On Thursday at 7:30 PM PT on ESPN2, Stanford men’s basketball will take on #21 UCLA at home in their first Pac-12 game of the season. Stanford comes in at 3-4 overall while UCLA comes in at 5-2.
Last time out: Stanford went 1-2 in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, Florida. They fell to Ole Miss 72-68; defeated Florida State 70-60; and fell to Memphis 56-48.
RECAP: Stanford MBB falls to Ole Miss in Orlando
Recap via Stanford Athletics: Guardian Angel-Florida State
Recap via Stanford Athletics: Memphis Turns Back Stanford in Orlando
On UCLA: The Bruins are off to a strong start, hence their #21 ranking. However, their two losses were in Las Vegas to Illinois and Baylor while their five wins all came at home against dinky opponents that they should beat with no trouble. So in a lot of ways, there’s still a lot to be learned about this UCLA team.
The Bruins are led by senior small forward Jaime Jaquez, Jr. (16.7 points & 6.0 rebounds), junior guard Jaylen Clark (15.7 points & 7.7 rebounds), and redshirt senior guard Tyger Campbell (14.0 points & 4.9 assists). The three of them form a really difficult trio to stop that has a lot of experience.
As a team, the Bruins average 83.0 points per game on 50.4% shooting from the field, 39.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 70.5% shooting from the foul line. They average 36.1 rebounds, 17.7 assists, 9.4 steals, 3.7 blocks, and 10.1 turnovers per game. They also average a +4.2 rebound margin and a +7.0 turnover margin. Their opponents average 63.9 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field, 29.6% shooting from 3-point range, and 70.5% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is make their threes. UCLA is not used to teams making threes on them. If Stanford can knock down shots from the perimeter and heat up, that will really help them stay in this game. This is a game where Spencer Jones in particular needs to come alive.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is take care of the ball. UCLA is used to winning the turnover margin by a wide amount. If Stanford takes care of the rock, makes sound decisions, and gets everyone going, that will really help them win this game. This obviously starts with point guards Isa Silva and Michael O’Connell.
Finally, Stanford needs to assert their will in the paint. UCLA is used to winning the rebound margin, but so is Stanford. If Stanford wins the battle on the glass, I like their chances to win.
Prediction: This is definitely a winnable game for Stanford. They are at home and UCLA has not played a true road game yet this season. Not to mention being 0-2 in neutral site games. That said, I still have to pick the Bruins tonight. I think it’ll be a battle, but UCLA will find a way to get the win. UCLA 72 Stanford 66 is how I see this one shaking out.
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