UCLA
Maryland
Men's Basketball Will Host Maryland This Friday Night
December 21, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men's basketball team will host Maryland (7-4) this Friday evening in the Bruins' final nonconference game of the 2023-24 regular-season schedule. This Friday night's game is being promoted as a "White Out" in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Game time is set for 6 p.m. (PT). UCLA's home contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2, with Dave Pasch and Bill Walton calling the action.
FRIDAY'S GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom
Capacity: 13,800
Tipoff Time: 6:01 p.m. (PT)
Television: ESPN2
TV Talent: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
Radio Broadcast (UCLA Sports Network): AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS XM: SiriusXM 373 and on the SXM App
TICKET INFORMATION
Information about UCLA's ticket packages and single-game ticket sales is available online. Fans can call (310) 206-5991 or email tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information about tickets to UCLA men's basketball games. Additional information about season parking permits can be accessed here.
ENTRY TO PAULEY PAVILION, CLEAR BAG POLICY
Since the 2016-17 season, the UCLA Athletics Department has used a "clear bag policy" that limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into the arena (additional details and FAQ here). This is part of an effort to provide a safer environment for the public and to significantly expedite fan entry into Pauley Pavilion. Limiting the size and type of bags carried into the venue will assist in maintaining a safe and secure environment, as well as decreasing the time to enter the venue. The UCLA Athletics Department encourages fans not to bring any bags, but this policy is in place to help balance fan needs with the needs for improved safety and convenience.
ON DECK, THIS FRIDAY
The Bruins (5-5) will take on Maryland (7-4) this Friday night in the return contest of a home-and-home series that opened one year ago. Game time in Pauley Pavilion is 6 p.m. (PT). Last season, UCLA secured an 87-60 victory over Maryland at the Xfinity Center (Dec. 14, 2022) in what was the Terrapins' only home loss of the season. Maryland concluded its home schedule in 2022-23 with a 16-1 record. UCLA has gone 7-2 in the all-time series with Maryland and has hosted the Terrapins twice, with both of those home contests taking place in Pauley Pavilion (Dec. 1973, and Dec. 1981).
– In the showdown last season, UCLA led by a 49-20 margin at halftime in the win against Maryland at the Xfinity Center. Jaylen Clark finished with 19 points, David Singleton totaled 18 points, and Adem Bona and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each scored 14 points. UCLA committed just four turnovers while getting Maryland to commit 16 turnovers.
– Former UCLA standout Bill Walton totaled 18 points, 27 rebounds and four assists as the Bruins defeated Maryland, 65-64, in the first-ever showdown between the two schools on Dec. 1, 1973 (the second game of Walton's senior season). Walton's 27 rebounds in the game stands as the single-game UCLA record in Pauley Pavilion. Willie Naulls totaled a single-game school-record 28 rebounds against Arizona State on Jan. 28, 1956.
THE LAST TIME OUT
UCLA's 29-game home winning streak was snapped on Tuesday night as the Bruins lost to CSUN, 76-72. Sebastian Mack scored a season-high 27 points and Dylan Andrews registered a career-best 22 points. Mack was 13-for-16 at the free throw stripe and finished the game with four steals. The Bruins trailed CSUN by 19 points (45-26, at 18:10, second half) before using a 30-12 scoring run over the next 11 minutes to pull the deficit to just one point, 57-56. UCLA never took the lead or tied the contest in the second half, as CSUN registered its first win against UCLA since Nov. 21, 2000.
12 SEASONS AGO
The Bruins have opened with a 5-5 record through the first 10 games for the first time since the 2011-12 season, the year in which UCLA played at the Los Angeles Sports Arena (14 games) and at Anaheim's Honda Center (four games) while Pauley Pavilion underwent an extensive renovation. The Bruins' 2011-12 squad won two of its five seven games before winning five consecutive contests to compile an early 7-5 record. UCLA went 11-7 in the Pac-12 (the first year of the Pac-12, having added Utah and Colorado) and entered the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 5 seed.
BRUINS' YOUTH MOVEMENT
UCLA's 15-man roster includes seven true freshmen, one redshirt freshman (Jack Seidler), three true sophomores and one redshirt sophomore (Will McClendon). In all, the Bruins have 12 players in their first or second seasons on the court. In addition, the Bruins have four true freshmen who will not turn 19 years old until 2024 (Jan Vide, Aday Mara, Ilane Fibleuil and Brandon Williams). The Bruins' program added eight new faces in the summer – seven true freshmen and one transfer, junior Lazar Stefanovic (from Belgrade, Serbia, transferring from the University of Utah).
– The Bruins are believed to have one of the top-10-youngest teams in Division I basketball this season (by age). UCLA's average age at the start of the season was approximately 20 years and one month. UCLA freshman Brandon Williams is believed to be the third-youngest Division I player this season.
