No. 12 UCLA Set for Saturday Showdown at No. 21 USC

LOS ANGELES – No. 12-ranked UCLA (17-4, 9-3) will return to action against No. 21-ranked USC (20-4, 9-4) on Saturday evening at the Trojans' Galen Center. USC has won the last four meetings against USC, with two of those victories coming on last-second buzzer beating 3-pointers. Last season, USC won the showdown at the Galen Center by a 66-48 margin. Nearly four weeks later, UCLA dropped a 64-63 decision to USC in Pauley Pavilion in the regular-season finale for both schools. Prior to the Trojans' four-game win streak in the series, UCLA had won five of the previous six matchups against USC. UCLA has gone 8-7 against USC at the Galen Center (the arena opened prior to the 2006-07 season).
 
UCLA leads the all-time series against USC by a 143-113 margin (dating back to 1928).
 
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Galen Center (Los Angeles)
Game Time: 7 p.m., PT
Television: ESPN
TV Talent: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
Radio Broadcast (UCLA Sports Network): AM 1150
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS/XM Radio Channels: Ch. 134 / Ch. 197
SIRIUS Internet Channel: Ch. 959
 
ABOUT THE BRUINS
- The Bruins have gone 17-4 (and 9-3 in the Pac-12) and are ranked No. 12 in this week's two primary top-25 polls.
- UCLA has gone 6-2 in true road games and 10-1 at home (the Bruins are 1-1 in a pair of neutral site contests).
- The Bruins have gone 9-3 since returning from a COVID pause that took place in late December of 2021.
- The Bruins rank No. 2 in the Pac-12 in margin of victory (11.9 ppg) and points per game (77.8 ppg).
- UCLA has just eight games to play in the regular-season schedule (four at home and four on the road).
- UCLA's Tyger Campbell ranks No. 2 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (3.63-to-1), through Tuesday, Feb. 8.
- UCLA ranks in the top 11, nationally, in fewest turnovers per game (No. 4, at 9.3) and turnover margin (No. 11, at 4.7).
- Head coach Mick Cronin has gone 58-26 at UCLA (currently in his third season as UCLA's head coach).
- Eleven of UCLA's 15 players were either born-and-raised in Southern California or attended high school in the area.
- The Bruins went 5-1 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, earning the program's 19th all-time appearance in the Final Four.
 
WESTWOOD, UCLA'S DOCUSERIES
The Bruins' season-long docuseries – titled "Westwood" – airs on the UCLA Athletics YouTube channel and the UCLA men's basketball program's social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook). Episodes run just under 10 minutes in length and are broadcast on social media approximately every two weeks.
 
Episode 1 (aired Monday, Nov. 8) – watch
Episode 2 (aired Monday, Nov. 22) – watch
Episode 3 (aired Monday, Dec. 6) – watch
Episode 4 (aired Monday, Dec. 20) – watch
Episode 5 (aired Monday, Jan. 10) – watch
Episode 6 (aired Monday, Jan. 24) – watch
Episode 7 (aired Monday, Feb. 7) – watch
 
MOST RECENTLY
UCLA defeated Stanford, 79-70, at Maples Pavilion (Stanford, Calif.) on Tuesday evening in a game that had been rescheduled from Jan. 6. The Bruins' win at Stanford followed back-to-back losses last week at Arizona (76-66) on Thursday, Feb. 3, and in triple overtime at Arizona State (87-84) on Saturday, Feb. 5. In the victory at Stanford, UCLA's first win at Maples Pavilion since Feb. 2015, Johnny Juzang scored a team-leading 23 points and connected on 10 of 16 shots. Tyger Campbell scored 14 points and dished seven assists, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 14 points and four rebounds.
 
OVERTIME
The Bruins have gone 1-2 in overtime contests this season, with two of the team's four total losses taking place in an overtime contest. Over the past two seasons, UCLA has recorded a 5-5 record in 10 overtime games. UCLA's triple overtime game at Arizona State was the Bruins' first 3-OT contest since winning a 3-OT game against Pepperdine (107-98) at San Diego State in the second game of the season last year (Nov. 27, 2020). UCLA had not played a game into three or more overtime sessions in conference play since Feb. 28, 1985 (UCLA lost to USC in Pauley Pavilion in four overtimes, 80-78).
 
