No. 22 Men’s Basketball Takes on Maryland: A Friday Showdown Awaits!

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – No. 22 UCLA is set to compete at Maryland this Friday night, initiating a two-game journey along the East Coast. The Bruins are scheduled to take the court at Maryland (Xfinity Center) on Friday before facing Rutgers on Monday, Jan. 13. The game this Friday is arranged for 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET). UCLA and Maryland have clashed in each of the last two seasons (during non-conference encounters), with the visiting team securing victories in both matchups – UCLA defeating Maryland in December 2022, and Maryland overcoming UCLA in December 2023. This Friday’s contest will be a Big Ten Conference event, broadcast live on FOX.

 

GAME DETAILS

Location: Xfinity Center

Seating Capacity: 17,950

Start Time: 5:05 p.m. PT (8:05 p.m. ET)

Broadcast Network: FOX

Commentators: Tim Brando (play-by-play), Donny Marshall (analyst)

Radio (UCLA Audio Network): AM 570

Radio Commentators: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)

SIRIUS XM: Channels 106 or 195, and available on the SXM App

 

TICKET DETAILS FOR UCLA (HOME MATCHES)

Tickets for UCLA’s eight upcoming home games are available for purchase. Supporters can obtain tickets for each of the Bruins’ remaining conference home matches during UCLA’s significant debut year in the Big Ten. The Bruins return to their home court on Friday, Jan. 17, against Iowa (6 p.m. PT).

 

Additional home matchups in Big Ten competition will feature Wisconsin (Tuesday, Jan. 21), Oregon (Thursday, Jan. 30), Michigan State (Tuesday, Feb. 4), Penn State (Saturday, Feb. 8), Minnesota (Tuesday, Feb. 18), Ohio State (Sunday, Feb. 23) and USC (Saturday, March 8) as the concluding game for both programs.

 

Complete ticket information for UCLA men’s basketball can be found here. Direct access to single-game ticket purchases can be viewed here. For additional details, fans may call (310) 206-5991 or email tickets@athletics.ucla.edu. Furthermore, don’t miss out on exploring all of the game themes and upcoming special offers for the Bruins’ 2024-25 season.

 

UPDATING ON THE BRUINS

– The Bruins approach this Friday’s match against Maryland carrying an overall record of 11-4 and a 2-2 status in Big Ten competition.

– This represents the 106th season of basketball at UCLA and the sixth year with head coach Mick Cronin at the forefront.

– UCLA achieved a 5-1 record in December; however, they have lost the last two games, both occurring in January.

– The Bruins have maintained a 59-3 record since the onset of the 2019-20 season when restricting their opponents to fewer than 60 points.

– This season, UCLA boasts an 8-0 record when keeping opponents to 65 points or lower.

– Junior Tyler Bilodeau is averaging 14.7 points and 5.2 rebounds over 15 games, shooting at a rate of 50.3 percent from the field.

– Sophomore Eric Dailey Jr. is positioned second on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.4 rpg).

– As of games played on Wednesday, Jan. 8, UCLA ranked No. 10 nationwide in scoring defense (61.5 ppg).

– As of Jan. 8, UCLA ranked No. 5 in the country for turnovers generated per game (17.7).

– As of Jan. 8, the Bruins held the No. 6 position nationally for turnover margin (+6.3).

– UCLA has constrained rivals to 65 points or fewer in eight out of 15 contests this season.

– Kobe Johnson (31 steals, 2.1 spg) was ranked third in the Big Ten in steals per game (as of Jan. 8).

– Including the game this Friday at Maryland, UCLA will play four out of their next six matches away from Pauley Pavilion.

– A total of nine new players joined UCLA’s program this season – six transfers and three freshmen.

– Under head coach Mick Cronin, UCLA has achieved an overall record of 126-57, now in his sixth season with the team.

 

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

– UCLA has encountered back-to-back losses for the first instance this season, having been defeated at home by No. 24 Michigan (94-75) on Tuesday night. Michigan made 15 of 28 attempts from beyond the arc (53.6%), including 7 for 15 in the second half.

– The Bruins’ shooting from three-point range has been at 33.3 percent in their last five games (making 6-of-48, which is 12.5% in the last two outings). UCLA registered a 43.0 percent shooting rate from long-range in six December contests (55-for-128).

– After trailing 53-40 with seven minutes remaining last Saturday, UCLA narrowed Nebraska’s lead to 61-58 with 24 seconds left in the contest. However, the Bruins were unable to close the gap further, losing by a score of 66-58 before an audience of 15,167 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

– UCLA made 4-of-28 from three-point territory against Nebraska after previously tying a season-high for three-pointers made in a single game (12) with a successful performance of 12-for-24 (50.0 percent) against Gonzaga on Saturday, Dec. 28, in nearby Inglewood, California.

– Eric Dailey Jr. (18 points, six rebounds, four steals) converted 4-of-5 from three-point range as UCLA emerged victorious over Gonzaga, 65-62, in front of 12,272 fans at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 28.