SCORING DEFENSE
Through games played on Tuesday, Dec. 19, the Bruins ranked No. 14 in the country and first in the Pac-12 in fewest points allowed per game (61.3 ppg, through 10 games). UCLA's field goal percentage defense ranked No. 26, nationally, and No. 2 in the Pac-12 (38.5%, 205-for-533). Under fifth-year UCLA head coach Mick Cronin, the Bruins' scoring defense ranked No. 41 in the nation in 2021-22 (at 64.5 ppg) and No. 7 in the country last season (at 60.7 ppg). UCLA has allowed fewer than 70 points in 39 of their last 47 games, going 34-5 in those 39 contests (since the start of the 2022-23 season).
EYEING PAC-12 PLAY
Next week, the Bruins will return to Pac-12 play with road games at Oregon State (Thursday, Dec. 28) and at Oregon (Saturday, Dec. 30). Those two Pac-12 road contests will be the Bruins' final games before the calendar flips over to 2024. UCLA will return to Pauley Pavilion for Pac-12 matchups against Stanford (Wednesday, Jan. 3) and California (Saturday, Jan. 6). Over the past two seasons, UCLA has recorded a 33-5 record through 38 total Pac-12 games. Last season, the Bruins went 18-2 in the Pac-12 – 10-0 in home contests and 8-2 in road games.
HEADED TO OREGON
UCLA has won six of its past seven matchups against Oregon State, including a 62-47 win at Gill Coliseum in the only meeting with the Beavers last season (that game occurred on Feb. 9, 2023). The Bruins went 3-0 last year against Oregon, including a 75-56 win over the Ducks in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals (March 10, 2023). Prior to last season, Oregon had won four consecutive games against UCLA (Jan. 2020 through Feb. 2022).
DIALED IN FROM LONG DISTANCE
Sophomore Will McClendon ranked No. 7 among all Pac-12 players in 3-point field goal percentage (44.4%), through games played on Tuesday, Dec. 19. McClendon, who missed the 2021-22 season recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, has made 12 of 27 attempts from 3-point distance, through all 10 contests this season. McClendon has connected on 7 of 12 attempts from long distance in the team's last four games (against UC Riverside, Villanova, Ohio State and CSUN). McClendon has averaged 4.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in nearly 22 minutes per contest this year.
BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERBOARD
Sophomore Adem Bona (12.5 ppg) has totaled 71 blocks through 43 contests at UCLA. He stands just 23 blocks shy of entering the Bruins' career top-10 leaderboard in that category. Tony Parker (2013-16) registered 94 blocks in his four-year career (10th place), and Ed O'Bannon (1992-95) finished with 95 blocks en route to leading UCLA to the 1995 NCAA Championship (ninth place on that list). Jelani McCoy (1996-98) set the program's career record with 188 blocks during his three-year collegiate career. Bona tallied a season-high four blocks in the season opener against Saint Francis (Nov. 6).
DYLAN IN YEAR TWO
Sophomore Dylan Andrews (11.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.8 apg) has established himself as one of the Bruins' best playmakers, midway into his sophomore season. Andrews played a backup role as a freshman last season, primarily behind then-starting guard Tyger Campbell on the team's depth chart. Through just nine games this season, Andrews has nearly eclipsed most of his offensive totals from last year while playing more than three times as many minutes per game (currently averaging 32.6 minutes per game). Andrews' assist-turnover ratio of 2-to-1 ranks No. 9 among all players in the Pac-12.
MORE ON SEBASTIAN MACK
Freshman Sebastian Mack has averaged 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals in all 10 games. Three weeks ago, Mack secured Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors after averaging a team-leading 19.0 points in three games in the Maui Invitational (Nov. 20-22). Mack totaled 25 points in a 71-69 loss to No. 4 Marquette (Nov. 20), shooting a perfect 13-for-13 at the free throw line. That 13-for-13 effort marked UCLA's first perfect free throw display by a freshman (at least 10 attempts), since Jordan Adams was 16-for-16 off the bench in UCLA's 80-79 win over UC Irvine on Nov. 13, 2012.
NOTES ON PAULEY PAVILION
This marks the 58th basketball season in which UCLA has played in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins' arena opened in time for the 1965-66 basketball season. The first game in Pauley Pavilion took place on Dec. 3, 1965, as No. 1 UCLA took down Ohio State, 92-66. The Bruins spent 47 consecutive seasons in Pauley Pavilion before the venue was closed for an 18-month renovation. UCLA hosted 18 home games during the 2011-12 season at two venues in Southern California (14 games at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and four games at the Honda Center in Anaheim).
– UCLA's home game winning streak was snapped at 29 games on Tuesday evening, as the Bruins lost to CSUN, 76-72. Prior to Tuesday night's contest, UCLA had not lost at home since Jan. 13, 2022 (an 84-81 overtime loss to Oregon). The Bruins' 29-game streak at home had been the longest active streak in the nation. Since taking over as the Bruins' head coach in April of 2019, Mick Cronin has led UCLA to a 59-7 record in 65 home games.
