2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

The 2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles, during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by first-year head coach Mick Cronin and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. UCLA finished the season with a 19–12 record. After starting slowly at 8–9, they went 11–3 and finished second in the Pac-12 at 12–6. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, while junior Chris Smith earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was voted the Pac-12 Most Improved Player.[1] Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pac-12 Tournament was canceled before the Bruins' first scheduled game in the quarterfinals, and the NCAA Tournament was called off as well.[2]

2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball
ConferencePac-12 Conference
2019–20 record19–12 (12–6 Pac-12)
Head coach
Associate head coachDarren Savino
Assistant coaches
  • Rod Palmer
  • Michael Lewis
Home arenaPauley Pavilion
(Capacity: 13,819)
2019–20 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
No. 13 Oregon13–5 .722  24–7  .774
UCLA12–6 .667  19–12  .613
USC11–7 .611  22–9  .710
Arizona State11–7 .611  20–11  .645
Arizona10–8 .556  21–11  .656
Colorado10–8 .556  21–11  .656
Stanford9–9 .500  20–12  .625
Oregon State7–11 .389  18–13  .581
Utah7–11 .389  16–15  .516
California7–11 .389  14–18  .438
Washington State6–12 .333  16–16  .500
Washington5–13 .278  15–17  .469
Rankings from AP Poll
NOTE: The 2020 Pac-12 Tournament was canceled prior to the quarterfinals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UCLA started the season 7–6 in non-conference play, including home losses to mid-major programs Hofstra and Cal State Fullerton.[3][4] After beginning 1–3 in the Pac-12, they won seven of their next nine, including an upset win on the road against Arizona followed by consecutive 12-point second-half comebacks against Washington State and Washington.[1][5] Still, the Bruins needed a strong finish to offset their early-season struggles and become contenders for an NCAA tournament bid.[4] Their late-season surge continued with their fifth straight win, defeating No. 18 Colorado on the road to sweep the season series. UCLA erased a nine-point deficit in the second half with a 14–0 run and recorded 14 deflections in the final 13 minutes against the Buffaloes,[6] which largely contributed to the Bruins' rise up 25 spots that week to No. 76 on the NCAA Evaluation Tool, one metric used by the NCAA tourney selection committee.[7] UCLA extended its winning streak to seven after home wins against Arizona State and Arizona.[8] It was the Bruins' first regular season sweep in their rivalry with the Wildcats since 2012–13.[9] In their regular-season finale, UCLA lost 54–52 at USC after the Trojans made a game-winning three-point field goal with one second remaining. The Bruins earned a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament.[10] On March 12, the Pac-12 canceled the tournament prior to its quarterfinals due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the NCAA Tournament was canceled later that day as well.[2]

UCLA's roster consisted of mostly role players.[11] For the first time since 1977–78, it did not include a McDonald's All-American; the honor began in 1977.[12][13][14] The team's most high-profile player—Shareef O'Neal, the son of Hall of Fame player Shaquille O'Neal—transferred midseason after failing to earn regular playing time. Smith, who averaged 13.1 points per game, was the only Bruin to average in double figures.[1]

Previous season
Main article: 2018–19 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

The Bruins finished the 2018–19 season 17–16, 9–9 in Pac-12 play. 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.[15] 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.[16] 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.[17]

Off-season

Departures
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for Departure
Jaylen Hands PG 6'3" 180 Sophomore San Diego, California Declared for the 2019 NBA Draft; selected 56th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.[18]
Kris Wilkes F 6'8" 215 Sophomore Indianapolis, Indiana Elected to play professionally.[19]
Moses Brown C 7'1" 245 Freshman Queens, New York Elected to play professionally.[20]

2019 Recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
F		 Camarillo, California Adolfo Camarillo HS 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) May 8, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 83
Jake Kyman
F		 Rancho Santa Margarita, California SMCHS 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) May 8, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 80
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:

