2018–19 UCLA Bruins men's basketball
ConferencePac-12 Conference
Record17–16 (9–9 Pac-12)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaPauley Pavilion
(Capacity: 13,819)
2018–19 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Washington15–3 .83327–9  .750
Arizona State12–6 .66723–11  .676
Utah11–7 .61117–14  .548
Oregon State10–8 .55618–13  .581
Colorado10–8 .55623–13  .639
Oregon †10–8 .55625–13  .658
UCLA9–9 .50017–16  .515
USC8–10 .44416–17  .485
Arizona8–10 .44417–15  .531
Stanford8–10 .44415–16  .484
Washington State4–14 .22211–21  .344
California3–15 .1678–23  .258
† Conference tournament winner

The 2018–19 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They were led by sixth-year head coach Steve Alford until he was fired mid-season and assistant Murry Bartow was named the interim head coach.[2] Their lineup featured three former McDonald's All-Americans: sophomores Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes were both named second-team All-Pac-12, while first-year player Moses Brown was voted to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.[3] UCLA finished the season 17–16, and lost in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament. They missed the postseason for the second time in four years.[4]

Ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll,[4] the Bruins began the season 4–0 and climbed to No. 17.[5] However, they lost six of the next nine and finished with a 7–6 record in nonconference play, closing it out with four straight losses, the last of which was a 73–58 defeat to Liberty.[5][6] They committed a season-high 24 turnovers in the game,[7] and the 15-point setback was the most lopsided home loss in Alford's tenure with UCLA.[6] Combined with an earlier home loss to mid-major program Belmont, it was the first time the Bruins had lost consecutive home games to non-Power Five schools since 2012–13.[8] Four days after Belmont, they lost by 29 at Cincinnati, their largest margin of defeat since 2014–15.[9] UCLA had not lost four straight since the end of 2015–16, when they finished the season under .500.[9] They had not suffered four consecutive nonconference losses since 2010–11.[10] On December 31, 2018, two days after the Bruins' loss to Liberty, UCLA fired Alford and named Bartow the interim head coach.[2]

The Bruins were inconsistent under Bartow, logging as many three-game winning streaks as three-game losing streaks.[4] They opened conference play 2–0 at home against San Francisco Bay Area schools Stanford and California.[11] Emphasizing the team's speed and athleticism,[11] he had the Bruins play more aggressive, trapping and applying pressure on defense and attacking on offense by running on both missed and made baskets. Six Bruins scored in double figures against Cal after five reached the threshold against the Cardinal. In their 13 non-conference games under Alford, UCLA never had more than four double-figure scorers.[12][13] The Bruins won the following game in overtime 87–84 at Oregon after rallying from 17 points down with less than seven minutes left in the second half, and later trailing by nine with 51 seconds remaining. It was the largest comeback in the final minute of a Pac-12 game and tied the sixth-largest deficit overcome in the last minute in Division I history. UCLA's 3–0 start in the conference was their best since starting 5–0 in the Pac-12 in 2012–13, the last time they claimed a conference regular-season title.[14] However, they lost their next three games, falling to 3–7 in their last 10, and 10–9 overall.[15] After wins over Arizona and Washington State, during which they set season-highs in field goal percentage of 57.9 and 58.8 percent, respectively,[16] they lost to Washington after committing 23 turnovers.[17] The Bruins were 5–4 halfway through the conference schedule. While Bartow was pushing for a faster pace, an unintended consequence was UCLA's conference-leading 17.3 turnovers per game, almost four more than they committed during non-conference play.[17]

Entering the second half, UCLA had a favorable schedule with seven of their last nine regular-season games against schools that were ranked in the bottom half of the Pac-12.[17] However, they lost their third straight game on February 9 after blowing a 22-point lead with 12:10 remaining in a 93–92 loss to Utah, which won on a buzzer-beating three-point field goal. The Bruins allowed 61 points in the second half, the most they had surrendered in a half since allowing 64 points in a win against Cal State Northridge in 1998.[18] The Bruins dropped into a four-way tie for seventh place in the Pac-12.[19] Combined with a loss earlier in the week to Colorado, it was the first time that UCLA had been swept in a home series since 2015–16.[18] However, UCLA won four of their next five. The four wins consisted of two overtime games, a one-point victory, and a 19-point comeback.[20] They entered the final week of the regular season with a chance to finish as high as third place in the conference, but lost their final two games to fall to seventh.[21]

In their opening game of the Pac-12 tournament, UCLA switched to a man-to-man defense after having played predominantly zone under Bartow, and they defeated Stanford 79–72. Bruins freshman guard David Singleton broke his foot in the final minute, ending his season.[22] The Bruins lost their next game 83–72 to second-seeded Arizona State in the quarterfinals. They were down by two points with 3:59 remaining before halftime. However, they were outscored 14–0 to end the half, and trailed by double-digits throughout most of the rest of the game.[23][24] Afterwards, Bartow stated that he was not interested in having his interim tag removed, and expressed optimism that UCLA would "hire a very good coach".[23]

Previous season

The Bruins finished the 2017–18 season 21–12, 11–7 in Pac-12 play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. They defeated Stanford in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Arizona. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the First Four to St. Bonaventure.

