UCLA Basketball begins their 2018-19 campaign today against Purdue Fort Wayne. Here is how to watch and what to know about the game…
The UCLA Basketball team is back and they are ready to get their game on as the 2018-19 season begins today.
There are a lot of expectations for this latest Bruin incarnation as the Bruins have a lot of youth runnng the program. Can head coach Steve Alford bring the most out of his young squad or will it be another disappointing season?
Here is everything you need to know about UCLA vs. Purdue Fort Wayne…
UCLA Basketball vs. Purdue Fort Wayne Game Day Info
2017-18 Records: UCLA Bruins 21-12, 11-7 Pac-12 | Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons 18-15
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 Jaylen Hands, G Prince Ali, F Kris Wilkes, F Jalen Hill, C Moses Brown
PFW – G Kason Harrell, G John Konchar, G Marcus Deberry, F Matt Holba, F Dylan Carl
Head Coaches: UCLA – Steve Alford | PFW – John Coffman
Rosters: UCLA | Purdue Fort Wayne
UCLA Basketball vs. Purdue Fort Wayne: 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%
PFW Key Individual Stats 2017-18:
- John Konchar – 14.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.8 apg
- Kason Harrell – 13.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 43.1 FG%
- Dylan Carl – 4.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 43.5 FG%
2017-18 Team Stats
| Team | Avg Pts | Opp. Pts | FG% | Rebs | Asts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 81.2 | 76.0 | .460 | 38.8 | 15.0 |
| PFW | 82.3 | 76.8 | .460 | 35.0 | 14.7 |
Players to Watch
- Jaylen Hands – Hands showed confidence in the exhibition game which will help bring out his leadership skills this season.
- Prince Ali – Talk about a player that came out of nowhere. During UCLA’s exhibition, Ali proved his doubters wrong and took over the game offensively as he dropped a team-high 25 points.
- Kris Wilkes – Wilkes was named to the preseason Naismtih Trophy list yesterday, which honored the (potential) 50 best players in the nation, so that tells you what the Bruins have available to them in their arsenal.
- Moses Brown – The 7’2 freshman dominated in the exhibition game. That will continue tonight.
Last Word
The new season is finally here and the UCLA basketball team is ready to take off. Unfortunately, they have to do it without four players who were injured prior to the start of the season (Alex Olesinski – foot, Shareef O’Neal – heart, Tyger Campbell – ACL, Cody Riley – jaw). Though the Bruins could use their skills, they are still pretty deep.
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If the exhibition game showed us anything, it is that the Bruins are not only talented but have depth as Steve Alford used a 10-man rotation (which included Riley). With Alford going with an 8-man rotation in recent seasons, he should be well suited to play the nine scholarship players that are available.
The thing we have to watch for here is the inexperience of the younger players. Though they are mighty, they only have college ball experience against a Division II school. They will now face the real deal and have to figure out how to play as a unit, especially against tougher competition.
One thing that will help the Bruins are the players that have at least a year of experience under their belt. Prince Ali showed that he can put up points and as one of two upperclassmen, his knowledge will be needed to help the younger Bruins grow into Alford’s scheme. And though Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes only have one season in blue and gold, they know what Alford expects with his uptempo style.
What will be interesting to see is if UCLA’s defense has improved. Purdue Fort Wayne also likes to get up and down the court, but they have lost several keys players from last season’s squad, so they will also be adjusting to a new roster.
If the Bruins can slow down the Mastodons (which is a great name!), put a hand in their face, limit outside shots and BOX OUT (anyone that knows me is aware that UCLA’s inability to do this in recent seasons has vexed me), than the Bruins will run away with this game.
Prediction: UCLA 111 – Purdue Fort Wayne 83