UCLA Basketball has their first of two games in the Las Vegas Invitational against Michigan State. Here is how to watch and what to know about the game…
The UCLA Basketball team has their first big test of the season as the Bruins take on ranked Michigan State in the Las Vegas Invitational, the first of two games in Sin City.
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UCLA has the talent, but do they have the mindset to take down one of the toughest teams in the nation? We find out tonight.
Here is everything you need to know about UCLA vs. Michigan State…
#17 UCLA Basketball vs. #11 Michigan State Game Day Info
Records: #17 UCLA Bruins 4-0 | #11 Michigan State Spartans 3-1
Location: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Tipoff: 7:00 p.m. PT
TV: FS1
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio: AM 570
Satellite Radio: Sirius – Ch. 138 | XM – Ch. 197
OnlineRadio: Tune-In
Odds: Michigan State -7, O/U: 157
Last Game: #17 UCLA d. Presbyterian, 80-65 | MSU d. Tennessee Tech, 101-33
ESPN Win Predictor: Michigan State 76.3% – UCLA 23.7%
Projected Starters:
UCLA – G Jaylen Hands, G Prince Ali, F Kris Wilkes, F Jalen Hill, C Moses Brown
MSU – G Cassius Winston, G Joshua Langford, G Matt McQuaid, F Nick Ward, F Kenny Goins
Head Coaches: UCLA – Steve Alford | Michigan State – Tom Izzo
Rosters: UCLA | Michigan State
UCLA Basketball vs. Presbyterian: Stats, Final Word and Prediction
UCLA Key Individual Stats :
- Kris Wilkes – 17.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .446 FG%
- Moses Brown – 17.3 ppg, 12.0 rpg, .789 FG%
- Jayern Hands – 13.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.8 rpg
Presbyterian Key Individual Stats:
- Cassius Winston – 17.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 7.0 apg
- Joshua Langford – 17.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .481 FG%
- Nick Ward – 15.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, .625 FG%
Team Stats
| Team | Avg Pts | Opp. Pts | FG% | Rebs | Asts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 90.5 | 68.5 | .517 | 49.0 | 16.5 |
| MSU | 93.5 | 66.5 | .485 | 46.8 | 22.5 |
Player to Watch
- Jaylen Hands – If this team is going anywhere, they are going to need someone to guide them. Hands has to be that player that leads this team to greatness because if they do not work as one, they will not work.
Last Word
The UCLA basketball is in for a rude awakening if they cannot play as one. In the first four games, they did a good job, individually, of getting the ball in the hoop. They still need to work on their efforts collectively.
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The Bruins are only dishing out 16.5 assists per game, which is 61st in the country. Compare that to their 90.5 points per game, which is 17th in the country, and you can see that there is a lot of “Me Ball”. That might work in stretches, but against a disciplined team coached by Tom Izzo, the Bruins will have to step up their game.
The Spartans are not only talented but experienced. They have seven upperclassmen on their roster, which is five more than UCLA (actually, they only have one as Prince Ali is the only active upperclassmen on the roster as Alex Olesinski is out with a foot injury).
Michigan State has also been doing well reeling in the turnovers, which has helped them to play very controlled basketball, especially with with Cassius Winston in charge. Not only is he getting the ball out to his teammates, but he is leading them in scoring. UCLA is going to have to try and limit his touches, and that of Joshua Langford and Nick Ward, all of whom are averaging double-digit scoring.
The Bruins still seem to be without a solid defensive plan. Their youth will not make it any easier to execute either as they are failing to recognize backdoor cuts, pop out to defend long shots, and rotate when necessary.
Luckily, UCLA is more than capable of getting to the hoop. If Kris Wilkes and Moses Brown can get enough looks, especially under the rim, they will sink those high percentage shots. The Bruins also need their bench to step up. The Bruins are deep and if they send waves at the Spartans, they could tire them out, but will a disciplined team like Michigan State fall for that (look for how the coaches use their subs late in the game).
Either way, the Bruins are going to be tested and they have will have to grow up quickly if they want to take down this hyper-focused Spartan squad.
Prediction: Michigan State 96 – UCLA 81