I’m just trying to search for somebody who can guard the ball, help when they’re supposed to help and follow the scouring report.
junior guard Johnny Juzang
on what they have to do better
“Game plan, they had two very talented guards. We just didn’t follow the scouting report well. We made it too easy for them. We’ve just got to take away those things.”
on the disconnect of winning the game and having coach be upset
“We have a team where everyone is returning, so we know the level that we’re capable of playing at, so just winning a game isn’t always satisfy us. It’s how you performed, how you won the game or lost the game. You know when you’ve made too many mistakes.”
senior guard Jules Bernard
on what they have to do better
“We gave up 57 points to two players, and that’s obviously unacceptable, especially for us, where the standard of defense is set at a high bar. So there’s definitely a lot to work on and a lot to watch from this game into our next game and learn from this.”
on what Long Beach State was doing to be efficient in making shots
“When you let players like that who have talent and are good players – when you let them get going early, and they have the juices flowing and you let the water start flowing, they’re just going to keep hitting shots, whether they’re tough, or they find ways to get open shots. I think we let them get going way too early offensively in the game.”
on if they felt like they needed to match what Murray and Slater were doing
“No, we’re just out there playing, just doing what we’re supposed to on the offensive end and playing together. But regardless of that, in the game, we’re not thinking let’s go bucket for bucket; we’re thinking how do we stop these guys. They’re on fire. They’re the two main guys who are scoring for them and keeping them in the game. We have to figure out a way to stop them, and unfortunately we did a poor job of that tonight.”
Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson
on the team’s overall performance
“I give us about a B-plus. I give us a C-minus offensively, a B-plus for rebound. Well, maybe I’ll give us an A for rebounding. Going in, we were concerned about our rebounding because UCLA had outrebounded their opponents, but we held our own. The rebounding didn’t really cost us the game.”
on the play of Murray and Slater
“As the kids would say, they were cookin’. I just wish we could have fed them more. We just have to keep doing what was working for us. We came out and we went to zone to try to keep them off-balance, but as the game went on, they looked more comfortable in the second half, and they started rolling after that.”
on where the team goes from here
“We just have to get better. We showed that we could compete against good teams for stretches, but the game is 40 minutes. We competed well in large stretches, but we just have to put it all together.”
The Box
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Bill Plaschke Column: UCLA reviving Westwood with talent and swagger amid renewed title hopes
BY BILL
PLASCHKE, COLUMNIST
LOS ANGELES TIMES
NOV. 13, 2021 4:30 AM PT
Article Link
Pauley Pavilion was
actually hot, steaming on a November night, sweat dripping across white shirts
and pumping fists.
Pauley Pavilion was actually loud, seats
shaking, walls creaking, noise flowing down in waves that startled and
suffocated.
One of this city’s grandest sports venues is
acting like a kid again, revived by the return of an old friend that some
feared had been lost forever.
UCLA basketball is officially back.
What was promised in an Indiana bubble last
spring has come to fruition in a Westwood celebration that began Friday night
in the second-ranked Bruins’ 86-77 overtime
win over fourth-ranked Villanova.
UCLA basketball is loudly, boldly back.
You could see it on the floor, the Bruins fighting back from a
10-point deficit in the last 10 minutes with both stiff-arms and swagger,
Johnny Juzang gunning and posing, Jaime Jaquez Jr. scrapping and scrambling, and
often-overlooked Jules Bernard saving the game with a crazy fall-away runner
that banked in.
You could hear it in the crowd, most dressed in white, each of the
13,659 seats sold, including several thousand students who waited in line all
day for a chance to show a national television audience that college
basketball’s greatest tradition can once again roar. The kids alone were so
impressively noisy that after the game, Cronin faced them from the court,
pointed in their direction, and screamed back.
“Just thanking the students,” said Cronin. “I appreciate all of
the donors, but the students are the ones that bring excitement.”
More than anything, you could feel it in the air, which was filled
late with chants of, “We Want Gonzaga,” in reference to the Bruins’ showdown
with the top-ranked Bulldogs in a couple of weeks.
The question is, does Gonzaga want UCLA? Does anybody want UCLA?