  • "2019 UCLA Commits". Rivals.com.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    Roster
    2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    F 0 Alex Olesinski 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)225 lb (102 kg) RS SrLa Lumiere School Roswell, NM
    F 2 Cody Riley 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)250 lb (113 kg) RS SoSierra Canyon School Kansas City, KS
    G 3 Jules Bernard 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoWindward School Los Angeles, CA
    G/F 4 Jaime Jaquez Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrCamarillo HS Camarillo, CA
    G 5 Chris Smith 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) JrHuntington Prep Chicago, IL
    G 10 Tyger Campbell 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS FrLa Lumiere School Cedar Rapids, IA
    G/F 13 Jake Kyman 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrSanta Margarita Catholic HS Aliso Viejo, CA
    F 14 Kenneth Nwuba  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)250 lb (113 kg) SoHuntington Prep Lagos, Nigeria
    G 15 Armani Dodson (W) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) SrHenry J. Kaiser HS Fontana, CA
    G 20 Isaac Wulff (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) SrLaguna Beach HS Laguna Beach, CA
    F 22 Shareef O'Neal (T) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)220 lb (100 kg) RS FrCrossroads School Los Angeles, CA
    G 23 Prince Ali 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS SrSagemont School The Bronx, NY
    F/C 24 Jalen Hill 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)245 lb (111 kg) RS SoCentennial HS Corona, CA
    G 34 David Singleton 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoBishop Montgomery HS Los Angeles, CA
    G 43 Russell Stong (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoCrespi Carmelite HS Northridge, CA
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on
    • (T) Transferred
    • Injured
    • Current redshirt

