University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Arizona State
No. 3 UCLA Hosts Arizona State on Thursday
January 16, 2017 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ No. 3 UCLA (18-1, 5-1) returns home to face Arizona State (9-9, 2-3) on Thursday evening in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins' game will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with Gus Johnson and Steve Lavin calling the action. Game time is 8 p.m. (PT).
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GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
Tipoff Time: 8:01 p.m. (PT)
Television: FOX Sports 1 (FS1)
TV Talent: Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Steve Lavin (analyst)
Radio: AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS/XM Radio Channel: Ch. 84/Ch. 84
SIRIUS App. Channel: Ch. 84
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HISTORY VERSUS ASU
The Bruins have won five of their last six contests against Arizona State. In fact, since the start of the 2004-05 season, UCLA has won 18 of its last 23 games versus Arizona State. UCLA has won its last six home games against the Sun Devils (one home victory came at the Honda Center in Anaheim while Pauley Pavilion was being renovated in 2011-12).
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WHAT'S AT STAKE
A victory by UCLA against ASU can help the Bruins extend their home win streak to 11 games. In addition, UCLA is seeking its first 19-1 start since going 21-1 to begin its 1991-92 campaign.
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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 โ by UCLA in 2013 and 2017 and by Arizona in 2014 and 2015. Against Utah on Saturday, 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 of the Utes, 81-80.
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PAC-12 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. Last week, Alford averaged 26.0 points in UCLA's two wins, having shot 57.1 percent from three-point range (12-of-21). Alford's career-high 37 points last Thursday 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.
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HE'S HEATING UP
Bryce Alford was 9-for-11 from three-point range in UCLA's win over SMU in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Not only did he tie his career high in the win at Colorado, but he also tied the school record for three-pointers in a game (Jason Kapono was 9-for-10 from long range at Washington State on Jan. 4, 2003). Alford's 37-point effort at Colorado marked the most points scored in a game for any UCLA player, away from Pauley Pavilion, since Jason Kapono had 44 points in UCLA's 98-83 win at Washington State on Jan. 4 2003 (the same game in which Kapono was 9-for-10 from 3-point range).
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BALANCING ACT
Through 19 games, the Bruins have six players who have averaged in double-figure scoring (Alford, Leaf, Ball, Hamilton, Holiday and Welsh). Bryce Alford (17.8 ppg), TJ Leaf (16.8), Lonzo Ball (14.6) and Isaac Hamilton (14.1) all rank among the top 20 in the Pac-12 in scoring (through Jan. 16). Six of UCLA's eight regular contributors have recorded more assists than turnovers. Four of those six student-athletes have recorded assist-turnover ratios of 1.3 or higher. Freshman guard Lonzo Ball leads all Pac-12 players with 8.0 assists per game and an assist-turnover ratio of 3.5.
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 โ 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
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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 fifth 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. During last week's two-game road trip, Ball averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game.
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SPARK PLUG
Sophomore Aaron Holiday has established himself as the conference's premier "sixth man," having averaged 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 19 games. He has scored in double figures in 14 of 19 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 fifth in the Pac-12 in three-point field goal percentage (45.8%, 33/72) and fifth in assists per game (4.5 apg).
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BIGTIME OFF THE BENCH
Holiday is one of four players in the nation, without any starts, to have scored at least 250 points. He leads that group of players in overall field goal percentage (49.7%) and three-point field goal percentage (45.8%), according to sports-reference.com. Holiday's 85 assists are the most of any non-starter.
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ROTATION โ AT A GLANCE
- Bryce Alford ranks No. 14 on UCLA's all-time scoring list (1,702 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 19 games and has registered at least 20 points in five of UCLA's last eight contests.
- Isaac Hamilton has averaged at least 10 points per game in each of his three seasons on the court with UCLA. Currently averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, he has shot 45.0 percent this season and ranks third on the team with 40 three-pointers. He has scored in double figures in 44 of UCLA's last 51 games.
- Lonzo Ball, who has emerged as a national player of the year candidate, ranks second in the nation in assists per game (8.0). He has shot 53.0 percent overall the from the field and has averaged 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. His total of 152 assists is the fourth-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 fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring (16.8 ppg). The freshman has nine double-doubles, including four in Pac-12 action. Through games played Monday, Jan. 16, Leaf was one of three players in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding.
- Thomas Welsh enters the week ranking No. 11 in the Pac-12 in overall field goal percentage (54.5). He has made all 24 of his free throw attempts, including a perfect 4-for-4 effort in the team's 83-82 win last Saturday 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 4.5 assists, appearing in all 19 games off the bench. His three-point percentage (45.8%, 33/72) ranks fifth in the Pac-12, through Monday, Jan. 16. Holiday also ranks fifth in the conference in assists per game (4.5) and 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.8).
- Ike Anigbogu, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from Corona, Calif., has averaged 4.8 points, 3.6 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 62.5 percent from the field midway through his freshman season.
- G.G. Goloman has registered 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, averaging 12.0 minutes off the bench for the Bruins. A 6-foot-10 forward from Körmend, Hungary, Goloman has totaled 16 blocks in 18 games (0.9 bpg). He has shot 60.9 percent from the field and scored a career-high 12 points in UCLA's win over CSUN on Nov. 13.
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UCLA'S HIGH MARKS ...
Through games played on Jan. 15, UCLA led the nation in assists per game (22.1) and total assists (420). The Bruins ranked second in field goal percentage (53.2), three-point field goal percentage (43.3) and assist-turnover ratio (1.83). In addition, UCLA was third in scoring (92.9 ppg), fifth in scoring margin (17.6 ppg) and sixth in three-pointers made per game (10.8) and total blocks (113). 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.
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SUN DEVILS AT A GLANCE
In his second year as the Sun Devils' head coach, Bobby Hurley has led Arizona State to a 9-9 overall record this season (and a 2-3 mark in Pac-12 play). Senior guard Torian Graham enters this Thursday's game in Los Angeles as the Sun Devils' leading scorer (18.1 ppg). Junior guard Tra Holder (16.9 ppg), junior guard Shannon Evans II (15.3 ppg) and senior forward Obinna Oleka (13.6 ppg) round out ASU's list of players who have averaged in double figures. Oleka ranks third among all Pac-12 players in rebounding (10.3 rpg in all 18 games).
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HOME SWEET HOME
UCLA's current 10-game win streak in Pauley Pavilion marks the team's longest home 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 68-12 overall record in Pauley Pavilion since the arena reopened Nov. 9, 2012, after an 18-month renovation.