After seeing how the Bruins behaved in this first monumental
matchup of the season, it’s legitimate to view them as the best team in the
country. Every player who participated in last year’s run to the Final Four is
not only back, but better. They don’t only survive frantic final minutes, they
embrace them.
They need a shot, Tyger Campbell hits consecutive three-pointers
to begin their comeback. They need a stop, Jaylen Clark forces a last-second
miss on a layup attempt by Justin Moore to send the game into overtime.
They need a three-pointer midway through overtime to deflate the
weary Wildcats, Jaquez nails it. And they need their best player to play to the
crowd and raise the commotion, Juzang is more than happy to do both.
At one point during his 25-points-on-24-sometimes-crazy-shots
night, Juzang ran downcourt shaking his head like, “You just can’t stop this.”
At another point, he flexed his biceps like, “You just can’t handle this.”
Is it any wonder immediately after the game, one of Juzang’s more
subdued teammates followed his lead, Campbell faced the crowd and spread his
arms wide and smiled like, “Aren’t we something?”
These Bruins, more pure fun than any UCLA team in recent history,
are something indeed.
“I think it just comes from the personalities we have on this
team,” said Jaquez Jr. “I know myself, Johnny and Tyger, we live for that, we
live for the crowd, we live for those big moments and it just feeds us more
fuel and when we need someone to make a great shot, we’ve got guys that can
make those, so I think it’s just something that we have inside of us.”
That something has somehow made its way into the tough bones of
Cronin, who was brought here three years ago to be a taskmaster, but has
suddenly become a ringleader.
He spent his previous two seasons instilling a culture based on
muscle and defense. But now that the gifted Bruins have bought it, he’s
delightfully loosening the reins and letting them shine.
“They do believe in themselves … even in the huddle, they believe
in themselves,” Cronin said. “And they know I believe in them. Offensively, you
see I believe in their talent.”
Not that he still doesn’t believe in getting a stop. On Friday
night he actually benched Juzang during important Villanova possessions down
the stretch because Clark is a better defender, a decision that led to six
straight Villanova missed shots late in regulation and early in overtime.
But make no mistake. Cronin is not only accepting the swagger,
he’s riding with it.
“I agree that they have it, but that’s because they believe in themselves and are talented kids,” said Cronin.
In their last nine games dating back to last March, these talented
kids have played five overtime games against tournament teams. They’ve won
three of those games, with one of those losses coming on that last-second shot
by Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs.
Thus, when overtime arrived Friday, they briefly celebrated, then
visibly shrugged. They’ve been there. They’ve done that. It showed. This was a
November game that felt like March. These Bruins can do March.
“Just an inner confidence that we’ve been in this situation, that
helped us lock down the stretch,” said Juzang. “Going into overtime … it’s
lucky that we got guys with so much experience.”
There were many colorful scenes decorating awakened Pauley on Friday
night, from Michael Buffer doing his rumble to Dave Roberts serving as honorary
captain and accepting a basketball from Tyus Edney.
Jessica Alba was there. Jamaal Wilkes was there. Bill Walton was
there, of course he was. And in the end, serving as the Bruins’ victory hymn,
the words of Tupac’s “California Love” were there.
“The atmosphere was great, the fans showed so much support, such a
great turnout and the energy was amazing coming from the team, all of us and
also Pauley,” said Juzang. “It was amazing.”
Yet nothing was more compelling than a scene reminiscent of last
spring’s celebrations, when, in the final 10 seconds, the Bruins locked in a
tight circle near midcourt, hugging one another and hopping on the hardwood and
showing again why they all returned.
They want this moment. They want this season.
They want Gonzaga.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
#2 UCLA takes care of #4 Villanova at home in OT 86-77. Goes 2-0.
Game highlights
Post-game Q&As
Thanks to Matthew Knows Ball and All Bruins on SI for the videos
UCLA Registers 86-77 Overtime Win Over No. 4 Villanova
From uclabruins.com | LOS ANGELES – Johnny Juzang recorded a game-high 25 points as the No. 2-ranked UCLA men's basketball team recovered from a 10-point second-half deficit to capture an 86-77 overtime win over No. 4 Villanova on Friday night before a capacity crowd at Pauley Pavilion.