    Roster

    Schedule and results
    Date
    time, TV    		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Exhibition
    October 30, 2019*
    7:30 pm, P12N    		 Stanislaus State W 87–57  –
    		  14 – Campbell  9 – Smith  11 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (3,221)
    Los Angeles, CA
    Non–conference regular season
    November 6, 2019*
    8:00 pm, P12N    		 Long Beach State W 69–65  1–0
    		  15 – Campbell  8 – Smith  5 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (6,265)
    Los Angeles, CA
    November 10, 2019*
    4:00 pm, P12N    		 UCSB W 77–61  2–0
    		  22 – Hill  10 – Hill  6 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (6,235)
    Los Angeles, CA
    November 15, 2019*
    8:00 pm, P12N    		 UNLV W 71–54  3–0
    		  16 – Smith  8 – Hill  4 – Tied  Pauley Pavilion (6,601)
    Los Angeles, CA
    November 18, 2019*
    8:00 pm, P12N    		 Southern Utah
    Maui Invitational campus-site game    		 W 76–61  4–0
    		  20 – Smith  8 – Tied  5 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (4,427)
    Los Angeles, CA
    November 21, 2019*
    8:00 pm, P12N    		 Hofstra L 78–88  4–1
    		  24 – Hill  12 – Hill  5 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (4,836)
    Los Angeles, CA
    November 25, 2019*
    8:30 pm, ESPN2    		 vs. BYU
    Maui Invitational quarterfinals    		 L 63–78  4–2
    		  16 – Bernard  6 – Tied  6 – Smith  Lahaina Civic Center (2,400)
    Lahaina, HI
    November 26, 2019*
    2:00 pm, ESPNU    		 vs. Chaminade
    Maui Invitational 2nd round consolation    		 W 74–48  5–2
    		  17 – Jaquez Jr.  12 – Jaquez Jr.  6 – Campbell  Lahaina Civic Center (2,400)
    Lahaina, HI
    November 27, 2019*
    11:30 am, ESPN2    		 vs. No. 3 Michigan State
    Maui Invitational 5th place game    		 L 62–75  5–3
    		  13 – Smith  8 – Jaquez Jr.  2 – Riley  Lahaina Civic Center (2,400)
    Lahaina, HI
    December 1, 2019*
    5:00 pm, P12N    		 San Jose State W 93–64  6–3
    		  18 – Tied  11 – Hill  4 – Tied  Pauley Pavilion (4,801)
    Los Angeles, CA
    December 8, 2019*
    2:00 pm, P12N    		 Denver W 81–62  7–3
    		  21 – Riley  11 – Riley  4 – Jaquez Jr.  Pauley Pavilion (5,243)
    Los Angeles, CA
    December 14, 2019*
    12:00 pm, ABC    		 at Notre Dame
    Rivalry    		 L 61–75  7–4
    		  10 – Smith  11 – O'Neal  2 – Tied  Edmund P. Joyce Center (8,083)
    South Bend, IN
    December 21, 2019*
    12:00 pm, CBS    		 vs. North Carolina
    CBS Sports Classic    		 L 64–74  7–5
    		  16 – Bernard  10 – Jaquez Jr.  5 – Campbell  T-Mobile Arena (12,740)
    Paradise, NV
    December 28, 2019*
    2:00 pm, P12N    		 Cal State Fullerton L 74–77  7–6
    		  18 – Campbell  10 – Hill  9 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (6,418)
    Los Angeles, CA
    Pac-12 regular season
    January 2, 2020
    7:00 pm, FS1    		 at Washington W 66–64  8–6
    (1–0)    		  17 – Smith  12 – Smith  7 – Campbell  Alaska Airlines Arena (9,027)
    Seattle, WA
    January 5, 2020
    4:00 pm, P12N    		 at Washington State L 71–79 OT 8–7
    (1–1)    		  22 – Smith  7 – Tied  2 – Tied  Beasley Coliseum (2,825)
    Pullman, WA
    January 11, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN2    		 USC
    Rivalry    		 L 63–74  8–8
    (1–2)    		  16 – Smith  10 – Smith  4 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (13,659)
    Los Angeles, CA
    January 15, 2020
    7:00 pm, P12N    		 Stanford L 59–74  8–9
    (1–3)    		  15 – Jaquez Jr.  12 – Hill  5 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (5,148)
    Los Angeles, CA
    January 19, 2020
    5:00 pm, ESPNU    		 California W 50–40  9–9
    (2–3)    		  17 – Smith  8 – Smith  7 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (5,970)
    Los Angeles, CA
    January 23, 2020
    8:00 pm, FS1    		 at Oregon State W 62–58  10–9
    (3–3)    		  15 – Smith  5 – Hill  4 – Campbell  Gill Coliseum (4,073)
    Corvallis, OR
    January 26, 2020
    2:00 pm, FOX    		 at No. 12 Oregon L 75–96  10–10
    (3–4)    		  20 – Kyman  8 – Hill  5 – Jaquez Jr.  Matthew Knight Arena (9,309)
    Eugene, OR
    January 30, 2020
    8:00 pm, ESPN2    		 No. 20 Colorado W 72–68  11–10
    (4–4)    		  30 – Smith  9 – Smith  2 – Tied  Pauley Pavilion (5,566)
    Los Angeles, CA
    February 2, 2020
    12:00 pm, FS1    		 Utah W 73–57  12–10
    (5–4)    		  22 – Campbell  8 – Hill  8 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (4,497)
    Los Angeles, CA
    February 6, 2020
    8:00 pm, ESPN2    		 at Arizona State L 66–84  12–11
    (5–5)    		  16 – Riley  8 – Smith  5 – Campbell  Desert Financial Arena (7,708)
    Tempe, AZ
    February 8, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN2    		 at No. 23 Arizona
    Rivalry    		 W 65–52  13–11
    (6–5)    		  15 – Smith  9 – Hill  5 – Campbell  McKale Center (14,644)
    Tucson, AZ
    February 13, 2020
    8:00 pm, P12N    		 Washington State W 86–83 OT 14–11
    (7–5)    		  23 – Smith  13 – Smith  4 – Jaquez Jr.  Pauley Pavilion (5,125)
    Los Angeles, CA
    February 15, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN2    		 Washington W 67–57  15–11
    (8–5)    		  20 – Smith  7 – Campbell  6 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (8,014)
    Los Angeles, CA
    February 20, 2020
    7:30 pm, FS1    		 at Utah W 69–58  16–11
    (9–5)    		  16 – Bernard  8 – Hill  4 – Campbell  Jon M. Huntsman Center (9,815)
    Salt Lake City, UT
    February 22, 2020
    1:00 pm, CBS    		 at No. 18 Colorado W 70–63  17–11
    (10–5)    		  16 – Riley  10 – Jaquez Jr.  11 – Campbell  CU Events Center (11,214)
    Boulder, CO
    February 27, 2020
    8:00 pm, P12N    		 Arizona State W 75–72  18–11
    (11–5)    		  21 – Kyman  8 – Hill  14 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (9,626)
    Los Angeles, CA
    February 29, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN    		 Arizona
    Rivalry    		 W 69–64  19–11
    (12–5)    		  17 – Smith  7 – Jaquez Jr.  8 – Campbell  Pauley Pavilion (11,567)
    Los Angeles, CA
    March 7, 2020
    12:15 pm, CBS    		 at USC
    Rivalry    		 L 52–54  19–12
    (12–6)    		  13 – Riley  6 – Hill  5 – Campbell  Galen Center (7,622)
    Los Angeles, CA
    Pac-12 Tournament
    March 12, 2020
    6:00 pm, P12N    		 (2) vs. (10) California
    Quarterfinals    		 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[21] T-Mobile Arena
    Paradise, NV
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Pacific Time.

