Tuesday, March 10, 2015

UCLA Basketball Looks Ahead to Pac-12 Tournament

Tony Parker and the Bruins will play in the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday (photo by Percy Anderson)
Tony Parker and the Bruins will play in the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday (photo by Percy Anderson)

Courtesy: UCLA Athletics

Courtesy: UCLA Athletics
Release: Monday 03/09/2015
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LOS ANGELES – UCLA (19-12) will play against either No. 5-seed Arizona State (17-14) or No. 12-seed USC (11-19) in a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday, March 12. Game time at MGM Grand Garden Arena is slated for 2:30 p.m. (PT). Arizona State takes on USC in a first-round matchup on Wednesday at 2:40 p.m. (PT). UCLA does not play in this year’s tournament until Thursday after having secured a first-round bye (top four teams in the Pac-12 regular-season standings earn a first-round bye).
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena (13,151)
Date: Thursday, March 12
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. (PT)
Television: Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent: Kevin Calabro (play-by-play), Don MacLean (analyst), Lewis Johnson (reporter)
Radio: AM 570 (KLAC)
Radio Talent: Chris Roberts (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS Satellite Radio: Channel 92
SIRIUS XM Radio: Channel 197
LISTEN LIVE
UCLA’s game this Thursday in Las Vegas (2:30 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 approximately 2:00 p.m. (PT). Chris Roberts and former UCLA basketball standout Tracy Murray will have the call, live from MGM Grand Garden Arena. Fans can also listen to the audio broadcast by using the TuneIn radio app (click here).
KEY NOTES ABOUT UCLA
- UCLA closed its regular season with a 19-12 record, winning its final three games to secure the No. 4 seed at the Pac-12 Tournament ... this marks the third consecutive year UCLA has earned a first-round bye at the Pac-12 Tournament ... entering Thursday’s game, UCLA has won five of its last six Pac-12 Tournament games.
- The Bruins are seeking their 20th victory ... a win on Thursday would mark the 32nd time in the last 40 seasons in which UCLA won at least 20 games (dating back to when the late coach John Wooden retired in 1975) ... head coach Steve Alford has led his teams to at least 20 wins each of the previous seven years.
- UCLA went 16-1 at home this season, marking the program’s best home record since going 16-0 in Pauley Pavilion in 2006-07. UCLA and Arizona were the conference’s only two programs to go 9-0 at home in Pac-12 play this year. The Bruins won every home league game for the first time since 2006-07 (going 9-0 each season).
- Senior guard Norman Powell (16.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors for the first time in his career after having been a three-time Pac-12 Player of the Week recipient this season ... he ranks sixth in the conference in scoring and fourth in steals (1.9 spg) ... he has played in all 136 games for UCLA the past four seasons.
- Freshman forward Kevon Looney (12.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 14 double-doubles) ranks second among all freshmen in the nation with 9.5 rebounds per game ... his 14 double-doubles are tops in the country among freshmen ... a second-team All-Pac-12 selection, Looney is among seven players listed to this year’s Pac-12 All-Freshmen Team.
- Sophomore guard Bryce Alford (15.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5.1 apg) secured honorable mention All-Pac-12 Team acclaim after having ranked eighth in the league in scoring and fourth in assists per game ... Alford and Washington’s Nigel Williams-Goss are the Pac-12’s only players to rank in the top 10 in scoring and top five in assists per game.
- UCLA has had nine games this season in which all five starteres scored in double figures ... Powell and Alford have each scored in double figures in 26 games, while Looney has scored in double figures in 24 contests ... Powell has led UCLA in scoring in 15 games, while Alford has been the team’s top scorer in 10 contests.
- The Bruins returned three contributors from last year’s eight-man rotation ... Powell entered the season as UCLA’s only returning starter ... four UCLA players (Isaac HamiltonKevon LooneyThomas Welsh and G.G. Goloman) became mainstays in this year’s rotation after having made their collegiate debuts in the season opener on Nov. 14.
- UCLA won last season’s Pac-12 Tournament by reeling off consecutive wins over Oregon (82-63), Stanford (84-59) and top-seeded Arizona (75-71), marking the Bruins’ first conference tournament crown since 2008. In all, UCLA has won the Pac-12 Tournament four times (1987, 2006, 2008 and 2014).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
UCLA has played the country’s No. 33 most challenging schedule, as rated by KenPom (through March 8). The Bruins have played six games against top-15 ranked teams (AP poll), the most of any Pac-12 school. UCLA endured a five-game losing streak in late December and early January that featured four consecutive games away from home – vs. No. 1 Kentucky, at Alabama, at Colorado and at No. 10 Utah – after having hosted No. 9 Gonzaga in Pauley Pavilion.
ALL-PAC-12 ACCOLADES
Norman Powell (16.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and freshman forward Kevon Looney (12.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg) captured second-team acclaim in addition to being named a Pac-12 All-Freshmen Team selection.Bryce Alford (15.5 ppg, 5.1 apg) earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 acclaim. Powell was named an honorable mention Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection for the second consecutive season. Oregon’s Joseph Young was named the conference’s Player of the Year, while Arizona’s Stanley Johnson earned Freshman of the Year honors.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Norman Powell has played in all 136 games for UCLA since the start of the 2011-12 season (fifth-best on UCLA’s all-time list). Powell has started each of the last 70 games and has competed in 14 career postseason games (nine games in the Pac-12 Tournament, five in the NCAA Tournament). Michael Roll ranks first on UCLA’s all-time games played list (147), followed by Darren Collison and Alfred Aboya (142). Powell has also totaled 152 career steals, the 10th-highest mark on UCLA’s career list.

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