The contest, televised on ESPN2, was the first matchup of two top-five teams at Pauley Pavilion since the 1991-92 season.
UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr. was also a key contributor for the host Bruins (2-0), posting a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double. He led all Bruins in overtime with seven points. Jules Bernard added 16 points, and finished one rebound short of a double-double. Redshirt junior point guard Tyger Campbell chipped in 14 points and passed for four assists.
Coach Cronin's Postgame Remarks | UCLA's Student-Athletes, Postgame
Villanova (1-1) scored the first two points of the extra session, but the Bruins bounced back with a 7-0 run to quickly take control. Jaquez Jr. hit the biggest shot of that run, draining a 3-pointer after Campbell drove from the wing and two-handed a pass to him above the key. On the preceding play, Juzang connected on a lay-up after a Myles Johnson block to give the Bruins their first lead since early in the second half.
With UCLA firmly in control, Villanova began to foul, leading to a parade to the line for the Bruins. Bernard sank four consecutive free throws down the stretch to extend UCLA's lead to double-digits with less than 10 seconds remaining.
The Bruins led by as many as nine in a back-and-forth first half. Senior guard David Singleton helped UCLA open up that margin, coming off the bench and hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 17-8 at the 10:37 mark. Villanova answered back with a 16-2 run later in the half, but UCLA went to the locker room with a two-point lead after Juzang hit a runner just before the buzzer to break a 30-30 tie.
The two teams remained close at the beginning of the second half, but UCLA wouldn't lead for the rest of regulation after a 3-point make from Villanova's Jermaine Samuels at the 15:08 mark. The visitors' lead ballooned to as much as 10, with 9:24 remaining in the game, before the Bruins battled back to make it a close game down the stretch.
Immediately after Villanova made it a 10-point game, Campbell came back with consecutive 3-point baskets to reduce the deficit to four. The Bruins cut it to two after a lay-up from Jaquez with 3:55 remaining, and ultimately went on to tie the game after Jules Bernard hit an off-balance, running floater with 30 seconds left on the clock. UCLA got a stop on Villanova's last possession to send the game into overtime.
Villanova had five players score in double figures, led by Samuels' 20 points.
UCLA returns to action by hosting Long Beach State on Monday night at 8:00 p.m. (PT) in a non-conference tilt to be televised by the Pac-12 Network.
The contest, televised on ESPN2, was the first matchup of two top-five teams at Pauley Pavilion since the 1991-92 season.
UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr. was also a key contributor for the host Bruins (2-0), posting a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double. He led all Bruins in overtime with seven points. Jules Bernard added 16 points, and finished one rebound short of a double-double. Redshirt junior point guard Tyger Campbell chipped in 14 points and passed for four assists.
Coach Cronin's Postgame Remarks | UCLA's Student-Athletes, Postgame
Villanova (1-1) scored the first two points of the extra session, but the Bruins bounced back with a 7-0 run to quickly take control. Jaquez Jr. hit the biggest shot of that run, draining a 3-pointer after Campbell drove from the wing and two-handed a pass to him above the key. On the preceding play, Juzang connected on a lay-up after a Myles Johnson block to give the Bruins their first lead since early in the second half.
With UCLA firmly in control, Villanova began to foul, leading to a parade to the line for the Bruins. Bernard sank four consecutive free throws down the stretch to extend UCLA's lead to double-digits with less than 10 seconds remaining.
The Bruins led by as many as nine in a back-and-forth first half. Senior guard David Singleton helped UCLA open up that margin, coming off the bench and hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 17-8 at the 10:37 mark. Villanova answered back with a 16-2 run later in the half, but UCLA went to the locker room with a two-point lead after Juzang hit a runner just before the buzzer to break a 30-30 tie.
The two teams remained close at the beginning of the second half, but UCLA wouldn't lead for the rest of regulation after a 3-point make from Villanova's Jermaine Samuels at the 15:08 mark. The visitors' lead ballooned to as much as 10, with 9:24 remaining in the game, before the Bruins battled back to make it a close game down the stretch.