UCLA VERSUS USC
Both UCLA and USC have been ranked among the nation's top 25 teams all season. USC defeated Pacific on Tuesday night (74-68) and enters Saturday's contest with a 20-4 overall record (9-4 in Pac-12 play). This Saturday's matchup at the Galen Center will mark the first time UCLA and USC have faced each other, both ranked in the AP top 25 poll, since No. 2 UCLA defeated No. 19 USC, 70-65, in Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 7, 2007. Prior to that game, UCLA and USC had not faced each other while both ranked among the AP's top 25 teams since Feb. 6, 2002 (UCLA was No. 15, and USC was No. 25).
 
ASSIST-TURNOVER STATS
Through Tuesday's games, UCLA ranked No. 9 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (1.53). Since the start of UCLA's NCAA Tournament run last year (in total, the last 27 games), point guard Tyger Campbell has totaled 125 assists and 34 turnovers (an assist-turnover ratio of 3.68-to-1). Other notable assist-turnover ratios on this season's roster include senior Jules Bernard (38 assists, 21 turnovers, 1.8 ratio) and senior David Singleton (18 assists, six turnovers, 3.0 ratio).
 
QUITE THE TURNAROUND
Senior Jules Bernard has totaled 89 assists and 60 turnovers over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons (junior/senior years), an assist-turnover ratio of 1.48. During his first two seasons at UCLA (2018-19 and 2019-20), Bernard had totaled 47 assists and 84 turnovers through 63 games. In addition, Bernard averaged 6.6 points per game during his first two seasons and has averaged 11.3 points during his junior and senior campaigns.
 
AWAY FROM HOME
The Bruins have gone 7-3 in 10 games played away from home this year (that includes a 6-2 road record). Earlier this season, UCLA notched non-conference road wins at UNLV (Saturday, Nov. 27) and at Marquette (Saturday, Dec. 11). Prior to UCLA's loss at No. 7-ranked Arizona (Thursday, Feb. 3), the Bruins had registered five consecutive road victories for the first time since a six-game road winning streak during the 2007-08 season. Now in his third season as UCLA's head coach, Mick Cronin has guided the Bruins to a 24-20 record in games played away from home (road and neutral site contests).
 
NOTABLES
- Senior Jules Bernard has scored 1,015 career points, crossing the 1,000-point threshold on Saturday, Feb. 5.
- The Bruins have gone 6-2 on the road (1-1 in neutral-site contests), including a 4-2 record in Pac-12 road games.
- UCLA ranks No. 1 in the Pac-12 (No. 4 in the nation) in fewest turnovers committed per game (9.3, through Feb. 8).
- Myles Johnson (29 blocks, 1.4 bpg) ranks No. 5 in the Pac-12 in most blocks per game (through Saturday, Feb. 5).
- Junior Johnny Juzang has scored in double figures in 18 of 19 games (including a season-high 28 points at Utah).
- Johnny Juzang has shot a team-high 86.4% from the free throw stripe in his two seasons at UCLA (102-for-118).
- Junior Tyger Campbell (426 assists) stands just 32 assists shy from moving into the school's career top-10 assists list.
- UCLA has committed nine turnovers or fewer in each of the past six games (just six turnovers on Tuesday at Stanford).
- The Bruins have tallied more assists than turnovers in 17 of 21 games this season.
 
KEY FACILITATOR
Through games played on Tuesday, Feb. 8, Tyger Campbell ranked No. 2 in the country in assist-turnover ratio (3.6-to-1). Campbell has averaged 11.2 points and 4.7 assists in all 21 games this season. He has scored in double figures in 15 of UCLA's 21 games and currently ranks No. 7 in the Pac-12 in 3-point field goal percentage (40.7%). Campbell has started all 84 games for the Bruins since the start of the 2019-20 season (missed the 2018-19 season with a left knee injury).
 
UCLA IN PAC-12 ACTION
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, UCLA has gone 22-9 in Pac-12 play (that includes last season's 13-6 record). The Bruins have won 20 of their last 22 home games in Pac-12 play (losses to USC in March of 2021 and Oregon on Jan. 13, 2022). UCLA won its final seven home Pac-12 games in 2019-20, during Coach Cronin's first season as the team's head coach. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bruins have gone 34-6 in all games played in Pauley Pavilion.
 
GO-TO PLAYER
Junior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been a catalyst since arriving in Westwood in the summer of 2019. He has played in 83 of the team's last 84 games (75 starts). He secured second-team All-Pac-12 honors last season. This year, he has averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game (20 contests). Last year, Jaquez Jr. was one of five players to have earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors. Jaquez Jr. has scored in double figures in 48 career games.
 