    [22]

    Honors
    • February 3, 2020 – Jaime Jaquez Jr. was selected as Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
    • February 24, 2020 - Tyger Campbell was selected as Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
    • March 9, 2020 – Head coach Mick Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year; Chris Smith, Jr was named Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year and first-team All-Pac-12.[1]

    References
    1. Gold, Jon (March 11, 2020). "A decade later, UCLA's Mick Cronin is following Sean Miller's playbook to rebuild Bruins". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
    2. Bolch, Ben (March 12, 2020). "UCLA deals with loss of tournament experiences for its basketball teams". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
    3. Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (December 28, 2019). "Cal State Fullerton ends losing streak, extends UCLA's". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
    4. Bolch, Ben (February 17, 2020). "Here's how the UCLA men's basketball team makes the NCAA tournament". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    5. "Smith, Riley help UCLA rally, beat Washington 67-57". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
    6. Bolch, Ben (February 22, 2020). "Defense helps spark thrilling UCLA comeback in win over No. 18 Colorado". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
    7. Bolch, Ben (February 24, 2020). "UCLA hottest in Pac-12, needs big finish to save Mick Cronin's NCAA tournament streak". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
    8. Bolch, Ben (March 4, 2020). "UCLA is focusing on hoops, not hype, heading into crosstown rivalry game with USC". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
    9. Bolch, Ben (February 29, 2020). "UCLA rallies to beat Arizona and claim first place in Pac-12". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
    10. Curtis, Jake (March 10, 2020). "Pac-12 Basketball: One Shot Changed the Picture for UCLA, Oregon, USC". SI.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
    11. Bolch, Ben (March 3, 2020). "Former UCLA greats are in awe of current Bruins' late-season run". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
    12. Bolch, Ben (December 19, 2019). "UCLA's Shareef O'Neal works on establishing his own identity on court". Los Angeles Time. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
    13. Parrish, Gary (December 28, 2019). "UCLA's loss to Cal State Fullerton serves as a reminder that Mick Cronin inherited an awful situation". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
    14. Timirios, Alex. "2019-20 UCLA Men's Basketball Information Guide" (PDF). UCLA Athletic Communications Office. p. 11. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
    15. https://uclabruins.com/news/2018/12/31/mens-basketball-ucla-head-coach-steve-alford-relieved-of-duties.aspx
    16. 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.
    17. 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.
    18. Bolch, Ben. "UCLA's Jaylen Hands hires an agent and will declare for the NBA draft". LosAngelesTimes.com. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
    19. Bolch, Ben. "UCLA's Kris Wilkes announces he's headed to the NBA". LosAngelesTimes.com. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
    20. Bolch, Ben. "Moses Brown is leaving UCLA after one season to enter the NBA draft". LATimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
    21. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2020-pac-12-tournament-canceled-thursday-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-concerns/live/
    22. "UCLA Hoops Announces Non–conference Schedule". Athletics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
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