Immediately after Villanova made it a 10-point game, Campbell came back with consecutive 3-point baskets to reduce the deficit to four. The Bruins cut it to two after a lay-up from Jaquez with 3:55 remaining, and ultimately went on to tie the game after Jules Bernard hit an off-balance, running floater with 30 seconds left on the clock. UCLA got a stop on Villanova's last possession to send the game into overtime.
Villanova had five players score in double figures, led by Samuels' 20 points.
UCLA returns to action by hosting Long Beach State on Monday night at 8:00 p.m. (PT) in a non-conference tilt to be televised by the Pac-12 Network.
Postgame Quotes – UCLA vs. Villanova
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 86, Villanova 77 (overtime)
November 12, 2021
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
on the resiliency of the team
“Well, they do know how to win. They learned that last year. That’s what I told them at the under four (minute) timeout. We’ve been in these games. They have too, though. They have four starters back. And there’s only really one answer: someone’s got to stop them and that’s easier said than done because they obviously put four shooters around the line and back you down. It’s tough to deal with. It’s not something you see every day. … Their physicality is just really hard to simulate the way they go after you. It’s impressive. I’ve always been a fan of it. My goal at Cincinnati was to get my team to play as hard as Villanova plays. Once we got there, we went to nine straight tournaments. It was great for us, for our goals this year to have to play them. How many times did you think we had the rebound and somehow, they got it? They knock it away and take it away. So, we were relentless, but their effort is relentless too. Nobody should have lost this game.”
on Jules Bernard as an offensive asset and game-tying shot
“You guys have been here, and I don’t know if you’ve notice, but I keep on talking about Jules because nationally, they don’t. Jules can arguably be our MVP last year. The guy is playing back-up point guard, starting wing and has to lead us in rebounding when Chris Smith goes down. He’s got nine rebounds tonight. He’s going to play basketball for a long, long time. And he’s an unbelievable kid. He never misses practice. He’s like the Iron Man. Anytime you give me a question about Jules, it’s hard for me to stop talking because he deserves it because no one talks about him because of Johnny and now Jaime, and Tyger gets a lot of (publicity), but Jules is a really good player.”
on forcing six consecutive missed shots at the end of regulation
“I told the guys, and we held them to 67, that there was no way we were going to catch them. We were on pace to give up 80. That was our recipe for winning the NCAA Tournament. … We can’t give up those kinds of points at home as good as they are. We’ve got to get better defensively. And we’re learning how to play without Cody on the fly.”
on the team’s swagger
“They have more talent. In all seriousness, they do believe in themselves. Even when you watch them in the huddle, they do believe in themselves. And they know I believe in them. … Defensively, to win championships, you’ve got to be able to stop a really good team. It comes down to who can get a stop.”
on pointing to the crowd after the game
“I was just thanking the students that came. College basketball is all about the pageantry. It’s great that it’s back and I appreciate all the donors, but the students are the ones that bring the excitement. They stand. They go nuts the whole game. I just try to continue and thank them and engage with our student body. There were about 2,000 students – and I don’t know if you know this – outside all day. Iwas passing donuts. Martin, Josh were passing pizzas.”
on if he’s ever imagined the Pauley Pavilion crowd like this
“I did because to me, this is UCLA. And I’m a basketball guy, so I’ve watched games from Pauley my whole life after I got home from my games. I’m a movie guy, so Field of Dreams. You build it, and they will come.
junior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
On the overtime period
“I just think going into overtime we knew what our plan was – it was to get up into them, to get stops. Their plan was to get into the post, so all we needed to do was ball up, make them miss and then go down to the other end, and Tyger driving. I know he likes to drive baseline, so I know right away he likes to pass it soon, and I saw the right way to be when he passed it.”
on where the team’s swagger comes from
“It just comes from the personalities on this team. I know that myself, Johnny and Tyger, we live for that the crowd. We live for these big moments, and it just feeds us. It feeds our fuel. When you need someone to make a great shot, we’ve got guys who are there to make those. So I think it’s just something that we all have inside of us.”
on the team’s familiarity with overtime games
“I would say we’re very familiar. Four of our last eight have been in overtime, and I know we’ve had a lot more during the regular season. So I would say we’re very comfortable in that situation.”