Off-season

Departures

Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for Departure
Thomas Welsh C 7'0" 255 Sr. Redondo Beach, California Graduated; 2018 NBA draft[25]
György Golomon PF 6'11" 225 Sr. Körmend, Hungary Graduated
Ikenna Okwarabizie C 6'9" 255 Sr. Lagos, Nigeria Graduated
Alec Wulff G 6'3" 185 Sr. Laguna Beach, California Walk-on; Graduated
Aaron Holiday PG 6'1" 185 Jr. Chatsworth, California Declared for 2018 NBA draft[26]

2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
David Singleton
SG		 Torrance, CA Bishop Montgomery High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Apr 20, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 84
Jules Bernard
SF		 Los Angeles, CA Windward School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Oct 10, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 87
Kenneth Nwuba
C		 Jackson, MS Huntington Prep 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (110 kg) Nov 7, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Moses Brown
C		 Briarwood, NY Archbishop Molloy High School 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jan 22, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 91
Tyger Campbell
PG		 Des Moines, IA La Lumiere School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Feb 6, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Shareef O'Neal
PF		 Los Angeles, CA Crossroads School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Feb 27, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2018 UCLA Commits". Rivals.com.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Roster

2018–19 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 0 Alex Olesinski 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)220 lb (100 kg) RS JrLa Lumiere School Roswell, New Mexico
C 1 Moses Brown 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)245 lb (111 kg) FrArchbishop Molloy HS Queens, New York
F 2 Cody Riley 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)240 lb (109 kg) RS FrSierra Canyon School Kansas City, Kansas
G 3 Jules Bernard 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrWindward School Los Angeles, California
G 4 Jaylen Hands 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) SoFoothills Christian HS San Diego, California
G 5 Chris Smith 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)210 lb (95 kg) SoHuntington Prep Chicago, Illinois
G 10 Tyger Campbell Current redshirt 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrLa Lumiere School Cedar Rapids, Iowa
G 13 Kris Wilkes 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoNorth Central HS Indianapolis, Indiana
F 14 Kenneth Nwuba 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)245 lb (111 kg) FrHuntington Prep Lagos, Nigeria
G 15 Armani Dodson (W) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) JrHenry J. Kaiser HS Fontana, California
G 20 Isaac Wulff (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) JrLaguna Beach HS Laguna Beach, California
F 22 Shareef O'Neal Current redshirt 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrCrossroads School Los Angeles, California
G 23 Prince Ali 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS JrSagemont School Bronx, New York
F/C 24 Jalen Hill 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)235 lb (107 kg) RS FrCentennial HS Corona, California
G 30 Joseph Wallace (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoSierra Canyon School Woodland Hills, California
G 34 David Singleton 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrBishop Montgomery HS Los Angeles, California
G 43 Russell Stong (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg) FrCrespi Carmelite HS Northridge, California
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 27, 2018*
7:30 pm, P12N		 No. 21 NYIT W 125–73 
 25 – Ali  13 – Brown  7 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (6,034)
Los Angeles, CA
Non–conference regular season
November 6, 2018*
6:00 pm, P12N		 No. 21 Purdue Fort Wayne W 96–71  1–0
  27 – Wilkes  17 – Brown  7 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (5,931)
Los Angeles, CA
November 9, 2018*
8:00 pm, P12N		 No. 21 Long Beach State W 91–80  2–0
  17 – Tied  10 – Brown  3 – Tied  Pauley Pavilion (7,920)
Los Angeles, CA
November 16, 2018*
8:00 pm, P12N		 No. 20 Saint Francis (PA)
Las Vegas Invitational campus-site game		 W 95–58  3–0
  23 – Brown  14 – Brown  4 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (6,127)
Los Angeles, CA
November 19, 2018*
8:00 pm, P12N		 No. 17 Presbyterian
Las Vegas Invitational campus-site game		 W 80–65  4–0
  19 – Hands  20 – Hill  3 – Tied   Pauley Pavilion (6,076)
Los Angeles, CA
November 22, 2018*
7:00 pm, FS1		 No. 17 vs. No. 11 Michigan State
Las Vegas Invitational semifinals		 L 67–87  4–1
