University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Oregon
UCLA Prepares to Play at Oregon on Thursday
January 07, 2019 | Men's Basketball
The Bruins will play at Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 10, with game time set for 6 p.m. (PT). Last season, UCLA and Oregon split a pair of regular-season games, with both schools winning at their home venue. Oregon edged the Bruins, 94-91, in Eugene, Ore., before UCLA secured an 86-78 overtime victory on "Senior Night" in Pauley Pavilion.ย UCLA will enter this Thursday's matchup having compiled an 88-36 all-time record against Oregon. The Bruins have lost their last four games at Oregon, with UCLA's most recent win in Eugene, Ore., having occurred on Jan. 30, 2014. UCLA won that road game, 70-68.
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GAME INFORMATION
Venue:ย Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
Tipoff Time: 6:01 p.m. (PT)
Television: ESPN
TV Talent: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
XM Radio / SIRIUS App Channels: Ch. 381 / Ch. 972
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BRUINS IMPROVE IN LEAGUE PLAY
UCLA had at least five players score in double figures in each of the two wins over Stanford (Jan. 3) and California (Jan. 5) last weekend. In fact, the Bruins had six players score at least 10 points on Saturday, as UCLA downed Cal by a 98-83 margin. Moses Brown averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the two victories, shooting 78.9 percent (15-for-19) from the field. Kris Wilkes registered 16.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in UCLA's two wins. Brown's 17-point, 10-rebound effort in the Bruins' 92-70 victory last Thursday night against Stanford helped snap UCLA's four-game losing streak.
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SCORING IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Sophomore guard Kris Wilkes has scored in double figures in all 15 games this season. The 6-foot-8 guard from Indianapolis, Ind., has scored at least 20 points in four games. He tallied 21 points in a loss at Cincinnati (Dec. 19), registered 20 points in the team's loss to Belmont (Dec. 15) and had 22 points in a game against North Carolina in Las Vegas (Nov. 23). He scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a season-opening win against Purdue Fort Wayne (Nov. 6).
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LEAGUE LEADER
Sophomore Jaylen Hands continues to lead all Pac-12 players in total assists (103) and assists per game (6.9). The 6-foot-3 guard from San Diego has averaged 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists through 15 games. Hands also ranks third in the Pac-12 in assist-turnover ratio (2.2-to-1). Hands has tallied at least nine assists in six of UCLA's last 10 games. He tallied at least 10 assists in three consecutive games last month (versus Hawai'i, Notre Dame and Belmont).
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COACHING CHANGE
Murry Bartow currently serves as UCLA's interim head coach, as Steve Alford was relieved of his head coaching duties on Dec. 31, 2018. Bartow, the son of former UCLA head coach Gene Bartow, arrived at UCLA in April 2018. He served as interim head coach at the University of South Florida in 2016-17 after having been a collegiate head coach for 18 seasons โ 12 years at East Tennessee State (2003-04 through 2014-15) and six seasons at UAB (1996-97 through 2001-02).
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CRASHING THE BOARDS
UCLA ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in rebounding offense (42.5 rpg), through Sunday, Jan. 6, and was No. 3 in the league in rebounding margin (+5.7). The Bruins ranked No. 9 in the nation in total rebounds per game (42.5). Freshman Moses Brown (12.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg) ranks fourth in the league in rebounds per game and first among all Pac-12 players in offensive rebounds per game (4.1) and field goal percentage (67.8%). Brown also ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in blocked shots per game (2.4) and is No. 3 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.1).
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STANDING TALL
UCLA's 17-person roster includes eight players who measure at least 6-foot-8. Freshman Moses Brown (7-foot-1, 245 pounds) is the Bruins' tallest player since the late Mike Lanier (7-foot-7, 310 pounds) competed as a reserve center for UCLA in 1991-92 and 1992-93. UCLA redshirt junior Alex Olesinski and redshirt freshman Jalen Hill both stand at 6-feet-10, while freshmen Shareef O'Neal and Kenneth Nwuba, sophomore Chris Smith and redshirt freshman Cody Riley all stand at 6-foot-9. Sophomore guard Kris Wilkes rounds out the eight-person group at 6-foot-8.
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PAC-12 PLAY
UCLA went 11-7 in Pac-12 play last season, one year after having gone 15-3 in league action. Over the previous five seasons (2013-14 through 2017-18), UCLA has compiled a Pac-12 record of 55-35. The Bruins have recorded double-digit victories in conference action in 12 of the last 14 years, with 15 wins in 2016-17, 16 wins in 2007-08 and 15 victories in 2006-07. The Bruins last won the Pac-12's regular-season title in 2013, going 13-5 in league games that year.
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BRUINS AT HOME
UCLA went 14-2 at home last season and has won 39 of 44 games in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. During UCLA's 2016-17 season, the Bruins went 16-1 at home. Last year, the team's only home losses came against No. 25 Cincinnati (12/16/17) and Colorado (1/13/18). Since UCLA renovated Pauley Pavilion prior to the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have tallied an overall home record of 96-17 (posting an 85.0 winning percentage).
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VERSATILE PLAYER
Sophomore Chris Smith made his first collegiate start last Thursday night in the team's 92-70 win over Stanford. Smith, a 6-foot-9 guard who was born in Chicago, Ill., finished with seven points, eight rebounds and three assists. Against Stanford, he played a career-high 30 minutes. Two days later, he totaled a career-high-tying 15 points and registered five rebounds and three steals in UCLA's 98-83 win over California. Smith enters this Thursday night's game at Oregon having averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game (15 games, two starts). He has also averaged 23.1 minutes per game.
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FRESHMEN GUARDS
Freshmen David Singleton and Jules Bernard have played in all 15 games, appearing off the bench. Both players hail from the Los Angeles area. Bernard, a 6-foot-6 guard who played at Windward School (Los Angeles), has registered 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He totaled 12 points, connecting on 4 of 7 shots from 3-point range, in Saturday's win against Cal. Singleton, a 6-foot-4 guard who excelled at Bishop Montgomery High School (Torrance, Calif.), has averaged 4.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Singleton scored a season-high 14 points in UCLA's win over Cal last Saturday afternoon.
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THE ROAD AHEAD
Following this week's two road games at Oregon (Jan. 10) and Oregon State (Jan. 13), the Bruins will return to Los Angeles to face crosstown rival USC on Saturday, Jan. 19 (at Galen Center). Last season, UCLA won its two regular-season contests against USC. The Bruins overcame a second-half deficit in Pauley Pavilion to defeat USC, 92-79, on Feb. 3, 2018. In addition, the Bruins closed their regular-season schedule with an 83-72 win over USC at the Trojans' Galen Center. Aaron Holiday scored a career-high-tying 34 points in that victory at USC. UCLA has won its last four games against USC.
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