Men’s basketball’s NCAA chances pushed back in sweep by USC

USC students were lined up two and a half hours before tipoff, eager to get into the Galen Center on Thursday night for the rivalry game against UCLA. Once inside, they were handed a black t-shirt to “blackout the Bruins.” The Trojans fans didn’t have to wait long for the party to start, as their […]

Trojans once again slay Bruins in men’s basketball rematch

The UCLA men’s basketball team has now played USC twice this year. Neither game has really been close. The first time around – Jan. 13 – UCLA’s lackluster defense was the story. The Bruins allowed the Trojans to shoot 45 percent from 3-point range in an 89-75 USC rout. “We just can’t figure out a […]

UCLA looks to redefine Bruin basketball, starting with USC matchup

March holds the monopoly on college basketball drama, but UCLA coach Steve Alford would attest that it’s February when teams truly distinguish themselves. Heading into its second matchup of the season with USC on Thursday – its first game in February – UCLA will hope that’s true. Currently sitting at 4-5 on the conference season, […]

Claire-ification: UCLA has a long way to go before NCAA Tournament

Back in 2008, the iPhone was just one year old, Twitter was starting to gain momentum in the social networking world and Hulu was invented. Eight years ago was also the last time Duke men’s basketball fell out of the AP Top 25 rankings. The Blue Devils didn’t crack the top 25 in the 2007-2008 […]

Men’s basketball continues to fight speed with athleticism

The UCLA men’s basketball team has one clear weakness at this point in the season. It’s not bench production or team defense, though those are areas of prime concern. It’s not boxing out, either, even though the Bruins rank near the bottom of the Pac-12 in offensive rebound prevention. Instead, the one clear-cut weakness for […]

Men’s basketball’s adjusted lineup routs Cougars with 33-point margin

Steve Alford walked into the UCLA men’s basketball locker room following his team’s 83-50 blowout of Washington State and wrote a simple sentence on the whiteboard. “Tony Parker five-for-five from the line and took a charge.” It was a message the Bruin coach hadn’t sent all season. He had called out his team’s high turnover […]

Alfords take blame for men’s basketball’s loss to Washington

Both Alfords took the blame for the first 20 minutes of UCLA’s game against Washington Thursday night. By halftime, it seemed like the game was all but over. The Bruins (12-9, 3-5 Pac-12) came out of the gates flat and careless, falling behind the Huskies (14-6, 6-2) by as many as 19 points with just […]