  15 – Wilkes  10 – Brown  3 – Hands  Orleans Arena (7,489)
Paradise, NV
November 23, 2018*
1:00 pm, FOX		 No. 17 vs. No. 7 North Carolina
Las Vegas Invitational third place game		 L 78–94  4–2
  22 – Wilkes  9 – Riley  9 – Hands  Orleans Arena (6,500)
Paradise, NV
November 28, 2018*
6:00 pm, P12N		 Hawaii W 80–61  5–2
  23 – Ali  7 – Tied  11 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (6,062)
Los Angeles, CA
December 2, 2018*
7:00 pm, P12N		 Loyola Marymount W 82–58  6–2
  17 – Tied  10 – Tied  10 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (8,242)
Los Angeles, CA
December 8, 2018*
7:30 pm, ESPN2		 Notre Dame
Rivalry		 W 65–62  7–2
  14 – Wilkes  11 – Hill  11 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (12,985)
Los Angeles, CA
December 15, 2018*
2:00 pm, P12N		 Belmont L 72–74  7–3
  20 – Wilkes  9 – Brown  7 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (8,037)
Los Angeles, CA
December 19, 2018*
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Cincinnati L 64–93  7–4
  21 – Wilkes  10 – Riley  12 – Hands  Fifth Third Arena (12,689)
Cincinnati, OH
December 22, 2018*
12:00 pm, CBS		 vs. No. 15 Ohio State
CBS Sports Classic		 L 66–80  7–5
  18 – Wilkes  7 – Wilkes  9 – Hands  United Center (15,124)
Chicago, IL
December 29, 2018*
3:00 pm, P12N		 Liberty L 58–73  7–6
  14 – Wilkes  9 – Brown  3 – Hill  Pauley Pavilion (7,456)
Los Angeles, CA
Pac-12 regular season
January 3, 2019
8:00 pm, ESPN		 Stanford W 92–70  8–6
(1–0)		  17 – Brown  10 – Brown  6 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (8,026)
Los Angeles, CA
January 5, 2019
1:00 pm, P12N		 California W 98–83  9–6
(2–0)		  18 – Wilkes  9 – Brown  6 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (9,045)
Los Angeles, CA
January 10, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN		 at Oregon W 87–84 OT 10–6
(3–0)		  22 – Ali  11 – Brown  7 – Hands  Matthew Knight Arena (10,105)
Eugene, OR
January 13, 2019
7:00 pm, FS1		 at Oregon State L 66–79  10–7
(3–1)		  21 – Wilkes  9 – Brown  4 – Wilkes  Gill Coliseum (5,853)
Corvallis, OR
January 19, 2019
1:00 pm, CBS		 at USC
Rivalry		 L 67–80  10–8
(3–2)		  15 – Ali  9 – Wilkes  4 – Wilkes  Galen Center (5,226)
Los Angeles, CA
January 24, 2019
8:00 pm, FS1		 Arizona State L 73–84  10–9
(3–3)		  15 – Wilkes  10 – Riley  4 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (7,555)
Los Angeles, CA
January 26, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 Arizona
Rivalry		 W 90–69  11–9
(4–3)		  34 – Wilkes  15 – Brown  11 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (11,164)
Los Angeles, CA
January 30, 2019
7:00 pm, P12N		 at Washington State W 87–67  12–9
(5–3)		  16 – Brown  7 – Brown  8 – Hands  Beasley Coliseum (2,497)
Pullman, WA
February 2, 2019
1:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Washington L 55–69  12–10
(5–4)		  20 – Wilkes  7 – Brown  4 – 2 tied  Alaska Airlines Arena (10,000)
Seattle, WA
February 6, 2019
6:00 pm, P12N		 Colorado L 73–84  12–11
(5–5)		  17 – Brown  8 – Brown  6 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (6,983)
Los Angeles, CA
February 9, 2019
2:00 pm, FOX		 Utah L 92–93  12–12
(5–6)		  27 – Hands  5 – Hands  7 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (7,268)
Los Angeles, CA
February 13, 2019
7:00 pm, P12N		 at California W 75–67 OT 13–12
(6–6)		  27 – Wilkes  11 – Brown  4 – Brown  Haas Pavilion (7,182)
Berkeley, CA
February 16, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Stanford L 80–104  13–13
(6–7)		  29 – Hands  7 – Brown  4 – Hands  Maples Pavilion (5,418)
Stanford, CA
February 21, 2019
8:00 pm, FS1		 Oregon State W 68–67  14–13
(7–7)		  14 – Brown  11 – Brown  8 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (6,944)
Los Angeles, CA
February 23, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 Oregon W 90–83  15–13
(8–7)		  27 – Hands  7 – Brown  9 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (10,588)
Los Angeles, CA
February 28, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN		 USC
Rivalry		 W 93–88 OT 16–13
(9–7)		  21 – Hands  14 – Brown  10 – Hands  Pauley Pavilion (12,427)
Los Angeles, CA
March 7, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Colorado L 68–93  16–14
(9–8)		  19 – Wilkes  8 – Riley  2 – Smith  CU Events Center (7,797)
Boulder, CO
March 9, 2019
4:00 pm, P12N		 at Utah L 81–92  16–15
(9–9)		  20 – Wilkes  13 – Hill  4 – Hands  Jon M. Huntsman Center (12,914)
Salt Lake City, UT
Pac-12 Tournament
March 13, 2019
6:00 pm, P12N		 (7) vs. (10) Stanford
First round		 W 79–72  17–15
  22 – Hands  11 – Hands  3 – Tied  T-Mobile Arena (8,876)
Paradise, NV
March 14, 2019
6:00 pm, P12N		 (7) vs. (2) Arizona State
Quarterfinals		 L 72–83  17–16
  25 – Wilkes  8 – Hill  4 – Hands  T-Mobile Arena (13,012)
Paradise, NV
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific Time.

