The Star's Bruce Pascoe previews all of the game day essentials, from projected starting lineups to storylines and series history, before the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats wrap up their Los Angeles trip at Pauley Pavilion.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s Ira Lee goes face-to-face against USC's Victor Uyaelunmo for a bucket in the second half of their Pac-12 game at the Galen Center, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
Who:ÌýÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats (14-6, 5-2) at UCLA Bruins (10-9, 3-3)
Where:ÌýPauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
When:Ìý8 p.m. Saturday
Watch:Ìý·¡³§±Ê±·2
Listen:Ìý1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Follow:ÌýÌýon Twitter /ÌýÌýon Facebook
G Justin Coleman (5-10 senior)
G Brandon Williams (6-2 freshman)
F Brandon Randolph (6-6 sophomore)
F Dylan Smith (6-5 junior)
C Ryan Luther (6-9 senior)
G Jaylen Hands (6-3 sophomore)
G Prince Ali (6-4 junior)
F Kris Wilkes (6-8 sophomore)
F Jalen Hill (6-10 freshman)
C Moses Brown (7-1 freshman)
UCLA interim coach Murry Bartow, right, calls to his team in the closing seconds of regulation against Oregon in an NCAA college basketball game in Eugene, Oregon.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and UCLA have split their past 14 matchups, including two played last season. The teams didn’t meet in Los Angeles but UCLA beat ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 84-74 at McKale Center, when the Bruins shot 51.6 percent and put all five starters into double figures, while the Wildcats pulled out a 78-67 overtime win in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals, when Deandre Ayton had 32 points and 14 rebounds. UCLA leads the series all-time 56-44.
The Wildcats will not host UCLA at McKale Center this season because of the Pac-12’s unbalanced schedule.
Picked to finish second in the Pac-12, UCLA lost five of its eight final nonconference games and fired coach Steve Alford on New Year’s Eve. While the Bruins won their first three Pac-12 games under interim head coach Murry Bartow, they have since lost at Oregon State, at USC and at home to ASU.
The Bruins’ season was compromised before it even started, with former UA commit Shareef O’Neal (heart) and well-regarded point guard Tyger Campbells (ACL) lost in the preseason, but still have arguably the Pac-12’s most talented overall rotation.
Without Campbell, the Bruins have been forced to rely on speedy combo guard Jaylen Hands. He pushes what is the Pac-12’s fastest pace and leads the conference in assists at 6.3 per game and has a 2-1 assist-turnover ratio in all games. However, the Bruins are woefully inefficient offensively, with the league’s highest turnover rate (21.7 percent) in conference game and just 32.4 percent shooting inside the arc.
When they’re on offensively, though, the Bruins get driving and outside shooting from wing Kris Wilkes, along with more shooting from guard Prince Ali and combo guard help from David Singleton off the bench. Inside, the Bruins rotate their considerable size and mobility, counting 6-9 Cody Riley, 6-10 Jalen Hill and 7-1 Moses Brown, the five-star center from New York. Remarkably athletic for his size, Brown has the third-highest offensive rebounding rate in the country, collecting missed shots 17.4 percent of the time he’s on the floor. He’s also an 65.3 percent shooter inside.
“Jaylen Hands has a much different and bigger role than he did last year. I think Kris Wilkes is one of the best players in our conference, if not the country. There aren’t many players they’ll score on us in transition. They play the fastest tempo of any team we’ve payed and have so many different guys who are good in transition. That’s what they do. And obviously turnovers, bad shots that ignites that.
"If we can have another single-digit turnover night that would be really, really important. And they’re a capable offensive rebounding team. They have size, athleticism and depth. They can really hurt you with second shots and that’s a concern with us right now.â€
— UA coach Sean Miller
UCLA guard Jaylen Hands, a one-time UA recruiting target, is lightning-quick and averages 12 points and 6.2 assists per game for the Bruins.