junior guard Johnny Juzang
on the game having a tournament feel
“I know for us, we love these games. Villanova is a great team and great program, so I think this is where we have the most fun. We’re the most present. It’s a blast. That’s what I would say. We were definitely looking forward to it this morning, the energy was great, the fans showed so much support. It was such a great turnout. The energy was amazing coming from the team and all of us, and also Pauley was amazing.”
on the team’s familiarity with overtime games
“I think it helps so much. We return the whole team, so I think there was just a sense of excitement to come here and play this game, but just like an inner confidence that we’ve been in these situations, I think that helped us a lot down the stretch too. Going into overtime, those big possessions at the end of regulation, it’s lucky that we’ve got guys with so much experience.”
on the message in the huddle when down 10 points
“We just kind of said we’re still in this. The game’s not over, and we don’t come to lose. So we were ready to just lock in and battle and put together stops and made some great plays. But we all came together. We’re never going to stop.”
redshirt junior guard Tyger Campbell
on the importance of the win
“With ‘Nova being such a great team, it means everything to us. Coming into this game, we knew that Coach Wright was a great coach, they have the Big East Player of the Year, so we knew that it was going to be a tough one, so we just tried to prepare the best we could and come into this one and play as a team. We started off slow, but towards the end of the game we picked it up, got our defense going. We’re UCLA, so we always have a target on our back, it’s just a bigger target this year because we’re pretty highly-ranked right now.”
on his big three-pointers
“Coming into this season, I worked a lot on my three-point shooting and my base. It’s always good to see the ball go in, but I trust and believe in my team. I’m confident in 1 through 13, so my biggest thing is finding where I can get my shots in because any swing we have guys. It’s just finding it when I can get it and hitting my shots when I get it.”
Villanova head coach Jay Wright
opening statement
“We basically just threw the game away on the offensive glass. There were a lot of plays that hurt us. We had some really good possessions, but in games like this we have to do all the little things. They really gutted it out. They are a really experienced team; they’ve played together for a long time, and they’re well coached.”
on the atmosphere
“It was a great atmosphere, just even in practice. So playing here was really awesome, and you could just feel the history of this place.”
on what happened in the second half
“We had too many possessions where we didn’t finish. I think both of us really got used to each other physically, but the lack of depth really hurt us. We have some young guys who really haven’t played and have been injured, so I didn’t think it was fair to put them in a game like this.”
UCLA 86, Villanova 77 (overtime)
November 12, 2021
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
on the resiliency of the team
“Well, they do know how to win. They learned that last year. That’s what I told them at the under four (minute) timeout. We’ve been in these games. They have too, though. They have four starters back. And there’s only really one answer: someone’s got to stop them and that’s easier said than done because they obviously put four shooters around the line and back you down. It’s tough to deal with. It’s not something you see every day. … Their physicality is just really hard to simulate the way they go after you. It’s impressive. I’ve always been a fan of it. My goal at Cincinnati was to get my team to play as hard as Villanova plays. Once we got there, we went to nine straight tournaments. It was great for us, for our goals this year to have to play them. How many times did you think we had the rebound and somehow, they got it? They knock it away and take it away. So, we were relentless, but their effort is relentless too. Nobody should have lost this game.”
on Jules Bernard as an offensive asset and game-tying shot
“You guys have been here, and I don’t know if you’ve notice, but I keep on talking about Jules because nationally, they don’t. Jules can arguably be our MVP last year. The guy is playing back-up point guard, starting wing and has to lead us in rebounding when Chris Smith goes down. He’s got nine rebounds tonight. He’s going to play basketball for a long, long time. And he’s an unbelievable kid. He never misses practice. He’s like the Iron Man. Anytime you give me a question about Jules, it’s hard for me to stop talking because he deserves it because no one talks about him because of Johnny and now Jaime, and Tyger gets a lot of (publicity), but Jules is a really good player.”
on forcing six consecutive missed shots at the end of regulation
“I told the guys, and we held them to 67, that there was no way we were going to catch them. We were on pace to give up 80. That was our recipe for winning the NCAA Tournament. … We can’t give up those kinds of points at home as good as they are. We’ve got to get better defensively. And we’re learning how to play without Cody on the fly.”