[27]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
RV = Received votes.
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415161718Final
AP212017RVNot released
Coaches2020^17RV

*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings
^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.

Honors

See also

References

  1. ↑ @latbbolch (January 1, 2019). "Kory Barnett has been promoted to a UCLA assistant coach" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. 1 2 "UCLA Head Coach Steve Alford Relieved of Duties".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (March 11, 2019). "UCLA's Jaylen Hands, Kris Wilkes named All-Pac-12 second team". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (March 17, 2019). "UCLA men's basketball kept out of postseason tournaments on Selection Sunday". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Steve Alford's UCLA run ends with Liberty rock bottom". New York Post. December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Bolch, Ben (December 29, 2018). "UCLA suffers disappointing 73-58 loss to Liberty, the Bruins' fourth straight defeat". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  7. ↑ Bolch, Ben (February 2, 2019). "UCLA's sloppy play leads to 69-55 loss at Washington". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Liberty extends UCLA's woes with 73-58 victory". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Kaufman, Joey (December 29, 2018). "UCLA falls to Liberty, closing non-conference play with fourth straight loss". Orange County Register. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Pac-12 caps worst December by major conference in 20 years as five teams lose". ESPN.com. December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. 1 2 Bennett, Brain (January 7, 2019). "Bennett on basketball: Bartow doubles down in attempt to turn UCLA's season around". Bay Area News Group. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  12. ↑ Bolch, Ben (January 5, 2019). "UCLA relies on faster tempo and more pressure to rout California". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  13. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (January 5, 2019). "A men's basketball takes team-first attitude to beat Cal". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  14. ↑ Bolch, Ben (January 10, 2019). "UCLA battles back for an improbable road win over Oregon". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  15. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (January 24, 2019). "UCLA men's basketball fades against Arizona State for third straight loss". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  16. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (February 1, 2019). "UCLA men's basketball gets major test at first-place Washington". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  17. 1 2 3 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (February 5, 2019). "Halfway through Pac-12 play, UCLA men's basketball is well out of NCAA picture". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  18. 1 2 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (February 9, 2019). "UCLA blows 22-point lead as Utah wins on 3-pointer at the buzzer". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  19. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (February 12, 2019). "UCLA men's basketball resets after crushing collapse against Utah". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  20. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (March 1, 2019). "UCLA men's basketball thrives on strong connection during late-season run". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  21. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (March 9, 2019). "UCLA men's basketball finishes seventh in Pac-12 after loss to Utah". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  22. ↑ Bolch, Ben (March 13, 2019). "Jaylen Hands helps UCLA hold off Stanford rally in Pac-12 tournament victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  23. 1 2 Kaufman, Joey (March 15, 2019). "UCLA falls to Arizona State in Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals". Orange County Register. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  24. ↑ Bolch, Ben (March 14, 2019). "UCLA can't overcome sluggish first half in 83-72 loss to Arizona State in Pac-12 quarterfinals". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  25. ↑ Williams, James H. (June 19, 2018). "Denver Nuggets select UCLA's Thomas Welsh in 2018 NBA Draft". OCRegister.com. The Orange County Register. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  26. ↑ Michael, J. "Orange County Register". IndyStar.com. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  27. ↑ "UCLA Hoops Announces Non–conference Schedule". Athletics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
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