This evening, the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team opens the 2020 season with a rare away game. The last time UCLA opened the season on the road was 1985 when the Bruins lost to #2 North Carolina, 107-70. Let’s hope tonight’s game has a better result.

It should.

That’s because the Bruins return eight of their primary ten players from last season. Those eight guys accounted for 88.8% of UCLA’s total scoring output, 86.2% of the team’s total rebounding production and 91.3% of their total assists last year.

Wow.

For those who may have forgotten, the Bruins showed marked improvement as the season went on last year and big things were expected in both the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments, but both were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the Bruins will look to pick up where they left off.

Meanwhile, San Diego State does not look as good as they did last season. That’s because the Aztecs only return three of their starters from last year’s team which earned Aztec coach Brian Dutcher the USA Today National Coach of the Year award.

Senior guard Jordan Schakel started all 31 games last season and averaged 10.0 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 43.6% from behind the three-point arc. The Aztecs also return both of their starting forwards. Senior Matt Mitchell averaged 12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 1.7 assists per game while junior Nathan Mensah contributed 6.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 1.6 blocks per game.

It remains to be seen who else will start for Dutcher tonight, but the key thing is that the Aztecs have lost a lot more production than the Bruins. So, look for UCLA to win tonight as long as the team can shake the rust off and play like they did at the end of last season.

Here’s how to watch, listen and stream tonight’s game.

UCLA Men’s Basketball (0-0)

• Opponent: San Diego State Aztecs (0-0)

• Series Record: UCLA leads, 15-6

• When: 7:30 pm PT, Wednesday, November 25, 2020

• Where: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA

• TV: CBS Sports Network with Tom McCarthy and Steve Lappas

• Live Stream: CBSSports.com

• Radio/Audio:
  AM 570 in Los Angeles with Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray
  And, of course, in The Mighty Bruin Game Thread!

• Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast

Go Bruins!

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