LOS ANGELES – No. 3 UCLA (19-1, 6-1) will host No. 14/13 Arizona (17-2, 6-0) in Pauley Pavilion on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m., PT). The Bruins' game will be nationally televised by CBS, with Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery calling the action. UCLA has won its last 11 home games and is looking to open the season with a 20-1 mark for the first time since going 21-1 through 22 games in 1991-92.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
Tipoff Time: 1:10 p.m. (PT)
Television: CBS
TV Talent: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst)
Radio: AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS/XM Radio Channel: Ch. 84/Ch. 84
SIRIUS App. Channel: Ch. 84
SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
The Bruins have won seven of their last nine games against Arizona in Pauley Pavilion, including a thrilling 87-84 decision last January during the second weekend of Pac-12 play. Since the start of the 2005-06 season, UCLA has won 16 of 26 games versus Arizona. This will be the first time these two programs have faced each other, with each team ranked in the AP poll's top 15, since Jan. 20, 2007 (UCLA won that game in Pauley Pavilion, 73-69).
WHAT ELSE?
A victory by UCLA against Arizona can help the Bruins extend their home win streak to 12 games. In addition, UCLA is seeking its first 20-1 start since going 21-1 to begin its 1991-92 campaign … This will be the first game featuring two top-20 ranked opponents (AP poll) in Pauley Pavilion since No. 9 UCLA faced No. 16 Arizona State on Jan. 17, 2009 (ASU won in overtime, 61-58) … Six Bruins are averaging at least 10.0 points per game. Six of UCLA's eight regular contributors (including all five starters) have recorded more assists than turnovers, through 20 games.
LAST TIME OUT
Isaac Hamilton scored a season-high 33 points, connecting on 9 of 14 three-pointers, to lead UCLA past Arizona State, 102-80, in Pauley Pavilion on Thursday. Hamilton had 25 points by halftime and made each of his first four three-point attempts (all within the game's first 6 minutes, 30 seconds). The Bruins never trailed in the game, pushing their lead to as many as 27 points with 4:36 left in regulation. TJ Leaf finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.
MORE ABOUT ISAAC
UCLA led Arizona State, 26-9, with 14:05 to play in the first half, but Isaac Hamilton was the star in the early going as he scored 19 points through the game's first 10 minutes. He tied the school's single-game record for most made three-pointers (9), previously accomplished at Colorado last week (Jan. 12) by Bryce Alford.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SWEEP
Last week, the Bruins recorded their first Pac-12 "road sweep" since Jan. 2013, earning victories at Colorado on Thursday and Utah on Saturday. In six seasons that the Pac-12 has included Colorado and Utah, the Rocky Mountain road sweep has only been accomplished four times – by UCLA in 2013 and 2017 and by Arizona in 2014 and 2015. Against Utah last Saturday afternoon, UCLA overcame a nine-point deficit (51-42) with 16:13 to play in the second half. Aaron Holiday's game-winning three-pointer with 1:52 left in regulation put the Bruins ahead, 81-80.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior guard Bryce Alford secured Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career on Monday. On the road last week, Alford averaged 26.0 points in two wins, having shot 57.1 percent from three-point range (12-of-21). Alford's career-high 37 points at Colorado helped the Bruins outlast Colorado, 104-89. He buried 9 of 14 attempts from three-point distance at the Coors Events Center, making 7 of those 10 shots in the second half.
THREE-POINT CHALLENGE
UCLA has teamed with the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in this season's Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge. Coaches vs. Cancer has joined forces with the online fundraising vendor PLEDGE IT, bringing back the 3-Point Attack. This 3-Point Challenge is spreading from coast to coast during the 2016-17 college basketball season, looking to help raise funds in the fight against our ultimate rival – cancer. Support UCLA's team by pledging for every 3-point shot the Bruins make this season. Join our program to help in the ongoing fight against cancer by donating here: https://pledgeit.org/cvc-ucla.
NO ORDINARY FRESHMEN
Freshmen TJ Leaf (16.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Lonzo Ball (14.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 8.0 apg) rank among the top 10 in multiple categories in the Pac-12. Leaf, who was named Pac-12 player of the Week on Dec. 5 and Dec. 19, leads all Pac-12 players in field goal percentage (64.1%) and ranks sixth in scoring. Ball, named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28, is the nation's only player averaging at least 10 points, four rebounds and seven assists per game. Through UCLA's last three games, Ball has registered 12.7 points, 9.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.