VETERAN PRESENCE
Senior guard Jules Bernard has played in more games at UCLA (116) than any other current player. He has averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season. The former standout at nearby Windward High School (Los Angeles) has scored 1,015 career points, becoming the 58th player in school history to have crossed the 1,000-career-point plateau. Nearly one month ago against Long Beach State (Jan. 6), he totaled 22 points and made four 3-pointers (seven attempts) in the team's 96-78 win, coming off a two-plus-week long pause (due to COVID-19).
 
UCLA's LEADING SCORER
Johnny Juzang has averaged a team-best 18.1 points per game and ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in scoring. Last season, he averaged a team-leading 16.0 points in 27 contests and was one of five players to earn All-NCAA Tournament Team acclaim (averaged 22.8 points in six NCAA Tournament games). He shot 50.9 percent in last season's NCAA Tournament.
 
20-POINT TOTALS: During his two seasons at UCLA, he has scored at least 20 points in 15 games (that includes seven games this season and eight games last year). Juzang has averaged 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18 games played this season. He has totaled at least seven rebounds in five contests this year.
 
30-POINT CLUB: Johnny Juzang scored a career-high 32 points in UCLA's 64-61 win at Washington last season (Feb. 13, 2021). That marked the most points in one game by any UCLA player since Kris Wilkes had 34 points versus Arizona on Jan. 26, 2019 in a Pac-12 game in Pauley Pavilion.
 
50 PERCENT: Johnny Juzang (32 points, Feb. 13, 2021, at Washington) became UCLA's first player to have accounted for at least half his team's points in a game since Reggie Miller on Dec. 19, 1986. Miller had 38 of 73 points (52.1%) in an 81-73 loss at Washington State. Juzang tallied half the Bruins' points (32 of 64) in last season's win at Washington.
 
CLOSING TIME
Under third-year head coach Mick Cronin, the Bruins have gone 21-9 in games decided by five points or fewer (includes all overtime games, regardless of score margin). This season, the Bruins have posted a 2-2 record in such situations. In 2019-20, the Bruins went 7-3 in those contests. In 2020-21, UCLA had a 12-4 record. Through Coach Cronin's final three seasons at Cincinnati (2016-17 through 2018-19), his teams went 18-7 in those situations. From 2016-17 through the 2020-21 season, Coach Cronin's teams went 37-14 in such contests.
 
70 POINTS OR FEWER
Over the past two seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22), UCLA has gone 29-3 when limiting the opposition to 70 or fewer points (15-3 last season, 14-0 record this year). Midway through his third season at UCLA, Coach Cronin has led the Bruins to a 47-4 record when limiting the opposition to 70 or fewer points. In 2019-20, UCLA went 18-1 in such situations. Through his final three seasons as Cincinnati's head coach (2016-17 through 2018-19), Coach Cronin's teams posted a 79-10 record when holding the opposition to 70 or fewer points. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, his teams have gone 123-14 when limiting the opponent to 70 or fewer points (through 187 games).
 
65 POINTS, OR FEWER: Through three seasons as UCLA's head coach (2019-20 through 2021-22), Coach Cronin has guided the Bruins to a 41-2 record when UCLA has held its opposition to 65 points or fewer. UCLA has gone 11-0 this season (allowing 65 or fewer points), went 15-1 last season, and went 16-1 in 2019-20.
 
FORCING TURNOVERS: Midway through his third year at UCLA, Coach Cronin has guided the Bruins to a 23-3 record when UCLA has forced at least 15 turnovers by the opposition (includes an 8-1 mark in that category this season).
 
AGAINST TOP-RANKED FOES
Since March of 2021, UCLA has registered four wins over top-five-ranked opponents. That includes wins in last season's NCAA Tournament against No. 5 Alabama (Sweet 16) and No. 4 Michigan (Elite Eight). This season, the Bruins have defeated No. 4 Villanova (Nov. 12, 2021) and No. 3 Arizona (Jan. 25, 2022). Since the start of the 2015-16 season, UCLA has gone 8-5 against top-five ranked teams (ranked by the AP). That has included a pair of victories against No. 1 Kentucky in Dec. 2015 and Dec. 2016, as well as back-to-back wins in last season's NCAA Tournament against Alabama and Michigan.
 
THE BRUINS WHEN ...
Since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Bruins have gone 96-14 when leading at halftime (through 185 games). During that span, the UCLA has gone 26-43 when trailing at halftime (4-2 when tied at the break). UCLA's largest halftime deficit overcome in that stretch has been 16 points – UCLA trailed at home against Oregon, 44-28, on Feb. 23, 2019, and outscored the Ducks in the second half (62-39) to win, 90-83. When the Bruins have built a 10-point lead (or larger) at any point in the game, UCLA has gone 101-11. When trailing by 10 or more points in a game, UCLA has gone 18-46.