 

MICHIGAN OVERCOMES UCLA

Michigan secured a 94-75 victory against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday night. The Wolverines, making their first appearance at UCLA since Dec. 10, 2016, set a record for the most points scored by an opponent in Pauley Pavilion since the Bruins (ranked No. 3) experienced a 96-85 defeat to No. 14 Arizona on Jan. 21, 2017. Michigan’s Vladislav Goldin scored a team-high 36 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor. UCLA was down by 18 points late in the first half, managed to cut Michigan’s lead to 47-37 at halftime, and briefly led 55-51 in the early part of the second half. The visiting Wolverines shot 61.5 percent from the field (32-for-52), marking the first instance that an opponent against the Bruins shot 60 percent or more since March 3, 2021, (Oregon shot 60.8% in a victory against UCLA in Eugene, Oregon).

 

BRUINS STRUGGLE IN LINCOLN

Tyler Bilodeau (15 points) and Lazar Stefanovic (10 points) were the sole Bruins players to exceed ten points on Saturday as UCLA fell to Nebraska (66-58). The match featured numerous double-digit scoring streaks and a 24-24 deadlock at halftime. UCLA surged to a 7-0 start before Nebraska came back to take the lead at 15-7. The Bruins responded with an impressive 15-0 run to claim a 22-15 lead before the Cornhuskers equalized (24-24, at halftime). UCLA maintained a narrow lead of 32-31 against Nebraska with 16 minutes to go, when the home team unleashed a 22-8 scoring run over the following eight-plus minutes, establishing a 53-40 advantage (with 7:15 to play).

 

DECEMBER RECAP

– In the lead-up to their victory over Gonzaga (Dec. 28), UCLA achieved a season-high score of 111 points in an 111-75 triumph over Prairie View A&M at Pauley Pavilion (Dec. 17). This was the highest score accomplished in a game under head coach Mick Cronin during his six years at UCLA.

–The Bruins overcame a 13-point shortfall versus Arizona on Saturday, Dec. 14, competing in Phoenix at Footprint Center. UCLA mounted a 21-5 scoring blitz in the last 11 minutes of the second half to surmount a 49-36 hole (UCLA triumphed, 57-54).

– Junior guard Dylan Andrews made a banked-in 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining at Oregon on Sunday, Dec. 8, aiding UCLA in besting the Ducks, 71-70, at Matthew Knight Arena. UCLA held a 65-58 advantage in that match with four minutes remaining.

– UCLA commenced December with a 69-58 win at home against Washington, marking the Bruins’ inaugural official Big Ten fixture. The Bruins restricted Washington to 3-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc in the win.



BRUINS TRIUMPH OVER GONZAGA, 65-62

In a contest that showcased eight ties and three changes in the lead, UCLA succeeded against Gonzaga on Saturday, Dec. 28, clinching a 65-62 victory at Intuit Dome. Bruins’ guard Skyy Clark converted all four of his attempts at the free throw line in the last 15 seconds of the game. Sebastian Mack executed an old-fashioned 3-point play with 33 seconds remaining, granting UCLA a 61-60 advantage. Following a missed 3-pointer by Gonzaga, Clark secured the rebound and drained both free throws to advance the Bruins to a 63-60 lead. Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard made a layup with 8.1 seconds to go, drew a foul, and missed the following free throw.



GIFTED TYLER

Junior Tyler Bilodeau has recorded a team-high average of 14.7 points per game and ranks second in rebounding (5.2 rpg) on the squad. Bilodeau has tallied in double figures in 11 of UCLA’s 15 matchups, achieving the 20-point mark in three games. Last month in New York City, he matched his career-high with 26 points in a defeat to North Carolina. He boasts a shooting percentage of 50.3 from the field and 40.4 from downtown, sinking at least four 3-pointers in two different games. He shot 5-for-6 from beyond the arc in UCLA’s 76-74 defeat to North Carolina at Madison Square Garden (Dec. 21). Bilodeau, a 6-foot-9 forward hailing from Kennewick, Wash., dedicated his first two college seasons to Oregon State.



NATIONAL STATS

As of games played on Wednesday, Jan. 8, UCLA stood at No. 10 nationally in scoring defense (61.5 ppg), ranked No. 5 in forced turnovers per game (17.7) and No. 6 in turnover margin (+6.3). Furthermore, the Bruins positioned themselves at No. 30 in the nation regarding scoring margin (14.4 points per game). Analyzing shooting percentages, opponents have shot 41.0 percent against UCLA (No. 80 nationally) and 31.5 percent from long-range (No. 118 nationally). Recent national figures on KenPom.com have placed UCLA at No. 5 in defensive efficiency and No. 78 in offensive efficiency. Kobe Johnson, with an average of 2.07 steals per game, ranks No. 47 in that statistical category.