SPARK PLUG
Sophomore Aaron Holiday has established himself as the conference's premier "sixth man," having averaged 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 20 games. He has scored in double figures in 15 of 20 games, totaling a career-high 20 points in consecutive wins over UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 14) and Ohio State (Dec. 17). No other player in the Pac-12 has averaged as many points as Holiday has, coming off the bench. He ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in three-point field goal percentage (46.8%, 36/77) and fourth in assists per game (4.7 apg).
UCLA'S ROTATION, AT A GLANCE
- Bryce Alford ranks No. 14 on UCLA's all-time scoring list (1,711 career points). He scored a career-high 37 points, connecting on nine three-pointers, in UCLA's win at Colorado (Jan. 12). The senior guard has scored in double figures in 18 of 20 games and has registered at least 20 points in five of UCLA's last nine contests.
- Isaac Hamilton scored a season-high 33 points, connecting on 9 of 14 three-pointers, in UCLA's 102-80 win over Arizona State (Jan. 19). Hamilton had 25 points in the first half in that victory. He has averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Hamilton ranks second on the team with 49 three-pointers.
- Lonzo Ball, who has emerged as a national player of the year candidate, ranks second in the nation in assists per game (8.2). He has shot 53.2 percent overall from the field and has averaged 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. His total of 164 assists is the second-highest single-season mark by any UCLA freshman.
- TJ Leaf has scored at least 20 points in six games. He ranks second on the team and sixth in the Pac-12 in scoring (16.9 ppg). The freshman has nine double-doubles, including four in Pac-12 action. Through games played Thursday, Jan. 19, Leaf was one of three players in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding.
- Thomas Welsh enters the weekend ranking No. 10 in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage (54.6). He has made all 26 of his free throw attempts this season, including a perfect 4-for-4 effort in the team's 83-82 win on Jan. 14 at Utah. In addition, Welsh currently is tied for sixth place on the school's career blocks list (99).
- Aaron Holiday has averaged 13.2 points and 4.7 assists, appearing in all 20 games off the bench. Holiday ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in three-point percentage (46.8%, 36/77), through Thursday, Jan. 19. Holiday also ranks fourth in the conference in assists per game (4.7) and is 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.8).
- Ike Anigbogu, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from Corona, Calif., has averaged 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game off the bench. Anigbogu has twice scored a season-high nine points and has twice registered a season-high four blocks. He has shot 62.0 percent from the field midway through his freshman season.
- G.G. Goloman has registered 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, averaging 11.7 minutes off the bench for the Bruins. A 6-foot-10 forward from Körmend, Hungary, Goloman has totaled 16 blocks in 19 games (0.8 bpg). He has shot 62.5 percent from the field and scored a career-high 12 points in UCLA's win over CSUN on Nov. 13.
HIGH MARKS ...
Through games played on Jan. 19, UCLA led the nation in assists per game (22.5), total assists (450), field goal percentage (53.6), three-point field goal percentage (44.1) and assist-turnover ratio (1.9). In addition, UCLA ranked second in scoring (93.4 ppg) and was fifth in scoring margin (17.8), three-pointers made per game (11.1) and defensive rebounds per game (30.2). UCLA's 102 points against Michigan (Dec. 10), 81 versus California (Jan. 5) and 104 at Colorado (Jan. 12) were the most scored by any team against those respective programs this season.
ARIZONA AT A GLANCE
Midway through his eighth season as the Wildcats' head coach, Sean Miller has helped Arizona compile a 17-2 overall record this season and a 6-0 mark through Pac-12 play. Freshman forward Lauri Markkanen enters this Saturday's game as Arizona's leading scorer and rebounder, having registered 17.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Rawle Atkins has averaged 12.0 points and junior center Dusan Ristic has recorded 11.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. In all, five Arizona players have averaged at least 10.0 points per game this season.