on the team’s swagger
“They have more talent. In all seriousness, they do believe in themselves. Even when you watch them in the huddle, they do believe in themselves. And they know I believe in them. … Defensively, to win championships, you’ve got to be able to stop a really good team. It comes down to who can get a stop.”
on pointing to the crowd after the game
“I was just thanking the students that came. College basketball is all about the pageantry. It’s great that it’s back and I appreciate all the donors, but the students are the ones that bring the excitement. They stand. They go nuts the whole game. I just try to continue and thank them and engage with our student body. There were about 2,000 students – and I don’t know if you know this – outside all day. Iwas passing donuts. Martin, Josh were passing pizzas.”
on if he’s ever imagined the Pauley Pavilion crowd like this
“I did because to me, this is UCLA. And I’m a basketball guy, so I’ve watched games from Pauley my whole life after I got home from my games. I’m a movie guy, so Field of Dreams. You build it, and they will come.
junior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
On the overtime period
“I just think going into overtime we knew what our plan was – it was to get up into them, to get stops. Their plan was to get into the post, so all we needed to do was ball up, make them miss and then go down to the other end, and Tyger driving. I know he likes to drive baseline, so I know right away he likes to pass it soon, and I saw the right way to be when he passed it.”
on where the team’s swagger comes from
“It just comes from the personalities on this team. I know that myself, Johnny and Tyger, we live for that the crowd. We live for these big moments, and it just feeds us. It feeds our fuel. When you need someone to make a great shot, we’ve got guys who are there to make those. So I think it’s just something that we all have inside of us.”
on the team’s familiarity with overtime games
“I would say we’re very familiar. Four of our last eight have been in overtime, and I know we’ve had a lot more during the regular season. So I would say we’re very comfortable in that situation.”
junior guard Johnny Juzang
on the game having a tournament feel
“I know for us, we love these games. Villanova is a great team and great program, so I think this is where we have the most fun. We’re the most present. It’s a blast. That’s what I would say. We were definitely looking forward to it this morning, the energy was great, the fans showed so much support. It was such a great turnout. The energy was amazing coming from the team and all of us, and also Pauley was amazing.”
on the team’s familiarity with overtime games
“I think it helps so much. We return the whole team, so I think there was just a sense of excitement to come here and play this game, but just like an inner confidence that we’ve been in these situations, I think that helped us a lot down the stretch too. Going into overtime, those big possessions at the end of regulation, it’s lucky that we’ve got guys with so much experience.”
on the message in the huddle when down 10 points
“We just kind of said we’re still in this. The game’s not over, and we don’t come to lose. So we were ready to just lock in and battle and put together stops and made some great plays. But we all came together. We’re never going to stop.”
redshirt junior guard Tyger Campbell
on the importance of the win
“With ‘Nova being such a great team, it means everything to us. Coming into this game, we knew that Coach Wright was a great coach, they have the Big East Player of the Year, so we knew that it was going to be a tough one, so we just tried to prepare the best we could and come into this one and play as a team. We started off slow, but towards the end of the game we picked it up, got our defense going. We’re UCLA, so we always have a target on our back, it’s just a bigger target this year because we’re pretty highly-ranked right now.”
on his big three-pointers
“Coming into this season, I worked a lot on my three-point shooting and my base. It’s always good to see the ball go in, but I trust and believe in my team. I’m confident in 1 through 13, so my biggest thing is finding where I can get my shots in because any swing we have guys. It’s just finding it when I can get it and hitting my shots when I get it.”
Villanova head coach Jay Wright
opening statement
“We basically just threw the game away on the offensive glass. There were a lot of plays that hurt us. We had some really good possessions, but in games like this we have to do all the little things. They really gutted it out. They are a really experienced team; they’ve played together for a long time, and they’re well coached.”
on the atmosphere
“It was a great atmosphere, just even in practice. So playing here was really awesome, and you could just feel the history of this place.”
on what happened in the second half
“We had too many possessions where we didn’t finish. I think both of us really got used to each other physically, but the lack of depth really hurt us. We have some young guys who really haven’t played and have been injured, so I didn’t think it was fair to put them in a game like this.”
The Box
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
#2 UCLA beats CSU Bakersfield 95-58
Short highlight video
Longer highlight video
Post-game Q&A
Thanks to all the original video posters!
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