– Last season, the Bruins went 17-0 at home. Two seasons ago (2021-22), the Bruins compiled a 14-1 record in 15 home games. UCLA won its final eight home games in 2021-22, all 17 last year, and their first four of the 2022-23 home schedule. Before last season, UCLA's program had not gone undefeated at home since the 2006-07 campaign (going 16-0 in Pauley Pavilion). UCLA's 1995 NCAA title-winning team compiled a 15-0 home record.
– The Bruins' 29-game home winning streak had marked the longest such streak at UCLA since registering a program-record 98-game home winning streak in the 1970s. The Bruins won 98 straight home games from Dec. 4, 1970, through Feb. 19, 1976. UCLA had a 25-game winning streak in 2006 and 2007 and won 23 consecutive games from Feb. 1994 through Jan. 1996 (includes one game that California later forfeited).
– With the COVID-19 pandemic prompting teams to close arenas to fans, none of UCLA's home games in 2020-21 were played in front of a crowd. Likewise, three home games in January of 2022 were played before no fans (arena was limited to players' family members only). Prior to the loss to CSUN, UCLA had won its previous 40 home contests with fans present in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. UCLA had lost to Stanford on Jan. 15, 2020, by a 74-59 tally.
RECENT HISTORY
– UCLA has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons. The Bruins earned their 19th NCAA Final Four appearance in 2021, securing a No. 11-seed in the 68-team field and advancing from the "First Four" to the Final Four. In 2022 and 2023, UCLA won its first and second-round matchups before losing in the Sweet 16. In all, UCLA's program has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 52 times and has won a nation-leading 11 NCAA championships.
– Mick Cronin has entered his fifth year as the Bruins' head coach (The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach). Now in his 21st season as a college head coach, Coach Cronin has guided UCLA's program to an 104-41 overall record. He has led the Bruins to a combined 58-19 record in Pac-12 play in four seasons. UCLA's 31 victories last season were the most by any Bruins' squad since UCLA went 31-5 during the 2016-17 season.
LEADING THE WAY
– Bruins' head coach Mick Cronin has guided the program to an 104-41 overall record (now in his fifth season at UCLA).
– This marks the 21st season as a college head coach for Coach Cronin (also at Murray State and Cincinnati).
– Coach Cronin was named as one of 10 semifinalists for last season's Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award.
– Coach Cronin has led his teams to at least 20 wins in 14 of his 20 previous seasons as a college head coach.
– Coach Cronin's teams have averaged 25.7 victories per season over the last 13 years (2010-11 through 2022-23).
– Coach Cronin has twice led his teams to 31 victories (last season at UCLA, and in 2017-18 at Cincinnati).
ON THE EAST COAST
UCLA's game in Philadelphia, against Villanova (Saturday, Dec. 9), marked the third consecutive season in which the Bruins traveled to the East Coast. In March 2022, No. 4-seed UCLA saw its season conclude with a 73-67 loss to No. 8-seed North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament (Sweet 16, Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center). Last season, the Bruins won a pair of games at Maryland (87-60, on Dec. 14) and against Kentucky in New York City in the annual CBS Sports Classic (63-53, on Dec. 17). Prior to those trips, UCLA had not played on the East Coast since facing North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic in Brooklyn (Barclays Center) on Dec. 19, 2015. UCLA also faced Ohio State this season in Atlanta (Saturday, Dec. 16).
STANDING TALL
UCLA's 15-man roster this season includes five players who stand at least 6-foot-9-inches tall. Freshman center Aday Mara, from Zaragoza, Spain, stands at 7 feet and 3 inches. During the Bruins' 2018-19 season, then-freshman Moses Brown measured at 7-foot-1 (Brown now plays for the Portland Trail Blazers). Mara becomes the Bruins' tallest player since the late Mike Lanier (7-foot-7, 310 pounds) competed as a reserve center for the Bruins in 1991-92 and 1992-93. Adem Bona, Kenneth Nwuba and Devin Williams are all 6-foot-10, while Berke Buyuktuncel is 6-foot-9.
BRUINS IN PAC-12 PLAY
Over the previous three basketball seasons, UCLA totaled a 46-13 mark in Pac-12 games. Last year, UCLA went 18-2 in Pac-12 play to capture the league's regular-season title for the first time since 2013 (under then-head coach Ben Howland). UCLA went 15-5 in the Pac-12 in 2021-22 and 13-6 in 2020-21. The Bruins have won 34 of their last 36 Pac-12 home games, with the two losses taking place against USC in March of 2021 and against Oregon in overtime in Jan. of 2022. UCLA will open Pac-12 play at Oregon State on Thursday, Dec. 28 (7 p.m., at OSU's Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore.).