HOME SWEET HOME
UCLA's current 11-game win streak in Pauley Pavilion marks the team's longest home win streak since securing 15 consecutive home wins in 2013-14, head coach Steve Alford's first season in Westwood. UCLA last had an undefeated home record in 2006-07, going 16-0 in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins have compiled a 69-12 overall record in Pauley Pavilion since the arena reopened the evening of Nov. 9, 2012, after an 18-month renovation.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
Tipoff Time: 1:10 p.m. (PT)
Television: CBS
TV Talent: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst)
Radio: AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS/XM Radio Channel: Ch. 84/Ch. 84
SIRIUS App. Channel: Ch. 84
SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
The Bruins have won seven of their last nine games against Arizona in Pauley Pavilion, including a thrilling 87-84 decision last January during the second weekend of Pac-12 play. Since the start of the 2005-06 season, UCLA has won 16 of 26 games versus Arizona. This will be the first time these two programs have faced each other, with each team ranked in the AP poll's top 15, since Jan. 20, 2007 (UCLA won that game in Pauley Pavilion, 73-69).
WHAT ELSE?
A victory by UCLA against Arizona can help the Bruins extend their home win streak to 12 games. In addition, UCLA is seeking its first 20-1 start since going 21-1 to begin its 1991-92 campaign … This will be the first game featuring two top-20 ranked opponents (AP poll) in Pauley Pavilion since No. 9 UCLA faced No. 16 Arizona State on Jan. 17, 2009 (ASU won in overtime, 61-58) … Six Bruins are averaging at least 10.0 points per game. Six of UCLA's eight regular contributors (including all five starters) have recorded more assists than turnovers, through 20 games.
LAST TIME OUT
Isaac Hamilton scored a season-high 33 points, connecting on 9 of 14 three-pointers, to lead UCLA past Arizona State, 102-80, in Pauley Pavilion on Thursday. Hamilton had 25 points by halftime and made each of his first four three-point attempts (all within the game's first 6 minutes, 30 seconds). The Bruins never trailed in the game, pushing their lead to as many as 27 points with 4:36 left in regulation. TJ Leaf finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.
MORE ABOUT ISAAC
UCLA led Arizona State, 26-9, with 14:05 to play in the first half, but Isaac Hamilton was the star in the early going as he scored 19 points through the game's first 10 minutes. He tied the school's single-game record for most made three-pointers (9), previously accomplished at Colorado last week (Jan. 12) by Bryce Alford.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SWEEP
Last week, the Bruins recorded their first Pac-12 "road sweep" since Jan. 2013, earning victories at Colorado on Thursday and Utah on Saturday. In six seasons that the Pac-12 has included Colorado and Utah, the Rocky Mountain road sweep has only been accomplished four times – by UCLA in 2013 and 2017 and by Arizona in 2014 and 2015. Against Utah last Saturday afternoon, UCLA overcame a nine-point deficit (51-42) with 16:13 to play in the second half. Aaron Holiday's game-winning three-pointer with 1:52 left in regulation put the Bruins ahead, 81-80.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior guard Bryce Alford secured Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career on Monday. On the road last week, Alford averaged 26.0 points in two wins, having shot 57.1 percent from three-point range (12-of-21). Alford's career-high 37 points at Colorado helped the Bruins outlast Colorado, 104-89. He buried 9 of 14 attempts from three-point distance at the Coors Events Center, making 7 of those 10 shots in the second half.
THREE-POINT CHALLENGE
UCLA has teamed with the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in this season's Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge. Coaches vs. Cancer has joined forces with the online fundraising vendor PLEDGE IT, bringing back the 3-Point Attack. This 3-Point Challenge is spreading from coast to coast during the 2016-17 college basketball season, looking to help raise funds in the fight against our ultimate rival – cancer. Support UCLA's team by pledging for every 3-point shot the Bruins make this season. Join our program to help in the ongoing fight against cancer by donating here: https://pledgeit.org/cvc-ucla.
NO ORDINARY FRESHMEN
Freshmen TJ Leaf (16.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Lonzo Ball (14.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 8.0 apg) rank among the top 10 in multiple categories in the Pac-12. Leaf, who was named Pac-12 player of the Week on Dec. 5 and Dec. 19, leads all Pac-12 players in field goal percentage (64.1%) and ranks sixth in scoring. Ball, named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28, is the nation's only player averaging at least 10 points, four rebounds and seven assists per game. Through UCLA's last three games, Ball has registered 12.7 points, 9.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.