UP NEXT, BRUINS AT RUTGERS

UCLA’s excursion on the East Coast will close at Rutgers on Monday, Jan. 13, as the Bruins will encounter Rutgers for the first time in their program’s history. UCLA has gone 2-1 in three previous encounters against Rutgers – with one game at a neutral setting (1976 NCAA Tournament), one game in UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion (1979) and another in East Rutherford, N.J., in December of 1981. UCLA edged Rutgers by a 106-92 margin in the third-place matchup of the 1976 Final Four at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. This is UCLA’s second visit to the East Coast this season, having fallen to North Carolina, 76-74, in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York last month (Saturday, Dec. 21).



SKYY’S LIMITLESS POTENTIAL

Junior guard Skyy Clark has achieved an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 over 15 games this season (accumulating 39 assists and 15 turnovers). He has made eight turnovers across the Bruins’ last nine games, covering nearly 233 minutes. Clark approaches UCLA’s game on Friday possessing the team’s second-highest assist count (39), following guard Kobe Johnson (50). He logged 11 points, a career-best nine rebounds, and a career-high-tying seven assists in a 65-62 victory against Gonzaga. Clark netted a season-high 15 points in UCLA’s comeback win over Arizona on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Phoenix.



PREMIER DEFENDER

Senior guard Kobe Johnson has accumulated 187 steals across 106 career games (1.8 spg). He will enter Friday’s matchup boasting a team-best 31 steals (Skyy Clark has gathered 23), having averaged nearly 2.1 steals per game in 15 contests this season as a senior. Johnson recorded six steals during a win against Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 22), marking the third occasion in his career he has achieved six steals in a game. Originating from Milwaukee, Wis., Johnson has earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team recognition in the past two seasons at USC. Over the previous two years (64 games), he maintained averages of 10.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while at USC.



IN DEFENSIVE ACTION

Arizona’s 54 points on Saturday, Dec. 14, represented the least scored by the Wildcats’ program since Feb. 8, 2020, when UCLA achieved a 65-52 victory over Arizona at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz. The 54 points by Arizona marked the fewest in a game during head coach Tommy Lloyd’s tenure in Tucson (now in his fourth season). Arizona was limited to its fewest field goals made (19) in 14 games this season (19-for-42, 45.2%). UCLA has kept the opposition to 19 made field goals or fewer in seven of 15 games (Boston University and Southern Utah were restricted to 14 successful shots). Following UCLA’s 57-54 victory over Arizona last month, the Wildcats have triumphed in five straight games (advancing to 9-5 overall).



AWAY GAME WIN IN EUGENE

The Bruins’ 73-71 victory at No. 12-ranked Oregon on Sunday, Dec. 8, signified the program’s first road triumph over a top-20 ranked foe since No. 16 UCLA defeated No. 20 Maryland, 87-60, on Dec. 14, 2022. Prior to the 2022 win, UCLA achieved victory at No. 18 Colorado, 70-63, on Feb. 22, 2020 (during a favorable stretch in the season where the Bruins secured 11 out of 13 games). The Bruins have not faced a road game against a top-10 ranked opponent since falling to No. 7 Arizona, 76-66, at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 3, 2022 (the Bruins were positioned at No. 3 nationally before that matchup).



OBSERVATIONS ON PAULEY PAVILION

The Bruins have achieved an 8-1 record at Pauley Pavilion this season, currently in their 59th year operating within the historic UCLA basketball venue. Pauley Pavilion was inaugurated for the 1965-66 season. The inaugural game in Pauley Pavilion occurred on Dec. 3, 1965, with No. 1 UCLA defeating Ohio State, 92-66. UCLA spent 47 seasons in Pauley Pavilion before it was shuttered for an 18-month renovation (closing in March of 2011). During the 2011-12 season, UCLA held 18 home games at the Los Angeles Sports Arena (14 games) near downtown L.A. and at the Honda Center in Anaheim (four games) prior to their return to Pauley Pavilion in Nov. 2012. This signifies the 13th year in the “new” arrangement of Pauley Pavilion.



Last year, CSUN interrupted UCLA’s 29-home-game winning streak with a 76-72 triumph over the Bruins (Dec. 19, 2023). Before that contest, UCLA had not experienced a home defeat since an overtime loss (84-81) to Oregon on Jan. 13, 2022. UCLA’s 29-game home streak had been the longest ongoing streak in the nation. Since Mick Cronin assumed leadership as UCLA’s head coach before the 2019-20 season, he has steered the Bruins to a 72-14 record in 86 home matchups (83.7% win rate).



DISTRIBUTION OF MINUTES

With the Bruins’ season nearly reaching the halfway mark (after 15 games), none of the players on UCLA’s roster has averaged more than 28 minutes per game, with junior Tyler Bilodeau leading the team in minutes (averaging 27.7 mpg). Since UCLA began tracking minutes in 1978-79, they have consistently had at least one player average 30.0 or more minutes per game (by the conclusion of the season). In the 2019-20 season, then-freshman guard Tyger Campbell concluded the year as the Bruins’ minutes leader, averaging exactly 30.0 mpg. This year’s team features nine players averaging at least 10.0 minutes per contest.