Wing Kris Wilkes might be the Bruins’ most talented player, but things start with the lightning-quick Hands, a one-time UA recruiting target. Hands not only averages 12.0 points a game but he gets the assist 37 percent of the time when his teammates score when he’s on the floor, the 15th highest assist rate nationally.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ forward Ryan Luther drives into the paint against USC's Nick Rakocevic in their Pac-12 game at the Galen Center, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
With Chase Jeter expected to be out or limited against UCLA, Luther will be the Wildcats’ biggest hope against another sizable lineup. USC’s two bigs combined for 39 points and 24 rebounds on Thursday, while Luther was 4 of 10 from the floor. He’ll likely have to do more if UA has a chance Saturday.
UCLA center Moses Brown dunks against ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, in Los Angeles.
The fact that UCLA fired its coach in midseason and is carrying a 10-9 record into Saturday’s game are only two indications that things are a little rough in Westwood these days.
Here’s another: Just 7,555 fans showed up on Thursday to watch the Bruins lose at ASU, three days after 10,270 showed up to watch UCLA beat the Sun Devils … in gymnastics.
“It’s a gymnastics school, now,†said the first sentence in the L.A. Times’ basketball game story.
Meanwhile, a Times column stated that “the Bruins were a mess when they fired Steve Alford on New Year’s Eve, and they remain a mess now.â€
Then again, like with everybody in the beaten-down Pac-12, there’s always hope.
“We think we’re capable of beating anybody in the league and if we don’t play well, anybody can beat us,†interim head coach Murry Bartow said.
USC forward Bennie Boatwright stretches over ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s Dylan Smith for a rebound in the second half of their Pac-12 game at the Galen Center, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
UA coach Sean Miller said his Chase Jeter-less lineup Thursday against USC was the smallest he’s ever started in his 15 years as a head coach, the first five of which were at Xavier.
He started the 5-10 Justin Coleman, 6-2 Brandon Williams, 6-5 Dylan Smith, 6-6 Brandon Randolph and 6-9 Ryan Luther, with the 6-7 Ira Lee coming off the bench.
But his 2011-12 starting lineup was actually only an inch taller collectively, though it had more sizeÌýÌýwith two 6-3 point guards (Josiah Turner and Jordin Mayes).
That season, Miller went with either Mayes or the oft-suspended Turner at the point, 6-2 Nick Johnson and 6-3 Kyle Fogg on the wings, with 6-6 Solomon Hill and 6-7 Jesse Perry inside.
Often that season, which ended in the first round of the NIT, Miller referred to the Wildcats’ shortcomings up front as “death by inches.â€
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ head coach Sean Miller talks to Ira Lee, left, and Dylan Smith during a timeout late against USC at the Galen Center, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
Miller said Friday that it’s been difficult to scout Pac-12 teams’ offenses so far because most of them are playing against zone defenses, while the Wildcats run a man-to-man.
But no opposing coach probably knows more about the Bruins individually than Miller does.
He tried to recruit roughly half of entire starting rotation, including guard Jaylen Hands, forward Cody Riley, forward Jalen Hill, center Isaiah Brown and backup guard David Singleton.
“All those guys,†Miller said.
Miller, of course, also actually had a commitment from sidelined UCLA freshman Shareef O’Neal before he flipped to the Bruins once ESPN reported in Feb. 2018 that Miller had discussed a pay-for-play scheme.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ guard Justin Coleman splits the defense on a drive to the lane against USC at the Galen Center, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
Active player ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has over 6-7 when Chase Jeter is missing.
Players UCLA has who stand at least 6-8, counting the sidelined Shareef O’Neal.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s two-point percentage in seven Pac-12 games, the second-worst mark in the league.
UCLA’s free-throw percentage over six Pac-12 games, worst in the conference.
Reporter
The Pac-12’s scheduling template means that ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ans won’t get to watch UCLA at McKale Center.
Miller and company rest up on Friday in preparation for LA finale.
Chase Jeter still appears doubtful to play at UCLA.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has lost by double-digits 20 times in the Sean Miller era, nine times in Pac-12 games.
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