SPARK PLUG
Sophomore Aaron Holiday has established himself as the conference's premier "sixth man," having averaged 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 20 games. He has scored in double figures in 15 of 20 games, totaling a career-high 20 points in consecutive wins over UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 14) and Ohio State (Dec. 17). No other player in the Pac-12 has averaged as many points as Holiday has, coming off the bench. He ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in three-point field goal percentage (46.8%, 36/77) and fourth in assists per game (4.7 apg).
UCLA'S ROTATION, AT A GLANCE
- Bryce Alford ranks No. 14 on UCLA's all-time scoring list (1,711 career points). He scored a career-high 37 points, connecting on nine three-pointers, in UCLA's win at Colorado (Jan. 12). The senior guard has scored in double figures in 18 of 20 games and has registered at least 20 points in five of UCLA's last nine contests.
- Isaac Hamilton scored a season-high 33 points, connecting on 9 of 14 three-pointers, in UCLA's 102-80 win over Arizona State (Jan. 19). Hamilton had 25 points in the first half in that victory. He has averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Hamilton ranks second on the team with 49 three-pointers.
- Lonzo Ball, who has emerged as a national player of the year candidate, ranks second in the nation in assists per game (8.2). He has shot 53.2 percent overall from the field and has averaged 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. His total of 164 assists is the second-highest single-season mark by any UCLA freshman.
- TJ Leaf has scored at least 20 points in six games. He ranks second on the team and sixth in the Pac-12 in scoring (16.9 ppg). The freshman has nine double-doubles, including four in Pac-12 action. Through games played Thursday, Jan. 19, Leaf was one of three players in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding.
- Thomas Welsh enters the weekend ranking No. 10 in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage (54.6). He has made all 26 of his free throw attempts this season, including a perfect 4-for-4 effort in the team's 83-82 win on Jan. 14 at Utah. In addition, Welsh currently is tied for sixth place on the school's career blocks list (99).
- Aaron Holiday has averaged 13.2 points and 4.7 assists, appearing in all 20 games off the bench. Holiday ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in three-point percentage (46.8%, 36/77), through Thursday, Jan. 19. Holiday also ranks fourth in the conference in assists per game (4.7) and is 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.8).
- Ike Anigbogu, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from Corona, Calif., has averaged 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game off the bench. Anigbogu has twice scored a season-high nine points and has twice registered a season-high four blocks. He has shot 62.0 percent from the field midway through his freshman season.
- G.G. Goloman has registered 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, averaging 11.7 minutes off the bench for the Bruins. A 6-foot-10 forward from Körmend, Hungary, Goloman has totaled 16 blocks in 19 games (0.8 bpg). He has shot 62.5 percent from the field and scored a career-high 12 points in UCLA's win over CSUN on Nov. 13.
HIGH MARKS ...
Through games played on Jan. 19, UCLA led the nation in assists per game (22.5), total assists (450), field goal percentage (53.6), three-point field goal percentage (44.1) and assist-turnover ratio (1.9). In addition, UCLA ranked second in scoring (93.4 ppg) and was fifth in scoring margin (17.8), three-pointers made per game (11.1) and defensive rebounds per game (30.2). UCLA's 102 points against Michigan (Dec. 10), 81 versus California (Jan. 5) and 104 at Colorado (Jan. 12) were the most scored by any team against those respective programs this season.
ARIZONA AT A GLANCE
Midway through his eighth season as the Wildcats' head coach, Sean Miller has helped Arizona compile a 17-2 overall record this season and a 6-0 mark through Pac-12 play. Freshman forward Lauri Markkanen enters this Saturday's game as Arizona's leading scorer and rebounder, having registered 17.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Rawle Atkins has averaged 12.0 points and junior center Dusan Ristic has recorded 11.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. In all, five Arizona players have averaged at least 10.0 points per game this season.
HOME SWEET HOME
UCLA's current 11-game win streak in Pauley Pavilion marks the team's longest home win streak since securing 15 consecutive home wins in 2013-14, head coach Steve Alford's first season in Westwood. UCLA last had an undefeated home record in 2006-07, going 16-0 in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins have compiled a 69-12 overall record in Pauley Pavilion since the arena reopened the evening of Nov. 9, 2012, after an 18-month renovation.
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