UCLA Basketball unofficially starts the season with an exhibition against NYIT. Here is how to watch and what to know about the game…
The UCLA Basketball team is back and they begin their season with an exhibition game against the New York Institute of Technology. Not exactly a powerhouse, but it will give the Bruins some real game experience as they prepare for the 2018-19 season.
Though the Bruins have had some key injuries, they also have a lot of talent. Unfortunately, that talent is young and will need time to work as a group. That all begins tonight.
Here is everything you need to know about UCLA vs. NYIT…
UCLA Basketball vs. NYIT Game Day Info
2017-18 Records: UCLA Bruins 21-12, 11-7 Pac-12 | NYIT Bears 5-25
Location: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Pac-12 Network
Live Stream: Pac-12 Live
Internet Radio: UCLABruins.com
Projected Starters:
UCLA – G Jayen Hands, G Prince Ali, F Kris Wilkes, F Cody Riley, C Moses Brown
NYIT – G Kieran Hamilton, G Marcus Saint-Furcy, F Opong Bramble, F Jeffrey Hayden, C Szu Yao Sun
Head Coaches: UCLA – Steve Alford | NYIT – Kevin Hamilton
UCLA Basketball vs. NYIT: Stats, Final Word and Prediction
UCLA Key Individual Stats 2017-18:
- Kris Wilkes – 13.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 44.1 FG%
- Jaylen Hands – 9.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.6 apg
- Prince Ali – 9.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 44.0 FG%
NYIT Key Individual Stats 2017-18:
- Jeffrey Hayden – 23.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.7 apg
- Kieran Hamilton – 14.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.5 apg
- Opong Bramble – 5.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 47.0 FG%
2017-18 Team Stats
| Team | Avg Pts | Opp. Pts | FG% | Rebs | Asts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 81.2 | 76.0 | .460 | 38.8 | 15.0 |
| NYIT | 76.5 | 88.8 | .428 | 39.2 | 14.7 |
Player to Watch
- Jaylen Hands – With freshman Tyger Campbell out for the season, Hands is going to have to carry most of the load for the Bruins at the one spot.
- Kris Wilkes – Quite possibly the best player on the team, he will be the Bruins’ go-to guy for points and he has shown that he can score from anywhere on the court.
- Moses Brown – The 7’2 freshman enters UCLA with a lot of hope. He will replace 4-year center Thomas Welsh in size and stats.
Last Word
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- UCLA Basketball: The Bruins arguably has the No. 1 2023 Recruiting Class
It is a new season, which means we can forget about the embarrassing NCAA Tournament “play-in” game loss that ended the 2017-18 season. UCLA reloaded with a stellar six-man recruiting class and added a defensive-minded assistant coach. Unfortunately, the Bruins will be without two of those freshmen who are out due to injury and the defense looks like it will take time to set in.
Still, the players that we will see tonight are very athletic and will be able to score points at will. The question is, can it all come together with Jaylen Hands as the floor general? With Aaron Holiday off to the NBA, UCLA is Hands’ for the taking, but how far can he take them?
Luckily the sophomore point guard has help as Kris Wilkes has also returned to bring consistency to Steve Alford’s uptempo style of basketball. The Bruins also return Chris Smith (who will be handling backup PG duty) and Prince Ali (one of two upperclassmen, Alex Olesinski is the other, but is out for a few months with a foot injury).
It will also be interesting to see what the new big men can add to the game. Aside from 7’2 Moses Brown, the Bruins return Cody Riley and Jalen Hill from a season-long suspension. All three will add length, strength, and flashiness to the Bruins, so it will be exciting to see what they can do.
Not to knock NYIT, but this should be an easy game for the Bruins. The Bears did not have a great 2017-18 season and lost some of their top point scorers, so we might be able to see if the Bruins can add quickly implement defense to their repertoire. With that being said, UCLA should run away with this game and we will see what the entire roster can do.
Prediction: UCLA 106 – NYIT 78